That Old Black Magic

Time for two more of my reviews that originally appeared in SFX magazine: The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams is available over at the magazine's website; here on Alexandria is Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder.

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Ah, that old tale: Boy meets girl, girl hates boy on sight, boy returns the favour, boy rescues girl from certain death, boy lies on top of girl in the forest for several hours (essential for hiding from pursuers, of course), girl and boy are forced to travel together and bicker like crazy at every step. What happens next, readers?

If you said, “Girl and boy go their separate ways and never think about each other again”, you’re either a) wildly optimistic, well done, or b) new to this whole reading thing, aren’t you?

If you fall into category b), you could do worse than start with Touch of Power, if only for the crash course it provides in romance tropes; the star-crossed pair’s first kiss, in particular, should win some sort of award for cliché, but might be sweet if you’re unfamiliar with the concept. There are gestures at world-building: magic, deadly plants, interchangeable towns with unpronounceable names, and some hilariously simplistic politics (all the various rival rulers were at boarding school together!). But the fantasy isn’t the point, except insofar as the magic system gives Snyder an excuse to have heroine and love interest hold hands regularly; in truth, everything – including a horrific, population-decimating plague – is just a backdrop to the love story.

The prose – especially the dialogue – is clumsy, but it moves quickly and is mildly entertaining. Unless you really like your romance, though, steer clear.

~~Nic

Comments

[Victoria]

I just processed this book into stock at the library yesterday evening - sometimes I like to take an archives-holiday by pretending to be a librarian - and it already has 17 holds queued on it. Popular stuff.

[Nic]

Heh, freaky timing! I found the whole thing quite amusing, although overwhelmingly in a laughing-at than a laughing-with way. My favourite part is still the fact that all the rulers of all the neighbouring principates and states went to boarding school together, and basically the entire political set-up can be reduced to 're-fighting arguments from when they were 15'. Ace.

[Kwadwo]

Hmmmm... Cliché or fanatical optimism?
I can't quite decide. I suppose I'll have to read the book to find out.

[Jenny]

About the boarding-school thing -- I can see this as a Harry Potter spinoff, can't you? All the kids from That Time, ruling their own little principalities and corners of the magic world, but with that backstory behind them. You're reading HP fanfic!