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Carol Beth Anderson
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Birth of Magic: A Sun-Blessed Trilogy Novella Paperback – January 27, 2019

by Carol Beth Anderson (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 125 ratings
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Purchase options and add-ons

This novella may be read before or after the Sun-Blessed Trilogy or as a standalone.

Enter a new world of magic and manipulation in this book that readers describe as a "raw, powerful" tale with "adventure, intrigue," and "moments of brilliant light."

"A beautiful story of redemption, healing, and hope."
-Dawn Hosmer, author of Bits and Pieces


“You belong to me. You’ll regret ever thinking you could get away.”

Fifteen-year-old Kari is the oldest of ten children. When their father abandons them and their mother dies, Kari must care for them all. Overwhelmed, she flees to a nearby city.

Desperation and hunger drive Kari to the only work available—at a brothel run by Roza and Yolin, a cruel madam and her husband. There, Kari forges bonds with another woman and a young handyman. But friendship and fine dresses can’t veil the despair of her grim new life.

Knowing Yolin’s savagery toward runaways, Kari doesn’t dare escape—until an unexpected pregnancy compels her to try. She hides in the forest, where a mysterious magical force shields her from Yolin’s pursuit.

When she’s most vulnerable, Kari’s supernatural protection disappears. Yolin attacks, and she must fight for her life, her dignity, and her child.

But Roza and Yolin are ruthless manipulators. And all Kari’s furious strength may not be enough to defeat them.

Whether you’re new to the Sun-Blessed Trilogy or an existing fan, this prequel will captivate your imagination from the first page. Kari’s story is a breathtaking tale of unstoppable women and unforgettable magic.

Author Interview:

How does Birth of Magic fit into the rest of the Sun-Blessed Trilogy?

Birth of Magic is a prequel to the Sun-Blessed Trilogy, and it can be read before or after the other books. It’s a novella, which means it’s shorter than a typical novel, about one-third the length of Facing the Sun.

What audiences is the series appropriate for?

This series is free of cursing, sex scenes, and gory violence. Birth of Magic, however, has some content that is more mature than the trilogy, with non-explicit descriptions of life in a brothel, as well as the physical ramifications of childbirth. My goal was to deal honestly with the emotional fallout from such difficult life experiences without including explicit content. I consider this novella to be appropriate for ages fourteen and up.Reading Order:
  • Facing the Sun, Facing the Gray, and Facing the Fire should be read in order.
  • Birth of Magic is a prequel novella that may be read before or after the main trilogy.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    122 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    January 27, 2019
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Reading age
    14 - 18 years
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 0.31 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1949384039
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1949384031
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Eliana Press (January 27, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 122 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1949384039
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1949384031
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 18 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.31 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 125 ratings

About the author

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Carol Beth Anderson

Carol Beth Anderson

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Carol Beth Anderson is a native of Arizona and now lives in Leander, TX, outside Austin. She has a husband, two kids, and a miniature schnauzer. Beth is also a professional audiobook narrator. Besides writing and narrating, she loves baking sourdough bread, knitting, and eating cookies-and-cream ice cream.

You can connect with Beth on Facebook (Carol Beth Anderson), Instagram (@CBethAnderson), and Twitter (@CBethAnderson).

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
125 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

SarahB
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done and Unexpected
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2021
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I recently learned about this author through a Facebook group that I am a part of. I downloaded this book for free and found myself on a plane a day or two later. I started reading and I was engrossed in the story. So much so, that I didn't hear the flight attendant ask me if I wanted a beverage, and again when she came through with snacks she had to repeat herself so that I could answer. To me, the story came alive: I could see the characters. I liked the main character Kari, and I wanted to see her prevail. I don't read a lot of fantasy or magic stories; there are some series that I have read and enjoyed in the past, but my normal genres are historical fiction and true crime. To me, this story was unique, intriguing, and I wanted to see what would happen. This story had beauty, sadness, loss, and magic. It was compelling to read. I didn't put it down until I finished it. I'm now excited to read this author's other works! I recommend this book.
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Janine
4.0 out of 5 stars A tale of motherly strength through tribulations
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2019
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Despite being a prequel novel to the Sun-Blessed Trilogy, this holds up as a solid standalone novella, telling the story of Kari, a young girl that goes through more than her share of wear and tear, but I was able to connect to her struggles as she continues through her trials and tribulations.

The story takes place within the span of several years, starting when Kari is 15 and witnesses her mother die in childbirth. Feeling trapped, she runs away and in desperation to earn cash, enters a brothel. Despite the subject manner of prostitution and related topics, which is treated with the seriousness that it deserves, there’s no graphic sexual content described outside of a couple of birthing scenes and I feel it’s appropriate for teens. One of the major themes is about if Sava, the magical god being in this world, will help regular people in danger like Kari, and several events have her waver back and forth on that, and I like how the theme is answered. The prose is easy to read, though there were a few small spots near the end where it was confusing, but it was fairly minor and I could still follow along. I didn’t even mind the many time skips in the story, as it felt engaging with what was going on. The pacing was steady, ramping up a bit in the second half leading to the gripping climax. The setting was vivid and we got a taste of the type of world this takes place in.

Kari was a great character with a lot of flaws, but knows what she wants and does what she can to get to it, especially when it comes to her child. She makes her share of mistakes, but she doesn’t give up. Her story was easy to connect to, even though I don’t have any children myself. Her allies were fleshed out as well and I like how they help support Kari’s story, and yet have their own tale to tell. The brothel owners had depth to them as well, despite their role as ruthless antagonists, and the other characters each played their part as the story moved forward with personalities that stand out.

