Caroline Stevermer
1 Suave and Enjoyable
It's rare that a novel so consistently confounds my expectations of it, without disappointment. I have found such a book in A College of Magics. Set on an alternate Earth in the early 1900s, the characters seem to jump off the page. Never before have I see a writer with the ability to create dialogue so thoroughly clever and enjoyable in a fantasy setting.
One of the greatest strengths of this book is its ability to create a larger world in which magic exists, yet does not outweigh non-magical human invention. This is a world with real politics and real people, with magic an accepted fact.
My only caveat is that it might seem a little boring and slow moving to children, especiall those without a background in Edwardian literature. In the same way that Steven Brust's The Phoenix Guards is best appreciated by readers of The Three Musketeers, I would recommend a thorough grounding in P. G. Wodehouse.
2 Miss Manners goes to Hogwarts
"A College of Magics" is for Jane Austin fans who are also fond of fantasy. The magic is not the Harry Potter 'swish and flick' variety, but something altogether strange and beautiful. Most of the time the heroine, Faris Nallaneen does not even realize she has done anything magical.
The setting is an early 20th-century alternate world, where young ladies are sent to Greenlaw College (in 'real' life, the Benedictine Abbey of Mont St. Michael!) to learn Greek, Latin, Deportment, and Magic. Faris Nallaneen is heir to the small Middle European dukedom of Galazon. Her uncle, who rules Galazon until Faris's majority sends her kicking and screaming off to Greenlaw until his other secret plan for her future matures. Naturally Faris resents this, but she slowly begins to make friends at school and also acquires one mortal enemy, a distant relative named Menary.
Menary is one of the more interesting students at Greenlaw College. She possesses a wild magic, whose source is unknown to her teachers. She is also fond of anything in trousers, but very unfortunate things happen to her lovers. She is finally expelled on the morning after Faris's magical vigil, after turning Faris's friend, Tyrian into a tomcat. Our heroine loses her temper and sets Menary's hair on fire:
"It was not natural fire, Faris realized...It blazed pale gold and green, Menary's wild halo. In its own way, it was beautiful, as cold and strange as the northern lights."
Naturally, after this breach of etiquette, Faris is also asked to leave Greenlaw College. She sets out on a mission to Paris with her friends Jane, a professor at Greenlaw, and Tyrian, who has been restored to his former shape.
This would turn out to be a very proper, Edwardian excursion to the City of Lights if it were not for repeated attempts on Faris's life. She and Jane still manage to get in a bit of clothes shopping, and then Faris meets the man (or ghost) who interprets the results of her all-night vigil of magic, and points her toward her true destiny.
Meanwhile, there is a tangled web of Middle European politics to be gotten through, including the discovery of Faris's uncle's plot, more unexpected magic--Jane transforms a bomb into a hat and proceeds to wear it, thrones to be won and lost, and a love story.
"College of Magics" (1994) is a very unexpected and satisfying fantasy for fans of magical alternate history novels, and for those of us who also love a good comedy of manners. The sequel to this book, "A Scholar of Magics" was published in 2004, and I will definitely be reading it.
3 Entertaining, occasionally sparse
First of all, I enjoyed this book. It should offer an enjoyable "read" for those who like historical fantasy. (Although reviews refer to it as Victorian or Regency, it is actually Edwardian: the novel itself refers to the reign of King Edward.) I found myself wishing I knew more about Edwardian Europe--I'm more at home with the nineteenth century, so I couldn't place all of the cultural references. True history buffs may fair better, and may enjoy picking up references to poetry and novels.
