“English magic faces its darkest hour”
An enjoyable romp with an engaging heroine, Prunella, coming to terms with the twin themes of magic and social manners.
I found the arch language a little difficult at times but, as the pace quickens, Cho gives some glorious scenes of mermaid and dragon familiars battling it out, a gentle love story and a couple of satisfying twists and reveals.
That magic has be to curtailed or diminished is a standard construct – or any difficulty could be very simply despatched by a lead character; in Sorcerer to the Crown, it is done so by social convention (women aren’t allowed), an old ailment and sensibility (Zacharias) and a lack of magic coming from Fairy land. All these reasons stand up well though perhaps are a trifle laboured for such a convention.
When Cho stops trying to explain and just has fun with her ideas, the plot speeds along with panache. And, yes, I did stay up too late to finish it! There are delightful secondary characters: Damerell, Lady Wythe and Mak Genggang; and some well rounded walk-ons parts such as Mr Hsiang.
A very enjoyable novel with scope for sequels.
“… here in the drawing room, each lady quietly relaxed and became more real, expanding into the space left by the men. Without visibly changing, they unfolded, like flowers, or knives.” A superb Victorian fantasy thriller with a complex and feisty heroine fighting to find the truth behind her father’s murder. Frances Hardinge is a wonderful writer with brilliant original ideas and sparkling descriptions that linger long in the memory. Possible age range 11 – 13.
I grew up with a very scientific older brother who seemed to grasp instantly the detail of incomprehensible particle physics and who revelled in all the logical-Mr Spock- shiny white sterile laboratories it seemed to entail.
Rigg's Cabinet of Curiosities 