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A review by shay_talksbooks
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Close Encounter's Book Club October pick
This was a wonderful melting pot of Regency London meets magical realism, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We follow Zacharias, England's first black Sorcerer Royal, as he navigates his new role, the dwindling supply of English magic, and the views of the rest of the Royal Society for Unnatural Philosopher's. Along the way he meets Prunella, a witch with exceptional talent in a world where women are not deemed capable of such feats.
There was a lot of exploration of racism, sexism and classism, touching on slavery at times too. There were moments that the frequency of racist & sexist views/comments seemed a little heavy-handed, but it felt very plausible for the period the book was set. I honestly think the setting wouldn't have felt as 'believable' or 'authentic' if it wasn't included.
I enjoyed the story, loved meeting all of the side characters (perhaps even enjoyed them more than the main characters at times), loved Prunella & Mak Genggang, and I'm intrigued to see where the second book in the duology takes us.
The only negatives I had: I would've loved some more world-building (on the magical side) and lot of the plot/twists were a little predictable.
This was a wonderful melting pot of Regency London meets magical realism, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We follow Zacharias, England's first black Sorcerer Royal, as he navigates his new role, the dwindling supply of English magic, and the views of the rest of the Royal Society for Unnatural Philosopher's. Along the way he meets Prunella, a witch with exceptional talent in a world where women are not deemed capable of such feats.
There was a lot of exploration of racism, sexism and classism, touching on slavery at times too. There were moments that the frequency of racist & sexist views/comments seemed a little heavy-handed, but it felt very plausible for the period the book was set. I honestly think the setting wouldn't have felt as 'believable' or 'authentic' if it wasn't included.
I enjoyed the story, loved meeting all of the side characters (perhaps even enjoyed them more than the main characters at times), loved Prunella & Mak Genggang, and I'm intrigued to see where the second book in the duology takes us.
The only negatives I had: I would've loved some more world-building (on the magical side) and lot of the plot/twists were a little predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Slavery