Magic has been hidden for thousands of years. Or, has it? Upon entering Chadwick boarding school, Jet Black struggles to overcome the disaster that destroyed his hometown and finds himself enmeshed in another struggle of rival forces, mostly with the bully and fellow student, Shane. And, then there’s The Sorcerer's Guide, a book full of magic, seemingly with a mind of its own that will open of its own accord to reveal the truth and change everything. With battles already fought, Jet returns to Chadwick and finds himself launched into another battle against the magic of good versus evil as he learns more from this all-revealing book. Jet is working against the clock: there are people to save and another piece of the tablet to find. Only then will things start to return to normal at Chadwick. Or will normal ever exist again, now that The Sorcerer's Guide has unleashed even more magic?

L. Scott Clark’s young adult fantasy novel, Gravity of Deceit, is the third book in The Sorcerer’s Guide series. Picking up where the second book finished, this book leads readers into another epic fantasy adventure full of magic and mayhem and the overwhelming and ongoing battles between good and evil. There are parallel plots as the magic characters of the past have their stories shared alongside Jet’s story as he faces his own demons at Chadwick. Most of the story is told in narrative form, like a grand fable, a fairy tale like classics of old. The dialogue is well used with strong character development. Each new development in the storyline has readers sitting on the edge of their seats, wondering what will happen next as nothing is pre-ordained and the story unravels with unexpected and surprising tangents. For readers of epic fantasy adventures like Rowling’s Harry Potter and Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring (and many others), this is another great read, but it might be advisable to read the complete series as this book really doesn’t stand alone. And the adventure’s not over yet.

The Gravity of Deceit: The Sorcerer's Guide Book 3 by L. Scott Clark commences with mythical prehistory. Queen Aurora pays a high price to save Grey Panther, and Ella Dastria is tricked into opening Pandora’s Box. The battle with Chupovana continues into the present era, disrupting classes and weapons training at Chadwicks School. Jet is tricked into playing a “game” that causes injury to his friends. He receives notice he made the wrong choices in the trial and displayed weakness. Rival Shane performed strongly and could be dangerous due to his ability to influence others. Jet must follow the compulsions of his sorcery manual to complete the current quest and free Ella. Will he succeed in completing the rest of the required tasks?

The Gravity of Deceit by L. Scott Clark combined epic fantasy and magic school stories. I liked the fact there was a whole class of students involved, along with various professors and immortals. The rivalry between the streams of Runic and Elemental magic users made school life interesting and I admired the way it mirrored the war being fought on a larger scale. The character of Jet was imperfect, making him a psychologically realistic protagonist, and someone with whom most of us could identify. The plot was complex, involving lots of action and incidents, with additional complications caused by the Coven and Brotherhood. I enjoyed the side romances, as Jet’s allegiance shifted from McKenzie to Seyanna, and several other pairings formed between the characters. This was an intriguing young adult fantasy.

Gravity of Deceit: An Elemental Magic Quest is a work of fiction in the fantasy, action, and adventure subgenres, and is the third novel in The Sorcerer's Guide book series. The work is suitable for young adult and adult readers alike and was penned by author L. Scott Clark. Continuing the adventures of Jet Black after his daring escape from Svalbard Island, Jet discovers that all is not well at Chadwicks boarding school. His ever-present rival Shane Fallon has a new ploy for dominance, and this time it has bled right up into the leadership of the school itself. Freeing his friends is high on Jet’s agenda, but so is finding the third piece of the tablet to prevent Arisol the Demon Prince from rising.

Rivalry, revenge, and adventure fuel this action-packed novel, and teen readers and adults alike will find plenty to rave about as they follow the adventures and back-and-forth between Jet and Shane. Author L. Scott Clark has an addictive readability factor that makes it hard to stop at the end of a chapter, as there are always loose threads leading you into the next moment as you wonder what danger awaits Jet and his friends at the next turn. I also really enjoyed the dialogue, which was slick and perfectly balanced to grab a YA audience’s attention, but also has mature emotional intelligence and skilled narrative command in terms of the clues it gives away for the unfolding plot. Overall, I would certainly recommend Gravity of Deceit to fans of the existing series and the series in general to fantasy fans seeking an accomplished new boarding school YA adventure to get into.

Gravity of Deceit: An Elemental Magic Quest by L. Scott Clark is book 3 in The Sorcerer’s Guide series. Jet Black is still learning how to use elemental magic but, as he returns to school after escaping Svalbard Island, things are about to change in a big way. The school’s leadership has changed, thanks to the Runics and Shane Fallon, and it’s now down to Jet and his friends to free Grantham, Jayco, and other friends and allies. Only then can things change for the better, but first they must find the third piece of the Phoenix. Jet has the first two and the remaining four parts are hidden. The Elementals and the Runics are now hot on the trail but there can only be one winner. Who will triumph in the battle? Will Jet’s friends continue to help him or will Shane get there first?

Gravity of Deceit: An Elemental Magic Quest by L. Scott Clark is a fun urban magic story with an intense plot. It’s the third in the series and should be read as part of the whole series, rather than a standalone book. The writing is descriptive, transporting you straight into a wonderful world of fantasy and magic, and filled with humor. The characters are well-developed and we meet some new ones along with old friends from the first two books, with the rivalry between the two main camps continuing to grow. None of the characters is perfect, which makes them all the more real and easily relatable. With a little romance thrown in for good measure, the plot is full of action, with plenty of suspense along the way. A great story, looking forward to the next in the series.