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A Tale of Magic... is a children's fiction novel which is the prequel of The Land of Stories series, written by Chris Colfer. The book was published on October 1, 2019, by Little, Brown and Company (a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.), New York.
Publisher's Summary[]
Welcome to the Academy of Magic, where things are not at all what they seem.
Fourteen-year-old Brystal Evergreen has always known she was destined for great things–that is, if she can survive the oppressive Southern Kingdom. Her only escape are books, but since it’s illegal for women to read in her country, she has to find creative ways of acquiring them. Working as a maid at her local library gives her the perfect excuse to be near them and allows her to sneak a few titles home when no one is looking. But one day, Brystal uncovers a secret section of the library and finds a book about magic that changes her life forever.
Magic is despised and outlawed throughout the world – Brystal is well aware of the severe consequences the book may bring—but her curiosity gets the best of her. By reading some of the text aloud, strange phenomena begin to occur and Brystal discovers she is capable of magic! And the more she practices it, the harder it becomes to hide.
After being caught and convicted for the use of magic, Brystal is saved by a mysterious woman named Madame Weatherberry. The woman takes Brystal to her Academy of Magic and teaches her to become a fairy. While Brystal studies magic and befriends the other students, Madame Weatherberry is suddenly called away on suspicious matters. When she doesn’t return, Brystal and her friends work together to find and save their instructor. Along the way, the students discover Madame Weatherberry’s true intentions for the academy are not what they seem, and they come face to face with a sinister plot that puts the fate of the world, and the fate of magic itself, in grave danger…
Dedications & Acknowledgements[]
Dedications:[]
To all the brave people who dared to be themselves during a time that didn't accept them. Thanks to you, I get to be me.
Acknowledgements:[]
I'd like to thank Rob Weisbach, Derek Kroeger, Alla Plotkin, Rachel Karten, Marcus Colen and Heather Manzutto for all their guidance and assistence. All the wonderful people at Little Brown, including Alvina Ling, Megan Tingley, Nikki Garcia, Jessica Shoffel, Sienna Koncsol, Stefanie Hoffman, Shawn Forster, Danielle Cantarella, Jackie Engel, Emilie Polster, Janelle DeLuise, Ruqayyah Daud, Jen Graham, Sasha Illingworth, Virginia Lawther, and Chandra Wohleber for making A Tale of Magic... possible. Also, Jerry Maybrook for directing me through the audiobooks, and of course for the incredible Brandon Dorman for his breathtaking artwork. And finally, all my friends and family for their continued love and support.
Main Plot[]
Plot by Chapter[]
Prologue: An Unexpected Audience[]
Madame Weatherberry goes with her apprentices Tangerina Turkin and Skylene Lavenders to King Champion's palace to persuade him to give her the permission to start a magic academy. It isn't surprising that the King does not agree at first, but he eventually gets persuaded and grants Madame Weatherberry the permission.
Chapter 1: Books and Breakfast[]
Brystal Lynn Evergreen is caught reading by her mother. Mrs. Evergreen scolds Brystal and takes away her books. Brystal's brother Barrie breaks a button on his coat and Brystal helps him to study for his justice examination while she fixes his button.
Chapter 2: A Sign[]
Brystal goes to the Chariot Hills School for Future Wives and Mothers. Later that day, she signs up to become the maid for the Chariot Hills Library to secretly get new books to read. When she goes home, Barrie told her that he passed the law test. She pretends to volunteer at the Home for the Hopeless to hide her time at the library.
Chapter 3: Justices Only[]
One day at the library Brystal falls asleep while reading. The next morning she wakes up and hurries to her house. She gets caught by her mother. In the following week she doesn't read as long as this day in the library. Later in this week she finds a secret section for "Justices only" in the library where there are banned books. She reads them and find out some secrets about the Southern Kingdom. Every author of the books was killed because of "conspiracy against the kingdom."
Chapter 4: The Truth About Magic[]
Brystal has read nearly all books of the secret section. As she reads the last book "The Truth About Magic" she decides to find out if she's a fairy or not. Brystal reads a passage aloud and suddenly some flowers appear in the room. She's afraid of what she has done and pretends the following days she never explored the secret section. Days later she tries it out again and the room is covered in orbs. But Brystal gets caught by the librarian, Mr. Woolsore, and two guards. They arrest Brystal.
