Book recs
With a little last-minute assist from Amazon, I just finished the "Frontier Magic" trilogy by Patricia Wrede (and thanks to Akili for recommending her in the first place).
These books are set in a world that's similar to ours, but different - in some ways that are significant (magic!), some that are interesting (Aphrika! Ashia! Unites States of Columbia!), and some that are only fun little bits of world-building ("childings", not "children"). They're set in the mid-1800s, mostly on the western frontier. In this world, President Jefferson and his fellow magician Ben Franklin raised a magical "Great Barrier" that runs the length of the Mississippi Mammoth River, keeping all the dangerous (and magical!) wildlife safely on the west side. But now people are settling west of the Barrier, and no one really knows what's out there.
The narrator, Eff Rothmer, is a refreshingly practical YA heroine. I loved Eff. Her worries in the first book, about misusing her magic, are more a persistent (and understandable) undercurrent than out-and-out angst. Eff keeps things in perspective. And while she's unquestionably the star of her own story, she isn't the best or strongest or smartest or prettiest person around... just the one paying attention to little things and making connections. She's also much too busy with school and work and family to moon over boys. Very refreshing.
These books are not fast-paced and action-packed - there's usually one or two big "action scenes" per novel, and they're usually towards the end and over in a single chapter - but it's an absorbing and quick read anyway. I liked the different kinds of magic and watching Eff slowly move towards some big truths about them. I'd be interested to read anything else Wrede sets in this universe.
The Thirteenth Child, The Great Barrier, and The Far West. Go read 'em! In order!
These books are set in a world that's similar to ours, but different - in some ways that are significant (magic!), some that are interesting (Aphrika! Ashia! Unites States of Columbia!), and some that are only fun little bits of world-building ("childings", not "children"). They're set in the mid-1800s, mostly on the western frontier. In this world, President Jefferson and his fellow magician Ben Franklin raised a magical "Great Barrier" that runs the length of the Mississippi Mammoth River, keeping all the dangerous (and magical!) wildlife safely on the west side. But now people are settling west of the Barrier, and no one really knows what's out there.
The narrator, Eff Rothmer, is a refreshingly practical YA heroine. I loved Eff. Her worries in the first book, about misusing her magic, are more a persistent (and understandable) undercurrent than out-and-out angst. Eff keeps things in perspective. And while she's unquestionably the star of her own story, she isn't the best or strongest or smartest or prettiest person around... just the one paying attention to little things and making connections. She's also much too busy with school and work and family to moon over boys. Very refreshing.
These books are not fast-paced and action-packed - there's usually one or two big "action scenes" per novel, and they're usually towards the end and over in a single chapter - but it's an absorbing and quick read anyway. I liked the different kinds of magic and watching Eff slowly move towards some big truths about them. I'd be interested to read anything else Wrede sets in this universe.
The Thirteenth Child, The Great Barrier, and The Far West. Go read 'em! In order!