"5 stars! Those looking for a short fantasy novel featuring magic, dynamic characters, and a good laugh are highly encouraged to give this book a try!"

Tobias is a skinny and not particularly impressive boy who is about to be completely mauled by his classmates. Due to the massive mistake of hitting his gym coach square in the nose with a football, the class is facing a game of "vigorous rugby" the following class. A game that last time left a slew of injuries. However, during this game, Tobias somehow can shoot light out of his hand and blow away those near him. Previously, he had been touching his friend, a tree, when he either got struck by lightning or exploded the poor tree, which he believes must be linked to the most recent incident. He immediately takes to an attempted massacre of the local pinecone population to investigate.

While his powers might seem like fun and a great way to win at games, things quickly take a turn for the worst. Tobias and his friend, Jemima, are attacked by something or someone. Jemima is kidnapped, and Tobias is left to try and figure out how to rescue her. He soon finds himself in a different world, learning about powers he never knew he had but needed to master to save Jemima, himself, and countless others.

The use of humor brought a light side to the novel. A particular gag that I enjoyed was Tobias' inability to harm the pinecones. Upon discovering his power, he decides the best way to practice is to shoot a few pinecones. However, he is ineffective and only manages to wiggle one a bit. Later on, it is mentioned several times that, while others were impacted, the pinecone population remained free from harm by Tobias' power. Little reoccurring details such as this made me giggle each time they were mentioned.

Beyond the humor, the story presented a fast-paced plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. The perspective moved around to many different characters, giving insight into the plans of the good, the bad, and those unknown. I thought this was particularly effective toward the end of the book to set up for a potential sequel. I look forward to seeing what McCrimmon comes up with next.

Overall, I rate Light of Hand by Geth McCrimmon 5 out of 5 stars. It was well-edited, and I enjoyed each aspect of this book. The emotional range of silly jokes coupled with the high stakes will appeal to a wide range of audiences. Given the young age of the protagonist, I think young adults and older teenagers would be able to relate well, though any adult will find a compelling story within the pages of Light of Hand. Those looking for a short fantasy novel featuring magic, dynamic characters, and a good laugh are highly encouraged to give this book a try!

- Online BookClub (https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=664408 )

"5 stars! Must Read! This book is witty, fun YA Sci-Fi with a complicated plot and a lot of interesting characters."

This is a YA fantasy that will resonate with teenagers. It has a marvelous tone, especially the dialogue. The two main characters have a wonderful relationship, realistically presented. While the vocabulary is advanced, the level of wit will also appeal to adults who influence the purchase of the book. Some of the parenthetical asides are quite hilarious. The comparison of a cowlick to the effect of an elephant sneezing on a hay bale comes to mind.

The story is also full of description, a lot of it very creative, especially the magical sections. “His brain wobbled and was probably about to dribble out his ears,” for example. Personification of Tobias’s adrenalin comes a close second. This author must be a high school English teacher.

One small disappointment: putting footnotes at the end of a chapter, while simple in eBooks, is counterproductive. Especially with this quick patter, you need the joke at the moment it strikes. Funny though the aside might be, topping later to go back and find the reference destroys any transition between the chapters.

Another minor complaint. One of the characters, a monk, uses the they/them gender pronoun, an example of the mess that occurs when politically correct groups get involved with something they have no knowledge of. For example, “The combatants streaked overhead in unison, thumped into the rock behind them.” This problem is resolved by realizing that “them” is the monk.

Oh, yes, and you don’t “lay awake.” A hen lays eggs. You “lie awake.”

The plot follows a standard pattern. Teenagers discover they have magical powers, and after a brief fun-and-games where they try them out in our world, the heroes are transported to the magical world where they belong. At this stage, the story line consists of a stream of new characters showing up on both sides of the conflict, and each action sequence seems to be solved by the introduction of a new player in the game or a new power for the hero. This easy-way-out method of conflict resolution probably won’t bother the average target reader.

The rest of the book contains a complex and action-filled battle, leading to an ending that answers quite a few questions we don’t need to know about, but serves as a reasonable introduction to the coming sequel.

A YA book that will also appeal to parents. Highly recommended.

- Reeds Discovery (https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/light-of-hand-geth-mccrimmon#review)