Avalon: Web of Magic Retrospective

 

Since I finished Vicki Blum’s Unicorn series, I decided to read another book series I was obsessed with as a kid during the Y2K era of my life. 

Avalon: Web of Magic holds a dear place in my heart just like a lot of media I’ve blogged about. 

The original covers are charming. They’re vibrant, eye catching and whimsical.

This cover, which was meant for the final book before the series went on hiatus, is my personal favourite because of how it comes full circle with the cover of the first book:

The muted color scheme compared to the psychedelic original contrasts nicely with the bold colors of the girls. It is gorgeous, and it’s a shame that it never got used on an official book.

I won’t lie, I’m super envious of the Gen Z girlies who grew up with the updated covers and got to read the series to the end. If only you knew how frustrated I was when I reached the end of book 6 without knowing if the series would continue back in 2004. 

Luckily, having a complete series has given me a small bit of closure on this series. I love that it got progressively darker after book six, like as if the publishing house knew deep down some of the older readers would return to read it. Paired with the cute diet-anime style it made it feel like a whole new experience. 

I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

As for the story:

It’s about a trio of girls who couldn't be anymore different from one another if they tried! 

Emily is a geeky, shy,  compassionate friend of animals (magical and otherwise), who possesses the rainbow stone. 

Adriane is a stoic, quiet yet wise beyond her years. She possess the wolf stone.

Kara is the ditzy, kind material girl who doesn't believe in magic at first. She has the unicorn stone.

Despite their differences, they must band together to protect a magical realm called Avalon. Each girl not only have their own magic stones, but magical animals as well to assist them as they travel between worlds.

Each book switches point of views in terms of who becomes the protagonist. So, book 1 focuses on Emily while book 2 focuses on Kara and the third on Adriane. Then, they rotate between POVs. I like this method of storytelling because it lets each book feel fresh and eciting. You, the reader, are given time to be reaquianted with a protagonist you may not have been in the head of for at least two books at a time. 

Its hardly a revolutionary method of storytelling, I know. But it keeps things interesting. 

If I had to choose a favorite character, it would be Kara. Yeah, she's a bit shallow, spoiled and materialistic. However, she's never malicious and throughout the series, she's always willing to put others before herself. The character development she goes through is *chef’s kiss*. I always liked that she meant well, despite otherwise fitting the “mean preppy girl” archetype that was so prevelant in girl’s media back then. 

Adriane and Emily are okay characters, but I always looked forward to Kara taking over as the protagonist. She just felt a bit more fleshed out compared to the other two. Which is a shame because Adriane is pretty cool, but that's about all I can recall about her. 

Here’s a plot twist that I didn’t expect when I was a kid, which is more obvious as an adult. The entire world of Web of Magic is a post apocalyptic sequel to Starla and the Jewel Riders TV series:

 The entire series is available to watch on YouTube. It’s depressing in hindsight knowing what happens to the world of Avalon. I also went out of my way to pick up the newest graphic novel series, which I may do a separate blog post on.

Now, let’s move on to talk about the animated movie/TV show that’s been in development hell for years. 

The first time I’ve heard any talk of an WOM movie was all the way back in 2015, on a blog post titled 2012. The release date was meant to be 2018 back then. As of writing, there hasn't been any news on the project. Due to this, I unfortunately am of the opinion that it may have been quietly canceled. 

I can't say that I'm too surprised about this. Chances are, if you're reading this post, this may very well be the first time you've even heard of this series at all. Despite all of the companion media around it, I don't know anyone who has heard of this series. 

That said, I'm still disappointed that it has not come to fruition. 

I think the series is still worth checking out if you haven’t already. It’s criminally underrated and deserves a lot more eyes on the series. If you’re into urban fantasies with a bunch of whimsical talking animals along with deep lore involving other media, then you should check this series out. It’s easy to read and chock full of fun characters. While there's definitely a lot of plot points borrowed from Jewel Riders, I’d say it makes for a fun read.