Book Blurb
Nora Fischer’s dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman. During a miserable weekend at a friend’s wedding, Nora wanders off and walks through a portal into a different world where she’s transformed from a drab grad student into a stunning beauty. Before long, she has a set of glamorous new friends and her romance with gorgeous, masterful Raclin is heating up. It’s almost too good to be true.
Then the elegant veneer shatters. Nora’s new fantasy world turns darker, a fairy tale gone incredibly wrong. Making it here will take skills Nora never learned in graduate school. Her only real ally—and a reluctant one at that—is the magician Aruendiel, a grim, reclusive figure with a biting tongue and a shrouded past. And it will take her becoming Aruendiel’s student—and learning magic herself—to survive. When a passage home finally opens, Nora must weigh her "real life" against the dangerous power of love and magic.
For lovers of Lev Grossman's The Magicians series (The Magicians andThe Magician King) and Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night).
Toot's Review by Stacy Sabala
She continues her walk and finds herself in another world and manipulated by magic. She marries the son of the Faitoren queen and even becomes pregnant, but loses the baby when her husband attacks her. A magician saves her and brings her to his castle. She remains in his care. They fear for her safety as her husband wants to bring her back to his kingdom. She was pulled into a plot by her ex mother-in-law to align with the king of Semr and take over the kingdom. Aruendiel, the magician, saves her again and returns with her to his home.
She discovers that she is developing feelings for Aruendiel. She is confused as he treats her worse than his servants. Her annoyance grows as does her crush. She decides to find something else to focus on. She wants to know more about magic. She asks Aruendiel to teach her. Her days are finally filled with work, magic and the learning of how to read the local language of Ors. The lessons begin and so does the magic career of Nora. She and Aruendiel battle wills at times, especially about social proprieties but seem to become closer friends. Nora is determined to learn as much as she can to protect herself and anyone else she might need to. She still fears the Faitoren.
She continues to become a part of this strange new place and inserts herself in the life she is forced to lead until she can find a way home. She helps in the kitchen of Aruendiel’s estate and has made friends in the village nearby. Her life is not all that bad. In fact, she only really misses her family on a day to day basis. She wheedles her way into Aruendiel’s life more and more everyday. Nora learns quickly when it comes to magic and holds promise. She yearns to learn more and constantly talks Aruendiel into telling her what he knows of magic.
This was an interesting book. The longer I read it the more I liked it. The beginning was like any book I’ve read. A woman scorned and trying to get her life back on track. I wondered where the magic would come in. When she took her walk and ended up on the strange estate, I thought it involved the Fae. As I kept reading it was not what it seemed and in fact, was a bit creepy. However, once Aruendiel saved her and her relationship with him began, the story took an interesting direction. She needed him to survive but he was learning to live through her. I thought the author did a nice job with the story between Nora and Aruendiel. I really liked them both. The other characters added a bit of flavor to the story. Since it was another world created by the author there were some instants in story that were a little confusing. It didn’t take away from the story, just took a minute to make sure I understood what the author was trying to convey. It was a intriguing fantasy story.I give it a 4 out of 5.
I give it a 4 out of 5
Excellent review -- you make me want to buy it right away.
ReplyDelete