- Paperback: 512 pages
- Publisher: Spectra (Nov 24 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0553592556
- ISBN-13: 978-0553592559
- Product Dimensions: 14 x 3 x 20.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 399 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #246,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë and H.P. Lovecraft collide in Beckett's periodically entertaining debut. Young Ivy Lockwell, the unmarried daughter of a family stricken with poverty after her magician father went mad, travels from her home in Invarel, a mirror of Austen-era London, to become a governess at the country estate of Heathcrest, a Bronte-analogue complete with mysterious Rochester stand-in, Mr. Quent. As a woman, she is forbidden to perform magic and consoles herself with the study of magical history, discovering an ancient story still working its will on the world. Treading a fine line between homage and unoriginality, Invarel occasionally sparkles with descriptions of illusionist shows and quasi-fascist government activity, but Heathcrest is lifted part and parcel from Jane Eyre, and Beckett relies too much on references to that work to fuel emotional arcs and reader attachment. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
“A charming and mannered fantasy confection with a darker core of gothic romance wrapped around a mystery. Fans of any of these will enjoy it. Readers who enjoy all these genres will find it a banquet.” —Robin Hobb, author of Renegade’s Magic
“I loved reading this piquant page-turner of a retro-modernist fantasy novel. But it’s more than just a rattling good time. Like its characters, it is not merely devastatingly clever, but has a heart and a soul.” —Ellen Kushner, author of The Privilege of the Sword
“The Magicians and Mrs. Quent is a charming and accomplished debut, sure to delight fantasy afficianados and lovers of gothic romance alike.” —Jacqueline Carey, author of Kushiel’s Mercy
“The Magicians and Mrs Quent combines the sense and sensibility of Miss Austen with the sweep and romantic passion of the Miss Brontes in a fantastical feast of delights. From the moment I encountered the resourceful and charming Miss Ivoleyn Lockwell, I was eager to follow her from the fashionable streets of the city to her new employment as governess at lonely Heathcrest Hall on the windswept and rugged moorlands. In Altania, Galen Beckett has created a fascinating and engaging world where the formalities and courtesies of polite society conceal the emergence of a dark and ancient force that threatens to destabilize the kingdom and destroy everything that Ivy holds dear.”—Sarah Ash, author of Tracing the Shadow
“An enchanting blend of Victorian melodrama, Edwardian comedy of manners, and magic, a trip into an alternate universe in which top-hatted gentlemen dabble in magic and young women of great spirit are as beleaguered by their lack of dowry as they are by the evil villains. The characters are convincing, the plot vertiginous, and the danger bone-chilling.”—Delia Sherman, author of The Porcelain Dove
"[Beckett] cleverly mixes fantasy and literary....with elements of the fantastic, an imaginative eye, and a dry sense of humor."—NPR.org
“I loved reading this piquant page-turner of a retro-modernist fantasy novel. But it’s more than just a rattling good time. Like its characters, it is not merely devastatingly clever, but has a heart and a soul.” —Ellen Kushner, author of The Privilege of the Sword
“The Magicians and Mrs. Quent is a charming and accomplished debut, sure to delight fantasy afficianados and lovers of gothic romance alike.” —Jacqueline Carey, author of Kushiel’s Mercy
“The Magicians and Mrs Quent combines the sense and sensibility of Miss Austen with the sweep and romantic passion of the Miss Brontes in a fantastical feast of delights. From the moment I encountered the resourceful and charming Miss Ivoleyn Lockwell, I was eager to follow her from the fashionable streets of the city to her new employment as governess at lonely Heathcrest Hall on the windswept and rugged moorlands. In Altania, Galen Beckett has created a fascinating and engaging world where the formalities and courtesies of polite society conceal the emergence of a dark and ancient force that threatens to destabilize the kingdom and destroy everything that Ivy holds dear.”—Sarah Ash, author of Tracing the Shadow
“An enchanting blend of Victorian melodrama, Edwardian comedy of manners, and magic, a trip into an alternate universe in which top-hatted gentlemen dabble in magic and young women of great spirit are as beleaguered by their lack of dowry as they are by the evil villains. The characters are convincing, the plot vertiginous, and the danger bone-chilling.”—Delia Sherman, author of The Porcelain Dove
"[Beckett] cleverly mixes fantasy and literary....with elements of the fantastic, an imaginative eye, and a dry sense of humor."—NPR.org
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Victorian Style Fantasy,
By
This review is from: The Magicians and Mrs. Quent (Paperback)
Pros: reminiscent of Regency and Victorian authors, uses a Victorian inspired setting, flows well, literary but the fantasy aspects are fully realizedCons: story develops a little too slowly The Magicians And Mrs. Quent is split into three parts. In the first, we are introduced to the major players - the Lockwell girls, of which Ivy is the dominant, Mr. Rafferdy and the upperclass circle he inhabits, and Eldyn Garritt, a gentleman whose father ruined the family name and has left him in dire straits. This part of the novel feels very much like Pride and Prejudice. There's matchmaking among those of unequal backgrounds and much prejudice abounding because of it. The second part is more like Jane Eyre. I won't say more than that as it would give away a major plot twist. The third part of the novel was entirely original in that it didn't make me think of a Victorian novel, and is designed to tie the other parts together. The story meanders, following the fortunes of the various players. There is a plot, but you don't really see it until the third segment - though that's not to say it isn't present in the first two. The first two entrance you with their language and the doings of the people so it's not until near the end that you see what the author's been working towards. While the Magicians make a brief appearance in the first part, Mrs. Quent doesn't show up until the end of the second. And while the setting is Enlightenment/Victorian, it's a fully realized fantasy world. The planet is not earth (the day/night cycle follows an uneven rotation so almanacs are consulted to learn how long each will be). There's history, there are the seeds of revolt and there are the underpinnings of emancipation. Which makes it a unique book among fantasy novels which tend to stick to Medieval worlds. And it's hard not to read a book that begins, "It was generally held knowledge among the people who lived on Whitward street that the eldest of the 3 Miss Lockwells had a peculiar habit of reading while walking." If you like Regency or Victorian literature or just want to read a fantasy novel that's a bit different, this is a good choice.
5.0 out of 5 stars
fab new series from an old favorite author,
By
This review is from: The Magicians and Mrs. Quent (Paperback)
Not sure why the publisher would keep the author's identity a secret - I think long term fans of Mark Anthony (Runes series) would be thrilled to learn that he finally has a new book out. While completely different from the previous universe, this new title displays the same talent for character building that we have come to love. Intricate plots, fine descriptions and yes, a fantastic take on the Jane Austen universe but also reminiscent of The Forsyte Saga, it is a highly recommended and enjoyable read. Can hardly wait for the next installment, as Mr. Anthony can be relied upon to provide is with many a twist in the tale.
4.0 out of 5 stars
What a pleasant surprise!,
By N. Finney "Finn" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Magicians and Mrs. Quent (Hardcover)
With no fanfare, I came across this novel in my fave sci-fi bookstore (the only one) in Toronto. It was an unexpected pleasure to read it - esp. if you are, as I am, a fan of a Victorian world that never was, with magic running like a dark seam through it. The author took pleasure in riffing off Jane Austen (shades of 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Sense & Sensibility', and who knows what else), Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre', and gothic tales in general. There's good witty dialogue, characters you can care about, and all the rest. Some may find the switch to 1st person in the middle of the book (you'll see why if you read it) a little jarring, but hey, it was kind of fun in the end. Thumbs up for this one!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
