mneme: (oldharp)
Joshua Kronengold ([personal profile] mneme) wrote2008-02-19 11:29 am

Shadow Magic -- Patricia C. Wrede

I last (and first) read Shadow Magic oh, about 20 years ago, and it was one of the books that made me a Wrede fan.

I've been going back and reading some books I don't remember so well, and read Daughter of Witches, and then this. Daughter? Isn't bad, but isn't all that great, either.

But this? Oh, god yes. Genre fantasy at its finest, and in one book, not three-or-more (she has other novels in Lyra, of course, But they're telling different stories, about different characters).

Yum.

Pat Wrede novels

[identity profile] markiv1111.livejournal.com 2008-02-19 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
It is interesting, how radically different people's tastes may differ. I thought Shadow Magic was okay (and it is the book that launched the Scribblies writers' group -- look it up on wikipedia) but *Daughter of Witches* was the one that really, really launched Pat's career. (Note: I feel a bit of parental pride here. I didn't do anything to help write the book, and this was not one of the Scribblies books that I critiqued extensively; however, I gave the book its title.) Somebody at Ace suggested to Pat that *Shadow Magic* be published under a pseudonym, so that her real name could be used for her later books, which would obviously be better. I did not agree about the pseudonym (and neither did Pat) but still consider *Shadow Magic* to be weaker than her next six or seven. By the way, have you read *The Harp of Imach Thyssel*? I liked this one a lot too.)

Nate
ext_90666: (Default)

[identity profile] kgbooklog.livejournal.com 2008-02-19 08:01 pm (UTC)(link)
How many Lyra books are there? I thought it was just the trilogy (which I haven't read) and Caught in Crystal and The Raven Ring (which I have).

[identity profile] badgerthorazine.livejournal.com 2008-02-20 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
Oooh...sounds like I should...NO! I just bought 30-odd books this weekend! ;-D