Gray Marshall is a student at Merlin College, the foremost of the Oxford colleges in this alternate England where the Tudors still reign in the 1800s and there’s magic aplenty. He’s stuck under the tutelage of Professor Apius Callender, and the two do not particularly get along. When two of Callender’s favorites rope him into a midnight stunt, and another student dies, Gray’s not sure what to think. Professor Callender invites Gray to his home estate in Breizh (Brittany) over the break, and Gray doesn’t feel like he can refuse.
Callender has three daughters, and Gray is instantly entranced by the middle daughter Sophie, who clearly has magic of her own, and would make a wonderful scholar if her father was willing to let her study. Gray and Sophie start to study together when the professor isn’t around, which puts them in the right place to discover a conspiracy that could bring down the kingdom, and will also reveal a heritage Sophie knew nothing about.
This was an interesting story – good alternate play on England. The way that magic impacts life and religion is well done. Sophie and her sisters are distinctly drawn, and the plot twist is pretty well done. This is the first in a series, so I’ll be interested to see where it goes from here.
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