A magic mirror. An enchanted world. A suspicious package. An unexplained death. A community of strange, quirky people. A sassy cat. A hilarious witch. . .
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Haydenâs life was normal until she fell through a mirror and was thrust into a magical place. Destiny Falls is not on any map and is home to a family she never knew she had. The town is enchanted, and the amazing mansion she lives in changes to meet the needs of the people who live there, including her!
But Hayden gets an ominous warning from a strange woman, who promises to tell her the town secrets and give her a package â if sheâll meet her at the mysterious ferry. The ferry visit is cancelled, but the package is delivered. Once it arrives, someone turns up dead. Then the suspicious episodes start, too many to call them coincidences.
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Who is causing the chaos? All signs point to the mysterious disappearance of her mother - way back when Hayden was just two days old. Can she identify and eliminate the threat before another person in her life is stolen away?
Falling into Magic: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic, book 1 is also available.
A magic mirror. An enchanted world. A suspicious package. An unexplained death. A community of strange, quirky people. A sassy cat. A hilarious witch. . .
Â
Haydenâs life was normal until she fell through a mirror and was thrust into a magical place. Destiny Falls is not on any map and is home to a family she never knew she had. The town is enchanted, and the amazing mansion she lives in changes to meet the needs of the people who live there, including her!
But Hayden gets an ominous warning from a strange woman, who promises to tell her the town secrets and give her a package â if sheâll meet her at the mysterious ferry. The ferry visit is cancelled, but the package is delivered. Once it arrives, someone turns up dead. Then the suspicious episodes start, too many to call them coincidences.
Â
Who is causing the chaos? All signs point to the mysterious disappearance of her mother - way back when Hayden was just two days old. Can she identify and eliminate the threat before another person in her life is stolen away?
Falling into Magic: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic, book 1 is also available.
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The mountain trail was tricky. I was moving slowly through the deep snow. I knew the lake had to be nearby. It was important to find it, but I could barely see ten feet in front of me. It was steep and slippery, and I was making my way using trekking poles to assess where I should step next. My hands and feet were cold. I heard Latifa calling out to me. Where was she? What was she saying?Â
âGood morning, Sunshine!â Her lilting voice woke me from my dream. âHappy one-month-a-versary!â Itâs amazing how accustomed Iâd grown to my catâs telepathic voice in my head.
I squinted at my fluffy Himalayan sidekick. She was sitting beside me on the bed. I stretched out my arms and gave an extra-loud yawn in her direction, hoping sheâd get the hint that she had woken me up.
âMessage received. Woke you up. So sorry. Got it.â She squinted at me and whispered, âNot sorry.â
I yawned at her again.
âBet you forgot today is one month from the earth-shattering day we arrived in Destiny Falls.â Her big baby blues were focused on me, and her whiskers were twitching. âI have appointed myself Keeper of Your Calendar. You can be so forgetful about celebratory dates.â She shook her furry head as if it were impossible to believe.
I gave another exaggerated stretch and reached over to the bedside table. With a flourish, I presented her with a small, gift-wrapped package.
âSqueeee! You remembered!â She head-butted my face and spun a little circle on the bed, then turned to tear open the package. There was more squealing as she discovered her new, feathered cat toy.
I patted my sidekickâs head and tossed my legs over the side of the bed. A glance at my phone confirmed that Latifa-the-alarm-clock was right on time. I needed to get changed and meet Axel downstairs for a morning jog into town. He was often too busy with work to join me in the morning, so it was a wonderful treat to have some extra time with my newfound brother.
My brother. How I loved the sound of that. After a lifetime as an only child in a tiny three-person family, finding out that I had siblings and a large hidden family was monumental. Add to that a mysterious, magical new world, and I was floating on cloud nine.
The only dark spot was missing my family and my best friend, Luna. I was still trying to figure out how to tell them about Destiny Falls. Iâd have to sort this out soon, since my cover story of a working trip to Denmark was nearing its expiration. A month overseas was feasible, but as the timeline continued, Iâd need to address my disappearance.
My Nana and Granana would be happy that I was happy. Theyâve been my biggest cheerleaders my entire life. They always said my happiness mattered most to them. Both my parents disappeared the week I was born, so my grandmother and great-grandmother jumped into raising me. They were dedicated to the job, with an enthusiasm that was a complete contrast to their tiny, delicate appearances. Luna and I referred to them as the Mighty Minis, which was an apt description.Â
Figuring out how to explain that I wasnât really in Denmark, but in a magical, hidden town in an unknown location was a whole new ball of wax. Especially since the town was finicky about who it revealed itself to. Any e-mails or texts I attempted to send, explaining my location, disappeared into the ether in a wisp of bouncesâ undeliverable, message not sent, connection lost. Even phone calls suddenly lost the signal. Maybe Axel, my brother (deep sigh of joy), could help me solve this problem.
