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Scholars and Sorcery #1
Pegasi and Prefects
Easy-going tomboy Charley Forest, a girl with the fortunate Gift of communicating with magical animals, is looking forward to a quiet final year at Fernleigh Manor boarding school. Her peace is short-lived, however, when she's burdened with the unwelcome responsibilities of Game Captainship and finds herself caught up in a deadly rivalry with a new girl...a girl with a devastatingly charming Gift.
A secret rule-breaking scheme, an unforeseen second magical talent, and a budding romance only add to the turmoil. Charley soon discovers that a quiet last year is the last thing she's going to get.
Set in an alternative mid twentieth century England full of fabled beasts and humans with magical abilities, Pegasi and Prefects is the first in a series of traditional school stories spiced with a dash of magic and a sweet dollop of romance.
A secret rule-breaking scheme, an unforeseen second magical talent, and a budding romance only add to the turmoil. Charley soon discovers that a quiet last year is the last thing she's going to get.
Set in an alternative mid twentieth century England full of fabled beasts and humans with magical abilities, Pegasi and Prefects is the first in a series of traditional school stories spiced with a dash of magic and a sweet dollop of romance.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2015
17 people are currently reading
814 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Beresford
4 books20 followersEleanor Beresford was born in remote South Australia, spent some adult years in the UK, and is settled in beautiful Adelaide with her even more beautiful wife and toddler son. In a former life she was a harried academic librarian. Now, her days are spent writing, game designing, and travelling her beloved city with her little boy. She would not change her life for anyone else's in the world.
She has a sizeable collection of girls' school stories ranging from the turn of the century to the 1960s.
She writes LGBT fantasy and young adult books, and interactive fiction games with strong female protagonists, because she writes the stories she would have loved to have read as a lesbian teenager.
She hopes they will reach other readers, young and old, with the same dreams, and remind them that true love is for everyone.
She has a sizeable collection of girls' school stories ranging from the turn of the century to the 1960s.
She writes LGBT fantasy and young adult books, and interactive fiction games with strong female protagonists, because she writes the stories she would have loved to have read as a lesbian teenager.
She hopes they will reach other readers, young and old, with the same dreams, and remind them that true love is for everyone.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 16, 2015
Magic plus girls' boarding school. That's an exciting combination to me. No, I didn't grow up on the British boarding school genre, but I wish I could have. I was a shy, awkward girl (and now I'm a shy, awkward woman, yay!) and the idea of an all-girl's school just sounded so appealing to me. Probably I wouldn't have liked the reality half as much as the fantasy, but that's what school stories are for. And that's what stories with unicorns and pegasi are for, too.
In some ways, this is sort of like the complimentary opposite of Harry Potter, and not because it's a girls' school instead of a co-ed school. Harry Potter is more of a story about magic, with added boarding school elements, while Pegasi and Prefects is more of a school story, with added magical elements. Now, I'm really a novice at school stories, and still learning, but I could recognize many familiar elements from the school stories that I have read. And the magic, of course, which is so thoroughly integrated into this world that it's almost, but not quite, ordinary to the characters. I like that we're thrown straight into a world that nobody explains to us in detail. It's nice, to not have a lot of infodump. There's quite enough information given out to understand and follow, and that's... Well, not exactly enough, because I want to know more, and see more.
So that's the world, what about the characters? It's a fine cast of girls, friendly, smart in their own ways, and trying to be decent and sometimes failing. Most of the girls in this book are like that, except the awful Diana. We need a bad girl, and Diana definitely qualifies. She's the sort of awful, poisonous girl who is completely terrible to anyone she dislikes, to their faces and to their backs, and uses fake charm to get what she likes. I hated her, almost completely. Because I did feel sorry for her, too. It must be awful, to be unable to relate to anyone honestly, or to be so unsure of being able to make true friends that you'd have to use lies to isolate your friends from anyone else they might spend time with. How very sad for her. I still hate her, of course. The rest of the girls, though. Charley, our tomboy narrator. Sweet and quiet Rosalind, the object of her affections. Solid Cecily and the more dramatic Esther. Even Kitty, who only shows up briefly but makes quite an impression. They're all just so likeable, and fun to read about.
