Zen Cho’s book Sorcerer to the Crown has had so many people crowing about how wonderful it is that I caved in and had to find out for myself what the buzz was about. When I first started reading it I thought, uh-oh, this is so Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell-y how can this possibly not have people crying derivative! But the similarities didn’t last long and in the end it turned out to be a very different novel.
The story is set in Regency England. English magic is on the wane and no one knows why. The British are in an uneasy truce with France agreeing that neither will use magic against the other. But there are goings on in the small nation of Janda Baik that might make things very bad for England without some careful diplomacy. It also turns out that England’s magical stores are shrinking because of some unhappy and very powerful lamiae and witches in Janda Baik. And the fairies are rather peeved at an English sorcerer who broke a treaty with them regarding taking new familiars from the land of Fairy.
In the world of this book anyone can have magic but of course the ones in charge, the thaumaturges, are all men and there is a definite hierarchy. Magical women are scandalous. Sure no one minds the maid or the cook using a little magic to help them in their daily duties but a female of gentle birth using magic? Girls are sent to special schools so they can learn how not to use their magic. The male thaumaturges are convinced that the female frame is too delicate for anything more than minor household magic. Are they about to get a rude awakening!
The very popular Sorcerer Royal, Sir Stephen, dies suddenly one night and is immediately succeeded by his protégé, Zacharias. The only problem is that Zacharias is a black man, a former slave, bought by Sir Stephen when he was a baby and brought up as if he were his own son. To be a sorcerer, one must have a familiar and the familiar of the Sorcerer Royal has been passed down from one to the other. What has happened to Sir Stephen’s familiar? Rumors spread that Zacharias killed both of them. To add even more complications to his situation, Zacharias returns from giving a speech at one of those special schools for girls with one of the girls.
Prunella, whose mother was Indian and father British, was orphaned young and raised by the proprietess of the school. Prunella has some powerful magical abilities that impress Zacharias so much he brings her back to London to teach her how to be a thaumaturge. Since Prunella does not have an independent fortune, she gets Zacharias to agree to have Lady Wythe, Sir Stephen’s widow, launch her into Society that she might find a husband with money. Prunella is a sassy, savvy girl who speaks her mind and has a penchant for adventure and trouble-making. Both she and Zacharias have secrets that make for all sorts of delightful twists and turns in the story.
Along with being a fast-paced tale full of magic and adventure and a number of I’m-not-taking-any-crap-from-you magical women, the story also very nicely weaves racial and gender issues throughout. It is done in such a subtle way too that not one of the thaumaturges who votes to remove Zacharias as Sorcerer Royal ever mentions it has anything to do with him being a black man, but as the reader you understand it has almost everything to do with it. There is also a quiet revelatory moment during which the ghost of Sir Stephen comes to understand that his protégé’s life has been very different than he had thought because the white Sir Stephen had no reason to notice all of the slights and sly remarks directed at Zacharias because of his color.
It is because of Zacharias and Prunella that the book has gotten so much attention. A fantasy novel with a hero and heroine who aren’t white and that doesn’t make excuses or tie itself into knots in order to make that happen is a big deal. That the book also manages questions of race and gender so adeptly and in such a matter-of-fact manner is also a big deal. At the same time, it is kind of sad that the race and gender of the main characters of the book are unusual enough that it has people buzzing. Hopefully one day there will be so much diversity in books that it is no longer such a newsworthy item.
Sorcerer to the Crown is Zen Cho’s first novel and she is a little surprised I think by its popularity. Born and raised in Malaysia, Cho moved to the UK to pursue a law degree. She began practicing law in the UK, got married and a couple years ago started writing the novel. She had been writing short stories and fan fiction, had even done some editing so she wasn’t a complete novice. She still practices law part time, at least according to one interview I read. And she is at work on another novel, purportedly one that takes place in the same world as Sorcerer but with different main characters, though Cho has said Zacharias and Prunella will make an appearance.
I found Sorcerer to the Crown a delightful book. It is well paced and plotted, the characters aren’t always so very three-dimensional but they are interesting and definitely not cardboard cutouts. Sometimes Prunella seems a bit too wise to the ways of the world and society and just a smidge too composed for her age and upbringing, but her sass and confidence are contagious and make it easy to overlook the other things. Quite the debut, it will be fun to follow Cho’s career and see where she goes from here.
Beautiful post, Stefanie. I have always wanted to read this book. Now that you have written about it, I am all the more inspired to read. A blogger, whom I have interviewed for Book Blogger Appreciation Week, mentioned this book quite a few times. (The interview is in my blog.) Looks like, it has pleased a lot of readers. Thank you again. 🙂
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Thanks Deepika! It’s a fun book and should you read it, I hope you like it!
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This sounds like an enjoyable novel. It’s me but I didn’t really get the Strange/Norrell thing – Regency England always seems to me such a this worldly sort of time despite the cult of the Gothick novel taking place then.
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Ian, I think the popularity of Regency England settings for fantasy novels is that it is modern enough to be familiar but not too familiar, and far enough away in time that it allows plenty of room for playing. Plus the Victorians have been so overdone and have been claimed by the steampunk crowd anyway 😉
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Good comment Stefanie. I have been wondering what the fascination with the Regency too so am interested in your idea. I wonder too whether it also has something to do with Jane Austen?
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Quite possibly it could have to do with Austen too and her popularity. The time period feels comfortable and familiar to readers in a way the allows the author to save time in world building. Plus you know authors are always looking for new historical time periods to mine 🙂
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There were some things I liked about this novel, but I wasn’t as thrilled with it as many were.
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Jenclair, oh that’s too bad. I liked it a lot though I didn’t love it. There is something missing that would have made it really amazing but I can’t quite put my finger on what that is.
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I was hoping you were going to give this one a thumbs up since I am second in the library queue for it.
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Grad, when your turn comes up, I hope you like it!
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This is the first that I’ve read about it, but it sounds really interesting – adding it to my Goodreads TBR.
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Laila, it’s a fun read and an impressive debut. I hope you like it if you get the chance to read it!
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God, you’re so right that it’s ridiculous we’re so starved for stories about nonwhite characters that we’re all falling over ourselves with delight that Sorcerer to the Crown features some.
Regardless of the depressing state of the literary/sci-fi culture, I loved Sorcerer to the Crown, and I can’t wait for what Zen Cho will do next. I love that the story (spoilers! other commenters, beware!) resolved itself because a bunch of women stood around talking, and yet it was still a really satisfying climactic scene. Such a fun book.
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Jenny, I loved Mak and all the windows she broke. And I loved the scene when Prunella hatched her familiars and Zacharias and his cluelessness about the blood. And yes, the climax with all the women, most excellent especially how nonplussed all the men were about how this had all been going on right under their noses but because it was women doing it it was not worth their notice somehow. I look forward to what Cho does next too!
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I had great fun reading this and can’t wait to see what Cho comes out with next.
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Claire, a great debut that seems to have most of excited for more. I love when that happens!
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I got absolutely nowhere with the Strange/Norrell book and even though you say this isn’t derivative it still sounds rather similar. Perhaps not one for my particular tbr pile.
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Alex, it starts off with a similar vibe but it doesn’t last long and ends up being nothing like Strange. So if the story sounds appealing give it a chapter otherwise not worth your time 🙂
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This sounds good–and I like the diversity aspect of it (something I am trying to get more in this year). Will add it to the list, but I still have Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell to read first….
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Danielle, I haven’t read Jonathan Strange yet, only saw the miniseries which was pretty good. But there is no need to read that one first. You might like Sorcerer better if you don’t start it and think oh this sounds like Jonathan Strange… 🙂
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