However, as reviews have mentioned, the work has flaws. I didn't feel that the use of magic was explained very well, particularly with regard to the education offered at Greenlaw. Exactly what does having a vigil do: it gives students power, but how? How is it that students can go without being taught any magic at all until their third year of Greenlaw, then pass their vigil and suddenly be capable witches? Faris is halfway through her third year, but leaves without knowing much of how magic works, while Jane, only a year ahead of her, is a capable witch. How exactly are students like Eve-Marie, Odile, and Jane supposed to learn so much, so quickly? Stevermer may have an intriguing take on magical education in mind (magic as taught at Greenlaw is quite different from the usual school of magic or apprentice system, and she deserves credit for that), but it's just not clear _how_ witches of Greenlaw are produced, nor is it clear how magic works outside Greenlaw, except that it's harder to work. Perhaps some of this is cleared up in _A Scholar of Magics_, but it seems to be a flaw in this work. Likewise, as others have mentioned, it isn't clear what Faris's responsibilities as Warden of the North will consist of now that her initial task is done. If the Wardens are there to keep balance, how exactly do they do this? Why is it necessary?
The ending seems to offer possibilities which aren't pursued (perhaps, as one previous review suggests, Stevemer intended a sequa about Faris that she never got around to writing). The result is unsatisfying. I don't want to reveal any details, but it's unclear where the relationship between Faris and her beloved will go-- if she's not going to marry him, will they be lovers on the sly (hardly socially acceptable in that time period) or will they just be "friends" and co-workers? It's as if the author grasped at a solution to Faris's romantic dilemma, but then let it go.
Overall, I do recommend this for fans of historical fantasy, particularly those who like less flashy magic and witty dialogue. I do NOT recommend it for those who are looking for a Harry Potter substitute: Greenlaw is nothing like Hogwarts, and the magic here is nothing like the magic in the HP books, or even in most Diana Wynne Jones novels. A better comparison might be the more recent and more successful _Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell_.
4 Phenomenal Review
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be heir to the throne? What emotions might flow through you like a river? What sea of troubles might you get into? Well here is a brief look at just that. Faris Nallaneen may seem like your 18 year old, ill-tempered Princess. (But all in all she is definitely not out of the ordinary.) If you push her to the limit your head might burst into flames or you could be pushed off a sleigh.
The story takes place at Greenlaw College, but everyone majors in magic. You learn it, not practice it. Her reaction when she first gets there is pretty good, but she is a slacker.
The story starts when Faris is trying to claim her throne without getting killed first. Then learning she has a different destiny. The main characters are Faris Nallaneen, Jane Brailsford (best friend), Menary Pegan (enemy), Uncle Brinker, & Tyrain. Faris falls in love with one of the characters and another saves her life countless times.
Personally I really liked this book because of all the action and unexpected twists.
5 Possibly not for adults
_A College of Magics_ has common themes and characters for a YA novel. Although the main characters are college students, I'd say the target audience is high school students, or possibly junior high. Faris Nallaneen, underage Duchess of Glazon and student at Greenlaw College, is the character readers are supposed to identify with. She's too tall, awkward, lacking in social graces, and only a so-so student. The movement of the book is that Faris eventually finds her place in the world as an adult, and (since this is a fantasy novel) discovers she has great magic powers previously unknown to her. Faris also overcomes her rival (and distant relative) Menary Paganell. In a nonfantasy Menary would be the head cheerleader-shallow, childish, vain, totally self-centered, and sexually aggressive. Jane Brailsford is another student more successful than Faris-sensible, self-confident, cool-headed, and completely knowledgeable about worldly matters like clothes. However, Jane befriends and educates Faris.
Faris begins the book in considerable conflict with her Uncle Brinker, Regent of Glazon. Faris suspects Brinker doesn't want to vacate the throne on her majority. After considerable confusion and drama, Faris learns the common YA lesson that relatives aren't as evil as teenagers think. True, Brinker is dishonest and intentionally irritating-but their relationship is resolved after a fashion. On a more cosmic scale, Faris is assigned to use her magic powers to heal something vague called "the rift" in the city of Avaris, capital of the Pagenells' kingdom. This is closely paralleled by healing rifts in political and family relationships-the Nallaneens and Pagenells quarreled over sovereignty issues in a previous generation.
The book's extreme wholesomeness is also very YA. There is no sex more intimate than a kiss (and only a couple of kisses). (Admittedly the book is set in an alternate Edwardian world, and Edwardian noblewomen weren't supposed to have premarital sex.) The value of responsibility is often stressed. Faris is even held up by a highwayman who turns out to be a former childhood playmate. This gives the author the opportunity of explaining that a ruler who imposes taxes that subjects can't possibly pay, drives them to crime.
