The Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede

[meganbmoore]

Set about two years after Mairelon the Magician, The Magician’s Ward has Kim’s training as a magician well underway. Her training, however, becomes a secondary consideration when it comes time to introduce Kim to society as Mairelon’s ward. Brought in for that task is Mairelon’s very very proper aunt, Mrs. Lowe. Not about to be upstaged, however,

Comments

[cerusee]

In the classic Georgette Heyer Regencies (to which authors like Wrede and Stevermere and Bujold all owe a debt), it's not uncommon to have either the hero or the heroine interested in marrying for money, whether they're thinking mainly of their own future, or needing to place the welfare of their impoverished family above their own desires. It's not like Heyer protagonists are all crazy mercenary, and certainly, romance, love, and happiness are valued above money or status in almost every single one of her many books (I believe there is exactly one where someone marries a woman he doesn't love for her money; although the story ends on a positive note, it's generally acknowledged to be both darker and much less of a romantic fantasy than most of her books), but Heyer is smart enough to acknowledge that financial stability is not a trivial thing, and that is an important aspect of future happiness--even in fantasy, money still shows up

[meganbmoore]

*nods*

Which is how it should be. Unfortunately, most more recent stuff has the heroine not wanting to marry for money even if it's needed unless it is to save the family from being on the streets, and mothers/guardians who want them to marry and and other women who want to marry for money aren't portrayed well.

[swanjun]

This is good to know. I have a bunch of Heyers sitting around that I need to read.

[therck]

I liked Magician's Ward better than Mairelon the Magician, not vastly so but enough to be noticeable. I suspect that the style of story had a lot to do with it as manor house mysteries, while usually better for me than other types of mysteries*, aren't something I'm of which I'm dreadfully fond.

*My preference in mysteries usually involves stories set in theaters or libraries or places I know really well or historical mysteries set in periods about which I know almost nothing. I definitely tilt toward humorous mysteries when I read them at all.

[meganbmoore]

Yeah. I think your preference for mystery type (if you have one) is an influence for these books.

[swanjun]

It's been several years since I read these, but I think I liked Mairelon the Magician a bit more. I don't remember much except magic platters and things-was that the first book or the second?

[meganbmoore]

The magic platters were the first book.