A review by lindzey
Lightspeed Magazine, January 2018, by John Joseph Adams
3.0
I read this due to its inclusion in the 2019 Hugo packet.
A young boy is entranced by sleight-of-hand magic tricks on the streets. He studies them, becomes good, and is always hungry to learn more. This is noticed, and he is selected to be a court magician, where it turns out the one true piece of magic (as opposed to the tricks he was drawn in by) is fueled by his desire to understand it. This magic is only performed in service of the ruler, and its use comes at terrible cost to the magician.
I found this one well-crafted, but unsatisfying. If you love literary and allegorical fantasy, this might be more your speed!
A young boy is entranced by sleight-of-hand magic tricks on the streets. He studies them, becomes good, and is always hungry to learn more. This is noticed, and he is selected to be a court magician, where it turns out the one true piece of magic (as opposed to the tricks he was drawn in by) is fueled by his desire to understand it. This magic is only performed in service of the ruler, and its use comes at terrible cost to the magician.
I found this one well-crafted, but unsatisfying. If you love literary and allegorical fantasy, this might be more your speed!