In the end conditions are set up for Faris to finally marry the man she loves-and she doesn't. No believable reason is given. I suspect the author wanted to keep her options open for a sequel about Faris . (_Scholar of Magics_ is not it, the connections are only peripheral.)
6 An Entertaining, Fast Read
Caroline Stevermer's A College of Magics starts out with a typical fantasy plot: A young duchess (Faris) with an evil, despotic uncle goes to a school for witches to get an education. However, the plot does not follow the typical progression for such a story. At first Faris does not believe in magic, though she performs it herself. Then, she begins to wonder if she is meant to overthrow her uncle and rule her duchy after all.
This book is extremely engrossing. I bought it in the afternoon and did not go to bed until I finished it. I believe this was partly due to the author's lovely writing style, and partly because her main character has more depth than is typical of children's books.
There are some major flaws in the book, but it should be noted that I did not stop to notice them until several hours after I finished it. The largest is that the plot jumps around a bit too quickly. The story Stevermer tells really deserves two volumes to be explained fully. The second is that many of the characters- in fact, nearly all of the characters except the protagonist- have no depth, but are one-sided.
Overall, this book is a very enjoyable read for both adults and children, but its technical execution could have been improved.
7 Nice Read
This is a good book, and it's long..so you probably won't finish it in a day, but that's good because the story of Faris, Duchess of Galzanon, will last longer. Faris is sent to GreenLaw College to learn magic, although you can't practice it there, but her uncle Brinker sends for her to return to Galzanon...There are exciting things that happen at college, on her way home, and thereafter for Faris, Jane, Tyrian, Reed, etc...This is a good book. I wouldn't recommend for kids under 14/15 because it's probably too difficult for them to read. After all, it's about a college, not an elementary/middle school.
You won't be dissapointed if you like Harry Potter, Edge Chronicles, Bartimaeus trilogy, etc.
8 A wonderful read
I just love the imagery in this book! The descriptions of places, clothing and food are perfect. I've read this book many times over and I always come away from it wanting to get well tailored clothing. This is also an amusing read for anyone who has been, or will be going to an All-Female school.
9 Wonderful Book!
I adore this book! It's an excellent, really well-written fantasy novel about a young woman who goes off to college. It features witty dialogue, wonderfully drawn characters, political intrigue, and a clever plot. I was drawn in right away and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. Great story.
This book was set in an alternate universe -- some bits are clearly set in real places, like Paris, and other bits are set in imaginary places, like Galazon and Greenlaw. It's set in the late-nineteenth/early-twentieth century, and it feels authentically Edwardian. Stevermer's writing style convincingly mimics the literary style of that time period. In other words, don't jump into this book expecting fast-paced explosions of action. While there is plenty of action and adventure and daring escapades, the novel takes its time getting there. This is a subtle book. A slow book. A book to savor.
Also, don't be misled by the title into expecting Harry Potter-style antics. The magic taught at Greenlaw -- all the magic in this book, really -- is not showy. This magic is the stuff of metaphysics; it deals in intangibles.
All caveats aside, this book is absolutely wonderful. I love it to death, and I will undoubtedly re-read it many times in the future!
10 Mixture of Love and Magic
This is one of those books that you have the feeling the author just put the word Magic in the title to get a fantasy reader's attention. The actual magic in the book is touched upon, but to me the book focused more upon the love of Faris and Tyrian. It seemed to me to drag in places, as though the author was really stretching to make it longer for some reason, and in other places she seems to rush and skim over areas (particularly when discussing the whole 'warden' issue), some of which are quite important. My favorite part of the entire book was definately the end, I'd say it's worth putting up with the minor unpleasantries simply for the ending, it's just masterful and stunning, not at all what I'd predicted.
11 Excellent.
After picking this novel up at the library several years ago, I read it and immediately ordered my own copy. A fantasy of manners--sometimes reminiscent of Jane Austen, and a deeply detailed work. I've read the book over 4 times by now and each time I find another scene or dialogue exchange to enthrall me. Good job, Caroline Stevermer!
