An Unkindness of Magicians
Jan. 27th, 2021 10:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearAn Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard was recommended to me over a year ago but I didn't get round to actually obtaining a copy until recently - and boy, was I missing out!
It's about a secretive world of magicians in New York who periodically have a competition (the Turning) where the different Houses challenge each other to magical duels, in order to establish a new societal hierarchy. Each House names a champion to fight their duels, which are to the death in the final round. However, the book is about a lot more than that, since the protagonist, Sydney, has deeper plans than just doing well in the competition. She comes from a place where children are tortured to drain their magic and make it available to other magicians, and she intends to upset more than just the leadership of the Unseen World when she positions herself as a champion in the Turning.
I found the book instantly involving with a great range of characters, all of whom started out in shades of grey and gradually revealed themselves on one side or other of the conflict as the story went on. There are lots of layers to the book and a lot to unpack in terms of character motivations, deep background, magical morality and personal vendettas. It's expertly woven together and had me staying up late to read more.
I did find the point of view a bit muddled, shifting between characters within scenes. This used to be an entirely valid writing style (cf George Eliot in Middlemarch) but it's not seen very often any more and I found it jarring.
But, other than that, the writing was beautiful, the characters engaging, the twists unexpected and the ultimate conclusion very satisfying. It's a bit grim in places but not nearly enough to put me off, and overall I loved this book. Highly recommended if you like dark, complex, contemporary fantasy.
It's about a secretive world of magicians in New York who periodically have a competition (the Turning) where the different Houses challenge each other to magical duels, in order to establish a new societal hierarchy. Each House names a champion to fight their duels, which are to the death in the final round. However, the book is about a lot more than that, since the protagonist, Sydney, has deeper plans than just doing well in the competition. She comes from a place where children are tortured to drain their magic and make it available to other magicians, and she intends to upset more than just the leadership of the Unseen World when she positions herself as a champion in the Turning.
I found the book instantly involving with a great range of characters, all of whom started out in shades of grey and gradually revealed themselves on one side or other of the conflict as the story went on. There are lots of layers to the book and a lot to unpack in terms of character motivations, deep background, magical morality and personal vendettas. It's expertly woven together and had me staying up late to read more.
I did find the point of view a bit muddled, shifting between characters within scenes. This used to be an entirely valid writing style (cf George Eliot in Middlemarch) but it's not seen very often any more and I found it jarring.
But, other than that, the writing was beautiful, the characters engaging, the twists unexpected and the ultimate conclusion very satisfying. It's a bit grim in places but not nearly enough to put me off, and overall I loved this book. Highly recommended if you like dark, complex, contemporary fantasy.
