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Christopher G. Nuttall
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Dizzy Spells: A Life Less Ordinary Paperback – January 1, 2012

4.2 out of 5 stars 385 ratings
There is magic in the world, hiding in plain sight. If you search for it, you will find it, or it will find you. Welcome to the magical world.Dizzy expected nothing from life, until she stumbled from the mundane world into the magical world, an alternate reality where dragons flew through the sky and the Great Powers watched over the world. Forgetting her old life, Dizzy became apprenticed to one of the most powerful magicians in all of reality and a bright future beckoned.But powerful dark forces have their eye on the young and inexperienced magician, intending to use her for the ultimate act of evil – the apocalyptic destruction of all reality. If Dizzy cannot beat them, both the magical and mundane worlds will die in fire.
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Createspace Independent Pub
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.69 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1469989549
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1469989549
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Createspace Independent Pub
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1469989549
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1469989549
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.69 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 385 ratings

About the author

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Christopher G. Nuttall

Christopher G. Nuttall

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Christopher Nuttall has been planning sci-fi books since he learned to read. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Chris created an alternate history website and eventually graduated to writing full-sized novels. Studying history independently allowed him to develop worlds that hung together and provided a base for storytelling. After graduating from university, Chris started writing full-time. As an indie author, he has published fifty novels and one novella (so far) through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

Professionally, he has published The Royal Sorceress, Bookworm, A Life Less Ordinary, Sufficiently Advanced Technology, The Royal Sorceress II: The Great Game and Bookworm II: The Very Ugly Duckling with Elsewhen Press, and Schooled in Magic through Twilight Times Books.

As a matter of principle, all of Chris's self-published Kindle books are DRM-free.

Chris has a blog where he published updates, snippets and world-building notes at http://chrishanger.wordpress.com/ and a website at http://www.chrishanger.net.

Chris is currently living in Edinburgh with his partner, muse, and critic Aisha.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
385 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book an exciting and enjoyable read, particularly appreciating its great take on urban fantasy and well-developed characters. The writing quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it's a fast read.

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ReadabilityImaginationCharacter developmentWriting quality
30 customers mention "Readability"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and exciting to read, with one customer noting it's filled with adventure.

"...Life Less Ordinary was a true pleasure to read. The plot was fascinating, the characters marvelously eccentric (leaning toward outright odd) and..." Read more

"...The book is filled with adventure, terror, romance, pain and so much more including some very unexpected heroism and wisdom from a "loser" teenage..." Read more

"...'ve read those series and just want to read something by this very excellent author, this book should help tide you over until his next release." Read more

"...The prior novel was fun, but this one is noticeably superior - it's wonderful to see a writer finding his voice, and doing so so quickly!..." Read more

14 customers mention "Imagination"14 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's imagination, particularly its great take on urban fantasy, with one customer noting its complex world-building and realistic character motivations.

"...in a world of magic and wonder with a cast of fully formed and engaging archetypes none of whom were predictable...." Read more

"...to Mr. Nuttall for bringing many of our myths and magic to life in a unique and very entertaining way...." Read more

"The author packs an amazing amount of plot, character development, world-building, fantasy, and action into this book. Very fun...." Read more

"...my delight in this novel comes, at least in part, from how much growth the author shows - while the plots are similar, the characters are far more..." Read more

12 customers mention "Character development"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one customer noting the author's ability to get inside their heads and another highlighting the unexpected heroism.

"...The plot was fascinating, the characters marvelously eccentric (leaning toward outright odd) and the pace was perfect...." Read more

"...terror, romance, pain and so much more including some very unexpected heroism and wisdom from a "loser" teenage girl...." Read more

"The author packs an amazing amount of plot, character development, world-building, fantasy, and action into this book. Very fun...." Read more

"...the author shows - while the plots are similar, the characters are far more developed, and the worldbuilding is more complex...." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one noting it is a fast read.

"...I highly recommend this book as it is a very fast read and very enthralling. I didn't want to put it down." Read more

"...It is well written with a great central character. I tend to find authors I like and then read everything they have written...." Read more

"...this one only three stars, even though I do so enjoy and appreciate Christopher's writing...." Read more

"it was ok no high adventure but readable -- what more is there to say about middle of the road?" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Sconion
    5.0 out of 5 stars Life Less Ordinary - a book less ordinary
    Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    It is nothing short of an outrage when an author offers to send me a free sample and uses that old trick to suck me into buying a really good book! "Buy," as in spend actual money and everything. Me! What is the world coming to??!! Double the outrage because it gets worse! I read was compelled to stay up all night and read the whole damned thing because it was every bit THAT good!

    Life Less Ordinary was a true pleasure to read. The plot was fascinating, the characters marvelously eccentric (leaning toward outright odd) and the pace was perfect. From first page to last the author wrapped me in a world of magic and wonder with a cast of fully formed and engaging archetypes none of whom were predictable.

    Mr. Nuttall set me down in a world that was well rounded, colorful and very real. Usually in genre fiction it is necessary to take a chapter or two to suspend the reader's belief. The author had me there from the first paragraph. Although paced beautifully, Life Less Ordinary is one of the only books I've read recently that made me want to hurry things along if only to get to the next development in the plot or the next predicament for the protagonist to extract herself from.

