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hbbtfdlr's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely adore Caroline Stevermer. This book has so many wonderful references to art, architecture, and opera that I felt right at home in her world.
abderiandumpling's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cmbohn's review
4.0
I liked this one better than the first, A College of Magics. I liked the main character, Samuel Lambert, more than Farris in the first book. Really the two books are hardly related, except that they are both set in the same alternate world and they are faintly connected by both featuring Jane, a witch of Greenlaw who gets involved in this story by trying to help her friend Farris, the warden of the north, get in touch with the new warden of the east. Honestly, the whole warden stuff was kind of confusing and not well explained at all. But I still liked Lambert and his story, so I'm giving it 4/5 stars.
katbond's review
4.0
This time we visit Greencastle, the school of magic for men, instead of Greenlaw. The story/plot is more interesting in this book, but the point that men have a more "structured" (read intellectual) approach to magic seems to play upon tired gender stereotypes that detract a bit from the book.
Still, well-written and fun to read, and you can ignore the gender stuff.
Still, well-written and fun to read, and you can ignore the gender stuff.
emcfeely's review
3.0
Jane was as delightful as always, but I thought it lacked the emotional resonance of [b:A College of Magics|382870|A College of Magics (A College of Magics, #1)|Caroline Stevermer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312062335s/382870.jpg|1407092].
cindywho's review
3.0
This was a tasty custard of a book. Charming and light and sweet, if perhaps a little bland. I wish I remembered more from College of Magics, but I did remember Jane. It's a mystery and the romance is very restrained.
badmc's review
4.0
Fantasy of manners at its best. In the second installment of the series, we visit yet another magic school, this time for men only, in England. Everything is very proper and cerebral, right before it goes into deligtfully silly direction.
Jane meets an American sharp-shooter in love with the magical world he'll seemingly never belong to, and they find themselves in the middle of a very notorious conspiracy.
Only thing this book lacked was more of Faris, my favorite warden.
Jane meets an American sharp-shooter in love with the magical world he'll seemingly never belong to, and they find themselves in the middle of a very notorious conspiracy.
Only thing this book lacked was more of Faris, my favorite warden.
coolcurrybooks's review
3.0
Although this is the sequel to A College of Magics, I don’t think you necessarily need to read them in order. However, I would advise it so that you have some of the concepts of the world explained in depth before you hit A Scholar of Magics.
The draw of A Scholar of Magics is certainly the characters. The cast is different from the first book (except for Jane, who’s allowed to take center stage), but all of the characters are fun, likable, and enjoyable to spend time with. Jane continues to be wonderful, and Lambert is a nice addition. He provides the outsider’s perspective to magic and Glasscastle.
Where A Scholar of Magic faltered was the plot. I found it predictable and not at all suspenseful. When the Big Bad was revealed, the protagonists were all shocked, but I’d guessed it the first time they’d met him. Really, shouldn’t they have at least had some questions regarding him? If they drew a Venn Diagram and looked at the overlap, he’d be smack dab in the center.
While there’s not a whole lot of depth to it, sometimes it’s nice to relax with an enjoyable book like A Scholar of Magics. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a lighter read.
Originally posted at The Illustrated Page.
The draw of A Scholar of Magics is certainly the characters. The cast is different from the first book (except for Jane, who’s allowed to take center stage), but all of the characters are fun, likable, and enjoyable to spend time with. Jane continues to be wonderful, and Lambert is a nice addition. He provides the outsider’s perspective to magic and Glasscastle.
Where A Scholar of Magic faltered was the plot. I found it predictable and not at all suspenseful. When the Big Bad was revealed, the protagonists were all shocked, but I’d guessed it the first time they’d met him. Really, shouldn’t they have at least had some questions regarding him? If they drew a Venn Diagram and looked at the overlap, he’d be smack dab in the center.
While there’s not a whole lot of depth to it, sometimes it’s nice to relax with an enjoyable book like A Scholar of Magics. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a lighter read.
Originally posted at The Illustrated Page.