12 A College of...something
I bought this book based on the advice of my best friend. She and I are basically obsessed with reading and if it has any type of a romantic relationship in it we're that much more for it. She didn't tell me a thing about the book, wanting not to spoil it, but I thought it would be great, seeing as how the word "MAGIC" appeared in the title. I don't deem myself a practicing witch or of a like nature, but I do believe in magic and love books of the mystical kind. BUT...when there is hardly anything related to the title of the book IN the book, it's rather dull and misleading. I don't see this as being a book for those under 16, mainly because its long and you have to be totally enthralled in every other word to follow it all. But the thing I didn't like was that the subject of love (Faris and Tyrian) #1- took so long and was very minor at that, #2- there's no way for them to be together at all in the end. I was totally into the book until that last 20 pages or so.
My idea of this book was that it should have been filled with magic, soft romance (nothing at all hard core or lucrid), and a somewhat of a happy ending. Call me sappy, but thats my nature.
13 A good read despite flaws but little interest for children
My attention was caught by the claim of a cover critic that this book was better than the Harry Potter novels. Not true, but not a good comparison either because this book is not even remotely similar to those works and it is certainly not written for children. (Not that it contains `adult' material- it doesn't at all- but it would likely be of very little interest to most children who like Harry Potter because of slower pace and more difficult language.)
Since much of what I'll be saying about `A College of Magics' is going to be a bit negative, I do want to mention that, overall, I do think it is quite an interesting fantasy novel. Even though it is designed to appeal more to women, after I got past a few of the duller sections it held my attention quite well to the end. And the end itself is quite good in its avoidance of the obvious cliche's.
Here are the things I DON'T like about the book:
* The title is very misleading. While there is certainly `A College of Magics' in the novel, it is probably less interesting than most schools of dentistry. It really plays no major role in the book and, with a few minor alterations, could have been left out completely. It is a definite disappointment to someone like myself who was actually interested in reading a book about a college of things magical.
* I could bring myself to care about the main character but she was entirely too reactive. If the author's intention was to portray Faris as a symbol of strong, independent womanhood, she failed utterly in that. When she does something it is always because she is provoked and the much vaunted Greenlaw school seems to help very little in letting her gain self control.
* The character of her companion Jane is alternately overly competent and annoyingly insipid. `Overly' competent because she does things it would have been better left to Faris to do to show more of her capability throughout.
* A minor character, Odile, is used for a specific purpose in the book and dropped from the story completely after that. She was far more interesting and would have made a companion of much better contrast than Jane.
* And last, but certainly not least, was the annoyingly cliched use of a sexually active woman as the villain. Ladies, could we get a grip here and try not to perpetuate the kinds of Patriarchal attitudes I'm sure you really dislike?
After reading the book, rather than comparing it to Harry Potter, I would tend to say that it bears some similarity to the Deryni books of Katherine Kurtz. I love the Deryni books but I do hope Caroline Stevermer can avoid the kind of excesses in multiple pages of clothing descriptions that sometimes clutter them.
There is really no need to compare this book to other works as it stands nicely on its own. With all its flaws, it still manages to draw you in and make you care about what happens until the end.
14 dreamy sexy awesome
I love Caroline Stevermer so much. Okay the book:
Faris Nallaneen is a really cool name. And...when you read the book, you get a picture of her in your mind, thin but shapely (aesthetic) slightly unkempt vivid red hair, long sharp nose, very fair skin. Yes, super aesthetic. She's that cool.
And Jane is extremely well put-together, mentally. I want a best friend who's that competent. And the study-halls, warm and cheery and non-parented, and the gloomy castle college, it's all so English and Victorian without the stuffiness, I love her world.
And it just never gets boring...it's not really a deep book, or a likely to be chosen for English class book. It's a woman who loves to write, writing, and it's such a gift that she would write, her writing is so unaffected, unprofessional and easy to fall into. For me. Not everyone but hmm yes very happy about this book. And sad too because the ending is queer.
