Magic shivered and scurried and sang along all the strings of his being: little swinging swaying bolts of light reached out to other lights, caught the threads of the universe, wanted to play. [loc. 315]
This was just what I needed on a muggy summer Sunday: a sweet, comfortable, low-conflict romance between a powerful but reclusive wizard and the young prince who's come in search of magical help.
Lorre has exiled himself from human society and lives on a tropical island, changing shape as the whim takes him and enjoying his separation from the human race. Here, he can't shift the balance of power, or harm anyone, or disturb the world. Sometimes people come looking for him, but he never lets them find him. Until Prince Gareth shows up, talking to thin air (of course Lorre is listening) and reading a novel and generally being optimistic, pleasant and charming. Also very handsome, which does not harm his chances of persuading Lorre to help him against the magical coldness afflicting his homeland.
Lorre's magic, his integration with the world around him, reminded me somewhat of Patricia McKillip's wizards. He's centuries older than Gareth (and possibly functionally immortal) but, frankly, does not act his age: the difference in their life experiences is written as a fascination with each other's histories, rather than a cause for incompatibility. Lorre has acquired a fearsome reputation, but he's always tried to do the right thing, though sometimes his temper has got the better of him: Gareth has read all the stories, and there's an element of hero-worship (in both directions -- Gareth is the archetypal hero) which is leavened with plenty of humour and common sense.
I especially liked how comfortable this novel felt: the stakes are moderately high but there's little peril, few confrontations and no major miscommunications. Lorre and Gareth are both likeable characters, and their growing attachment to one another is thoroughly believable and very sweet.
I hadn't read the prequel story, Sorceress, in which Lorre's history (as a dragon, and a somewhat inadequate father) is seen through the eyes of his former lover, but I didn't feel that my experience of Magician was lessened by this omission: I did buy and read it immediately after finishing the novel, though. Review soon!
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