Chapter 5: Trial By Family[]
Brystal finds out that her brother Brooks is her Defense Deputy Justice and her trial is going to overseen by Justice Oldragaid, the enemy of Brystal's father. But he doesn't know that Brystal is his enemy's daughter. One night Brystal is woken up by guards. Brooks tells her that her trial starts now because Oldragaid found out that she is Justice Evergreen's daughter. They lock Brystal in a cage and throw a sheet over it so no one can see her. The Prosecution Deputy, who is her brother Barrie, is brought in. Brooks isn't allowed to tell him who the "criminal" in the cage is. Barrie recommend the maximum penalty which means "execution". Oldragaid said that the execution should happen immediately. Barrie is horrified of what he has done. But before the executioner cut Brystal's head down, her father storms in the room and stops the execution. Now Brystal has to be sent to the Bootstrap Correctional Facility For Troubled Young Woman.
Chapter 6: The Bootstrap Correctional Facility For Troubled Young Women[]
In the facility Brystal makes a new friend, Pip. Pip was caught doing something which she shouldn't have and was about to get punished when Brystal took her blame. Suddenly, a woman named Madame Weatherberry comes in a carriage driven by unicorns into the facility. She takes Brystal with the permission of the king out of the facility.
Chapter 7: Permission[]
Madame Weatherberry offers Brystal a chance to become a better version of herself. As they talk about it in the carriage, Brystal agrees. They take permission of Brystal's parents, to be exact Brystal's mother, to join the academy due to Justice Evergreen not agreeing.
Chapter 8: The Boy of Fire and the Girl of Emeralds[]
While going to the academy they pick up two children; a boy named Xanthous Hayfield who is capable of fire magic, and a girl named Emerelda Stone who can turn anything into a gemstone.
Chapter 9: Madame Weatherberry's Academy of Magic[]
After reaching the Academy, the three children are mesmerized by the place. They also meet two apprentices: Tangeria Turkin who controls a swarm of bees and Skylene Lavenders who has a stream of water flowing down her head instead of hair. They also have a housekeeper named Mrs. Vee, who is in charge of cooking all the meals in the castle.
Chapter 10: The Musician's Daughter[]
Brystal meets Lucy and overhears her parents talking to Madame Weatherberry. It was also suspected that she was a witch and Lucy didn't want to become one. Hearing this interests Brystal, but she also wants to cheer Lucy up. So she whips up a chocolate birthday cake, and heads to Lucy's room. Lucy didn't accept this offer at first, suspicious of Brystal. Lucy accuses Brystal of spying on her, which she gives into. But the cake Brystal kindly made for her, was lovely so Lucy gave Brystal a second chance. After some talking together, the two believe that they would be good partners in crime.
Chapter 11: Magiclexia[]
The apprentices and students ignore Lucy after encountering her insults. They have their first lesson. But Brystal’s magic seems to constantly backfire, and she is scared of Madame Weatherberry losing hope in her. After discussing the matter with her teacher, Brystal learns she has a disorder called Magiclexia. Brystal gets a wand from her teacher to help her, and excels in her classes, leaving the apprentices jealous at her progress.
Chapter 12: The Unwanted[]
Four witches come to the academy and talk to Madame Weatherberry. She decides to go away with the witches but doesn't say why. Brystal takes this opportunity to spy on her teacher, and find out what’s going on. But the more she learns, the more questions fill her head.
Chapter 13: The Watcher in the Woods[]
Lucy and Tangerina exchange hurtful comments, so Lucy runs away into the in between to find her parents, while leaving a note of her whereabouts on her door room. Brystal is shocked to see this happen, so she quickly heads off to try and find Lucy. After some arguing and persuading, Lucy finally agrees to come back to the academy. They had the misfortune to come across witch hunters, so without thinking, they starting running. Thanks to Horence, he saves their lives and escorts them back to the academy. But Madame Weatherberry is there! Misunderstanding the matter, she scolds Brystal and Lucy, demanding them to stay in their rooms until further notice.
