A Matter of Magic

A Matter of Magic (2010): Mairelon the Magician (1991) and The Magician’s Ward (1997) Patricia C. Wrede

Kim has been living on the streets, hiding the fact she’s a girl, and living by her wits as best she can. When she is offered a small fortune to check out the wagon of a traveling magician, the possibility of having enough to get her off the streets is more she can resist.

But it turns out the Mairelon is more than a performer–he’s a true magician, and Kim is in for entirely more than she could even imagine.

(T)hey’re mixing magic at random, from the sound of it. Half of it’s Welsh, half of it’s Scottish, and half of it’s cribbed from someone’s classical education, with a few things that are entirely out of someone’s imagination thrown in for good measure. They’ll never get anywhere if that’s the tack they’re taking.”

“That’s too many halves,” Kim said, frowning.

“It’s not a matter of how people are, Kim; it has to do with how they ought to be.”

But Mairelon is right, thought Kim as she followed them out to the carriage. It is a costume, and I am only playing a part, the same way I played the part of a boy for so long. The thought was depressing; it made her wonder whether she would have to play at being something other than what she was for all her life.

This is a lovely story (well, two stories, really) that is recommended for any age. It’s a delightful escape.
Rating: 10/10

Published by Orb

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