Reading Charley slowly fall for Rosalind was incredibly sweet, achingly so. I have so love for a romance that's built on genuine liking and respect instead of simple attraction. Charley's thoughts are, of course, complicated by the time she lives in. She doesn't have the same understanding or vocabulary to put her emotions into context that a modern girl would have. Neither can she hope for acceptance if she confesses her feelings. So when she starts plotting to engineer a marriage between Rosalind and her older brother, because he would be good to her and make her happy, and also because she could still stay close to her... Well. She hurt my heart a little.
I very much needed something magical and sweet to read right now, and this fit the bill perfectly. There's very little as nice as reading the right book at the right time, and this just hit all the notes I needed it to. I'm looking forward to more of the same, very much so.
In some ways, this is sort of like the complimentary opposite of Harry Potter, and not because it's a girls' school instead of a co-ed school. Harry Potter is more of a story about magic, with added boarding school elements, while Pegasi and Prefects is more of a school story, with added magical elements. Now, I'm really a novice at school stories, and still learning, but I could recognize many familiar elements from the school stories that I have read. And the magic, of course, which is so thoroughly integrated into this world that it's almost, but not quite, ordinary to the characters. I like that we're thrown straight into a world that nobody explains to us in detail. It's nice, to not have a lot of infodump. There's quite enough information given out to understand and follow, and that's... Well, not exactly enough, because I want to know more, and see more.
So that's the world, what about the characters? It's a fine cast of girls, friendly, smart in their own ways, and trying to be decent and sometimes failing. Most of the girls in this book are like that, except the awful Diana. We need a bad girl, and Diana definitely qualifies. She's the sort of awful, poisonous girl who is completely terrible to anyone she dislikes, to their faces and to their backs, and uses fake charm to get what she likes. I hated her, almost completely. Because I did feel sorry for her, too. It must be awful, to be unable to relate to anyone honestly, or to be so unsure of being able to make true friends that you'd have to use lies to isolate your friends from anyone else they might spend time with. How very sad for her. I still hate her, of course. The rest of the girls, though. Charley, our tomboy narrator. Sweet and quiet Rosalind, the object of her affections. Solid Cecily and the more dramatic Esther. Even Kitty, who only shows up briefly but makes quite an impression. They're all just so likeable, and fun to read about.
Reading Charley slowly fall for Rosalind was incredibly sweet, achingly so. I have so love for a romance that's built on genuine liking and respect instead of simple attraction. Charley's thoughts are, of course, complicated by the time she lives in. She doesn't have the same understanding or vocabulary to put her emotions into context that a modern girl would have. Neither can she hope for acceptance if she confesses her feelings. So when she starts plotting to engineer a marriage between Rosalind and her older brother, because he would be good to her and make her happy, and also because she could still stay close to her... Well. She hurt my heart a little.
I very much needed something magical and sweet to read right now, and this fit the bill perfectly. There's very little as nice as reading the right book at the right time, and this just hit all the notes I needed it to. I'm looking forward to more of the same, very much so.
September 6, 2016
I've wanted to read this one since I read Roslyn's review. I love boarding school stories and the idea of one with a lesbian narrator sounded so cool. My library purchase request has been in limbo for months, so I eventually decided to just buy it. I do not regret it!
It does indeed feel like an old school story, only with lesbians. And magic!
It does indeed feel like an old school story, only with lesbians. And magic!
April 8, 2016
Totally charming and enjoyable.
This is written in the style of the traditional British girls' boarding school, with the addition of magic - including some interesting world building about magical Gifts and magical creatures- and a queer theme. The narrator is a lesbian - and some of the other characters are queer-leaning - in a setting in which, as in those British schoolgirl books, there is no clear language available to describe lesbians or to express lesbian feelings and in which these feelings, as opposed to acceptable girlish friendships, are regarded with deep suspicion, so that Charlie, the narrator, is completely and deeply confused about what she feels. I really enjoyed the way the writer occasionally very slyly inserts the terms 'queer' and 'straight' in Charlie's narration in ways that would be used in the boarding school genre, so that their literal meaning as used by Charlie is clear in context but their subtext cannot be lost on the contemporary reader.
As in the boarding school genre, the language can get a bit twee - I'm sure this is deliberate to reflect that genre, but at times it feels a bit forced - and the manoeuvring among the girls is both amusing and a bit silly. The central romance is lovely, if at times a touch over-sentimental - this is again in keeping with the genre and is partly due to the fact that Charlie's love interest is described in very similar words over and over again. But overall, what a fun and engrossing read.
