lightreads: a partial image of a etymology tree for the Indo-European word 'leuk done in white neon on black'; in the lower left is (Default)
lightreads ([personal profile] lightreads) wrote2024-01-09 11:12 am

Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans

Notorious Sorcerer

3/5. Fantasy about a messy bisexual street gang dude doing illegal interdimensional magic item smuggling who gets tangled up in bigger events involving aristocratic politics and the stability of reality.

That makes this sound more interesting than it is. One of those debuts which, somehow, manages to be 20,000 words too long and also simultaneously missing some important story glue things. Wy do we need this POV at all? I thought, and at another point, wait, bake this relationship longer, please.

It’s not bad if you’re in need of a fantasy about a messy bisexual (that the author thinks is way way cooler than I do, but okay). Bonus points for the storyline about an aristocratic woman floundering to find herself after making a bad call in marrying a queer man. She finds herself at the gaming table, which is entertaining. And the multiple dimensions part is vivid and fun. Just, you know, this series will probably be way better in three or four books.
thefourthvine: Two people fucking, rearview: sex is the universal fandom. (Default)

[personal profile] thefourthvine 2024-01-09 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh no. Now I’m definitely sad. Some part of me instantly leapt to the conclusion that this would be about the louche, over-sexed, decadent bisexual character that was like every third fantasy villain in books from the ‘80s and ‘90s, but from his point of view. And I’m sorry but that is just so much cooler than illegal magic blah.