(no subject)
I spent many years inexplicably convinced that I had read Caroline Stevermer's A College of Magics as a kid and hadn't much liked it, which explains why it actually took me so long to get around to reading it despite the fact that it is relevant to my interests in a number of ways. Comedy of manners, awesome ladies with an extravance of style, gentle mockery of the Ruritanian romance - and let's face it, the entire thing would have been worth it solely for the passage where Jane solemnly excuses her presence in the plot by explaining the inexplicable English passion for rushing off places to restore long-lost kings while on holiday.
- but that does not do much to describe the actual plot, so okay. The title is actually kind of misleading; it takes the form of a three-volume novel (another bit of gentle mockery), and the bits are actually somewhat disconnected in tone.
Part the First: Our Heroine, Faris, who will be the duchess of a small European country once she come of age, gets sent off to school by her Wicked Guardian Uncle. There she Makes School Chums And Rivals, Gets Into Scrapes, Fails to Attend Class, Reads Three-Volume Novels, and sort of possibly maybe hints at the potential of learning magic. This is a fairly classic fantasy girl's college novel in short form and reminded me quite a bit in places of Pamela Dean's Tam Lin.
Part the Second: Victorian road trip adventures! Faris, her extremely awesome school bff Jane (now graduated and a full-fledged magician-professor who is fully capable of not only transforming a bomb into a hat, but making sure it is a very stylish hat while she's at it), Hot Valet-Bodyguard 1 (Tyrian, notable mostly for extreme quiet competence at everything, such as pouring tea and picking locks) and Hot Valet-Bodyguard 2 (Reed, who fills the function of being The Sane One) jaunt around Europe avoiding assassins and complaining about terrible carriage rides. Faris also discovers a Destiny. Tyrian gets sulky because Faris saved his life, but every time he tries to save hers someone else gets there first. Jane goes shopping and continues to be extremely awesome.
Part the Third: RURITANIAN ROMANCE. Faris gets home to her duchy and all of a sudden everything gets significantly more dramatic. All the political schemes come to a head; there are kidnappings and doomed romances and revolutionary plots and dramatic magical disguises and Great Sacrifices. Also, lions. I will admit I found myself somewhat startled by just how dramatic/bittersweet the ending was, because my brain kept persisting in reading the whole thing as light and clever comedy of manners even though it patently was not that anymore.
If I remember rightly there is a sequel that centers on Jane! I AM EXCITED FOR THIS. Has anyone read it?
- but that does not do much to describe the actual plot, so okay. The title is actually kind of misleading; it takes the form of a three-volume novel (another bit of gentle mockery), and the bits are actually somewhat disconnected in tone.
Part the First: Our Heroine, Faris, who will be the duchess of a small European country once she come of age, gets sent off to school by her Wicked Guardian Uncle. There she Makes School Chums And Rivals, Gets Into Scrapes, Fails to Attend Class, Reads Three-Volume Novels, and sort of possibly maybe hints at the potential of learning magic. This is a fairly classic fantasy girl's college novel in short form and reminded me quite a bit in places of Pamela Dean's Tam Lin.
Part the Second: Victorian road trip adventures! Faris, her extremely awesome school bff Jane (now graduated and a full-fledged magician-professor who is fully capable of not only transforming a bomb into a hat, but making sure it is a very stylish hat while she's at it), Hot Valet-Bodyguard 1 (Tyrian, notable mostly for extreme quiet competence at everything, such as pouring tea and picking locks) and Hot Valet-Bodyguard 2 (Reed, who fills the function of being The Sane One) jaunt around Europe avoiding assassins and complaining about terrible carriage rides. Faris also discovers a Destiny. Tyrian gets sulky because Faris saved his life, but every time he tries to save hers someone else gets there first. Jane goes shopping and continues to be extremely awesome.
Part the Third: RURITANIAN ROMANCE. Faris gets home to her duchy and all of a sudden everything gets significantly more dramatic. All the political schemes come to a head; there are kidnappings and doomed romances and revolutionary plots and dramatic magical disguises and Great Sacrifices. Also, lions. I will admit I found myself somewhat startled by just how dramatic/bittersweet the ending was, because my brain kept persisting in reading the whole thing as light and clever comedy of manners even though it patently was not that anymore.
If I remember rightly there is a sequel that centers on Jane! I AM EXCITED FOR THIS. Has anyone read it?