Od Magic – Patricia A. McKillip

Brendan Vetch journeys from his home in the mountains to the city – he’s been invited to be the new gardener at the wizard’s school there. It was a mysterious invitation, by a woman who wandered through town. When he gets there, he finds that he was invited by the wizard Od herself, the founder of the school, who no one has seen for years. The school has become beholden to the king, and lost its sense of magic. Brendan’s arrival just might change that.

I’m very grateful to this book – I was feeling like I’d lost a bit of my reading mojo, but I devoured this book in two nights. It’s got McKillip’s typical cast of interwoven characters that initially seem separate, but eventually are pulled together by the events of the story. However, the ending to this one seemed a little abrupt. I don’t really get the point of Brendan’s magic. Everyone around him gets to a better spot in their lives, but I don’t quite get the point of him being the center of the action. Which is a shame, because I really enjoyed the book up until the point where I was incredibly surprised it was over.