The Dark Days Club, Alison Goodman

In theory, this could be pretty awesome. Lady Helen has been raised by her aunt and uncle after the mysterious death of her mother, a strange woman who was possibly a traitor to the British crown. She was wild and rebellious, and Helen must behave herself completely to try and avoid being touched by the shadow of her mother’s misdeeds. Strange things are happening, though: Lord Carlston is interested in her, and she seems to have her own strangeness, a wild strength and agility unlike anyone she’s ever known. She quickly discovers more: that there are dark forces among humans, feeding on them, and that Carlston — and herself — represeent a force that can fight them and save people.

I said it was awesome in theory, and it would be. I found the opening quite interesting, because it started out like a historical novel. The setting felt okay, but it quickly started to sound a sour note: Helen manages to get away with just about anything, and that just wouldn’t have worked in the time period — especially not for a young woman as highly scrutinised as her. It’s fantasy, of course, but still: it otherwise copies over a lot of the attitudes of the period, and at times there are references to her being constrained by her sex and station. Just only when it’s convenient for the plot.

It just kind of felt too juvenile for me in the end, and too telegraphed — it was obvious where certain things were going. And at the end, though Helen acts like she’s made a choice of her own free will, really she just had the choice to do otherwise taken away from her. She doesn’t feel particularly admirable at that moment, and given that’s where we finish the book, I didn’t feel much inclined to follow her further adventures. It’s a shame.

Rating: 2/5

Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho

It’s been a long while since I first read this book, so even though I knew The True Queen wasn’t a direct sequel, I really wanted to reread this first. I’m glad I did; although I remembered the broader strokes, there was a lot I’d forgotten, particularly about Zacharias and the big secret he spends most of the book hiding. Which is odd, because Zacharias is rather more to my taste as a character that Prunella — but Prunella is definitely the more memorable, with her determination to get what she wants and needs.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. In Sorcerer to the Crown, Zacharias has just inherited the staff of the Sorcerer Royal, after his mentor’s death. Given his race and some mysterious circumstances surrounding his mentor’s death, though, many English sorcerers are refusing to accept his authority. And that’s far from his only trouble… particularly once he meets Prunella. Prunella’s mother is totally unknown and her father long gone, but she was raised by the headmistress of a school for well-born girls. In this world, girls aren’t meant to use magic, and the school’s purpose is more to school it out of them than school it into them. After a visit, though, Zacharias is soon convinced that girls like Prunella should be taught.

Prunella has other ideas in mind, of course.

The story bombs along at a great pace, and that description doesn’t cover nearly everything that ends up happening. There are some great side characters (Mak Genggang! Rollo and Damerell!) and some fascinating alternate history uses of magic and magical creatures. Zacharias is serious and conscientious, and burdened with a lot of conscience, while Prunella acts as an excellent foil with her self-interest and drive (though coupled with intense loyalty to her friends, including Zacharias).

All in all, it’s a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it very much a second time as well.

Rating: 4/5