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Blaze of Glory

(The Laws of Magic #1)

Michael Pryor (Goodreads Author)

3.80 · Rating details · 1,133 ratings · 101 reviews

Aubrey Fitzwilliam is the son of a prominent ex-prime minister. He's also brilliant at magic, but he's stuck at military school. At least he has his best friend, George, there to back him up. George would follow Aubrey anywhere - and with Aubrey's talent for thinking up impulsive and daring schemes that will get them both in trouble, that's no easy thing to do.

At a weeken ...more

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Paperback, 394 pages

Published 2006 by Random House Australia

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Average rating 3.80 ·

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· 1,133 ratings · 101 reviews

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Mar 22, 2017 rachel ☾ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites-all-time, own, 5-star, fantasy, deserves-more-hype, pieces-of-me

I have no words to describe my love for this world and these characters.

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Jan 14, 2016 Azbaqiyah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite, young-adult

Finally, I managed to finish this book! I'm quite busy for the pass few weeks and I cannot find a way to balance my reading between 4 books. I need to stop to be a polygamist reader...(~_~;)

So here's the review,

Blaze of Glory is set in a fictional world also the same during the victorian era plus with magic and science thus resulting a steampunk enviroment which I really adore. Add with political problems too!

We had Aubrey, George and Caroline as a main characters. The trio keeps remind me abou ...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Jonathan Terrington rated it really liked it

Shelves: favourites, favourite-series, fantasy

Here's one of those books that I discover on the occasion that is a little bit of a gem and yet no one I know has read it. Well no one except perhaps my mum as I did lend her the first book to read I believe. So I have come back - not from the grave of course - to write this review so those rare few who read my reviews will know to read it if it at all intrigues them.

This is book one in a YA series which is very well written (by an Australian I might as well mention). It is set in a world at onc Here's one of those books that I discover on the occasion that is a little bit of a gem and yet no one I know has read it. Well no one except perhaps my mum as I did lend her the first book to read I believe. So I have come back - not from the grave of course - to write this review so those rare few who read my reviews will know to read it if it at all intrigues them.

This is book one in a YA series which is very well written (by an Australian I might as well mention). It is set in a world at once similar to and very different from our own world, a world which I would loosely describe as a sort of semi steam-punk world. I say semi because I do not want to provide a completely wrong idea of this novel and ruin any expectations you may hold. It is not exactly steampunk in the fullest sense of the word. The world is a sort of Victorian setting with the advanced technology based on cogs and gears you would expect in a steampunk but it's a weaker form. So don't look for a steampunk novel but rather a fantasy that incorporates some steampunk elements weakly.

The plot follows the teenager Aubrey, one of a few individuals who can use magic in this semi-familiar world. Aubrey has an interesting condition which takes up a large part of the story and keeps things entertaining as far as plot devices go.(view spoiler) As a magician Aubrey notices that someone has been using golem magic (the creation of an animated clay figure to try and assassinate some royalty) and so the adventure begins to find the magical assassin and a cure for his ailment.

Blaze of Glory contains magic, adventure, spunky characters, interesting technology, unique world building and political intrigue. It is a unique novel to read and certainly a very entertaining one. As such I fully recommend it as a fantasy that very few people have hyped up and that you can feel free to judge on its own merit. I must say that while it is a YA book it has a sense of greatness in that it can be read by young and old audiences. ...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Teena R. rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy, alternate-earth, hmmmm

Look, it's totally readable. Plots are ok. Writing not bad, etc.

BUT THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MILES VORKOSIGAN.

I'm willing to accept that an ex-prime minister/war hero's son with ambition to outdo his Da is not that unique a creation. But give him a Crown Prince cousin who is grave, thougthful, didn't really like the job but is awesome at it, a handsome best friend who looks dumb but so not, a draconian grandmom who's sooooo crazy about tradition, s head of secret service who's so bland, an explore ...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Soo rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, reviewed

Whoever heard of a hero named Aubrey? Is it terribly American of me to feel that it's a girl's name? Perhaps! I just looked up the origin of the name and Aubrey is a mutation of the name Alberich. The name means Fair Ruler of the Little People. I wonder if the author had that in mind when he picked out the name for the story? Intentional or not, it makes for a good start to an entertaining tale!

