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juushikaTitle: A College of Magics
Author: Caroline Stevermer
Published: New York: Tor, 1994
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 380
Total Page Count: 55,077
Text Number: 159
Read For: personal enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: Faris is the heir to a small dukedom, but while she is a minor her uncle rules in her stead. As she approaches her majority, he sends her far away to attend a prestigious finishing school where she is taught lessons, social graces, and—the school's specialty—magic. Just before graduation, Faris is swept away into a whirlwind journey of politics and magic which leads her ever closer to the very foundation of the world she lives in. A College of Magics is intelligent and clever, realistic and fantastic, set in an intriguing alternate Edwardian-era Europe, skillfully plotted with a genuinely satisfying conclusion—while the magic would benefit from further development, on the whole this is simply a wonderful book. I highly recommend it.
A College of Magics is difficult to summarize because the titular aspect makes up a mere fraction of the book—but to discuss more would be to give too much away. Safe to say, the College of Greenlaw is only the beginning of Faris's journey through friendship, Europe, political intrigue, family feuds, and—always—magic. All the same, the book never deviates too far from the college: skillfully plotted and arrayed, it always comes back to where it begin and what Faris learns at school. These factors are augmented by a cast of lively, brilliant, and realistically faulted characters and a period setting that is almost a character itself, Edwardian-era, balancing the wonders of magic with politics and human lives. Stevermer is as clever as her brightest character, and her narrative flows smoothly, keeping the reader engaged and amused and up until the satisfying conclusion.
Perhaps the only complaint about A College of Magics is the magic itself. Stripped of wand-waving and spells, magic is rendered a force of mind and will—and is less flashy and entertaining as a result. Stevermer never describes the rules and workings of her magic, and the reader is left unsure what is possible or why. The book might benefit from more magical exploration, and more time spent with Faris at school. The conclusion, however, makes up for this absence: it is so easy for a book of great politics and magic to fall into a middling end, but the conclusion of A College of Magics is a feat of magic of the soul and mind. It is meaningful, appropriately sized to the lead-up that precedes it, and by far one of the better endings that I've read.
While this is not the best or most memorable novel, I was consistently amused and impressed throughout reading it. Witty while meaningful, political while magical, A College of Magics is skillfully written and conceived. It dances on the edge of humor, always entertaining but never mindlessly comical, and the characters are brave, ill-tempered, and slightly larger than life. I would have liked to see more how and why of the magic, but on the whole I find little to complain about. I hugely enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to all readers—although young women and fans of alternative fantasy may be the best audiences.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Caroline Stevermer
Published: New York: Tor, 1994
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 380
Total Page Count: 55,077
Text Number: 159
Read For: personal enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: Faris is the heir to a small dukedom, but while she is a minor her uncle rules in her stead. As she approaches her majority, he sends her far away to attend a prestigious finishing school where she is taught lessons, social graces, and—the school's specialty—magic. Just before graduation, Faris is swept away into a whirlwind journey of politics and magic which leads her ever closer to the very foundation of the world she lives in. A College of Magics is intelligent and clever, realistic and fantastic, set in an intriguing alternate Edwardian-era Europe, skillfully plotted with a genuinely satisfying conclusion—while the magic would benefit from further development, on the whole this is simply a wonderful book. I highly recommend it.
A College of Magics is difficult to summarize because the titular aspect makes up a mere fraction of the book—but to discuss more would be to give too much away. Safe to say, the College of Greenlaw is only the beginning of Faris's journey through friendship, Europe, political intrigue, family feuds, and—always—magic. All the same, the book never deviates too far from the college: skillfully plotted and arrayed, it always comes back to where it begin and what Faris learns at school. These factors are augmented by a cast of lively, brilliant, and realistically faulted characters and a period setting that is almost a character itself, Edwardian-era, balancing the wonders of magic with politics and human lives. Stevermer is as clever as her brightest character, and her narrative flows smoothly, keeping the reader engaged and amused and up until the satisfying conclusion.
Perhaps the only complaint about A College of Magics is the magic itself. Stripped of wand-waving and spells, magic is rendered a force of mind and will—and is less flashy and entertaining as a result. Stevermer never describes the rules and workings of her magic, and the reader is left unsure what is possible or why. The book might benefit from more magical exploration, and more time spent with Faris at school. The conclusion, however, makes up for this absence: it is so easy for a book of great politics and magic to fall into a middling end, but the conclusion of A College of Magics is a feat of magic of the soul and mind. It is meaningful, appropriately sized to the lead-up that precedes it, and by far one of the better endings that I've read.
While this is not the best or most memorable novel, I was consistently amused and impressed throughout reading it. Witty while meaningful, political while magical, A College of Magics is skillfully written and conceived. It dances on the edge of humor, always entertaining but never mindlessly comical, and the characters are brave, ill-tempered, and slightly larger than life. I would have liked to see more how and why of the magic, but on the whole I find little to complain about. I hugely enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to all readers—although young women and fans of alternative fantasy may be the best audiences.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
