Sorcerer to the Crown
Sorcerer to the Crown has been bouncing on and off my to-read list since it came out in 2015. There was a whole lot of buzz initially, and then it never quite died away. I was excited to finally get my hands on it and find out what all the fuss was about.
I have to admit that it wasn't quite what I expected. Both the title and the cover made me think this would be more action-packed. Somehow I thought it would be high fantasy. Despite the fact that I was so wrong about this book, I found it absolutely delightful.
The story initially reminded me of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Magic in England is dying out, and it appears to be because of a falling out between fairies and humans. There's a lot of intrigue and politics - Napoleon even shows up on the edges of the story. But this book has so much more going for it.
For one thing, it's not 1000 pages long with 200+ footnotes. (Okay, I loved those footnotes, but they do take a damn long time to read. Sometimes you want something more compact). Moreover, instead of being about two stodgy old white guys, which minority characters hovering on the sidelines, this book puts it's minorities front and center. Zacharias is the first black Sorcerer Royal, and he has to face all manner of prejudice from every quarter. Prunella is bi-racial and an orphan to boot. With no prospects except for her skill with magic (frowned on because of both her gender and her class), she's determined to make a life for herself.
Prunella was an absolute delight to read about. She knows what she wants, and she wastes no time going after it. She's as skilled socially as she is magically. And while reading isn't her favorite thing, she's not above shutting herself in a library for an afternoon to find the answers she wants. I was in love with her almost from the moment she was introduced, and I just kept falling deeper with every new thing she did.
The story of politics and intrigue, though it takes place in ballrooms and meeting halls rather than on battle fields, was fantastic. Cho weaves all sorts of social commentary into her tale of humans versus fairies. Or rather, Englishmen versus fairies. No one else in the world is having quite the same problem as these men who are convinced that the entire world belongs to them by divine right.
I was a little worried when I heard that the long-awaited sequel was coming out. I don't need to be starting any new series right now. Especially ones that are barely getting started. But this is a complete, self-contained story. It would be fun to revisit the world, but I'm not left desperate to find out what happens next.
I have to admit that it wasn't quite what I expected. Both the title and the cover made me think this would be more action-packed. Somehow I thought it would be high fantasy. Despite the fact that I was so wrong about this book, I found it absolutely delightful.
The story initially reminded me of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Magic in England is dying out, and it appears to be because of a falling out between fairies and humans. There's a lot of intrigue and politics - Napoleon even shows up on the edges of the story. But this book has so much more going for it.
For one thing, it's not 1000 pages long with 200+ footnotes. (Okay, I loved those footnotes, but they do take a damn long time to read. Sometimes you want something more compact). Moreover, instead of being about two stodgy old white guys, which minority characters hovering on the sidelines, this book puts it's minorities front and center. Zacharias is the first black Sorcerer Royal, and he has to face all manner of prejudice from every quarter. Prunella is bi-racial and an orphan to boot. With no prospects except for her skill with magic (frowned on because of both her gender and her class), she's determined to make a life for herself.
Prunella was an absolute delight to read about. She knows what she wants, and she wastes no time going after it. She's as skilled socially as she is magically. And while reading isn't her favorite thing, she's not above shutting herself in a library for an afternoon to find the answers she wants. I was in love with her almost from the moment she was introduced, and I just kept falling deeper with every new thing she did.
The story of politics and intrigue, though it takes place in ballrooms and meeting halls rather than on battle fields, was fantastic. Cho weaves all sorts of social commentary into her tale of humans versus fairies. Or rather, Englishmen versus fairies. No one else in the world is having quite the same problem as these men who are convinced that the entire world belongs to them by divine right.
I was a little worried when I heard that the long-awaited sequel was coming out. I don't need to be starting any new series right now. Especially ones that are barely getting started. But this is a complete, self-contained story. It would be fun to revisit the world, but I'm not left desperate to find out what happens next.
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