A College of Magic by Caroline Stevermer: Well I did say that I'd read one of her books

A College of Magic 

by

 Caroline Stevermer

Faris is the sixteen year old heir to the throne of her country. Unfortunately her Uncle (who’s evil, of course all Uncles are evil) has seen fit to send her off to another country to got to Greenlaw college. Furious Faris attempts to escape her four year sentence to what she sees as a fussy finishing school. Unbeknownst to her Greenlaw is in reality a place for students to major in magic!

              I’ve been looking for this book basically since I read Sorcery and Cecilia. But my Library Woes continued to prevent me from reading anything that I actually wanted to. But when I went back to the Midwest to see family over Christmas I found it! At Half-Price Books too! Why oh why has Half-Price Books not made its way west yet? 

It is criminally unfair that they stop shortly after Michigan.

Characters

Faris: Faris is perfect for this book. Some characters just fit you know. She’s competent, slightly rebellious and strong yet she never comes off as the cliché Super-Tough female heroines that fairytale-esque stories usually force onto the reader. (admittedly this is a reaction to the fainting damsels that usually populate this genre but I still find the whole trope annoying).

Jane: there is something about the name Jane. There must be a contract somewhere that binds all Janes to a code of proper behavior. Jane was skilled, prim and utterly hilarious. She’s one of those characters who valiantly set off to save the world! (With three spare bags plus a hatbox) while looking their very best. 

Well, saving the world doesn’t have to be all mud stained travel clothes I suppose.

Tyrian: aww cute little body guard. Who’s suddenly the love interest. Of course, he is.

Menary: Why does every ‘got to strange school’ novel have a ridiculous nemesis? Seriously though. Do these people just hang around famous schools like creepers?

Likes

The writing was (as expected) a lot like Wrede’s: yes, that’s a ‘like’. In case you can’t tell I have a small obsession. There’s just something about the classic, third person, and invariably simple writing that they share together. Frankly it’s not something I expected to like when I first started books like that. But what can I say, it grew up on me.

The romance took a back seat: Now, admittedly that means it’s not built up as well as it probably could be. But I prefer the backseat as opposed to shoved in your face repeatedly. 

I know from the reviews I’ve read on Goodreads that a lot of people had problems with the romance. Either it was laughably simplistic or ridiculously set up and ‘why was there even any romance at all etc.’ Honestly, I think I’m just glad it wasn’t as ridiculous as some other ones I’ve read.

Hey once you’ve read about a teenage delinquent who falls in love with her friend who lets spiders crawl through his hair an out-of-the-blue romance is ten times better. 

Dislikes

              What is going on: I think the book is intentionally(?) vague. But why? The magic system was . . . confusing and that’s putting it nicely. I don’t even know there was something about focusing and using your mind to change reality (or maybe make reality look different?) but that is super problematic. Where are the limits! What can you do and what can you not do?

Warning

Without a well thought out magic system your characters can and will fall into the Superman Syndrome.

Superman Syndrome: Where your character is completely OP

Ex. ‘Oh I’m in danger, excuse me while I use the power of my imagination (one of my two hundred other powers) to get myself out of said danger’

Okay, Okay all joking aside I’m still super glad I finally found this book! Sure there were some problems with it and it probably won’t be my FAVORITE BOOK EVER but hey I didn’t die on the inside like some of the other books I’ve read for this blog so there’s that. 

Okay somebody hand me another book