Aubrey Fitzwilliam has big shoes to fill. His family is from a titled lineage and both his parents ar ...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Caroline Eising rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, alternate-history, magic

I picked up this book on a whim at the Lifeline bookfest, not sure what to expect.

Think alternate history England in the late 1800's, where the sufragette movement is beginning to have impact, industrial technology is developing, and magic is an everyday part of life. Alongside the army and the secret services, the Magisterium serves as a kind of magical government department. Magically enhances machinery works alongside more traditional technology. And a part of the population has the ability t ...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Clare Cannon rated it it was ok

Shelves: 13-15yrs

Complex and dense magic so not for younger readers, and has quite a lot of male teenage attitude, a good dose of contemporary rawness (roughness) in letting you know what the boys are thinking - it's not all edifying. Probably readable for older teens who won't take it all too seriously and who already have better things going around in their heads (I'm sure they can do better than the protagonist of this book), but then again there are plenty of books that are better so why waste your time. ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Cherie rated it liked it

2.5 stars

Thought it has potential at the start with an old-timey Harry Potter feel, but I lost interest as it went along. I mean it was ok, but I don't feel compelled to read anymore of the series. ...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Vicky rated it it was ok

Blurb: There’s a magical and political storm brewing and Aubrey Fitzwilliam is making sure he’s at the center of it. Aubrey is the son of a prominent ex-prime mininster. He’s also brilliant at magic, but he’s stuck at school. Aubrey is also brilliant at dreaming up schemes to get him and his best friend, George, into trouble. A botched magical experiment kills him, though he manages to come back, but only partially. Throughout all the political intrigue going on in the book, this line keeps crop Blurb: There’s a magical and political storm brewing and Aubrey Fitzwilliam is making sure he’s at the center of it. Aubrey is the son of a prominent ex-prime mininster. He’s also brilliant at magic, but he’s stuck at school. Aubrey is also brilliant at dreaming up schemes to get him and his best friend, George, into trouble. A botched magical experiment kills him, though he manages to come back, but only partially. Throughout all the political intrigue going on in the book, this line keeps cropping up as Aubrey attempts to return fully to himself.

Michael Pryor has created an incredible fantasy world – an alternative world of our own. His crafting is rich, inventive, and imaginative. In the story, magic requires almost mathmatical precision of language. There’s no waving of wands in this world. Unfortunately, the world creation is the best part of the story. The main character, Aubrey, seems almost too young for his stated age of seventeen. Additionally, he is a lot like that other famous wizard with dark hair, a slight build, and target for bullies. At least in this one, he gets the girl.

For American readers, the British spelling may be a bit off-putting, but that’s not as bad as the typos and repetitions that a better editor should have caught. In addition, some of the plot twists seem contrived and there is a lot of back story that not only slows the reading down, especially in the beginning, but brings it to a stop. In addition, the ending seemed to lack any oomph. Everything was resolved, but without any real excitement.

I will add a caveat here, though. I have read other Australian books in which some of these things were also an issue for me, but they are not to our mates down under. Something to keep in mind when reading.

I picked this book up with great enthusiasm. After all, I love books about magic and fantasy. Unfortunately, the story did not live up to my expectations, mostly because of the slow pace. Others may enjoy it, especially the struggles Aubrey faces as he attempts to rejoin his soul permanently to his body. Recommended with reservations.
...more

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Aug 28, 2016 Graylark rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 3-5-stars

This 6-book series was a fun read, though completely not what I expected.

The description makes it sound like some sort of Harry Potter-type YA fantasy. It's actually written as a proper grown up fantasy. Very little time is spent at the school, and Aubrey very quickly graduates and moves on to greater things. The writing style is very British, a bit formal, and has a wickedly dry wit to it.

Aubrey is a treat to read about. He's such a fascinating character--brilliant, manipulative, heroic, slig ...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Kathryn rated it liked it

Shelves: it-was-good

Loved the style, loved the setting, loved the spunky characters. Unfortunately, this was a little slow.

