Joaquin Santiago's Blog

A Great Adventure Story

It is the early twenty-first century and a significant change has taken place in the development of human society. A new strain has evolved – people with supernatural powers known as the magi – and the original people, afraid of what this might mean, have made laws to restrict and control them.
When James was a child, a prophecy foretold that he may potentially be the one to make the magi supreme rulers of the world or the one to destroy it. However, he simply wishes to bring equality to the world.
As a young adult, he discovers that a secret society of magi is plotting to take over the world and subjugate the ‘normies.’
This story is about how James and his friends fight against the evil Society in their bid to prevent this catastrophe and make their dreams of a world where all humans are equal come true.
This is a great idea and a good plot. Excellent movie material.

An impressive first novel.

I had the pleasure of reading, James: The Magi, by Joaquin Santiago. The book is on the surface about a group of high school friends and their adventures together. However, on a deeper level, the book explores prejudices of those who are different.  The magi are a group of people who have extraordinary powers and are treated unfairly because of these abilities. James and his friends fight to erase this inequality.

The protagonist, James Sanchez, is a good role model for young adult readers and the experiences he and his friends share make this an excellent read for this audience. The mixture of fantasy, science fiction along with the experiences shared among James and his friends create a story that engages the reader, and one which a younger audience can relate to.

The ending is upbeat and a conclusion to this story. However, it also makes the reader feel there are more adventures in the future for James and his friends.

This is an excellent first novel with an engaging plot and fully developed, interesting characters.

The premise is extremely interesting. The writing is clear albeit a bit too descriptive. Their were some good closing lines for scenes. The character James was interesting, especially when he found out he has two abilities, which is abnormal for magi. I think you made a really good choice doing this in third-person. I do think this book is aimed for a younger demographic.

The characters are likable, and they display some unique qualities. There are some great messages of putting others first and doing the right thing even when it’s not the easiest choice. Also, I liked the part where you mentioned kids losing their imagination and forgetting how to dream as they grow up. I think you have a real voice for targeting readers, with some positive messages. This is great to build on, and something that can really inspire people.

James the Magi  is a story about a group of high school friends with each having a special power. James is the main character, and the author Joaquin Santiago does a good job at opening up the door to James and his friends’ lives. There are a lot of twists and turns in this story, which delivers some interesting scenes that shows how James and his friends save the world from a secret society.  As the story progresses you learn some surprises about James and his friends that sets the tone and explains some question that the reader may be asking as the story is being read.
I enjoyed this story and got the sense it was written through a young person’s eyes. I felt the author still had those memories of being a teenager fresh in his mind, which helped add consistency to the story. It takes a special writer to hold on to their youth and write about it in their latter years, which I expect Joaquin Santiago will be able to accomplish with many more stories he writes.
James the Magi is a great book to read for anybody that wants to feel they are in control of their own life even if they don’t have special powers to help them. It gives you the sense that friendship is something to cherish, and if it’s true, it will never let you down.