Do you like shadows? Do you like magic? You... might?... like this book. Ringing Endorsement. The characters are simplistic but likeable, the plot actually moves really quickly, and the good guys win at the end. Hurraaaay! This book is probably objectively not very good. The prose is primitive and the dialogue is doofy, okay? But I had fun! Even here in her debut novel, you see Wrede's skill at pacing. There's also something both refreshing and familiar about the woodsy, lyrical atmosphere of the world which draws from a different type of medieval tradition than Tolkienesque fantasy. (Tarot? Wicca? I'd say "the Celtic spirit" or "the fae," but I hate those words because they remind me of terrible New Age singer-songwriters and high-pitched Disney sidekicks with fluttery, sparkly wings dancing on mushrooms with all the forest animals.) I'd say Penny Arcade's fantasy short, "The Tithe", feels the closest in its story of a young woman called to her magical inheritance by long-forgotten spirits of the forest.Let me tell you a story. I first discovered the last book of the series, The Raven Ring at the age of 9 at the $2 bargain bin at Costco. It was my first "grownup" fantasy book. Like Shadow Magic, it had relatable characters, a strong female lead (which I took for granted as a kid, because why should that be unusual?), and no really weird stuff. Most importantly, it was simple writing that told an exciting story, and targeted at a general adult fantasy audience. As with Shadow Magic, there were no attempts by a grownup author to write as a kid, or to present a moral lesson, or to provide a "good role model," or educational themes. It was just Grownups doing Grownup Things. This may seem obvious to you, the absolute lowest bar for a book even to be readable. But it hooked me where children's fantasy classics, like Pierce's Alanna or even Wrede's own, more child-appropriate Dealing With Dragons or Mairelon the Magician felt, perhaps unjustifiably, too much like adults writing Nice Things For Children. Even with Lyra's simplicity, I found plenty challenging that a adult fantasy reader could pass over with ease, like: "What is a 'ward'?" "Why do swords have names?" "Why are some female characters warriors and it's normal in their society, but in other places it's not okay?" "Can you cast magic by thinking really hard about it, or are there limits?" "Why do some characters have last names, while some characters just have epithets?" "How does a medieval city survive that way for 500 years and never change?" So maybe this series gets bad Amazon reviews, but if I had started, with, say, something as brilliant but formidable as Lord of the Rings, or even The Hobbit (with a fat and cowardly middle-aged man for a hero and an antiquated style) I probably wouldn't still be reading fantasy today.I haven't revisited The Raven Ring since then, but I think Shadow Magic could play that same vital "bridge" role for beginner readers, or English as a second language readers, or just those who want to be eased into fantasy. Some other bright elementary school kid could discover fantasy this way. And it is genuinely enjoyable, so it can't be all bad.I started reading the second book, Daughter of Witches, which is set in a completely different part of the world with a new cast of characters. It's much better- tighter, darker and more intense- so if you guys find yourselves hating this book, just skip to the next one. Feel no shame.
Shadow Magic is the first of the Lyra books by Patricia C. Wrede, one of my auto-buy authors. Wrede wrote Dealing with Dragons, Snow White and Rose Red, and the Mairelon the Magician books (all of which are on my favorites shelf). I originally read Shadow Magic as part of the Shadows Over Lyra omnibus edition, which contained the first three books in the Lyra series.Alethia is a rather headstrong young noblewoman, unaware of much of the world beyond her father’s holdings in a peaceful city-state in Alkyra. That changes when a merchant’s guard accompanies her brother home from a trading trip and tells of disturbing disappearances among the caravans. These events, combined with rumors of an ancient and evil Shadow awakening across the mountains, form the backdrop for an adventure that will change Alethia and her land in ways she cannot imagine.I remember going through Wrede’s backlist and positively devouring everything I found there. I LOVED the Lyra series as a teen, and I hadn’t reread Shadow Magic until this summer, after I found that my library had an ebook copy available for download. Unfortunately, I was not as enchanted with the book upon rediscovery as I was all those years ago. BUT. Shadow Magic still has many merits, one being a fast-moving plot, which contributed to my spending much too late a night finishing the story.Another strong point of Shadow Magic is the world building. World building is a Wrede specialty, and there is never any doubt in her books that the place is solid, realized, and that magic is a possibility. While Alkyra is a traditional fantasy setting (swords, sorcery, dangerous forests, a la Tolkien), the execution is spot-on and the result interesting.What lead to my rereading disappointment, then? I don’t fault the book, I blame myself. Since that first time I read Shadow Magic, I’ve read a LOT of fantasy, over many years. I’ve read Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones, Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Patricia McKillip, Ursula K. LeGuin, Charles de Lint, and on the list goes. I picked up Shadow Magic again and found that it was too similar to other books to stand out as amazing. It contains what I recognize now as fantasy clichés. Its ending is incredibly similar to that in The Blue Sword (a favorite of favorites). I do not find Shadow Magic less worthy, I find it less original. And while that is disappointing, it’s not world-ending. I still plan to pick up the next few titles in the Lyra series, because they are, after all, Wrede books.Recommended for: fans of traditional high fantasy (with the expected knife fights, feats of archery, and mysterious magic), and anyone who has read Patricia C. Wrede and wondered where she ‘started’ in writing.
What do You think about Shadow Magic (1986)?
Eh, you can tell it's a first book. It's not bad per se, it's really quite okay (talk about being damned by faint praise!), but it's nowhere near as wonderful as her later books. (Okay, so it's somewhat generic and tedious.) It's lacking in the sophisticated worldbuilding, plot, and story arc I'm used to from PW, not to mention the charm, magic, and compelling, imaginative story.Do not read this as your first taste of PW! Go for her Frontier Magic trilogy instead, or her Cecelia and Kate trilogy… they're wonderful!
—ms bookjunkie
Enjoyable book. Finishes rather fast and rather cleanly given the gigantic mess everything was turning into. Just one of those situations where you can see the plot be shoved in this or that direction instead of feeling more organic in nature. Still enjoyable though. Wish I hadn't read the "before the book starts" portion that goes into talk about this book series and how the 2nd book is set in the same world but has different characters in a different location. Still planning to read the series but I do prefer series to follow one set of characters..
—Rista Rarzim
Although Wrede is one of my favorite authors, I'd never read any of her Lyra books and until recently thought I'd never get the chance. But with the surge in ebooks, all of her Lyra books are now available electronically.Shadow Magic was Wrede's first book and despite her later revision of it, you can tell. It's still a great read, but the seams in the stitching of the plot are rather visible. It actually feels like it should have been a longer book and as readers we get the abridged version. I would have liked to get to know the characters better to make their motivations and actions more believable. The "reveal" of the villain happened far too quickly and the romance seemed a bit forced.Despite these minor problems, I highly recommend it, especially for newer writers who will see their own early-book choices reflected.
—Alex Fayle
