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Review covers both books in the duology
Bad plot summary: long ago, wizards screwed things up, so magical Travellers have to go around keeping the world in balance. Non-Travellers are scared / prejudiced against them. A mixed Traveller / "Non" family get embroiled in a wizard plot to steal magic, with wider ramifications.
What I love most about the book is that it is about a family -- father, mother, three kids -- and the found family they collect along the way. The stable and developing relationships between them are a key part of the story, and apart from a little sidelining of the youngest in the first book, they all play a part in the plot and have equally respected powers and contributions. There's little to no miscommunication, people talk stuff out like adults, and the drama is all from the dratted wizards. It feels very unusual in this respect! (Happy to get reccs for other fantasy families.)
I would have liked just a little more romantic build-up before we flash-forward to the main plot and a solid marriage with three kids, and there is a plot hole from book 1 to 2, in case that kinda thing bugs you -- but I sailed comfortably over it, enjoying this a lot. Worth a look if you want a straightforward, classic-setting fantasy read.
Bad plot summary: long ago, wizards screwed things up, so magical Travellers have to go around keeping the world in balance. Non-Travellers are scared / prejudiced against them. A mixed Traveller / "Non" family get embroiled in a wizard plot to steal magic, with wider ramifications.
What I love most about the book is that it is about a family -- father, mother, three kids -- and the found family they collect along the way. The stable and developing relationships between them are a key part of the story, and apart from a little sidelining of the youngest in the first book, they all play a part in the plot and have equally respected powers and contributions. There's little to no miscommunication, people talk stuff out like adults, and the drama is all from the dratted wizards. It feels very unusual in this respect! (Happy to get reccs for other fantasy families.)
I would have liked just a little more romantic build-up before we flash-forward to the main plot and a solid marriage with three kids, and there is a plot hole from book 1 to 2, in case that kinda thing bugs you -- but I sailed comfortably over it, enjoying this a lot. Worth a look if you want a straightforward, classic-setting fantasy read.
5 stars: sentient moose! dystopian intelligence management & assessment! characters thinking about their impact on the ecosystem! queernorm!
2-3 stars: the plot :( the pacing :( the overall impact :(
2-3 stars: the plot :( the pacing :( the overall impact :(
Recommended if you'd like a magical realism story with the super-cosy vibes of The Kitchen Witch, which I also DNFed. I love cosy reads, but guess I'm picky about them!
This was so slow, I had time to think too much about the plot holes, hence the DNF. I cannot figure out why someone living in a close-knit town, for 77 years!!, has just one friend, and even that seems to be stronger on the friend's side. Or why on the death of his mum, he rages at the woman notifying him, and then barely mentions it again. Doesn't go to the funeral, or deal with her stuff, but also doesn't seem to be mourning or struggling with grief. And, perhaps this is explained further on in the story, but, if he's got to 77 without having had a romantic/sexual relationship... why is the plot dragging us there now? Or if he has, why have I got near halfway through with literally none of his interior thought including a comparison or regret or moving-on.
He's behaving throughout like he stopped developing as a person at 25, along with stopping aging, and I am not here for it. And Kit, the Love Interest, is bland. There, I said it. I have nothing against people being boring, I am myself. But I'm not half a romance.
So yeah, if logic and plot matter to you, skip. If you just want two pretty men faffing about together in a slightly fantasy but mostly contemporary setting, fill your boots.
This was so slow, I had time to think too much about the plot holes, hence the DNF. I cannot figure out why someone living in a close-knit town, for 77 years!!, has just one friend, and even that seems to be stronger on the friend's side. Or why on the death of his mum, he rages at the woman notifying him, and then barely mentions it again. Doesn't go to the funeral, or deal with her stuff, but also doesn't seem to be mourning or struggling with grief. And, perhaps this is explained further on in the story, but, if he's got to 77 without having had a romantic/sexual relationship... why is the plot dragging us there now? Or if he has, why have I got near halfway through with literally none of his interior thought including a comparison or regret or moving-on.
He's behaving throughout like he stopped developing as a person at 25, along with stopping aging, and I am not here for it. And Kit, the Love Interest, is bland. There, I said it. I have nothing against people being boring, I am myself. But I'm not half a romance.
So yeah, if logic and plot matter to you, skip. If you just want two pretty men faffing about together in a slightly fantasy but mostly contemporary setting, fill your boots.
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