2005-12-28 Magic will spring up where it wills

Brendan Vetch has always had a way with plants, and that is why the ancient wizard Od asked him to come to her wizards' school in the city of Kelior. When Brendan journeys there, he finds that Kelior is ruled by a king who fears magic, and the cold-hearted wizard Valoren. Any magic they don't approve is immediately outlawed, and strict rules are wound around the wizards' school.

As Brendan arrives, other things begin to happen -- rebellious Princess Sulys finds out that she's been betrothed to Valoren. A mysterious masked wizard and his ever-changing daughter arrive in the forbidden Twilight Quarter. And when Brendan's powers suddenly show themselves, he flees to a strange mountain -- where the most powerful magic of all is hiding.

"Od Magic" follows the basic template of McKillip's past novels: Rich prose, primal and exquisite magic, and several storylines that don't seem to be connected, but come together by the end. And while that end seems a bit too easy, it's a glorious ride to finally get there.

The wizards' school is only a setting for magic that many fantasy writers can only dream of -- a magical maze, a girl who does illusions, and the veiled wildness of the Twilight Quarter. McKillip's velvety prose softens up the royal intrigues, with smoke, mirrors, ribbons, word games and illusions. Calling it intoxicating isn't much of a stretch; writing this lush and dreamy is something you can get drunk on.

There are a few flaws -- the stuff about the "faces of magic" comes in rather late in the story, and the ending seems rather sudden and a bit too neat. It's a relief from endings that cannot be understood, though. However, she'll keep you guessing about what's going to happen until the very last pages. She even harkens back to her classic Riddlemaster series, with those ancient magical shapeshifters.

Though "Od Magic" has the odd flaws (od flaws?), Patricia McKillip's enchanting writing and imaginative story make this a thing of beauty. Beautiful, deep and rich.