MAGIC REQUIRED (WIZARD FOR HIRE), by Obert Skye, Shadow Mountain, April 7, 2020, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 10-14)
These are extraordinary times. As such, nothing is normal. For the first time in my adult life, it took me two weeks to get through a middle-grade novel — and it was one that I liked. Magic Required is the third book in Obert Skye’s Wizard for Hire trilogy, and it is worth your time, even if it does take longer than usual to read it.
Ozzy and his friend Sigi are in more danger than ever before. After being injected with the mindcontrolling serum, Ozzy is learning to control the minds of people, but he is still being hunted by Ray, the power-mad villain who will stop at nothing to find and possess the formula. And on top of that, Rin still claims he’s a wizard, but he and Clark are missing, leaving Ozzy to wonder once again if magic really does exist.
When it becomes apparent that the minds and free will of all mankind are in danger of being controlled by whoever controls the serum, Ozzy and Sigi join forces with strange new friends that claim magic-like abilities. When Rin finally returns, Ozzy will discover once and for all what happened to his parents, what really happens at those popular fantasy conventions, and if magic truly exists. — Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain Publishing
If you have not read the first two books, now is a good time to read all three in succession. Obert Skye’s characters are compelling and heartwarming. Rin can be a bit much, but that’s who he is, and Ozzy, Clark and Sigi add a nice counterbalance to his antics.
This well-developed series has often left readers with more questions than answers, but Magic Required answers them nicely, with some elements that are sure to surprise and delight fans.
Even though I struggled to get through Magic Required because of distractions — stress, earthquakes and homeschooling anyone? — I found it profoundly enjoyable and worth coming back to. This trilogy is a great one for older middle-readers who are transitioning to YA.
3 Comments
i have read every book in the series and i feel like there should be more because Ozzy never really got to see or go to Quarfelt
Has Obert Skye gone to Quarfelt? I’ve been looking to see what he has written since Magic Required but I don’t see anything. I hope we see another book for this series and I hope he is ok.
This was the last book planned in the trilogy. From what I can tell, he hasn’t published anything since it came out. The last time he posted on social media was 2022.