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What Members Thought
I was really looking forward to Sorcerer to the Crown, but it didn't do much for me. The plot felt like a very watered-down version of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell with characters that never became real or convincing to me, and the way it approached writing about racism and feminism felt like reaching for the lowest-hanging fruit.
The premise of Sorcerer to the Crown is that magic in late-1700s England has been drying up, and no one can figure out why. Zacharias Wythe, a young black man, is So ...more
The premise of Sorcerer to the Crown is that magic in late-1700s England has been drying up, and no one can figure out why. Zacharias Wythe, a young black man, is So ...more
A lovely book about magic, feminism, and a really cool sorceress. It's surprisingly character-focused, much more than it concentrates on world-building. Very much out of my usual wheelhouse and very slow to start, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it.
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There is a sort of book that I used to try to like - Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, for example - the type that a True Fantasy Fan (TM) *ought* to like. Sorcerer to the Crown has all the good parts - the magic, the droll wit, the exoticness of The Past - without erasing POC and intersectional feminism. The twists and turns are perfectly paced - you rarely see exactly what's coming, but the set-up is there so it doesn't come out of nowhere.
This book is so good, I cannot recommend it highly eno ...more
This book is so good, I cannot recommend it highly eno ...more
The cover blurb said this was a "Georgette Heyer meets Susanna Clarke" book and I think that was accurate. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Prunella and Zacharias, misfit magicians in class-stratified, Napoleon-era England. The formality of the dialogue and the atmosphere of restraint give the book a feeling of slowness, but there is also humor, intelligence, action and a sweet love story. Looking forward to reading to the next book in the series.
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Gave up after 100 pages.
Sep 02, 2015
eb
marked it as to-read
Sep 03, 2015
Rachel
marked it as to-read
Sep 03, 2015
Lisa
marked it as maybe-someday
Oct 14, 2015
Shannon
marked it as to-read
Nov 13, 2015
Ehrrin
marked it as to-read
Nov 17, 2015
Melle
marked it as to-read
Dec 13, 2015
Kai
marked it as to-read
Dec 27, 2015
Becca
marked it as to-read
Aug 05, 2017
Lauren loves llamas
marked it as to-read
Dec 16, 2017
Kim Marques
marked it as to-read