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I turned on the movie channel for Latifa, my furry little movie buff, tucked my ponytail through the back of my baseball cap, and headed out. I strolled slowly down the hallway, so I could absorb the beauty of this amazing home.
Hmm. That was odd. Where was the window seat? It was usually somewhere in my hallway, but it was oddly absent. There was a glorious swatch of sunlight, which is where it normally would be lounging. I snickered. Imagine that. A window seat that can lounge in the sun. Magic touches the Caldwell Crest home in the most interesting ways.
Caldwell Crest is a masterpiece of design. It could be described as a cozy, mansion-sized mountain cabin. I felt embraced by the sweeping staircase made of polished wood. I loved the plank wood floors and ceilings and the gorgeous but understated chandeliers. I adored the stone fireplaces that soared all the way up to the tall ceilings. The earthy colors of the décor were soothing. Even after a month, I was still adjusting to the fact that it was now where I lived.
The home was enchanting. I could almost believe the rumors that it was originally built as a castle back in the 1800s and magically remodeled many times. Itâs difficult to understand Caldwell Crest and the mysterious place that was Destiny Falls, especially since the definition seemed to always be changing.
It had been a wild ride of a month since Iâd been thrown through a portal and landed here.
Destiny Falls is different from any place Iâve ever known before. I had to let go of my preconceived notions of what defines a town. I still canât quite wrap my head around the fact that the town isnât on any map and isnât accessible by normal means.
You must be called here by either the home or the town. Then you whoosh through time and space, to the accompaniment of a flash of brilliant light, as you tumble through a mirror. Itâs a one-way trip. Once youâre here, you are, well . . . âtrappedâ is a harsh word for such a lovely place. However, itâs accurate. I cannot choose to leave. Destiny Falls controls the comings and goings.
I feel a bit like Alice falling through the mirror into wonderland. Albeit a much nicer wonderland than Alice had to deal with.
Iâve figured out thatâs itâs easier if I just go with the flow and donât try to understand all the nuances of this place.
It was time to get moving and meet up with my brother Axel. I love the sound of that. Iâve been an only child all my life, and now all I want to say is brother, brother, brother.
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As I stepped into the most beautiful kitchen of all time, I looked around to see what was new. Some days, it was the same as before, but on others, I would find something entirely different. A breakfast nook would appear where just a window was located before. On another day, the nook would transition into a large, formal dining room.
I took a deep breath and absorbed the glorious, homey feeling that enveloped me. The wood cabinets gleamed like theyâd just been polished. The acres of black marble countertops reflected the twinkling lights. The collection of pretty copper pots hung on a rack suspended on long, black wires from the ceiling high above me. The cabin-like wood walls finished off the feel of a warm, rustic retreat.
I was so busy absorbing my surroundings that I didnât even see Axel enter the room.
âGood morning, Hayden!â He pulled me in for a hug and finished it with a friendly tap on the bill of my hat. âReady for a run or do you want a cup of tea first?â
âOh, tea, please!â I noticed that he already had the tea fixings set up in the breakfast nook, along with a platter of rolls and fruit. I was moved that he already knew my routine and went through this effort.
âDid you give Princess Latifa her one-month-a-versary present?â
âI did! Sheâs up there now, batting it around and watching a movie. I expect Iâll find Chanel up there when I return. You know, she still wonât tell me how the two of them get in and out of the bedrooms. Sheâs afraid Iâll put the kibosh on her freedom if I know the secret.â
âSheâs not wrong there,â Axel said. âYou tend to be a helicopter fur mother. Is that a thing? Fur mother? Iâve heard the fur baby phrase.â
âYeah, thatâs hilarious,â I said. âBut, youâre not wrong. Iâm an overprotective fur momma. Guilty as charged.â
Bright morning sunlight flooded the cheery lime green and white breakfast nook. Looking out the wall of windows, I could see a group of sailboats racing in front of us. As I sat down, I looked to my left and noticed that the window seat was located right beside the nook, with a pretty, white Persian cat asleep on the pillow.
