Semester Aboard:More Than Magic Book 1 by Elizabeth Kirke

Title: Semester Aboard (More Than Magic #1)

Author: Elizabeth Kirke

Series: More Than Magic

Publisher: Anchor Group

Publication Date: August 5, 2011

Links: Goodreads |Amazon

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Elizabeth Kirke's Blog

I REALLY, REALLY, Loved this book. Its like a modern day college age Harry Potter, with out the Hogwarts, lol. I mean, ok, not really, but the part of Jen, Not knowing she was a witch until she meets up with other Magics, that's similar.(that's what they call the supernaturals, were's, water, fire and other kinds of Elemental's, vampires, Mermaid's, and more)

Fans of books like HP and other paranormal will LOVE this book. Its got action and suspense around every corner. You think we hit the climax of the story, to have something else happen. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way. I LOVE how it takes place over a long summer voyage on a cruise ship, which is like a floating school. The whole idea of spending a whole semester aboard a cruise ship is great, and going to all those places is so cool. The detail of the trips are great, I felt like I was really there.

The character building was great. I came to really, truly care for them. I also like how the love interest for Jen takes a long time to develop, really getting to know each other, and there is not love triangle craziness going on, its pure magic excitement.

The characters:

Jen:

She does not know anything of the world of magic, and when she sees something that should not be possible, she learns soon after that she belongs to the magic world too, its shocking and unimaginable.

Dani(Danio):(quote of his description, is a water elemental, a noreid. He is always game for a practical joke and loves to give everyone a hard time, but he holds many secrets, I really love Dani too)

He was really tall, with short hair, and tan, olive skin. His hair had looked black on the bus, but once I saw it in the sun I was pretty sure that he dyed it midnight blue. And he was drop-dead gorgeous with a personality to match. He was incredibly friendly and outgoing. (another part about his blue eyes) His eyes got even lighter, but streaks of dark blues starting churning in. It was fascinating and so strange to watch.

Mariana Is lovely, here is a quote of her description, (she is a mermaid)

I turned to see a girl striding down the hall toward us. I’d seen her around the ship before; she looked like a supermodel. She was tall with thick, wavy blonde hair that looked like it had green streaks in it. She had a figure that women paid thousands for and eyes so blue they probably made mine look gray. I noticed that she had on a t-shirt that said Marlins Swim Team, which explained her green hair. She was probably a great swimmer; she definitely had the body for it.

Charlie(Char):(is a fire elemental, an Imp. He is flaming in more than one way. I loved Charlie, he is a great friend and very protective of those friends)

He had wavy red hair and looked like he'd gotten sunburned in Mexico. I was pretty sure he could pull off the natural redhead look, but I could see streaks where the red dye, which was a bit too bright to be natural, had faded to orange and blonde. It gave his head an almost flaming appearance, which, I had a feeling applied to more than just his hair. (Another part about his eyes): As he spoke something weird happened. His eyes, which were a very reddish-brown, seemed to change. It must have been the rain or the lights or something, but bright reds and oranges flared in his eyes, almost like flames.

TS(Tethys):(he is an overbearingly big werewolf. Human during the day, a wolf at night when he wants to be. TS is loyal and caring when it comes to his friends.)

He had shaggy, dark brown hair and a fairly large nose. I’d heard a few girls giggling about him, but I didn’t think he was that good looking. (Another Part Here) I could see that his eyes were dark, dark brown and his hair wasn’t just shaggy, but messy (And here is another cute descriptive part) but then laughed. I noticed that the very tip of his tongue poked oddly out of the corner of his mouth when he did.

Thomas: (He and TS are as close as brothers…closer even.He is a brooding, deep character, and it takes longer to know what kind of magic, so will not tell you, its a complicated history with him)

Thomas stepped closer and more into the light, allowing me to finally get a good look at him. He was a few inches taller than me and pretty thin. The rain had plastered his bangs across his forehead and over one eye. It struck me as a sort of emo haircut. He looked fairly pale and I could see circles under his eyes, like he didn't sleep enough. His cheeks were a bit hollow and he looked like he might have been a bit seasick. He was wearing a retro looking band t-shirt and I stifled a groan; he probably was one of those emo kids. (And another Part here) He looked a lot different in the light than he had last night. His eyes were somewhere between gray and green, but the color was muted, almost dull. His skin was a bit pallid, like he didn't get out much, and I hoped he was planning on using sunscreen when we got to the equator. Now that it was dry I could see that his hair was almost as light brown as mine and, without the rain matting it down, it was a totally different style, not at all emo like I had thought. His bangs fell almost neatly across his forehead, not quite long enough to be in his eyes, and it was slightly longer in back. I hated to admit it, but now that I could see him in better light he was cute. Really cute, actually. If he put on a little more weight and got a light tan he'd be really handsome.

Jon (He adopted Thomas after a terrible accident left him without family. Jon is a wizard and an agent with the MES (Magical Enforcement and Security) Agency.)

I really felt I was in Jen's world with her, and discovering the world of Magic with her. Here is a cool quote when she is talking to Dani about the strange things his eyes do, she still is unaware of the magic world at this part:

"Interesting how?""They uh..." I wasn't sure how to say it without sounding crazy. "Change color." Eyes did that. Not nearly in the way that Dani's did, but it didn't sound as insane if I said it like that.That got his attention. Now he was definitely curious. He almost looked surprised. "Change color? What do you mean?""Like, different shades of blue." Well, now that I was telling him... "And they move. The colors sort of, I dunno, splash around. It's like water."Dani's jaw literally dropped. Then the touch of the deep blue I had started to associate with angry splashed in his eyes. "You're not just something messing with us, are you?""What?" I asked in confusion. "No, I'm not. Your eyes really do that!" I figured that was something he would have known.

I was impressed with the interaction between Elizabeth’s characters.They felt real to me, and not forced. The characters that are in love have been together for a really, really long time. The relationship Jen wants happens very slowly…if at all. Even though More than Magic was told in first person (from Jen’s) point of view…I definitely did not feel lost when it came to what the other characters were feeling.

I highly recommend this book, anyone who loved Harry Potter, will love this, anyone who likes magic,and other supernaturals will love this. Its a story that is told in such a believable way too. Beautifully written too. I really look forward to the next book.

Here is some more favorite parts (this is where she is told of the magic world, and gets some proof)

I looked up and froze. Thomas and Dani were still sitting on the bed and half on them – half off the bed, was a wolf. At least it looked like one. I had seen wolves in the zoo before, but this was nothing like them.
How could I possibly just run away and leave him here to die? And then he pulled me closer and kissed me. For a moment my brain screeched to a halt. This couldn’t be happening. This was the wrong time, the worst possible time, for a kiss. The guy I had been trying to keep from developing a huge crush on was kissing me and we were both about to die.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author for my honest review.

Here is some fun things that Eliabeth Posted about the More than Magic Crew, some Character Interviews and more. Check them out
Blue Moon Contest Post, has characters answering great questions Here
You can read the first 4 chapters of this book Semester Aboard (More than Magic 1) here
If you have read this book, and want a sneak peek of book 2, Snow Bound, go HERE, ONLY if you read Semester Aboard, as its full of spoilers for this first book. You have been Warned, lol
Summary

Jen is looking forward to spending an entire summer studying abroad on a cruise ship and she knows the experience will change her life. Then she sees something she wasn't supposed to see, something she can't explain. Jen finds herself thrust into a world she never knew existed and her life will change more than she imagined. That is, if she can survive the dangers lurking on the ship.

                                              

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from the author of the above mentioned book/books for free in the hope that I would review and mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend books I personally read and enjoy, and you as my readers may also enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”