Book Log 13/2016 - Zen Cho: Sorcerer to the Crown - Sorcerer Royal #1

A book set in Regency England (mostly London) with magic. The Royal Society for Unnatural Philosophy has its first African Sorcerer Royal, Zacharias Wythe, a freed slave brought up as the adopted son of Sir Stephen Wythe, and taught magic by him. The recently deceased Sir Stephen, previous Sorcerer Royal, had always intended Zacharias to follow in his footsteps and the circumstances of Sir Stephen's passing gave him the staff of office, much to the displeasure of the grand gentlemen (in their own opinion) of the Society. Zacharias has many enemies, some of whom will not stop until he's dead. In addition the British government wants him to support their ambitions in Indonesia, the Banda Strait, but Zacharias feels that this warlike step may invalidate the Society's agreement with the French magicians against participation in the Napoleonic Wars. On top of all this he has the problem that magic seems to be in short supply. The flow across the border from Fairyland has stopped and there have been no new familiars for many years.

Meanwhile in Mrs Daubeny's boarding school for magically inclined young ladies, Prunella Gentleman, a somewhat put-upon pupil teacher, abandoned there by her father as a child, is feeling the strain of suppressing her magic (or appearing to). Magic is not for the frail female form and any magically inclined girls are being taught how to restrain their unseemly talents. Half-Indian, Prunella knows nothing of her origins until, while clearing out the attic for Mrs D., she finds her father's valise with some strange, but obviously magical treasures.

Prunella and Zacharias' paths cross when he visits the school to give a talk to the young ladies and observes Prunella's talent, and Prunella, having shown too much magic, is downgraded by Mrs D. from the position of student teacher to servant. This decides Prunella that she needs to go up to London and find herself a suitable husband to secure her position. Naively she believes Zacharias is just the chap to introduce her to society. Poor Prunella couldn't be more wrong. Studious Zachariah has more on his mind than balls, society events and tickets to Almack's.

Veering from the comedic, light and frothy to the deeply serious and occasionally chilling, this is an entertaining read. Zen Cho has a light touch with humour but is not afraid to tackle the serious side of Regency England, including attitudes to race and prejudice, firmly set into the context of their time.