Again I find myself entering the strange and wonderful world of Mike Russel, having read ‘Nothing Is Strange’ and really enjoying it, I wanted to read more from this author.

Unlike ‘Nothing Is Strange’ which is a series of short bizarre stories, ‘Magic’ has its own stand alone world which I was eager to explore!So, with the cats cuddled around me and my customary mug of tea and a selection of biscuits I began my descent into ‘Magic’.

Our main character and narrator here is called Charlie, who comes across as quite naive, slightly odd and vulnerable. He walks around in a full magician’s outfit, including a top hat. He lives in a house that used to belong to his adopted father Manzini the marvelous, who adopted him when his abusive parents passed away.

The house itself is beautifully described and very easy…