Magicians Impossible by Brad Abraham

Magicians Impossible is a fantasy story with the pacing of a thriller. It grabs you on page one and continues to impress and propel you forward all the way to the end. Abraham keeps you off balance and uncertain throughout, but the answers feel earned. Even if you guess the answer to some of the puzzles, there’s enough going on to keep you entertained all the way to the end.

Jason Bishop is adrift in life. He’s a 30 year old bartender dealing with the death by suicide of his estranged father. It comes as a shock to him to learn that his father was a secret agent in a shadowy, magic-wielding organization (The Invisible Hand) engaged in a war with another equally shadowy magic-wielding organization (The Golden Dawn). Jason is told he also has magical abilities which he must learn to harness or be killed.

Jason discovers that not only is he adept at magic, but that it provides a sense of fulfilment he has always been lacking. He also discovers that he never really knew his father. As he is drawn further and further into the conflict between The Invisible Hand and The Golden Dawn, he finds that he is not sure who he can trust, if anybody. The action moves between New York and Paris, as well as other spots around the world heading toward a conclusion that may finally tip the scales one way or the other in the centuries-long battle between the two organizations.

I thought the description of this book as Harry Potter meets James Bond was a little hyperbolic. It turns out that it’s a pretty accurate description. Abraham has a flair for cinematic descriptions and high octane action. The war between the Invisible Hand and The Golden Dawn is not described as a war between good and evil, but rather as a war between order and chaos. This is a subtle but important distinction. It introduces shades of grey to the conflict. Jason Bishop’s instincts are telling him not to trust anyone, so he must pick his way through the conflict to arrive at his own determination of what is right and wrong.

By making the protagonist first discover his magical abilities at the age of 30, Bradford has lent a sense of maturity to the typical “magical school” setting. There are a fairly large number of characters introduced here so it is nearly impossible to get to know all of them in great detail, partly by intent and partly by necessity. Quick glimpses into past events involving some of the characters helps sketch out their personalities and roles.

The action pieces are what really shine. Explosive action, high stakes and a fast pace will have you flipping through the pages. The scene in the Louvre is a fantastic example that explodes off the page. Brad Abraham has written an outstanding debut and fantasy readers are in store for a real treat. With this year’s debuts of Abraham’s Magicians Impossible and Michael Haspil’s Graveyard Shift, we may have entered into the age of a new style of thriller-fantasy and I can’t wait to read more!

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.

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