However, this is a YA Fantasy/Steampunk type novel that is cleverly written, and just works. Even though it got things off to a slow start, I will be reading the next in the series. It features a young magician in an English-esque magic-meets-technology world that feels Victorian. He must uncover the truth about mysterious goings-on that may affect the Crown Prince and his successful father's p ...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Selina Ryan rated it liked it

I really enjoyed this story, however found it a little had to get into at first. Elaborate descriptions and a high level of language makes this book suitable for a higher level reader who would like to improve their vocabulary.

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Nov 09, 2018 (bookworms ate my brain) Beffy rated it it was ok

Shelves: two-stars

Two stars means that this book was ok. Not great, but ok.
The story opens with Aubrey, the main character and at first he was interesting. Right away it is revealed that he is dead and he hates it. That is the first sentence of the book "Aubrey Fitzwilliam hated being dead." Brilliant, what an amazing original beginning that made me want to read this book.
But then it turns out that Aubrey isn't dead, not quite, which was a huge disappointment. He is barely keeping himself alive because he had be Two stars means that this book was ok. Not great, but ok.
The story opens with Aubrey, the main character and at first he was interesting. Right away it is revealed that he is dead and he hates it. That is the first sentence of the book "Aubrey Fitzwilliam hated being dead." Brilliant, what an amazing original beginning that made me want to read this book.
But then it turns out that Aubrey isn't dead, not quite, which was a huge disappointment. He is barely keeping himself alive because he had been messing about with some questionable experiments with magic due to his insatiable curiosity. Turns out that Aubrey is some sort of genius of the stereotypical Sherlock variety who knows the answer to every question, complicates simple things because who the hell knows and suffers from an inferiority complex about his father.
Aubrey is obsessed with his father, reads about him, researches his movements... so yeah, kind of disturbing. Aubrey also has an alter ego Tommy Sparks that he uses to gad about in the mire, a run down area full of the dregs of society. And no one but George is aware of this? Right. Sure, that's believable. How are Aubrey's parents so clueless about their son? Especially Sir Darius, Aubrey's father, I would have expected such an obviously intelligent man to keep better track of his only offspring but he seemed to barely notice his son.
Overall I didn't like Aubrey because he is too privileged, too motivated by self interest and allowed far too much freedom for someone his age. He thinks that he isn't a child and shouldn't be treated like one. At one point his father says "Listen to your mother, Aubrey. And stop trying to think of ways to turn this to your best advantage." This sums up his character perfectly, no matter what the situation Aubrey is always trying to further his own interests. Going into dangerous places, meddling in things he should leave to adults and generally making a nuisance of himself. Not once is he genuinely humble, everything he does is for show. He isn't honest with his parents or his best friend that he treats as an extension of himself.
George puts up with far too much from Aubrey, all he does is follow Aubrey around and follow his orders, regardless of how dangerous it is. On the rare occasions that George has an independent thought or speaks up for himself Aubrey takes the credit because apparently George is just a shaved gorilla that Aubrey has trained to pass for human.
The only women that make an appearance in the story are Aubrey's grandmother, mother, Caroline (who becomes Aubrey's romantic interest) and Caroline's mother. All of them are two dimensional, their interactions with Aubrey remain superficial even during attempts to show emotional development. Because he's an insufferable shit with less sensitivity that a block of wood.
In the end I did finish this book, it took a few days because I had to keep going back to skim over previous chapters because a lot happens. There is almost constant action, something is always happening. Politics plays a large part and the world is on the brink of war, brought about by one mysterious shadowy figure of course.
The only thing that saved this book from one star was the magic and the world building. I like unique magic systems and would have been interested if more of that was shown. I won't be reading the next book in the series. ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Rohit rated it it was ok

Shelves: limited-pov, light-romance, fantasy, magic, did-not-finish, resentful-female-lead, mystery

Caroline, the Bane of All Promising Books
DNF @ 67%
Blaze of Glory is a rather entertaining novel once you get accustomed to the bouts of boring political intrigue. Notice I prefaced the political drama as boring - not that politics is intrinsically boring in and of itself, that's an important distinction to make. Overall, the characters are interesting, the world feels alive and new and the dialogue is simply delightful.