    Genre fiction isn't for everybody. Life Less Ordinary is for everybody. A high energy great read, buy it now.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Seeker
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good stand alone book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Magic is real. We just don't believe it. Dizzy is a late teen girl in Edinburgh that failed to accomplish anything more than passing grades throughout school. Now she is just going through the motions and moving from boyfriend to boyfriend as well as job to job. That is, until she sees a pint sized dragon and becomes an apprentice magician.

    The book is filled with adventure, terror, romance, pain and so much more including some very unexpected heroism and wisdom from a "loser" teenage girl. Bravo, to Mr. Nuttall for bringing many of our myths and magic to life in a unique and very entertaining way. I highly recommend this book as it is a very fast read and very enthralling. I didn't want to put it down.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read, Well-Developed in All Aspects
    Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The author packs an amazing amount of plot, character development, world-building, fantasy, and action into this book. Very fun. There is some sex, which I see is a turn-off to other reviewers, but I found it added to the story, making it more gritty and real somehow.

    The only downside to this book is that it has a number of similarities with a couple of the author's series, especially The Sorcerer's Apprentice (the main character in this book is, after all, an apprentice to a sorcerer) and there are some (though fewer) similarities to the Schooled In Magic series. On the other hand, if you've read those series and just want to read something by this very excellent author, this book should help tide you over until his next release.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Elizabeth J. Mcfadden
    4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, if somewhat self-derivative.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I have a habit of discovering an author I enjoy, and immediately immersing myself in a bunch of their work - sometimes everything they've published. I'm currently doing this with Mr. Nuttall's work.

    Perhaps for that reason, it's especially clear that the plot for this one, and the plot for the Royal Sorceress, have a great deal in common. But my delight in this novel comes, at least in part, from how much growth the author shows - while the plots are similar, the characters are far more developed, and the worldbuilding is more complex. The prior novel was fun, but this one is noticeably superior - it's wonderful to see a writer finding his voice, and doing so so quickly! I hope we'll be seeing a lot more from him in the future.
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  • David L. Dunagin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant reading
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Another fun book to read from Chris. I think one the aspects that I like in some of his books is they take place in parts of the world I have not been, such as Scotland. I enjoy the character development and the comments on the non-magical who wander through life without seeing the magic. I liked it and hope there are more in the series in the future!
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Okay book but I liked the authors Bookworm series better.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This was an okay book. I enjoyed reading it. Having said that, I must also say that I have liked most of the works that I have read from this author so far better. In particular I cannot help comparing it to the Bookworm series since that is the most recent fantasy-related, although those books are more fantasy than urban-fantasy, work that I have read from Mr. Nuttal and I did indeed like Bookworm quite a bit more.

    The story of the book had real promise. Someone discovers that there are things that go bump in the night and goes not only on an adventure but becomes a magical apprentice. The wow-monsters/aliens-are-real type of stories are high up on my list of favorite stories.

    The author have managed to cram quite a few mythological characters and monsters into the book. Some of them have been given their own twist. Especially the elves are not exactly the noble and honourable people portrayed in Tolkien’s work.

    The writing and the characterization is quite good. Based on the previous books from Mr. Nuttall that I have read I would not really have expected anything else. However, I found it difficult to get really taken in by the book. It kind of felt like it did not know what it wanted to do and I felt like I was on a rollercoaster of different events, some of them quite weird, just strung together.

    There is a lot to like in this book but, as I wrote, I was never really captivated by it in the way I have been with the other works of the author. Still it is an enjoyable book worth reading.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Brad Jensen
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Wonderful the way he introduces new twists on magic. A spell to make a light that only you can see while exploring dark passages. A like able apprentice and evil elves. Fun fun. Fun!
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  • Patrick M. Dailey
    4.0 out of 5 stars Harry Potter for adults. What's not to like?
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is a great book for those who loved the Harry Potter series. The difference is this is an adult book with sex and real world violence. It is well written with a great central character.

    I tend to find authors I like and then read everything they have written. I think I just found a new favorite author.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Tony
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome read. Plenty of room for Chris to expand ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Awesome read. Plenty of room for Chris to expand into a series. Hope he does.
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  • StarbooksIH
    2.0 out of 5 stars boring
    Reviewed in Germany on August 2, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Almost a complete waste, nur better than nothing. So, it you like the other books from this author, you have something to read, nur certainly not a Highlight.
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  • Randall Berger
    5.0 out of 5 stars Precursor to SCHOOLED IN MAGIC?
    Reviewed in Australia on June 1, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I devour Chris Nuttall like a good meal with fine wine. Sometimes I'm convinced he has ghost writers chained in a pocket dimension, because the "voice" in the book just isn't his. He also churns them out faster than I can read them! This is undoubtedly his.

    A LIFE LESS ORDINARY is a wonderful Nuttall world that seems to be a precursor to the SCHOOLED IN MAGIC series, so if you enjoyed that series as much as I did, you will like this.

    It appears to be a standalone novel that has a foot in both the mundane and magic worlds of Edinburgh. I have read all of the SCHOOLED books and certainly wouldn't mind this series going further. They are quite different.
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  • STEPHEN HULLOTT
    4.0 out of 5 stars A shape of things to come?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am an avid reader of this authors work; however, I came to this particular book only recently. As other contributors have said, this does feel like a precursor to the schooled in magic series, particularly with the heroine coming from a broken home and being ‘saved’ by a powerful mage. I enjoyed the story and can see that it could have been expanded into a series, I would certainly have read any subsequent instalments.
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  • I.B. Rankin
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on November 10, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    always enjoy this author- he has good plots and characters
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