3.5 stars. I loved Wrede's Enchanted Forest series and her Cecelia and Kate series, so I was a bit let down by this book. The romance aspect seemed kind of unnecessary and underdeveloped, and the plots were interesting but nothing special. I did really like the characters, especially some of the side characters like Renee, and Mairelon's mother and aunt. I think this book would be more enjoyable for someone younger - it falls somewhere between middle grade fiction and YA fiction. I read Ms. Wrede's books in paperback form years ago when this was two separate books. The first book, Mairelon the Magician, is a fun read. This is a Young Adult book, and I wish it had been around when I was actually a young adult. This is set roughly in Regency England, where Kim is living on the streets generally robbing people. She was trying to keep her gender a secret so she wouldn't be forced into prostitution. A man offers to pay her to find out if a magician in their market square had a silver bowl in his wagon. She figure, heh, why not? Turns out Mairelon was a real magician and found her after her breaking and entering. from then on this turns into a fun and exciting tale about magic, bored noblemen and the lure of magical power. I just wish I had a clue how to pronounce the name Mairelon.The second book is The Magician's Ward where we see what Kim has to 'endure' to become a magician in society. Mairelon's real name is Merril, and though she still calls him Mairelon, she must learn to speak and react in a civilised manner. His aunt, his mother, a cool Frenchwoman and some villians add to a great cast of characters. Again, this is a young adult story, it is fun and had some moments of great romance. I kind of wish there had been more...kissing. I love that this book is now available as the combination of the two stories. I really love the fact that "At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied."
Do You like book A Matter Of Magic (2010)?
Great adventure with an alternate history fantasy setting - fun characters.
—elencheto
Really enjoyed this... any more to this series
—Bordersalsaverde
A reread, I liked a bit better in highschool.
—Cduguid
