That's typical for a first novel, it's true, though I'll happily admit the book has a naive charm. There is a lot about Shadow Magic that fans of romantic, heroic quest fantasy will find appealing, though the book is very rough around the edges, with characters too arch and a plot that rarely steps outside the path of formula. I'm going to call this a Complete Success then.Pat Wrede (pronounced 'reedy') set her debut novel in the world of Lyra, which would go on to figure in four more books, all of which are stand-alone stories linked by their world and its history.

While I read this way back in 2000 and I have no real review, I remember liking this then and it seems I liked it just as much this time around too. I didn't think the story was quite as “fun” as the first but it felt more satisfying, hence the half-star bump. The obstacles that Kim needs to overcome are simplified, the villain appropriately stupid and even Mairelon takes side stage as he loses his magic, thus giving Kim the spotlight from all directions. Jane Austen is the example that made me realize I could like romances.Īnyway, this book is as much a young adult/middle grade romance as a fantasy story. And you would be wrong, dead wrong! (because I'd stone you coldly!) I like romance, in small doses and in its proper place. If you happen to remember That Book, where I told Romance to get the heck out of my Action Stories, you might have gotten the impression that Bookstooge is a stone cold, heartless killer with no time for the softer things in life. Now her life as a magician is going to get really busy! When on the track of the thief, Mairelon loses his magic, it's all up to Kim to deal with the rogue magician, who isn't a magician at all!Īnd if that all isn't enough, Kim has to have her coming out ceremony as a Magician's Ward, where she realizes she's in love with Mairelon.īy the end of the book, Kim has stopped the rogue magician, completed her ceremony and gotten Mairelon to propose to her. Between studying magic and learning a whole new life as a monied lady, her life is full, maybe too full! When a particularly inept burglar tries to steal several books from Mairelon's library, it's up to Kim and Mairelon to figure out why.Īt the same time, several magician's from Kim's street life have disappeared and a Russian Magician shows up. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions.

A matter of magic by patricia c wrede