Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: The Killing Spell
AUTHOR: Shane Ulrrein
PUBLISHER: Deep Hearts YA
LENGTH: 236 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2019
BLURB:
Edward Peach is a fourteen-year-old wizard who receives a letter that he has been accepted into the prestigious Prymoutekhny Wizards Academy for Boys, in the faraway land of Aradia. His parents are overjoyed, but he feels reluctant to leave his family, friends, and his comfy cottage in the English coastal village of Manley.
As term begins, Edward adjusts to life in his new school, dealing with bullies, strict teachers, and challenging wizardry classes. He is almost ready to give up when he falls in love with a charismatic, privileged boy—and talented wizard—named Mr. Andreas. Prymoutekhny is a school that has still not opened up to same-sex attraction, so he must keep his feelings secret.
Soon, Edward and the impressive boy realize their deep attraction for each other. This causes immediate controversy in the school, as they are the first two boys from feuding houses to come together—especially in a school where house rivalry can end in murder.
He is then put to the ultimate test as he must risk being with the boy he loves even at the cost of his own life!
REVIEW:
This is very definitely a young adult, if not children’s book. I would estimate ideal age range of maybe 10-12. It’s not really suitable for adults as the writing and content would be too immature for most.
The book takes a lot of influences from Harry Potter, some as casual as a boy going off to wizard school in a castle far away, some not so subtle. Unlike Harry Potter though there is little depth and subtlety in the characters or the writing. We’re left knowing very little about Edward Peach or his friends and there was no real emotional connection to anyone. All of this is very typical of what I would expect of a book for very young readers who have no real interest in that kind of subtlety. It would not, I think, appeal to mid to older teens. Anyone who likes books by authors such as Rick Riorden or Cassandra Clare would be too sophisticated to appreciate this one.
While the writing was unsophisticated and immature, the characters were by no means bland and the story was interesting, if simple. Edwards is accepted at a school for wizards to which he really doesn’t want to go and develops a crush on a boy from a rival “house”. He lusts after his “special lad” in an extremely confused and innocent way. There is one occasion where he has an erection in class when thinking about his special lad and appears to have neither had one before nor be aware that such a thing happens and why. I thought this strange for a fourteen-year-old to be honest. Apart from that, they don’t even kiss.
The book is marketed as young adult, and as a young adult book I think it fails. If it were marketed as a children’s book with slightly younger characters to a younger audience I think it would be a great introduction to gay love, something that would be ideal for schools and libraries.
RATING: 
As a young adults book: 3 hearts
As a children’s book: 4 hearts
BUY LINKS:
Hi Cheryl! Thank you very much for your honest review. I enjoyed reading it and appreciate you taking the time to read my book. I think you very much captured what I was going for–youth in love at an early age with shaky attachment to it since it’s at a time when young people barely understand it.
If I could just make one big correction: Edward and Mr Andreas do actually kiss in Chapter 7 under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve. They kiss several times after that, even in their special room where they have to hide it from everyone.
Thank you very much for your review and I hope you will read my next book coming soon later! Hope you’re having an awesome day!!!