Don't Miss

More at Powell's

PowellsBooks.Blog
Interviews | Q&As | Essays

Pyongyang's Cannibal Island

0 comments By Adam Johnson

The 47-story Yanggakdo Hotel is located on Yanggak Island, situated in the Taedong River that bisects Pyongyang. The hotel was built in 1995 by a... Continue »

$18.20 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel of North Korea
Adam JohnsonAdam Johnson 9780812992793

$15.95

Used Hardcover

Ships in 1 to 3 days

Qty	Store	Section
1	Burnside	Science Fiction and Fantasy- A to Z

This title in other editions

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent

by Galen Beckett

ISBN13: 9780553589825
ISBN10: 0553589822
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $15.95!

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In this enchanting debut novel, Galen Beckett weaves a dazzling spell of adventure and suspense, evoking a world of high magick and genteel societya world where one young woman discovers that her modest life is far more extraordinary than she ever imagined.

Of the three Lockwell sistersromantic Lily, prophetic Rose, and studious Ivyall agree that its the eldest, the book-loving Ivy, who has held the family together ever since their fathers retreat into his silent vigil in the library upstairs. Everyone blames Mr. Lockwells malady on his magickal studies, but Ivy alone still believesboth in magic and in its power to bring her father back.

But there are others in the world who believe in magick as well. Over the years, Ivy has glimpsed themthe strangers in black topcoats and hats who appear at the door, strangers of whom their mother will never speak. Ivy once thought them secret benefactors, but now shes not so certain.

After tragedy strikes, Ivy takes a job with the reclusive Mr. Quent in a desperate effort to preserve her family. Its only then that she discovers the fate she shares with a jaded young nobleman named Dashton Rafferdy, his ambitious friend Eldyn Garritt, and a secret society of highwaymen, revolutionaries, illusionists, and spies who populate the island nation of Altania.

For there is far more to Altania than meets the eye and more to magick than mere fashion. And in the act of saving her father, Ivy will determine whether the world faces a new dawnor an everlasting night. . . .

Synopsis:

In a unique new fantasy series, newcomer Beckett introduces readers to a world of magic and revolution, where secrets lurk under the rigid conventions of high society.

About the Author

What if there was a fantastical cause underlying the social constraints and limited choices confronting a heroine in a novel by Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë? Galen Beckett began writing The Magicians and Mrs. Quent to answer that question. He lives in Colorado and is currently at work on the next chapter in this fabulous tale of witches, magicians, and revolution, The House on Durrow Street.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!

Average customer rating based on 2 comments:

: Frank Tagader, January 3, 2009 (view all comments by Frank Tagader)
Galen Beckett is able to bring a fresh voice to the fantasy genre by echoing the voices of the Brontes, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and a little bit of Daphne du Maurier. Here is a comedy of manners, mixed in with a tale of horror and imagination. Magic and witchcraft, class conflicts, and conspiracies are mixed into a concoction that is a true pleasure to read.

Rich characters come alive but no one moreso than the intrepid Ivy Lockwell. She is the catalyst of the story and while she knows her place in society, is also remarkable in her strength and character. Equally memorable are the charming Rafferdy and the hapless Garritt. Beckett is able to create a universe that is both familiar and fresh (it is a world with days and nights of varying lengths that require careful attention to almanacs).

While the first section of the book takes hints from Austen and Wilde, there is always an undercurrent of foreboding that really pays off in the second section with its sampling of the Brontes and du Maurier. Here you will find trecherous highwaymen, children in peril, a bleak yet majestic country estate, a distant and gruff land baron, a stern and mysterious housekeeper, a naive young governess, and ancient and sinister woods filled with secrets and unimaginable dangers.

The final section is the payoff as conspiracies, magic, and political intrigue twist upon themselves and place our main characters in grave peril. All disperate plot points are woven together as it gallops to its conclusion, but leaving room for more adventures in the upcoming follow-up, "The House on Durrow Street."
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

: Cathy from Olympia, Washington, October 30, 2008 (view all comments by Cathy from Olympia, Washington)
From sentence one-- "It was generally held knowledge among the people who lived on Whitward Street that the eldest of the three Lockwells had a peculiar habit of reading while walking," I knew I was going to like this Ivy Lockwell very much indeed! Add to that a sprinkling of Austen and Bronte, Victorian society and gothic romance, set in an alternative universe where gentleman dabble in magick... Ooh la lah! What's not to like? Beckett deftly serves up a winning concoction.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(4 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)

report this comment

View all 2 comments

Product Details

ISBN:: 9780553589825
Author:: Beckett, Galen
Publisher:: Spectra
Author:: Beckett, Galen M.
Subject:: Fantasy - General
Subject:: Fantasy fiction
Publication Date:: 20080729
Binding:: Hardback
Grade Level:: General/trade
Language:: English
Pages:: 512
Dimensions:: 9.44x6.40x1.58 in. 1.67 lbs.

Other books you might like

$5.95 Used Mass Market add to wish list

The Last Colony
John ScalziJohn Scalzi 9780765356185
$9.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list

Zoe's Tale: An Old Man's War Novel
John ScalziJohn Scalzi 9780765316981
$8.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

City at the End of Time
Greg BearGreg Bear 9780345448408
$7.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

The Ghost Brigades
John ScalziJohn Scalzi 9781429914727
$7.99 Google eBooks add to wish list

Night Shift
Lilith SaintcrowLilith Saintcrow 9780316032728
$5.50 Used Mass Market add to wish list

The Last Centurion
John RingoJohn Ringo 9781439132913

Related Aisles

Follow us on...

RSS 2.0
Log Off

Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.