Emelan Read-a-long: Magic Steps

[Rosie]

Our book for May is: Magic Steps

Blurb: The young mages of the circle are coming into their powers - it's time to pass on what they've learned...

Sandry can weave magic like thread. Her incredible skill leaves others in awe, but controlling and channelling her power is second nature by now. Which is why she's both intrigued and horrified to find an untrained boy is dancing complex magic - with no idea he's doing it...

Pasco is a Provost's Guard - well, he will be, if he can get his mind off dancing for long enough to learn his family's profession. Dancing? Acalons don't dance - even when they're frighteningly good at it...

So! What do you make of this book? Do you like Sandry in teacher-mode? What do you think of Pasco and his magic?

[Rachy]

I was going to say how much I love the mystery aspect of this, and then I remembered that the others have mysteries too. There’s something about this book that makes me wish Sandry did take her detective skills further, especially if Wulfric? hadn’t died. Maybe because the unmagic tied in so well with her magic?

[mistrali]

Liked: The Harriers as parallels with real-world police, themes of addiction.

I could’ve done without the Dihanurs’ narrative, in some ways. It adds another strand to the plot, but we’ve already got Pasco and Sandry’s POVs. The unmagic, too, was a bit of a stretch. I mean, you’re introducing the magical equivalent of antimatter into the Emelan-verse. It strikes something of an odd note with the rather less scientific antagonists of the other books (lightning+glass fusion, an arsonist and a leader whose power’s gone to her head).

I had a discussion with someone who said that they felt Pasco’s magic could’ve been given a bigger role in this book, and now I’m madly curious to see what that would’ve been like.

[devilinthedetails]

I recently bought some Emelan books in bulk so I've finally read them for the first time in years, so I figure I'll participate in some of these book club discussions even if it is a bit late. My apologies for being late to the discussion here.

Anyway, I liked Pasco's family, the harrier aspects in general, and the fact that Pasco is kind of torn between following his own dreams with dancing and pursuing a career his family deems acceptable. The theme of family obligation versus individual freedom is always a poignant one for me.

Duke Vedris and Sandry have a great relationship. I love the family bond between them and the mutual respect there.

Seeing Sandry in the role of a mentor was cool though I wish that she was older than fourteen since fourteen is rather young to take on the responsibilities of a teacher. When I read the Emelan books the first time, I think I mentally aged Sandry and didn't appreciate that she was only fourteen. I think Tamora could have let more time elapse between the Circle of Magic books and the Circle Opens one so that the ages of the original four protagonists might be a bit more believable when they take on their own students. If Sandry were eighteen or so, this plot point might require less suspension of disbelief.