Artezans The Forgotten Magic

L.D. Lapinski’s new fantasy series successfully mixes dark and unusual magical adventures with light-touch insight into its hero’s insecurities and struggle to accept himself as he is. Twins Edward and Elodie are part of a magical family of Artezans, people with special supernatural abilities. These powers, which are revealed at an annual summer ceremony, held on their Scottish island home, are all unique but the strength of the inherited magic has been weakening for centuries. Ed is particularly worried about what his power will be as he’s always felt second to Elodie, his high-achieving, popular, limelight-holding sister. And yet, his power turns out to be very strong indeed – the ability to enter the Land of Dreams, or Tĩr Aislingean. Indeed, he is the long-awaited Dream Laird with the power to craft dreams, and nightmares.  But great power brings great responsibility, and when Ed sets nightmares loose on the bully who’s made his life a misery, though the power rush is exhilarating initially, the results are terrifying and dangerous to everyone. To manage his powers and heal the dream world, Ed will need the help of Elodie, not just his twin, his closest friend. The scenes in the dream world are suitably strange and uncanny, the cast of characters, human and non-human, similarly memorable, and it’s nicely balanced with the twins’ warm, loving home life with their fathers. This is book one in a new series and promises very well for future episodes.