A Matter of Magic

by Patricia C Wrede

When a stranger offers her a small fortune to break into a traveling magician's wagon, Kim doesn't hesitate. Having grown up a waif in the dirty streets of London, Kim isn't above a bit of breaking-and-entering. A hard life and lean times have schooled her in one lesson: steal from them before they steal from you. But when the magician catches her in the act, Kim thinks she's done for, until he suggests she become his apprentice; then the real trouble begins. Kim soon finds herself entangled with murderers, thieves, and cloak-and-dagger politics, all while trying to learn how to become both a proper lady and a magician in her own right. Magic and intrigue go hand in hand in "Mairelon the Magician" and "The Magician's Ward", two fast-paced novels filled with mystery and romance, set against the intricate backdrop of Regency England.

• ISBN10: 0765326329
• ISBN13: 9780765326324
• Publish Date: 8 June 2010
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 19 January 2017
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tor Books
• Format: Paperback (US Tall Rack)
• Pages: 528
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

Book One:

* Loved Kim. The magician and Hunch grew me. Their interactions were funny.
* Lots of parties involved. Reminds me of some old or classic comedies, all running into each other flopping all over the place like salmon up river.
* Fun learning along Kim to spot differences in posh and slang, magic, and acting.
* Kim was so relatable and I could feel her fear and desperation.



Book Two:

* Even better. Glad to see Kim grow. Marielon acted like an ass for most of it but shows how wrapped up in Kim's narration I was.
* Great twisting mystery.
* Very surprising twist plot, character and romance wise.
* Dawwwww at the ending.
* Loved Ignor more.

I picked this up for the cover, it's so pretty, especially the dress. But the hint of magic is what I was really looking forward to reading it. I did not know it was a regency romance. Not only was it not on my radar, romance typically isn't my genre without being wrapped up in other genres as a side plot.

On its own, no single aspect stands out above the rest except for Kim. Everything is pretty standard but I love how it's done and it comes together.

I also didn't find Kim's cant annoying, just took a bit to get used to is all.

[ladygrey]

Two delightful stories that I'm glad were bound in one volume because they're so connected, it's nice to get the full story of these characters. [a:Patricia Wrede|36122|Patricia C. Wrede|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1215652809p2/36122.jpg]'s Regency England is touched with a delightful and unique sense of magic. The characters are quirky and charming. These stories, even with so many different threads, come together seamlessly and wrap themselves up so simply in the end. [b:A Matter of Magic|8526270|A Matter of Magic|Patricia C. Wrede|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511HfPlj%2BYL._SL75_.jpg|8455012] is a fun and intriguing book.