Flora Segunda

This book isn't necessarily on my reading list, but it deserved a blog entry.

It has a simple magic system in which you recite a word or phrase in another language, Grammatica, and a sigil comes out of your mouth and does the magic work. It was a nice simple system, which I liked. Whereas Harry Potter's system is incredibly confusing. It is about a girl named Flora who comes from a long line of soldiers. However, Flora wants to be a Ranger, practically the opposite of a soldier, and learn Grammatica which is forbidden due to family policies.
When Flora leaves a book behind, she takes a shortcut and uses The Elevator. (small note, the whole house's rooms are constantly shifting around and require a little bit of will power to make sure you go in the right room. With the lack of a magical butler who keep houses in order, the elevator is incredibly dangerous) When she uses the elevator, it does not take her to her room so she can get her book. Instead it lets her off high up in a big sealed off library. There she meets Valefor their banished magic butler. She gives him some of her life force so he can regain strength, then leaves.
Later, Flora and her friend Udo, find out that the very last Ranger (missing in action) is going to be hanged. This was not due to governors wanting him to be hanged, but because of a peace treaty made with a bloodthirsty country that made human sacrifices to their gods. He and Flora go off to rescue the last ranger under disguise. Udo under magical disguise and Flora under makeup. They manage to rescue him, by releasing a curse put on him stopping him from using magic, and letting him ride away.
But before he left, he mentioned that Flora was suffering from life force deprivation (because she gave some to Valefor). When she came home, Valefor said that they now had a unbreakable connection, and that when he faded away because of being banished, so would she.
After that Flora goes on a solo adventure to regain her Life force. Although, she gets it back because the greatest magician says he won't help her. Because her plight was the cause of her own selfishness. Then she gets really mad and breaks the link between her and Valefor.

I liked this story because it had an interesting sort of double plot that flowed into each other, and that even though if I tried to explain the magic system now, you would get confused. But in the book, it makes it very clear. I would recommend this book.