The story and the satisfying ending has me looking forward to reading Facing the Sun, the first book in the trilogy.
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starlight
5.0 out of 5 stars Out of Tragedy... Life
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2019
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I am very grateful to the author for a copy of this novella in exchange for my honest review. Having read the Sun Blessed Trilogy I was excited to see that the backstory for it would be revealed. The Birth of Magic is a quick read and a compelling story. However, I found the subject matter to be pretty heavy compared to the Trilogy. While I thought the Trilogy to be an appropriate read for just about any young adult, the Birth of Magic deals with some seedier, but very real, aspects of society and I would recommend it only for more mature readers. The language is appropriate for younger adults and much of the details are left to a reader's imagination, but in general I expect it might provoke a lot of questions or conversations for younger readers... although maybe that is normal in today's culture. It is the story of a young girl destroyed by life's circumstances trying to find a life for herself amidst a very broken world. It highlights the goodness of a handful of individuals and the overwhelming elements of fallen humanity. Like the Trilogy, nature is seen as a place of safety and magic. This is very enchanting and the author's descriptions of the natural elements of the world are likewise very visually appealing. Character development and growth in maturity and confidence of Kari are also well done. I really like the final chapter which gives the reader a glimpse of how good rise from ashes and provides a brief transition to the Trilogy.
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Laurel
3.0 out of 5 stars More about birth than magic
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024
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Very quick Paranormal type read. I had problems reading this book due to the mysterious nature of the the subject matter and the way it was written. Also, this book may not be for all young adults.
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Catherine Bowser
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent set up, relatable characters and a testament to will and heart
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2021
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Well, I blew through this book in no time. It’s already one of my favorites of the series. But you need not have read to series to understand it.

My heart aches throughout this story for our protagonist. I wanted nothing more than to jump through the pages to help the poor girl. She’s engaging and while you may certainly raise your eye brows at some of her decisions, you absolutely come to understand why she makes them. You may not agree with it but you certainly understand it.

That to me is what makes this so intriguing. Outside of the magic building and world building which is dibs beautifully with just the right amount of mystery, I love this story because I emphasize with the characters. I can see why they make the decisions they do.

Definitely make sure you check this one out.
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Top reviews from other countries

Crystal
5.0 out of 5 stars An Emotional and Enchanting Story
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2019
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Beth is one of many authors that I admire thought this is my first time reading more than her incredible microfiction on Twitter. Her Sun-Blessed Trilogy has been on my to-be-read list for a while because, unfortunately, I have less time to read than I would like. When her novella came out, I jumped at the chance to dive into the rich, fantastical world of magic that I`d only heard about from others.

I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. 

In ‘Birth of Magic’, she creates a strong emotional tale that draws you into the world she has created. Her protagonist, Kari, is compelling and relatable. Her journey of self-discovery is an emotionally hard read at times but enthralling all the same. Beth paints a vivid world with creative description that, as a writer myself, I can only envy.

This novella packs a big story that leaves the reader satisfied in the end, but still wanting to know more about the world and people she has created. Though reading the Sun-Blessed trilogy isn’t necessary to understand and loving this novella, you’ll want to read it when you’re done.

I highly recommend picking up this wonderful novella and checking out Carol Beth Anderson’s other work.
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ChiShi
5.0 out of 5 stars A unique story, easily fell in love with the character.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 1, 2019
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A unique story, easily fell in love with the character.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A quiet, female-centric fantasy novella
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2019
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Mild-mannered writing and a naive main character hide a deep theme: the cycles of pregnancy and birth, and the effect they have on the women who endure them. Of course there's also magic, but it's not of the in-your-face variety for the most part, closer to being a literal-spiritual thing.

It's quite a slow story, sometimes a little lacking in emotion and repetitive when we get stuck in Kari's head (or when she's repeatedly stuck in her own skirts while running!) But there's something compelling about this quiet story of a mother desperate to keep her child against the odds. It's quite naively written, but there's a lot of the mechanics of birthing that can be a little unsettling compared tot he tone. Nothing overly graphic I hasten to add, just that this sort of thing isn't often mentioned in any more detail than woman screams - kid pops out. These things are realistic and take time, and the story pacing doesn't shy away from that.

It's a stand-alone prequel in that it just introduces us to the world of the Sun-Blessed books and it's magical heritage without relying on prior knowledge (or as far as I know, being required to enjoy the main series). It sets the scene very well, painting a very mild, femal-oriented sort of grimdark. Bad things happen and are indeed quite nasty, but unlike true grimdark there is always hope that someone, somewhere out there is a good person.
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Norman Turrell
4.0 out of 5 stars An accomplished, easy read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2019
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This short story from the early life of the protagonist—Kari—and her troubled life after leaving her family. It is a complete read to its conclusion and doesn’t disappoint by having significant hanging unresolved plot, although I expect you will want to read further stories of the characters set-up by this tale.

I finished the story in one sitting and was fully engaged. The writing is accomplished and easy to read, with an excellent balance of character development and description of setting. I was engrossed by the believable events and pleasantly surprised by the clever understatement of the ‘magic’ elements.

It only lost a star for me by what was, in my opinion, a weakly structured and rushed epilogue. I would have been more than happy if this section had been properly fleshed out and I could have settled back to a longer read.

I have no reservation in recommending this book, but would advise that it contains plot aspects which some may find unsavoury, but mild by modern standards and not graphic.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A story with a touch of magic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2019
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When 15-year-old Kari's mother dies in childbirth, she has little choice but to embark on a journey to a different life, which is at times harrowing and heartbreaking and yet at other times magical. The whole narrative has a dream-like qualities and reads like part of a saga or a folk tale. The various twists and turns in this resourceful heroine's journey held my attention, kept me reading and propelled the story along to a satisfying conclusion.
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