by Zen Cho
First published 2015
Zacharias Wythe faces a crisis that threatens his position and his country. As Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers, this freed slave turned master magician must solve an urgent mystery. England's magical reserves are vanishing, and the nation's most respected magical organization expects answers. Zacharias travels to the dangerous border of Fairyland seeking the cause of this magical drought. His investigation leads him to an extraordinary woman whose magical abilities far exceed anything he has encountered. She possesses power that defies explanation and a gift that challenges everything Zacharias knows about sorcery. Their partnership sets forces in motion that will reshape magical practice throughout Britain. The stakes extend beyond national borders as their actions threaten to transform sorcery across the entire world. Zacharias must navigate political intrigue within the magical establishment while grappling with discoveries that could revolutionize or destroy the foundations of English magic.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, fantasy, magic, 21st-century, 19th-century
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Britain, England, Fairyland
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
11 pages · Audio CD · Ace