SORCERER TO THE CROWN
Author: Zen ChoSeries: Sorcerer Royal #1
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Summary:
Magic and mayhem collide with the British elite in this whimsical and sparkling debut.
At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.
But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain—and the world at large…
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
I really enjoyed this book! I was surprised, actually, with how much I grew to love this one as I read because it is written in a way that I don't typically love. But the characters are SO strong and the magic SO interesting that it made up for the prose (that some people will love and some will hate - I'm somewhere in the middle). If you like Regency era novels with hints of magic, this is the book for you! Watch next week for a feature on the sequel, THE TRUE QUEEN!
The world and world building was immaculate. It was so easy to get engrossed into the land and time period without feeling like you had to think too hard about what you were reading (which is always best with Historical Novels). I loved the way that society's implications played into how Zacharias was treated, acted, and the decisions made throughout the novel.
The way racism was handle in this was a good depiction, but I am not an expert on it, so please seek out other reviews from ownvoices reviewers on the subject matter. I thought it could have been dived into deeper to really demonstrate how much hatred there was during that time - the assassination attempts were kind of glossed over as was the power struggle between Zacharias and Geoffrey.
In terms of characters, I liked how soft Zacharias was - he was one of the most powerful magicians in the land and just wanted to garden. Perfect man. (So of course he is fictional). Priscilla was great in other ways, although I did have an issue with how focused she was on getting ahead through marriage. I think they both had more room to grow, but that was thwarted by their "relationship."
I did have a hard time with the "relationship" between Zacharias and Priscilla - it just didn't feel quite believable to me because I thought they were such strong characters on their own. I had a hard time seeing them "together" because of it. But I am sure they will be a true Power Couple. Their relationship felt like wasted potential in the novel because I thought developing them individually further would have been a better choice than forcing them together.
There was a lot of good in this one but also some wasted potential. I have an eARC of the sequel and can't wait to read it though! I'm glad I'm on this kick of Fantasy because it satisfies so many of my reading needs.
The world and world building was immaculate. It was so easy to get engrossed into the land and time period without feeling like you had to think too hard about what you were reading (which is always best with Historical Novels). I loved the way that society's implications played into how Zacharias was treated, acted, and the decisions made throughout the novel.
The way racism was handle in this was a good depiction, but I am not an expert on it, so please seek out other reviews from ownvoices reviewers on the subject matter. I thought it could have been dived into deeper to really demonstrate how much hatred there was during that time - the assassination attempts were kind of glossed over as was the power struggle between Zacharias and Geoffrey.
In terms of characters, I liked how soft Zacharias was - he was one of the most powerful magicians in the land and just wanted to garden. Perfect man. (So of course he is fictional). Priscilla was great in other ways, although I did have an issue with how focused she was on getting ahead through marriage. I think they both had more room to grow, but that was thwarted by their "relationship."
I did have a hard time with the "relationship" between Zacharias and Priscilla - it just didn't feel quite believable to me because I thought they were such strong characters on their own. I had a hard time seeing them "together" because of it. But I am sure they will be a true Power Couple. Their relationship felt like wasted potential in the novel because I thought developing them individually further would have been a better choice than forcing them together.
There was a lot of good in this one but also some wasted potential. I have an eARC of the sequel and can't wait to read it though! I'm glad I'm on this kick of Fantasy because it satisfies so many of my reading needs.
Glad you enjoyed this one overall. I hadn't heard of this before, and I don't think it's for me after reading your review. I'm not huge on fantasy unless there's a good romance involved too.
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