The Revenge of Magic #1 by James Riley

My name is Fort, and I lost my father six months ago. We were visiting Washington D.C. when a huge creature erupted from the earth and pulled him back underground. I was devastated and despondent until I met Dr. Opp. I learned that four books were excavated thirteen years ago, and they can train children to perform magic. Those born on Discovery Day are the most powerful, so I'm not sure why Dr. Opp has invited me to his top-secret school. However, this opportunity has broken me out of my funk and gives me hope. I must learn the magic of Destruction, so I can punish the monsters that took my father. I'll make them suffer slow, painful deaths! The school is not what I expected, and I don't understand the looks I get from teachers, students, and guards. Why would I be invited here if everyone wants me gone?

It might just be my taste, but this book ended up being much more than I expected. A twelve-year-old learning new abilities wasn't anything new, but the whole scenario surrounding the conflict reeked of creativity. For some reason, only children born after Discovery Day could learn magic, and each student was required to focus on one type of magic. Fort seemed incompetent, but he was getting mental help from an unknown source in order to pass an impossible test. Students learned spells from books, but the spells could only be viewed one at a time. The book forced them to master one spell before moving on to the next. Clearly, there was more to Fort than met the eye. He only had one real friend throughout the story, although a couple of other students reluctantly helped him along the way. The big mystery for me was why the school director thought Fort might kill everyone. He was an unremarkable boy, so what was the problem? The book's resolution presented a possibility about the monster attack that I suspected from the beginning, although I have no idea why it might have occurred. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot, as I've already checked out its sequel, The Last Dragon.