15 fun fantasy that adults and teens will relish
Her Uncle Brinker rules Galazon as regent since he asserted that his niece Faris Nallaneen is too young to reign. As Faris gets closer to leading her duchy, Brinker sends her to Greenlaw College. Her aptitude seems poor as she is not much of a student especially of magic, but the dean claims that Faris is one of the four guardians being the warden of the north. Faris believes no one is less magical than she is, as she displays no talent until she confronts and defeats fellow student Prince Menary in a "war" of magic.
Brinker dispatches Faris to Aravill as an ambassador, but his plan is to have his niece wed King Julian, Menary's dad. Menary tries to kill Faris but fails, ending up in the rift. Still with her uncle and her enemy Julian plotting, Faris' future as the ruler of Galazon looks bleak.
This Harry Potter like tale, but initially published before J.K. Rowling's Potter mania, stars an engaging heroine who has more than just the weight of adult responsibility on her shoulders as she must also protect the world and defeat her Machiavellian uncle and a deadly rival. The story line is loaded with action and a feel that early twentieth century Europe is in deed a hot bed for magic. However, the tale also contains several subplots that seem critical to the basic theme, but vanish without resolution as if a magician performed a stunt. Still, this is a fun fantasy that adults and teens will relish while also seeking other works from master mage Caroline Stevermer.
Harriet Klausner
16 A most elegant example of the three part novel.
There is just something so elegant and civilized about this book. I was well into it by the time I realized that it was a "woman's novel", and by then I didn't care. The atmosphere reminded me of the 19th century British and French novels that I enjoyed in school. I am rather amazed that a contemporary can recapture the gentility and civility of a world gone by. Of course, it is a world with a twist. Here you have a Victorian(or is it Edwardian?) world with its obsession over steam engines and empires, while simultaneously acknowleging the existance of magic and occult forces in that world. It seems a most elegant and reasonable balance, neither too mechanistic, nor too metaphysical- a civilized balance. This book is part mystery, part swashbuckler, and part gothic. All of it is clever and filled with true wit.
17 Subtly exquisite
It's a classic. I think you should read it. The characters, the plot, her style of narration, is all perfect.
18 I loved this book.
It reminded me sort of LM Montgomery + Diana Wynne Jones. Its a warm and comfy book with a spunky heroine and just the right amount of intrigue, danger and boarding school. The ending left me wanting more.
19 A very different sort of fantasy
Faris Nallaneen is a diamond in the rough so to speak, in the unenviable position of saving the world. She has however more capable than she realizes, and even when her gift of erratic magic manifests itself, she does not comprehend it. It is a sort of coming of age story of a girl who is almost accidentally pushed into the position of the warden of the north, and is entrusted to mend a rift in the balance of the worlds created by her grandmother. Faris is endeared to readers when as she struggles to do her duty, she is still heart-breakingly human.
I bought this book solely by chance because the plot at the back of the novel seemed interesting. The first time I read it, I did not finish it. The plot is too amorphous, too out of touch with reality. This book introduced me to the world of a world that is an amalgamation of fantasy and real world, something I was not used to. I was disappointed in the book for not being a pure fantasy novel. That is what makes this book so special. I only found what a rare treasure this book is when I read it for the fourth, or even sixth time. It has everything, from mystery to school-girlish adventures, to romance and magic. Even some of the "academic" side of magic begins to make sense after a couple of reads.
This book requires patience and a few more reads than one. It is one of my favourite books now.
20 The WORST book I have ever read.
The only thing keeping me from burning this book halfway through it was my streak of finishing every book I had read. (some get better as you go) But this one was truly terrible. The author followed no logical progression for the events and the magic was so weak as to be non-existant. Their was no clear plot. The setting of a Europe with magic, which could of been interesting, turned out awful. I would have burned the book when I finished it, but it was not mine so I had to return it to the library so some other poor soul could read this abomination. Worst book ever!
21 Original yet Odd
Having just read the delightful but incredibly difficult to find "Sorcery and Cecelia," which Caroline Stevermer co-wrote with Patricia Wrede ("Mairelon the Magician;" "Magician's Ward"), I was eager to read more by this author. Imagine my joy, then, when I learnt that Ms. Stevermer had written another book in the fascinating sub-genre of Historical Fantasy.