So why the low rating and the DNF status?
Caroline, the female lead, is a che ...more

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Oct 14, 2018 R. Tillsley rated it really liked it

A fascinating alternative England filled with magic and adventure. The author weaves a coherent world, with the protagonist an idealised upper class lad weighed down by responsibility, expectations and a tendency to take risks. Oh, and this isn't really a spoiler, but he rather left himself half-dead. Or very nearly dead. Or dead but buying time. Quite complicated, frankly.

That's all for now chaps. And ladies. One forgets them at their peril, right Aubrey? ...more

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Aug 25, 2017 Joy rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, fantastic-fiction, steampunk, young-adult

A fun read in a steampunk world. The main character is a teenage student of magic in a place that accepts magic as a commodity with rules like alchemy rather than funny words (like That Famous Student Wizard.)

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May 26, 2018 Lina rated it really liked it

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

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Jul 11, 2018 Laurie D'ghent rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Like a teenage Sherlock Holmes with magic. Not normally my type of thing, but it was interesting and there was absolutely nothing inappropriate.

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Sep 30, 2018 Nix Gerit rated it did not like it

Shelves: abandoned

I deem this abandoned, since I usually don't just stop reading and take another book, if I was at least a bit interested. ...more

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Dec 02, 2018 Jimothy K rated it liked it

Umm... It's alright. I'll probably keep reading the series. It's a solid 3 stars but I couldn't give it a 4. ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Joanna Zhong rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

Some young adult books tend to suffer from this too: choppy plot, like switching from one complication to another really quickly
I felt like this was intertwined a bit better than others, but also not subtle enough for me to not notice it lol
Overall fun read, Aubrey and Caroline are developed a little, but George has like, 0 character tbh :'(
The ending part where his father talks to the head of Magisterium is good as tho, Aubrey's shock is very relatable bc asian parents also never compliment ...more

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Mar 10, 2019 Dantegideon rated it really liked it

Clunky start, but fun overall.

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Jul 05, 2019 Susan rated it really liked it

Slow start but enjoyed it!

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May 05, 2020 Teodora rated it liked it

3.5 stars*

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Apr 14, 2020 Dana Faith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, worldbuilding-reference, young-adult

Don't trust my review it's incredibly biased. I read this book when I was in late primary/early high school, and in the ten years or so following I forgot almost every identifying detail except the profound effect it had on me. It took two years of looking and posting about it until someone recognised my vague descriptions and brought me here.

It's interesting to look back on, because this book contains pretty much every trope and aesthetic that I've grown to love reading, as well as writing in ...more

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Mar 22, 2017 Megan rated it liked it

Shelves: magic, 3-star, ya, fantasy, read-in-2012-and-earlier

I read this years ago and really enjoyed it, although from memory I was a little confused about some of the concepts/plot points. So it's getting my average rating of 3 stars. ...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Shannon rated it liked it

Let me start off by saying that I really didn't think I would like this book. I am quite vocal of my dislike of Steampunk. I just don't really get it. It's pretty yes, but I don't get the concept, and I don't get why it's such a big thing. I mean seriously, if their technology is that good why are they still running off steam etc?? It make no logical sense, but end rant.

This book frustrated me and intrigued me in equal parts. As far as the steampunkiness, I was pretty able to pretend it wasn't t Let me start off by saying that I really didn't think I would like this book. I am quite vocal of my dislike of Steampunk. I just don't really get it. It's pretty yes, but I don't get the concept, and I don't get why it's such a big thing. I mean seriously, if their technology is that good why are they still running off steam etc?? It make no logical sense, but end rant.

