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The Magicians and Mrs. Quent

by Galen Beckett

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent Cover

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

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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 society—a world where one young woman discovers that her modest life is far more extraordinary than she ever imagined.

Of the three Lockwell sisters—romantic Lily, prophetic Rose, and studious Ivy—all agree that it’s the eldest, the book-loving Ivy, who has held the family together ever since their father’s retreat into his silent vigil in the library upstairs. Everyone blames Mr. Lockwell’s malady on his magickal studies, but Ivy alone still believes—both 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 them—the 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 she’s not so certain.

After tragedy strikes, Ivy takes a job with the reclusive Mr. Quent in a desperate effort to preserve her family. It’s 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 dawn—or an everlasting night. . . .

Review:

“An enchanting blend of Victorian melodrama, Edwardian comedy of manners, and magic, a trip into an alternate universe in which top-hatted gentlemen dabble in magic and young women of great spirit are as beleaguered by their lack of dowry as they are by the evil villains.  The characters are convincing, the plot vertiginous, and the danger bone-chilling.”Delia Sherman, author of The Porcelain Dove

Review:

“A charming and mannered fantasy confection with a darker core of gothic romance wrapped around a mystery. Fans of any of these will enjoy it. Readers who enjoy all these genres will find it a banquet.” —Robin Hobb, author of Renegade’s Magic

Review:

“I loved reading this piquant page-turner of a retro-modernist fantasy novel. But it’s more than just a rattling good time. Like its characters, it is not merely devastatingly clever, but has a heart and a soul.” —Ellen Kushner, author of The Privilege of the Sword

Review:

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent is a charming and accomplished debut, sure to delight fantasy afficianados and lovers of gothic romance alike.” —Jacqueline Carey, author of Kushiel’s Mercy

Review:

The Magicians and Mrs Quent combines the sense and sensibility of Miss Austen with the sweep and romantic passion of the Miss Brontes in a fantastical feast of delights. From the moment I encountered the resourceful and charming Miss Ivoleyn Lockwell, I was eager to follow her from the fashionable streets of the city to her new employment as governess at lonely Heathcrest Hall on the windswept and rugged moorlands. In Altania, Galen Beckett has created a fascinating and engaging world where the formalities and courtesies of polite society conceal the emergence of a dark and ancient force that threatens to destabilize the kingdom and destroy everything that Ivy holds dear.”Sarah Ash, author of Tracing the Shadow

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

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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."
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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.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780553589825
Author:
Beckett, Galen
Publisher:
Bantam Books
Author:
Beckett, Galen M.
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Fantasy fiction
Publication Date:
July 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
498
Dimensions:
9.44x6.40x1.58 in. 1.67 lbs.

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