From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal, #1)

Zen Cho

Start date: July 22, 2016

Finish date: July 31, 2016

Discussion: Books of the Month

Why we're reading this: July 2016 Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
Click HERE to get to the discussion.…more
[close] July 2016 Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
Click HERE to get to the discussion.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 163 topics — 23,363 comments total

Books of the Month

* The Names by Florence Knapp - Sep 25 Adult / Non-Fiction BOM (starts 16 Sep)
By Moderators of… , Challenger-in-Chief · 11 posts · 68 views

last updated Sep 05, 2025 04:38PM

* The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese - Sep 25 Theme BOM - South and South East Asia (Starts 5 September)
By Moderators of… , Challenger-in-Chief · 31 posts · 66 views

last updated 7 hours, 58 min ago

showing 10 of 42 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jun 18, 2016 Rebekah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-fantasy, genre-historical-fiction, genre-adult, genre-romance, genre-fantasy-urban-fantasy, genre-fantasy-magic, nbrc-bom-br, genre-historical, genre-science-fiction-alternate-his, genre-historical-fiction-historical

This was one of the most boring fantasy novels I have ever read

4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2016 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, _own-ebook, read-in-2016, rec-book-riot

I was pleasantly surprised by this book ... it's not a fast paced novel, it's slow and moves quietly. But, I enjoyed the story and the world created by Cho. I especially like the idea of a feminist hero in a story full of magic! It's rare to see a character like Prunella in this sort of novel. I am looking forward to book #2! ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2022 Beth rated it really liked it

Shelves: 50-poc, fantasy, young-adult, friend-bookclub

OK, I got impatient with how careless the girl was with the guy's life, because she never cared if she caused him embarrassment or job insecurity or even real danger. OK, fair, because her life was hard and she didn't have a lot of room to let any chance slide by, but it didn't make her likable to me. Which turned out to be the author's whole point; that she was one able to make ruthless decisions while he was more the academic type who was a bit softie even when that wasn't in his best interest ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 21, 2016 Andria rated it it was ok

Full Disclosure: Sorcerer to the Crown was selected by a book club. It isn't a novel I would have chosen on my end, and a fan of this genre and modern takes on classic British lit may enjoy it more.

Sorcerer to the Crown combines Victorian era England with magic. The Sorcerer Royal Zacharias Wythe faces scrutiny for the mystery surrounding his predecessor's death. His status as a man of color in an age of racial bigotry only makes his situation more dire. His personal trials parallel the state of Full Disclosure: Sorcerer to the Crown was selected by a book club. It isn't a novel I would have chosen on my end, and a fan of this genre and modern takes on classic British lit may enjoy it more.

Sorcerer to the Crown combines Victorian era England with magic. The Sorcerer Royal Zacharias Wythe faces scrutiny for the mystery surrounding his predecessor's death. His status as a man of color in an age of racial bigotry only makes his situation more dire. His personal trials parallel the state of English magic, as some unknown source is stealing away the power that the country once thrived on. The key may be Prunella, a girl with a storied lineage and a valise of powerful treasures.

(view spoiler)[My biggest issue with Sorcerer to the Crown was the writing style, which will be a "love it" or "hate it" depending on personal preference. I don't have an issue with the more flowery style of classic British lit. I've yet to put my finger on my problem with this book. The style just did not feel authentic to me. Certain word choices felt calculated for a "smart" sound vs. being necessary to tell the story. The style didn't accentuate the story, it slowed everything down and made me feel detached from the characters.

I really want to like Zacharias and Prunella. Their perspectives, as two people of color in this hugely prejudiced setting, are important. Especially Prunella's, a woman assuming a powerful position within a male-dominated society. But their stories are so weighed down by the writing style. As a reader, I never had the chance to get to know them.

I'm wondering whether the story is supposed to be a comedy. The climactic battle scene, for example, is peppered with jokes from the supporting characters. It doesn't feel like anything is at stake.

(I was a little bummed by how little magic Zacharias performed during the book. In the confrontation with Mrs. Midsomers, it was hard to visualize what was happening. He was blocking her attacks, I guess? For all the words glutting up the narrative, it was still hard to get a sense of what was going on in the action scenes.)

But in between the humor, we were jarred back to more gruesome, decidedly NOT comedic things (see: Sir Stephen's familiar Leofric eating his body, or Prunella letting Leofric eat her oldest familiar.) Not that you can't have a mix of the two in one book - I prefer it! But the tonal shifts didn't work together for me, maybe because they were getting lost in the dense narrative.

This book is the first of a series. The slow pacing and detachment from the characters may be a result of bigger and better things coming down the line. Now that we've been introduced to these characters, the sequel won't need to spend as much time with the exposition. It should speed things along. (hide spoiler)]

An interesting read with important, under-represented perspectives. The style just wasn't for me. ...more

Like · see review

Aug 03, 2023 Vickie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: booksthatmakemegowow, listened-to, nook, audible, fantasy, 2023

This is a superb premise for a fantasy series. Open magic in the world, land of fairy is known about, and there is the rich and the poor, the prejudice towards people of color, people who know there is something better and strive towards it despite obstacles.
The setting here is in England with magic only allowed to the men and rich gentlemen at that. Poor and women are not to utilize it for all that they have the abilities. Young ladies of substance are sent to schools to suppress their magic i ...more

Like · see review