This is written in the style of the traditional British girls' boarding school, with the addition of magic - including some interesting world building about magical Gifts and magical creatures- and a queer theme. The narrator is a lesbian - and some of the other characters are queer-leaning - in a setting in which, as in those British schoolgirl books, there is no clear language available to describe lesbians or to express lesbian feelings and in which these feelings, as opposed to acceptable girlish friendships, are regarded with deep suspicion, so that Charlie, the narrator, is completely and deeply confused about what she feels. I really enjoyed the way the writer occasionally very slyly inserts the terms 'queer' and 'straight' in Charlie's narration in ways that would be used in the boarding school genre, so that their literal meaning as used by Charlie is clear in context but their subtext cannot be lost on the contemporary reader.
As in the boarding school genre, the language can get a bit twee - I'm sure this is deliberate to reflect that genre, but at times it feels a bit forced - and the manoeuvring among the girls is both amusing and a bit silly. The central romance is lovely, if at times a touch over-sentimental - this is again in keeping with the genre and is partly due to the fact that Charlie's love interest is described in very similar words over and over again. But overall, what a fun and engrossing read.
September 16, 2016
Review of books 1 and 2 together.
This is so, so good and deals with young sapphic love so well: the uncertainties, the internalized homophobia, the acceptance, the healing. Being in love myself, I feel such a kinship with Charley, and to some extent Rosalind and Esther.
The girls are all well developed and have strong, diverse personalities, with Charley having different relationships with each of them. In some ways, this was painful to read because it's such an accurate portrayal of young sapphic love, but I'm glad I bolstered through.
A must as young adult romance, imho.
This is so, so good and deals with young sapphic love so well: the uncertainties, the internalized homophobia, the acceptance, the healing. Being in love myself, I feel such a kinship with Charley, and to some extent Rosalind and Esther.
The girls are all well developed and have strong, diverse personalities, with Charley having different relationships with each of them. In some ways, this was painful to read because it's such an accurate portrayal of young sapphic love, but I'm glad I bolstered through.
A must as young adult romance, imho.
February 24, 2015
I loved this story. At first, it's Hogwarts for lesbians, which is pretty awesome in and of itself. More than that, the main character Charley is such a well-defined young woman, with a sympathetic voice that springs to life. The portrayal of young, new love is poignant, and delightfully painful as it should be.
July 26, 2016
For someone who grew up reading Enid Blyton books, reading these books is like a nostalgia kick in the face, but with magic and queer girls (so, perfect, basically). My heart is too confused dealing with how charming I find all of this to let my brain decide if these books are as good as I think they are. In any case, it felt like I was fifteen again when I picked them up every night while I was reading them, and it was absolutely lovely.
March 25, 2016
Thoroughly delightful! Jolly hockey-sticks school story, with magical beasts and a lesbian romance, all written with a light touch and a tone that is bang on for the genre. What's not to like?
April 2, 2016
1.5 stars. I thought this sounded cool: it's a magic boarding school f/f YA fantasy. Unfortunately, I found it to be pretty tedious. I skimmed the second half due to lack of interest. The main character/narrator was very difficult for me to like, as she's petty, selfish, judgemental, and very critical (to the point of being rude) of all the people around her, including her best friends and her love interest (whose unattractiveness and ugly glasses are pointed out on a regular basis). The world-building is minimal, the magic system is not really explained, very little actually happens, and there are lots of unanswered questions at the end. I found the characterisation in general to be pretty thin and it was a little hard to believe these kids were eighteen and not thirteen. The writing style didn't really appeal to me. Lots of other people liked this lots, so this book just wasn't for me, unfortunately. I wish I liked it more.
February 9, 2017
I love this. It is a school story of the best sort, with prefects and excitement and adventure and the added loveliness of a lesbian romance at its heart.
Read my full review.
Read my full review.
March 13, 2016
Got to the end, bought the next. What better recommendation can I give?
November 29, 2016
Probably one of my fav reads this year
;______; my heart aches and I need the next book ASAP. this was such a deeply satisfying read if you love girls boarding school stories and fantasy elements but always wished for one with f/f romance? there's some lesbophobia, internalized and painful from Charley and vicious and cruel from Diana, but it still felt like a very cathartic emotional experience because Charley's love for Rosalind felt really nostalgic and relatable.