Chapter 14: Anger[]
Brystal feels heartbroken for breaking her teacher's trust. And she feels worse when Tangerina tells her that Madame Weatherberry would like to talk to Brystal. Brystal doesn't feel eager to face another wave of Madame Weatherberry's disappointment, but listens to Tangerina anyways. Brystal learns that Madame Weatherberry was utterly exhausted, and did not understand the situation at first. Madame Weatherberry apologizes to Brystal, which she immediately accepted. The teacher explains how there are people in the world that believe that people who are capable are magic, should simply be punished just for existing.
Chapter 15: Circle of Secrets[]
Madame Weatherberry leaves the Academy again and the fairies continue their lessons under Brystal's supervision. To have some fun in the evening, they break into Madame Weatherberry's office. During a game, Lucy forces Xanthous to admit that his father was beating him for playing with dolls, causing him to lose control of his powers and cause a fire that took his father's life. Afterwards, the fairies exchange ghost stories, and when Emerelda describes a witch called the Snow Queen who has been causing disaster in the Northern Kingdom, Brystal realizes that Madame Weatherberry has been leaving the academy to fight her.
Chapter 16: Promises[]
Madame Weatherberry returns and meets with Brystal in her office. She finally admits that she has been fighting the Snow Queen but does not feel that she has a good chance of surviving, and makes Brystal promise to take over the Academy when she is gone. Madame Weatherberry also makes Brystal promise to kill the Snow Queen if she is unable to do so herself. The witches then come to bring Madame Weatherberry back to the Northern Kingdom and she goes with them. After two miserable weeks of worrying about her teacher, Brystal finally admits what she knows to the other fairies, and they decide to journey to the Northern Kingdom together and save Madame Weatherberry.
Chapter 17: The In-Between[]
The fairies drug Mrs. Vee into unconsciousness and journey into the In-Between, where they are escorted for a time by Horence, the knight who saved Brystal and Lucy from witch hunters. However, they are eventually forced to continue their journey without protection, and are chased into a ravine by trolls and goblins.
Chapter 18: The Girl of Flowers and the Tree of Truth[]
The fairies wake up and discover that they have fallen into a secret garden where magic plants are grown. They meet a little girl named Rosette Meadows, who gives them a tour of her home and brings them to see her aunt, who, to the fairies confusion, describes herself as a "sorceress" who is not committed to either magic or witchcraft. She tells the fairies how to leave the garden, but before their departure, Brystal visits with the Tree of Truth. She is told that people born with magical abilities are not limited to magic or witchcraft and deduces that Madame Weatherberry created this story to form a compromise between the new idea she was trying to get humans to embrace- that magic was a positive quality- and their prejudice that it could spread disaster and death. The Tree then instructs Brystal to take a shortcut to the Northern Kingdom in order to save Madame Weatherberry in time.
Chapter 19: The Northern Front[]
The fairies take the shortcut the Tree of Truth recommended and arrive in the Northern Kingdom, where they help the army hold off the Snow Queen until she retreats back to the palace. Brystal chases after her while the soldiers rush to save the citizens and the fairies fight the witches. After killing the witches, the girls run after Brystal.
Chapter 20: The Snow Queen[]
They fight the Snow Queen and the witches. When Brystal went to kill the Snow Queen, she finds out that it was Madame Weatherberry, who she sacrificed her life as a plan, so magic could be embraced. But instead of killing the Snow Queen, Brystal sends her to seclusion.
Chapter 21: Demands[]
The fairies tell the kings to abolish all the laws against women and magical creatures in order for them to guard the kings kingdoms. The justices disagree, only to learn that the King has already agreed to these demands.
Chapter 22: The Tale of Magic[]
The Academy fills up as hundreds of members of the magical community begin to come out of hiding, and the members of the new "Fairy Council" become their teachers. Brystal addresses a crowd in front of the Academy, telling everyone that they will fill their future with joy and compassion to honor the sacrifices of people such as Madame Weatherberry.
Reception[]
Editions[]
