Buying Options

Print List Price:	$9.99
Kindle Price:	$7.99 Save $2.00 (20%)
Sold by:	Hachette Book Group Price set by seller.

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add Audible narration to your purchase for just $12.99

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

Share <Embed>

Follow the Author

Chris Colfer

A Tale of Magic... Kindle Edition

by Chris Colfer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3,194 ratings

Book 1 of 3: A Tale of Magic.

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$7.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$14.66

$4.90

$2.21

Paperback

"Please retry"

$8.48

$6.26

$1.99

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$25.86

$19.87

$18.70

This #1 New York Times bestseller is the first book in a new series set in Chris Colfer's Land of Stories universe, perfect for both new and longtime fans! When Brystal Evergreen stumbles across a secret section of the library, she discovers a book that introduces her to a world beyond her imagination and learns the impossible: She is a fairy capable of magic! But in the oppressive Southern Kingdom, women are forbidden from reading and magic is outlawed, so Brystal is swiftly convicted of her crimes and sent to the miserable Bootstrap Correctional Facility. But with the help of the mysterious Madame Weatherberry, Brystal is whisked away and enrolled in an academy of magic! Adventure comes with a price, however, and when Madame Weatherberry is called away to attend to an important problem she doesn't return. Do Brystal and her classmates have what it takes to stop a sinister plot that risks the fate of the world, and magic, forever? Fall in love with an all-new series from Chris Colfer, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Land of Stories, filled with adventure, imagination, and wonderfully memorable characters both familiar and new. A #1 New York Times bestsellerAn IndieBound bestseller
A USA Today bestseller
A Wall Street Journal bestseller

Don't miss:
A TALE OF WITCHCRAFT...

Reading age

9+ years, from customers
Print length

513 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

890L
Publisher

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date

October 1, 2019
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
ISBN-13

978-0316523479
See all details

Next 3 for you in this series See full series

Total Price: $27.97

By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use

Books In This Series (3 Books)

Complete Series

A Tale of Magic.

Kindle Edition

Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1

1
A Tale of Magic...
Chris Colfer

(3,194)

Kindle Edition

$7.99
2
A Tale of Witchcraft... (A Tale of Magic... Book 2)
Chris Colfer

(3,063)

Kindle Edition

$9.99
3
A Tale of Sorcery... (A Tale of Magic... Book 3)
Chris Colfer

(1,514)

Kindle Edition

$9.99

Elizabeth Kostova
4,383
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
Chris Colfer
3,063
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
Chris Colfer
1,514
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
Chris Colfer
88
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $33.99
Chris Colfer
4,642
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.99
Louisa May Alcott
10,207
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $7.99

Create your FREE Amazon Business account to save up to 10% with Business-only prices and free shipping. Register today

Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

“We must pity the people who choose to hate, Brystal,” she said. “Their lives will never be as meaningful as the lives filled with love.”
Highlighted by 647 Kindle readers
“Ignorance is a choice. Hatred is a choice. Violence is a choice. But someone’s existence is never a choice, or a fault, and it’s certainly not a crime. You would be wise to educate yourself.”
Highlighted by 496 Kindle readers
“And would it kill you to take a bath and cut your dang nails? I thought you were a sloth until you opened your mouth!”
Highlighted by 479 Kindle readers

From the Publisher

A TALE OF MAGIC... The #1 New York Times bestselling series [image of the 3 book covers in series]


	A Tale of Witchcraft…	A Tale of Sorcery…	A Tale of Magic... Complete Hardcover Gift Set	Goldilocks: Wanted Dead or Alive	The Ultimate Book Hugger's Guide	A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales
Read more from #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer	A Tale of Magic… Book 2: A mysterious newcomer starts to recruit fairies into her rival school of witchcraft.	A Tale of Magic… Book 3: Brystal Evergreen is running out of time and a new evil has arisen from deep within the Earth.	A hardcover gift set of the complete New York Times bestselling A Tale of Magic… series set in The Land of Stories universe	A Land of Stories full-color graphic novel adventure featuring Goldilocks as you've never seen her before!	A comprehensive, full-color, behind-the-scenes guidebook for the biggest fans of The Land of Stories.	The Land of Stories: Fairy Tale Treasury: A gorgeous, full-color gift book containing thirty-five beloved stories and rhymes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[An] entertaining fantasy series opener...with its focus on chosen family, accepting one's true self, and changing public perception through normalization...Strong characters and an engaging story line make this a thoroughly satisfying adventure that can stand alone for Colfer newcomers."