;______; my heart aches and I need the next book ASAP. this was such a deeply satisfying read if you love girls boarding school stories and fantasy elements but always wished for one with f/f romance? there's some lesbophobia, internalized and painful from Charley and vicious and cruel from Diana, but it still felt like a very cathartic emotional experience because Charley's love for Rosalind felt really nostalgic and relatable.
February 25, 2021
Light little read in the style of Harry Potter but without the dark elements. Romance is kept low key but you have to feel for Esther, In my opinion one of the better characters
Story feels like it is targeted at the pre-teen audience but is a good light read for anyone.
If you like "My Little Pony" and who even secretly doesn't you will like this.
Story feels like it is targeted at the pre-teen audience but is a good light read for anyone.
If you like "My Little Pony" and who even secretly doesn't you will like this.
April 14, 2018
I liked it, but the awkwardness and painfulness of the romance took it into a slightly older age-group than the school stories it references. I haven't decided if I will buy the second book in the series.
June 1, 2019
It was sweet, but... the plot and setting felt really weak. I don't know what else to say. The way the author used "queer" and "straight" as both their archaic meanings and as little jokes was really funny, though.
January 15, 2019
An absolutely charming book, really played into my nostalgia for schooldays I never actually had. Sweet and gentle and fun.
February 8, 2019
I love the take on magic and the story line. It reminds me a bit if a less wizardy Harry Potter.
October 10, 2020
This was exactly what I was looking for! A fun, humorous, magical tale with lots of friendships and an adorable f/f romance. I only with that it were longer.
June 25, 2015
Cross posted from the lesbrary:http://lesbrary.com/2015/06/21/marthe...
“I take my questions and shining little badges with me”
Keeping in line with my recent reviews, I read another short fantasy book. This time, I read Pegasi and Prefects which is the first in the Scholars and Sorcery series. I found it to be a somewhat good introduction but it focuses more on the main character, Charley rather than world building. At times it seemed slow but I quite enjoyed that. The book is only 138 pages so a quick read overall.
The story is about Charley, who attends Fernleigh Manor, a school for gifted people which are people that possess talents that are somewhat different from each other as no gift is the same. Charley has an affinity to communicate with fabled animals. Her family has a business in raising fabled beasts and in fact, Charley has a pegasus named Ember. She is friends with Esther and Cecily who are quite popular and so by default but not only, is Charley. They are in their last year of studies and Charley wants a quite year but her year is anything but that as she is made a senior prefect and a games captain- a sort of peer trainer for all the years and hockey teams.
Charley’s year is also rocked when two new girls transfer in their last year at the Manor. She has to share a study room with Diana, who many people are charmed by but not Charley. Moreover, She has to be friendly to Rosalind, a very shy girl but in the end this would not be a problem as Charley develops feelings for Rosalind after the two girls take care of an animal together since it turns out that they both share an affinity to fabled beasts.
Charley is what could be called a tomboy and we see some gender relations and how different people treat her because of this- namely Esther, Diana and her brothers. Charley learns not to fall into prejudice and also learns to be less selfish. This seems also a theme about her love life, where she assumes things about Rosalind and is jealous but at the same time wants to be selfless.
World building is slow and sometimes confusing but things eventually got clearer. We get to know more about different animals and about the history of the reality that the characters live in. When reading fantasy I tend to assume that it’s a different world and so I was surprised when things like cars or hockey got mentioned but when they were, it helped me understand and relate better.
Despite it’s slowness, I found it to be a calming book and it also kept me interested and as such, I read it very quickly. I recommend it to people that like fantasy books but that are looking for something different from the usual epic battle or action theme. It is also suitable for young audiences and more focused on Charley’s self-reflection.
******
I will definitely read the second book. I think the first one was more of a slow introduction to the characters but the second one which was out in March seems more about Romance and Adventure. I wrote the review above before I had finished the book, having around 20 pages left and I have to say with the complete picture, it does make me want to see the blossoming romance.