âAh, thereâs Chanel. And thatâs where the window seat ended up this morning! Iâve never seen it downstairs before.â
Axel nodded as he reached for a breakfast roll. âThereâs a first time for everything.â
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A fun mystery. That impression after reading the synopsis made me want to read The Disappearance of EmilyâI thought it was a good change from the heavy suspense I had just finished reading. In my excitement though, I failed to recognize that it was the second book to a series of books under the Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic until I was already halfway through it. If that wasnât enough, it took me too long to realize that the Emily in title The Disappearance of Emily was not our main female character, Hayden, but instead somebody else. Talk about dense.
I was conflicted, because I now saw why some details in the story were unfamiliar to me. Obviously, this isnât a standalone installment. I considered dropping this one so a better suited reviewerâone that has read the first bookâcan share their more expanded review. But I was getting bummed out thinking about that. I wanted to finish this. And so I decided to give a review basing solely on my undertaking of this novel alone.
The setting of this novel is its ultimate selling point for me. An enchanted world that adjusts to its inhabitantsâ definition of beauty and perfection, Destiny Falls seemed to offer the best life that anyone could ever dream of. Having the most elaborate architectural designs for your home is one thing; living in a house that seemed to have a life of its own is another. Imagine finding a new adjoining room in your own room that opens to an ice cream shop just because you suddenly craved for an iced dessert, or discovering a whole new look to your kitchen the next day that is as magnificent as its look the day before? If only.
Reading about the incredible and magical sites was the highlight for me. I especially liked reading about the Caldwell crestâs rich kitchen. The homey feel of it like âa warm rustic retreatâ as Hayden described it makes me envious and wishing to see it in reality. My sensory memory brought in the smell of freshly baked bread as I pictured that kitchen in my head.
The emphasis on the near perfection of Destiny Falls heightened my cautiousness towards it. In turn, it made me question why Hayden seemed too laid back and too accepting of the new world that she was sucked into. Why was she so trusting of Destiny Falls and its people? As she shared laughs with her family and expressed the best of this world I couldnât help but worry for her. An alternate world is frightening in itself, but an enchanted one that sounded too much like anyoneâs dream paradise? Definitely up the suspicious ladder. Shouldnât she feel a bit more panicked to the fact that she was literally snatched from her world and couldnât have the free will of leaving whenever she wanted? Again, I have not read the first book, so I probably missed pivotal happenings that made her this way.
As we already know, this is the second installment in a series of books. So the resolution of the main conflict that is the secrets of Destiny Falls and all that it entails is not revealed here. What exactly is in Gladstone? What happened to Emily (Haydenâs mother)? Who is the witch? We will have to read the third installment to know.
Instead, we get a tiny glimpse of what is about to come as we witness Hayden navigate through her new world. The crack to Destiny Fallsâ perfect image started in the ferry terminal where Hayden catches the oddity of the ferry passengers' behavior and from that she meets the ferry captain who warned her of imminent danger. Then tension rose as the said captain dies, and the clueless Hayden who has only been in Destiny Falls for approximately a month is bombarded with secrecy and deaths. Here I could empathize with her more as she slowly realized how âexcludedâ she was in this new home of hers.
Hayden as a character confused me a little bit. As Iâve mentioned I couldnât grasp her honest ease with her new life in a new world. A part of me suspected that she was being manipulated into loving Destiny Falls as it was the only reason why she wasnât freaking out internally. I was afraid that theyâher family and friendsâ would all reveal themselves to be wolves in sheepâs clothing. Later on she displayed the emotions I was wondering whether or not she could still possessâto miss her other family in the normal world. This and the scene that resonated with me the most, when a member of her family was subjected into danger as a result of her being a keeper of an important package the abductors wanted, proved that her family was genuine with her.
In that particular scene I could see myself in her shoes. The helplessness that she felt when she tried to explain her side to her family, and the disappointment in their faces that made explaining hard to do spoke to me so deeply. Too often I find myself in this situation where I try to do what I think is best for everyone but end up disappointing my family. I felt that it was unfair of them to not try and understand her situation.
I relate to Hayden in the way she reacts to things that happen around her. I especially share the same sentiment when it comes to the cats she lives with. However, noticing my likeness to her, I had moments of reflecting my world view. Because I find Hayden to have a childlike innocence that made her seem younger than she actually is. I often think of her a teenager when she isnât.
The general tone of this story is light and childlike. As the majority of it is told in Haydenâs point of view it took a tone reminiscent of a childrenâs fantasy book, which adds to its overall charm. Even the witchâs parts were told almost comically. Reading this novel gave me the same type of rush as watching the Barbie movies Iâve watched in my childhood. Hayden as whoever Barbie is playing in a particular movie, and the witch is the villain with her trio of clumsy aid. Â I would love to read this series further from the first to the last. My final rating is 3/5.