-- "Publishers Weekly" --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

About the Author

Chris Colfer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and Golden Globe-winning actor. He was honored as a member of the TIME 100, Time magazine's annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world, and his books include Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal, Stranger Than Fanfiction, and the books in The Land of Stories series: The Wishing Spell, The Enchantress Returns, A Grimm Warning, Beyond the Kingdoms, An Author's Odyssey, and Worlds Collide, and the companion books A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales, The Mother Goose Diaries, Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide to Royalty, The Curvy Tree, and Trollbella Throws a Party.
--This text refers to the audioCD edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07NL78L2T
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Illustrated edition (October 1, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 20760 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 513 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0316523518
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #138,865 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #167 in Children's eBooks on Girls' & Women's Issues
- #236 in Children’s Books about Libraries & Reading
- #621 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Adventure

Customer Reviews:
3,194 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Chris Colfer

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Customer reviews

5 star		86%
4 star		9%
3 star		3%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all customer images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Kindle Customer

Not for younger readers (IMHO)

Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

loved reading the Land of Stories series aloud to our three older boys (ages 9,7 &6 at the time) so was excited to start this one as our pre-bedtime read. It was surprisingly heavy in subject matter and introduced a Judeo-Christian-ish religion into the Kingdoms that hadn't been present in LoS. While Colfer’s writing style is again superb, I surprised by the blatant introduction of a religious system (for which he has clear disdain) and the overall heavier/angrier tone of the book, given that it was billed as a prequel to LoS, which are based on fairytales and other fictional stories. Hadn’t bargained on reading about people punishing/executing children “in the name of the Lord to purge them of their sins,” so while older kiddos might identify with the strong theme of embracing your unique identity, we found it to be less entertaining/engaging for the younger boys.

210 people found this helpful

Helpful

Gian Orsini

Couldn’t put the book down!

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2019

Verified Purchase

My 10 yr old was captivated by the Land of Stories Series when he was 7. He still re-reads the books & listens to them on audible - he didn’t want the series to end! I was thrilled to see Chris had another book published. It arrived yesterday & my son has read 100 pages. He wouldn’t do his homework bc he wanted to read the book and wanted me to read it to him starting over from the beginning. These stories are so well written and imaginative! Cannot wait to dig into the next one! Thank you!

44 people found this helpful

Helpful

BrandonTop Contributor: Star Wars

The fast finish helps to overpower the boring lead up

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

The latest land of stories book is a prequel to the main set of novels. It essentially is the origin of the use of magic within the land of stores. The book is carefully constructed gathering the players and moving them along to an epic finish that is loaded with surprises.

The good:
The ending was fantastic. It was surprising and it left a lot of room for the next book.
The book carefully placed clues and fitted the stories about the characters into the larger established land of stories universe.

The not so good:
The book is dark. Executing children, slavery, violent parenting. It's tough to justify letting just any old kid read this. You need to be selective based on how sensitive the reader is with this one.
The author ties modern social issues, such as gender inequality, into the story. However, he ties way too many into this book. Oppressive governments, manipulating adult figures, it goes on and on.
The book lacks all of the charm from the original series. The sarcasm, wit and special qualities of the characters from the first books (like Red, Bree, Conner, etc) is absent from this book. The characters all felt dull.
The book is so slow. It takes 300 pages to get the plot moving.
The casting out of those with magic feels so unimaginative. Every X-Men in the Marvel Universe had these same origins 50 years ago. Kid discovers powers, cast out by their family, banned by the government, finds people like them that accept them. They learn their powers. The book didn't need 300 pages to tell the same story.