“I take my questions and shining little badges with me”
Keeping in line with my recent reviews, I read another short fantasy book. This time, I read Pegasi and Prefects which is the first in the Scholars and Sorcery series. I found it to be a somewhat good introduction but it focuses more on the main character, Charley rather than world building. At times it seemed slow but I quite enjoyed that. The book is only 138 pages so a quick read overall.
The story is about Charley, who attends Fernleigh Manor, a school for gifted people which are people that possess talents that are somewhat different from each other as no gift is the same. Charley has an affinity to communicate with fabled animals. Her family has a business in raising fabled beasts and in fact, Charley has a pegasus named Ember. She is friends with Esther and Cecily who are quite popular and so by default but not only, is Charley. They are in their last year of studies and Charley wants a quite year but her year is anything but that as she is made a senior prefect and a games captain- a sort of peer trainer for all the years and hockey teams.
Charley’s year is also rocked when two new girls transfer in their last year at the Manor. She has to share a study room with Diana, who many people are charmed by but not Charley. Moreover, She has to be friendly to Rosalind, a very shy girl but in the end this would not be a problem as Charley develops feelings for Rosalind after the two girls take care of an animal together since it turns out that they both share an affinity to fabled beasts.
Charley is what could be called a tomboy and we see some gender relations and how different people treat her because of this- namely Esther, Diana and her brothers. Charley learns not to fall into prejudice and also learns to be less selfish. This seems also a theme about her love life, where she assumes things about Rosalind and is jealous but at the same time wants to be selfless.
World building is slow and sometimes confusing but things eventually got clearer. We get to know more about different animals and about the history of the reality that the characters live in. When reading fantasy I tend to assume that it’s a different world and so I was surprised when things like cars or hockey got mentioned but when they were, it helped me understand and relate better.
Despite it’s slowness, I found it to be a calming book and it also kept me interested and as such, I read it very quickly. I recommend it to people that like fantasy books but that are looking for something different from the usual epic battle or action theme. It is also suitable for young audiences and more focused on Charley’s self-reflection.
******
I will definitely read the second book. I think the first one was more of a slow introduction to the characters but the second one which was out in March seems more about Romance and Adventure. I wrote the review above before I had finished the book, having around 20 pages left and I have to say with the complete picture, it does make me want to see the blossoming romance.
July 17, 2015
I liked it. I felt it could have used a little work here and there, but as a starter book, it was very good. The lesbian romance was reasonably well done, though I kind of wish there was the butch/femme dynamic. The self doubt shown by the protagonist was reasonable for the time period, I thought. A few overuses of slang, I thought, but over all a pretty good story.
July 14, 2015
I can't help feeling that this book series was based largely on the Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton, which I absolutely adored as a child!
All-Girls bording school + magic + nice characters + lesbian feelings = perfect.
I'm reading book 2 atm and can't wait to find out how it's all resolved - if it is yet :)
All-Girls bording school + magic + nice characters + lesbian feelings = perfect.
I'm reading book 2 atm and can't wait to find out how it's all resolved - if it is yet :)
January 11, 2016
A wonderful, wonderful start to the series.
Imagine Enid Blyton's Malory Towers, with magic, elves, mythical creatures, and lesbians. I love this series. Charley Forest is hoping for an easy final year at school, but finds herself thrust into a term with responsibilities, new friends, and [lesbian] crushes.
Imagine Enid Blyton's Malory Towers, with magic, elves, mythical creatures, and lesbians. I love this series. Charley Forest is hoping for an easy final year at school, but finds herself thrust into a term with responsibilities, new friends, and [lesbian] crushes.
December 22, 2015
This was a lovely and engaging first book. The ending made me want to keep reading almost as much as the thoroughly endearing characters did. It's a short little jaunt of YA but absolutely perfect. I only wish it was longer.
September 3, 2016
I read the first couple of pages and thought I'd be stopping at the end of the chapter, but I ended up enjoying it. I think it would have been a stronger story without the whole magical creature, powers aspect though, it didn't really add anything and just seemed like a gimmick.
January 11, 2015
Wonderful
Great YA fantasy with equally great characters and of course fantastic beasts. I look forward to the second book and more from this author.
Great YA fantasy with equally great characters and of course fantastic beasts. I look forward to the second book and more from this author.
December 8, 2015
Simple and cute, short easy read. Interesting characters although my favorite (Kitty) wasn't explored much.
March 22, 2015
It's a cute story. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews