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The story gradually grows grander and bigger until it’s nonstop action—confronting monsters, figuring out who’s a traitor, and all that good stuff—like an avalanche.

Hmm? Oh, I forget. London. Yes, of course you must go. When I was eighteen I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. But I insist on postcards. You must send me postcards. Trafalgar Square…” Martin, George R. R. (19 June 2014). "Not A Blog: Venus In March". GRRM.livejournal.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014 . Retrieved 27 September 2014.Overall, the story was ok but nothing special. It read’s as a very young adult fantasy book. I do wish I liked it more, but this will be added to my one and done pile. Y, aunque tiene una historia enganchante con una trama intrigante, personajes bien construidos y una atmósfera muy envolvente... no ha llegado a las expectativas que tenía por el otro libro :(. Está ambientado en el año 1983 en un Londres algo alternativo y se mezcla la magia con la realidad: fantasía urbana. Como me pasó con "Magia Angelical", creo que el mundo que ha creado da para más de una historia: ofrece una sensación amplia, como si temporalmente ya hubiera estado y estará en un futuro.

I typically don’t know much about my characters when I begin a book, and I learn about them as I’m writing. Merlin is first described at the very beginning of the book, and it felt right to go into detail about his clothes, and Susan’s uncertainty about whether he was a man or a woman, and everything else just seemed to fit from there. The book includes all manner of creatures – do you have a favourite, and what were your inspirations and thoughts behind them? A raven cawed from the rooftop. Susan waved to it. There were ravens in her dream as well, but bigger ones. Much larger than any that actually existed, and they talked as well, though she couldn’t remember what they said. She always remembered the beginning of the dream best; it got confused after the brook creature. It’s lighthearted and fun and playful — and entertainingly satisfying. Will it change your life or make you ponder big deep questions? Nope. Will I forget it after a few weeks? Probably. But was it pleasantly entertaining and perfectly fine for a few nights after a long day of work, like a nice cup of cocoa? Ab-so-lute-ly. On top of that the main character, Susan, is treated like a 5-year-old who needs to be led around by the hand without being told anything. This is also how the reader is treated. It was almost like a concept of a world without the world actually existing. There were numerous times where something would happen and Susan would be confused (because falling into a magic world IS confusing) and those around her just push her questions aside with an “I’ll tell you later”. Sometimes all you need is a fun, warm and lighthearted story just to give you a few happy reading hours. And no, I probably won’t remember much about this book a few weeks from now — but as far as YA-type reads go, for me this was one of the better ones.

What’s next for you?

No, no. You too, darling girl. Even more so for you. Be sure to stay in the light. That’s what he would have wanted.” I'm not sure what it was that didn't do it for me. Maybe that it was more of a reporting of facts and events more than a demonstrative story? Maybe it was too much action with not enough down time? Maybe it was that clothes and food seemed to get better descriptions than the mythical beasties? The truth was by the end I just didn't care who Susan's father was or why Merlin's mom was killed.

I thought I had reached the big climactic battle, but it turned out there was another hour and another big battle to come. The slight shake wasn’t because he’d disincorporated crime boss Frank Thringley. It was because he wasn’t supposed to be there at all and he was wondering how he was going to explain— Susan rubbed her temples and looked behind her. There was a trail of mud on the flagstones. From house to brook. But her mother had probably gotten up even earlier and been pottering about, shuffling in her gum boots.… Bubbling and streaming clear, cold water, the creature sloshed a dozen yards across the grass and then stone paving to the house and, raising one long limb, lashed green willow ends upon window glass, once, twice, three times.What is notable is writing competence. It is action oriented, often scant on description, but with enough structural complexity to feel like I needed to pay attention. Occasionally Nix manages to capture a more ethereal or fairy-tale like quality with certain scenes. My favorites were the ones with the Grandmother(s), the wolf, and the undine, where the writing started to remind me of Charles deLint. Hijinks ensue, and Susan remains quite unflappable in the face of those — which is weird until you realize that she’s got some ancestral magic that lends her some serious magical street cred. (Plus, she’s channeling her inner punk just a tad). There was plenty of adventure and a bit of mystery to figure out Susan’s heritage and who might want her dead or kidnapped for unknown nefariousness. I enjoyed the conclusion of the story and really liked our main cast. Merlin was a little over the top for me in some regards, so not my favorite in the cast, but Vivien and Susan are wonderful strong female characters. The police? Don’t you mean Charlie Norton or Ben Bent-Nose or one of Frank’s other charming associates?”

For a mortal you are remarkably unperturbed by my presence,” said the woman. “Or that of the Fenris. Most mortals I have met are greatly frightened, and run screaming, or collapse and gibber.” a b Collins, Paul; Steven Paulsen; Sean McMullen (1998). The MUP Encyclopaedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. p.134. ISBN 0-522-84771-4. The Old Kingdom Chronicles ( The Abhorsen Chronicles in the United States) (2009). This contained the first three Abhorsen books and "The Creature in the Case". DNF at 30%. It feels like such a slog that I'm not interested in pushing through. Based on the premise I should have loved this book, but it's a lot like The Starless Sea- really wonderful idea but terrible execution. It's weird and not in an enjoyable or humorous way. With at least a couple of Susan’s problems solved, for the time being, it’s not entirely clear if there will be a third volume. But surely there are yet more cities with more mysterious bookshops to be explored.stars, rated up for an overall enjoyable read. Edit on reread - I'm glad I rated this up, I enjoyed it much more the second time around. I think where I ran into trouble is that for the most part, it's a series of events. It doesn't necessarily feel like the characters have much agency or effect on anything that's happening - they just defend against a series of issues. But on reread, at a slower pace, it's definitely an enjoyable book - just likely not everyone's storytelling cup of tea. Losing Her Divinity", in Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales, edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt The Field of Fallen Foe", in the collection Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer (2023)