While "Sorcery and Cecelia" is set in 1817 Regency England, "A College of Magics" catapults us a hundred years further, to approximately 1908 in Edwardian Europe. The story follows Faris, the young Dutchess of Galazon (which, one presumes, is supposed to be located somewhere east of Austria and west of Romania) as she spends three years at Greenlaw University before returning to reclaim her place in politics. The catch? She's just found out that she's the Warden of the North - and that she must mend the rift her grandmother made in the fabric of this reality.
Ms. Stevermer writes in a language much akin to the literature of the time (cf. E. M. Forster, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, etc.) - complete with random moments of insight, liberally strewn metaphysical poetry, snips and snatches of song and culture, and occasional forays into the world of subconscious or "sensation" writing. However, perhaps because of this attention to the time period, perhaps for some other reason, the story suffers several major flaws:
The plot is rather dreamlike and...strange. Often new plot lines will be introduced without explanation or reason - and then just as quickly dropped. The Wardens of the World are explained only in their existence but never fully in their capacity. Characters are introduced, given a place of prominence, and dropped after a few chapters. Places are never given an exact location except by general reference (with the exception of their time in Paris). And the ending debacle is so surrealistic that one can hardly make hide nor hair of how Faris ascended the stair, or how she closed the rift, or very much of anything. The closing is also unsatisfactory, with no "happily ever after" but a sort of vague continuing that feels as though it ought to be significant.
Again, one must commend Ms. Stevermer in her ability to so replicate the disjointedness of Eduardian literature - the attempt to show life as it is and not as it ought to be - however the result is a strangely concocted novel that never quite comes together as a whole.
Those interested in Eduardian Literature, or Historical Fantasy will find "A College of Magics" interesting. Those searching for an encore to "Sorcery and Cecelia" would do better investing in Patricia Wrede's Regency Fantasies.
22 Stevermer successfully combines wit, romance, and suspense.
Stevermer successfully combines wit, romance and suspense into a brilliant and touching book. Readers fall in love with characters and the only dissapointment is that there isn't more to read once your done.
23 Excellent quasi-historical fantasy!
Set in the early twentieth century, A College of Magics is pleasingly peopled and carefully plotted. Faris, the young duchess of Galazon, is simply delightful, as are her 'menial paramour,' dastardly uncle, and malevolently beautiful arch nemesis. These characters, far from being mere caricatures, are often humorous and lively. Clever dialogue and many surprises abound.
If you enjoy this type of quasi-historical fantasy, also try Patricia C. Wrede's Snow White and Rose Red, set in Elizabethan England and Mairelon the Magician (and its sequel, Magician's Ward) set in quasi-Jane Austen England. For excellent reads from the Victorian era, try Teresa Edgerton's Goblin Moon. Lastly, Caroline Stevermer has written two other books well worth reading: The Serpent's Egg (again, set in Elizabethan times) and her collaboration with Wrede-- Sorcery and Cecelia.
24 Worth more than one read
This book has the unusual quality of never quite letting you know what time frame you're in. It was done so perfectly that i hardly noticed it happening and once I did it gave the book that magical quality one wants from a fantasy. The story is about a girl who gets sent away to school far from her homeland so that her uncle can rule while she's gone. The school she is sent to is not an ordinary one but a school where one goes to become a witch. Once she leaves school the story continues with how she deals with her uncle and the enemies she has made. She is accompanied by a number of supporting characters that make this story what it is. This book is one that will stay in your mind for quite a while after finishing. The only thing i didn't like about this book was that when the story was over i still wanted to know more.
25 I loved this book!
I have read this book about three times now, I loved thecharacters and the storyline.END
26 Hoping for more to follow
This is a lovely book. Faris is sent away to school, and sorely misses her beloved country. The story of her education, her leaving the school, and what she does to save her beloved duchy of Galazon is part fantasy, part history, and wholly worth reading. I've re-read the book several times, and by now the characters have lodged in my brain. I liked this one so much I bought an extra copy to give to a friend. Be a friend to yourself; buy yourself a copy now