I love, LOVE the series. This may be the weakest book in the series. However, the payoff at the end washed away a lot of my unease with the book. I didn't find it to be as anti-religion as others. It was anti a lot of things. But I did find it to be kind of boring and I couldn't list out three characteristics for any of the characters except the main one. I'm hoping the follow up book brings back some of the humor, charm and creativity I've come to love with this series.

21 people found this helpful

Helpful

northsouthwest

Love this author and these series!

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

If your kids are looking for a new series featuring mystical and fairy tale creatures, you can't go wrong with any of Chris Colfer's books. My now 12 yo started with the first book when it first came out and now couldn't wait to devour this latest installment. (Fair warning - it's a prequel to the Land of Stories series and is a stand-alone). These books are an easy read for young readers who want more than Magic Tree house but less than "Teen fiction". They are engaging, and adventure filled. Cannot speak highly enough about it.

29 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Best book of all of the land of stories books

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2019

Verified Purchase

A book on the og fairy godmother and the fairy council as young kids and how they got to where they were when the wishing spell begins. I couldn't put the book down I am a fan of all the land of the land of stories books but this one is my favorite. There was a twist at every corner. I like how it includes a little history from our world too (witch hunts) I am ever in support to this author.

23 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jean Hall

Tedious and pedantic

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

Seemed like it had possibilities at first, but deteriorated as it went along. Don't waste your time when there are so better choices.

20 people found this helpful

Helpful

Miller Family

A great read!

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2019

Verified Purchase

This review is written by a nine-year-old girl.

This book is amazing If you like My Jasper June and The Land of Stories you will LOVE a Tale of magic Chris Colfer really nailed it.

16 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Thomas H.

Needing another magical fix after Harry Potter. This will do the job 👍

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

Highly recommended for teens. That said I took a chance and got this for my 7 year old daughter. I feared the wording and the terminology might be too complicated for her to appreciate. Needless to say, she was hooked after chapter one and so was I as we read it together. Brystal Evergreen is a great heroine who shows true grit throughout. It's fair to state that the story is hardly original and comparisons with Harry Potter and the like are inevitable. But 'A Tale of Magic' is unique in it's own right as it feels like a brilliant hybrid of the Harry Potter verse and the Jane Austen world (in particular Pride and Prejudice). The chapters may be slightly too long, but this is a minor quibble. The story keeps you so engrossed you fly through the pages. All of which lead you to a brilliant conclusion and totally leave you wanting more. Long may this franchise continue 👌

2 people found this helpful

Katie

If you’re missing Harry Potter give this a go...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

A beautifully written book that I couldn’t put down. A wonderful way to approach and open a discussion with children about prejudice in many forms. Very cleverly written, wonderful characters, excellent world building. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and this is the first book that has come close to filling the void since HP ended. I haven’t read The Land of Stories (have ordered and they’re on their way) but didn’t feel lost at any point, this series is a stand-alone. My friend recommended this book and I loved the cover (I know never judge a book by its cover but it is beautiful!) so thought I’d give it a go, am so glad I did!

9 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

5 stars!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2020

Verified Purchase

This was such a captivting book! I loved being able.to find some parallels with the land of stories and the plot was so interesting! All the storylines and mysteries are tied up nicely at the end and is all explained which is my fav part!! Real page turner and loved all the characterisation- cannot wait for next book!

2 people found this helpful

Flor

A Tale of Magic : Best Book Ever

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is perfect for every reader who like a good book. I would recomend it for 7-12. I think this is one of the best book I have ever read and that is hard to beat since I read a lot. If you have no book to read and are bored this is the perfect book for you. It is action packed and is very hard to take your hands off. (I never stoped reading until I finished the book.) This is also the perfect gift to a kid or family member. You can also give them the second book which is also one of the best books I read. It is called A Tale of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer
Hope you like the book!

Amazon Customer

WOW!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

I have read all the chris colfer books from the land of stories and loved them! This story is sort of a eipoulige from the wishing star , colfers book 1, and explains how the fairy council forms. There is a new sequel coming out in october 2020 tale of witchcraft. I will make sure to look out for it!
Five stars!

One person found this helpful

See all reviews