The Magician Series - Overall Review

Charlie Bone and the Magician Series
By Jenny Nimmo
Scholastic & Egmont Press 2002-present
Jenny Nimmo's website
Charlie Bone's website
The Magician series

Harry Potter - Meet Charlie Bone.
Charlie Bone - Meet Harry Potter.


Charlie is the 21st century version of Harry Potter who was invented in the 20th entury (1997-2007) Like Harry Potter, these are Young Adult books, but that does not stop me enjoying them.

Charlie Bone is a descendant of the Red King, who once ruled Africa over 1000 years ago. This Red King had 10 children - all of whom inherited a power of some kind. While the Red King was away at war, 5 of his kids left home and were never seen again. The other 5 who stayed home, began to fight amongst themselves.

The descendents of the Red King are just now discovering their powers and are being sent to the Bloor Academy (a school) where they can be monitored (but not taught) how to use their power. This is called an empowerment but each descendent has only ONE enpowerment.

Charlie Bone has an empowerment. He can listen to and jump into any photograph. Other children have different empowerments. One boy can stir up the weather and cause a storm, another can control the ocean and cause tsunamis. And a third boy can talk to the animals.

This series is set in UK and they use pounds and not dollars for currency. I dont think this series has any Canadian connection. I think it is just coincidence that the author used the name of a major street in Toronto - Bloor street- unless she was looking at a map.

There are now 8 books in this Magicians series. I have now read 3 of them, and enjoyed them all. The first two books are Midnight for Charlie Bone and Charlie Bone and the Time Twister. I have reserved the other 5 books at the library.

And just out of interest I have just finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the last and final book in the series. I wrote back in 2007 when it first came out that I would wait until I could get it from the library. That is exactly what I have done.