hellpenguin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hellpenguin) wrote2010-10-13 09:11 pm
hellpenguin) wrote2010-10-13 09:11 pm
The Magicians & Mrs. Quent (imagine Jane Austen + Magicians!)
So about a year and a half ago, I read this book because the cover caught my eye. It showed a young woman in a Regency-era dress, holding a book and standing next to a crystal ball surrounded in delicately-twisting branches. It was called The Magicians & Mrs. Quent.
Obviously, I was drawn to it because the Regency era fascinates me, but it had MAGIC.
A year and a half ago, I was introduced to this intoxicating universe:
The perfect balance of a British AU (they live in a land called Altania, in a city of Invarel. There's a king, and a parliament, and lots of Lords and Ladies etc) that you can really get invested in (this guy's got this place mapped out: years of wars and rebellions and principalities etc). The characters are the vibrant type you expect to jump out at you from the pages of Austen or Bronte - strong female protagonists who read books and learn things and debate wittily with the men they know).
Now take all of that, and add: magick. There are magicians! And Witches that can make certain type of magic trees come alive! Altania also has a rather strange sun-moon schedule thing going on. Instead of regular 24-hour days, days and nights alternate between being really long and really short. There's a calender, even. It's quite surreal.
But wait, there's more! There's several POVs in this story (not so much you get a headache, no fear), but different slightly-intersecting plotlines. POVs switch between male and female alike.
But I'm not really here to tell you about this fascinating book. I'm here to squee about the sequel, The House on Durrow Street, of which I am only on page 203. of 650-ish.
Why squee so early?
In the last book, Eldyn Garritt became friends with a Siltheri, an Illusionist (no, not like the movie), one of a few looked-down-upon practitioners of magic. With a few words or a twist of his hand, he can make you see whatever you want (whether it's a gold coin instead of a copper one, or a golden sun manifest itself in the room). His name is Dercy (short for Dercival).
In The Magicians & Mrs. Quent, there is some extreme flirting done between Dercy and Eldyn. Eldyn, of course, is entirely oblivious, though there was this one part where Dercy taught Eldyn how to warp shadows around him and they almost kiss in a darkened alley.
In The House on Durrow Street, wow. The heated glances Dercy shoots Eldyn every five minutes sizzle off the page. Several times Eldyn describes these looks as "hopeful but sad".
Until they get drunk (of course!) and Dercy invites Eldyn to stay over at his place (yes!) until he sobers up, and there's this sexy little moment where they're sitting next to each other on Dercy's bed (fuck yeah) and Dercy's 'rubbing some warmth' into a chilled Eldyn (holy mother of god) and then Eldyn's not cold anymore, but Dercy keeps RUBBING HIM (jeezus) and Eldyn REALIZES that THIS IS WHY DERCY'S BEEN STARING AT HIM and IT FEELS SO RIGHT EVEN THOUGH IT'S WRONG and he looks up and meets Dercy's eyes and then, guys, then? THEY TOTALLY MAKE OUT.
This is canonical. This is the best book ever. Eldyn accidentally creates a beautiful illusion while making out with Dercy and he's like "What do I do now?" and Dercy tackles him and smirks "I'll show you" IT IS SO HOT AND IT'S IN A BOOK IN THE SCIFI SECTION GUYS.
And Eldyn, later, is realizing he's always swung this way.
REGENCY-ERA GAY ROMANCE FUCK YEAH.
Obviously, I was drawn to it because the Regency era fascinates me, but it had MAGIC.
A year and a half ago, I was introduced to this intoxicating universe:
The perfect balance of a British AU (they live in a land called Altania, in a city of Invarel. There's a king, and a parliament, and lots of Lords and Ladies etc) that you can really get invested in (this guy's got this place mapped out: years of wars and rebellions and principalities etc). The characters are the vibrant type you expect to jump out at you from the pages of Austen or Bronte - strong female protagonists who read books and learn things and debate wittily with the men they know).
Now take all of that, and add: magick. There are magicians! And Witches that can make certain type of magic trees come alive! Altania also has a rather strange sun-moon schedule thing going on. Instead of regular 24-hour days, days and nights alternate between being really long and really short. There's a calender, even. It's quite surreal.
But wait, there's more! There's several POVs in this story (not so much you get a headache, no fear), but different slightly-intersecting plotlines. POVs switch between male and female alike.
But I'm not really here to tell you about this fascinating book. I'm here to squee about the sequel, The House on Durrow Street, of which I am only on page 203. of 650-ish.
Why squee so early?
In the last book, Eldyn Garritt became friends with a Siltheri, an Illusionist (no, not like the movie), one of a few looked-down-upon practitioners of magic. With a few words or a twist of his hand, he can make you see whatever you want (whether it's a gold coin instead of a copper one, or a golden sun manifest itself in the room). His name is Dercy (short for Dercival).
In The Magicians & Mrs. Quent, there is some extreme flirting done between Dercy and Eldyn. Eldyn, of course, is entirely oblivious, though there was this one part where Dercy taught Eldyn how to warp shadows around him and they almost kiss in a darkened alley.
In The House on Durrow Street, wow. The heated glances Dercy shoots Eldyn every five minutes sizzle off the page. Several times Eldyn describes these looks as "hopeful but sad".
Until they get drunk (of course!) and Dercy invites Eldyn to stay over at his place (yes!) until he sobers up, and there's this sexy little moment where they're sitting next to each other on Dercy's bed (fuck yeah) and Dercy's 'rubbing some warmth' into a chilled Eldyn (holy mother of god) and then Eldyn's not cold anymore, but Dercy keeps RUBBING HIM (jeezus) and Eldyn REALIZES that THIS IS WHY DERCY'S BEEN STARING AT HIM and IT FEELS SO RIGHT EVEN THOUGH IT'S WRONG and he looks up and meets Dercy's eyes and then, guys, then? THEY TOTALLY MAKE OUT.
This is canonical. This is the best book ever. Eldyn accidentally creates a beautiful illusion while making out with Dercy and he's like "What do I do now?" and Dercy tackles him and smirks "I'll show you" IT IS SO HOT AND IT'S IN A BOOK IN THE SCIFI SECTION GUYS.
And Eldyn, later, is realizing he's always swung this way.
REGENCY-ERA GAY ROMANCE FUCK YEAH.