Barbara S. (barbsis) - , reviewed on 3/4/2012 + 1076 more book reviews

I was rather disappointed in this installment of the Frontier Magic series.

The Rothmer's live in the middle of the United States sometime after the Civil War but before people started moving west. There is a magical barrier that protects the settlers from the magical and non-magical creatures that live out near the Rockies. To cross the Great Barrier takes lots of magic and courage. The Land Office decided that a survey of the plants and animals on the other side of the Barrier needed to be classified so an expedition was put together. Professor Aldis Torgeson was to lead this expedition as well as circuit magician Washington Morris. Eff Rothmer, the thirteenth child of a magical family was selected as assistant note taker. I expected this journey to be exciting and filled with danger. It wasn't. Oh don't get me wrong, they encountered wild and magical animals and prevailed but the journey itself was repetitive and boring and went on way too long.

I liked when Lan Rothmer (Eff's twin) got in magical trouble (he's the arrogant seventh son of a seventh son who's supposed to be super powerful) and had a change of heart about performing magic. In an effort to bring him back around to magic, he joins the second expedition which is more fun and much shorter. I liked the way this one ended but it just took forever to get there. Hopefully the final book in the series will finally breech the Barrier and provide some much needed excitement for Eff and Lan.

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