This book frustrated me and intrigued me in equal parts. As far as the steampunkiness, I was pretty able to pretend it wasn't there, except for the few phrases such as "old man", "tally-ho", "gone awry" etc etc. It jarred me from the story because it just didn't fit the rest of the language. As far as I'm concerned, except for these few key phrases, the speech didn't sound nineteenth century at all. The main character annoyed me and to top it all off I kept picturing a girl whenever Aubrey was mentioned. He was too much of a know-it-all, and this knowledge basically never fails him, never gets him into trouble. What's that? The head of the Magisterium finds you, a teenage(?) boy at the scene of a crime (after you've gotten there by dubious means with the permission of your mother)and you apparently have solved the evil plot afoot, why, well done, no harm done, you showed real panache and there will be no consequences. Yeah right. Aubrey is just too perfect and has no lovable flaw that makes him relatable. I also don't see why George is so unerringly loyal to him. There doesn't seem to be that trade off of things that they each don't posses that the other does. It's simply as if Michael Pryor just checked the box that said "loyal best friend" without really thinking about what makes them friends. Caroline: also too perfect, with too many skills. Much rage and eye-rolling occurred with every new discovery of just how amazing she is.

On the plus side though, the opening scenes describing Aubrey's date with death was pretty cool, and the general whodunnit principle of the story was enough to keep me reading. OK, so maybe the frustrated:intrigued ratio is a little more weighted on one side than originally claimed...

When I met Michael Pryor I told him I would get around to reading his book, well, promise fulfilled and the only reason I'm going to bother with book 2 is because I already own it. ...more

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Dec 20, 2014 Aelvana rated it really liked it

Aubrey Fitzwillilam has ambition, intelligence, and ability in spades, as well as the sort of problem that can only come about through supreme misjudgement: technically, he's dead. Desperate to recover---if recovery is even possible---he's hunting down every faint possibility and slight hint. But he's got more than himself to worry about, as magical assassins, intrigues with Holmland, his father's re-election campaign, and the remarkable Caroline Hepworth are all competing for his attention.

Aubr ...more

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Dec 06, 2016 Clare S-B rated it really liked it

Why have I never heard of this book before! Honestly peoples, this is a bit like Harry Potter and The Rithmatist just for older readers with a touch of something sciencey and a dab of political turmoil. The style is different but schools where magic is a class, and magic is an accepted part of society. This book is set shortly before ww1 but in a world/alternate history where places have different names (but you can eventually work out what they are similar to) and the laws of magic were discove ...more

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Jul 06, 2018 Kathleen Dixon rated it really liked it

Shelves: teen-reading, magic, historical-fiction

This is an alternate universe historical series (something like the Temeraire series (Naomi Novik) with dragons, and the Battlesaurus series (Brian Falkner) with dinosaurs), with magic being a normal part of life. Some have it and some don't (rather like some of us ordinary this-universe people have musical talent and some don't, etc.) and our chief protagonist, of course, does. This is a teen novel, so he's a teen (late teens, I don't remember precisely which one), and he's a student (?at some ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Young Adult- set at wizard/sorcerer school where a wizard gets caught up in a evil plot which MAYBE includes the government/school board. [s]	7	197	Nov 29, 2019 02:48AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA / Magic Series featuring the son of a prime minister as the protagonist. [s]	4	20	Dec 28, 2018 04:55AM
Who's Your Author?: March YA BOM: Blaze of Glory	1	12	Mar 01, 2013 07:56AM

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About Michael Pryor

Michael Pryor

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Michael Pryor's bio

I was born in Swan Hill, Victoria. I spent my childhood in country Victoria and Melbourne before moving to Geelong at the age of 10. I lived in Geelong until I went to university in Melbourne after secondary school.

I currently live in Melbourne with my wife Wendy and my two daughters Celeste and Ruby. I’ve worked as a drainer’s labourer, a truck driver, a bathroom accessories s ...more

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Quotes from Blaze of Glory

“Aubrey Fitzwilliam hated being dead. It made things much harder than they needed to be.” — 6 likes

“George grinned. 'A pity you're perfectly dreadful at shooting.'
Aubrey shrugged. 'I've had all the lessons. I'm adequate.'
'Adequate? I suppose it depends on what you mean. If you mean that you haven't actually shot yourself by accident, then by all means describe yourself as adequate.'
George laced his fingers together and placed them on his chest. ''I'll come, then I might be able to spare you some embarrassment.'
'I'm honoured.” — 2 likes

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