A review by octavia_cade
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho

3.0

This was such a fun read! Light and zippy and Jane Austen-ish in its language, and as a fan of Austen I can only approve of that. It's really entertaining, but there's a seriousness underlying all that magical intrigue, and it's in the exploration of race and gender that Cho really shines here. It's not just the big racist plot against Zacharias, its the constant small slaps that he and Prunella are subject to that build up and build up until you're absolutely infuriated on their behalf. Zacharias felt particularly convincing in his character and responses, but I have to admit that although I found Prunella a bit less believable I enjoyed her more. She's a fantastic character, and I'd be super happy to read more of her. That said, I wasn't entirely convinced by the low-key romance between the two, and the hasty beachside conclusion to the main conflict smacked a little of dragon ex machina: fun to read but a little thin, I thought. Still, the book's so entertaining that these are small quibbles.