Book notes: Sorcerer to the Crown

By Zen Cho.

The first of currently 2 books in the Sorcerer to the Crown series. I picked up a copy from the library based on a Seattle Times book recommendation.

The story is set in 1800’s England. Zacharias is the Sorcerer Royal in charge of the English thaumaturgical (i.e. magical) society. He is Black in an otherwise white society. He takes on Miss Prunella Gentleman as an apprentice, who we find out has great magical ability and a surprising inheritance from her mother. They try to restore England’s declining magical power, deal with a political magical society (“a nest of snakes and scorpions in human form”), encourage the teaching of magic to women and poor, help the witches of Janda Baik, as well as a few other plot twists.

This book might not be for you if you prefer a straightforward writing style. Here is a typical excerpt: “Mrs. Daubeney’s affection might fail so far as to lead her to demote Prunella at her convenience, but Prunella’s disgrace was a catastrophe she had neither conceived nor desired, and she was all the more dismayed for that she felt she was in part to blame.” For a few chapters it felt like required high school reading of Shakespeare. But you get used to it and there are many clever turns of phrase that had me laughing. There were about ~25-30 uncommon words I had to look up the meaning.

As far as recommendations: I’d put this book “at the cut” of worthwhile books to read. 3/4 of the way the story had some jarring plot twists that I thought to be unsatisfyingly random. I wonder if there are some references to other stories that if I knew (Othello? Jane Austin?) I would get more joy out of this book? Having said that, the ending was gripping and I enjoy a good turn of phrase, of which this book had many, and I’m curious to know what Prunella might do in the future.