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| Book and dragon! |
If Jane Austen were alive and
writing Napoleonic urban fantasy, it would be “Sorcerer to the Crown” by Zen
Cho. Well-crafted characters move
throughout a landscape that is at once magical and very English.
Cho’s story is the adventure/drama/mystery
of Zacharias Wythe, Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers who is
struggling with both his social and magical positions. While a member of the Empire and its foremost
magician, he still finds that he as often judged by the color of his skin as
his innate abilities. Meanwhile, magical
Britain is on the edge of panic as their magic is dwindling, and Zacharias
struggles to find a cure, while shouldering the blame. When he meets Prunella Gentleman, a magical
woman in a world that looks down on her, it might be more than just chance.
Cho does an excellent job
fleshing out a magical Napoleonic-era England, complete with concerns that are
both near and abroad. While the pacing
flows at a good pace, readers might find themselves frustrated with both the language
and dialogue. Readers may want to have
their dictionary up-to-date before embarking on this journey. Cho also has a habit of changing point of
view in mid-stream to provide additional insight, but this just as often
creatures as readers struggle to make sense of the shift.
In “Sorcerer to the Crown”,
Cho is able to craft a believable period-world and realistic characters. Although the language and dialogue will cause
some readers to struggle, the relationships between Zacharias, Prunella and
their world is worth fighting to the end.
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