A College of Magics

Faris Nallaneen is young, gawky, not particularly well dressed, and the Duchess of Galazon, a small country somewhere in the vicinity of Ruritania. Her wicked uncle, her guardian until she comes of age, is running Galazon into the ground, and has shipped her to Greenlaw College to keep her out of the way.

Greenlaw is something of a finishing school for young women; but it is also one of the two premiere colleges of magic in Europe, for those who show they have the talent to learn it. Faris has the opportunity, and a really bad attitude, and her heart is back home in Galazon rather than on her studies.

Then there’s that strange man who follows her about when she leaves the college grounds, and her fellow student who has a penchant for getting other people into trouble in truly nasty ways.

I read A College of Magics, by Caroline Stevermer, on the trip home from Dallas last week, and enjoyed it considerably. I picked it up because I had enjoyed the Regency era fantasy novels Stevermer co-wrote with Patricia Wrede (notably Sorcery and Cecily, or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot) and wanted to see what she could do on her own; and I was not disappointed.

I’d particularly like to point out that Greenlaw is not in any way like Hogwarts; I’ve nothing against Harry Potter, but one Harry Potter series is enough. Clones are unnecessary.

Anyway, give it a try.