This is one of the most feminist fantasy books I have ever read. It has a slow pace and magical element reminiscent of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but is not nearly so long, thank goodness. The male protagonist is a gentleman: kind, polite, and thoughtful - a stark contrast to the Mr. Darcy's of the world of romance books. ( )

3.5. There's a lot to like here - a pitch-perfect Austenian voice, rewarding characters, very twisty plotting, pleasingly fiendish fairies, and an extremely strong conclusion (quite rare in a first novel). And of course, this book is getting deserved attention as a historical English fantasy in which slavery and colonialism are central to the story.

However, I felt like I never really settled into this novel. The quasi-omniscient narration dragged after a while, getting in the way of the storytelling. I wonder if the voice needed to be even MORE mannerly - more like Gaiman's Stardust or, indeed, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, which it's compared to on the book jacket. Instead it's a restrained narrative voice, and that artistic compromise didn't work for me.

I also wished the story had been given more space to breathe. Every scene delivered a new plot twist, sometimes at the expense of plausibility. I wanted to slow down, explore the world, and linger with the characters. I also felt like the complex plot would have benefited from some more window-dressing to distract us from some of the coincidences and contrivances that drive the story. I wonder if this book wasn't over-edited, but maybe Cho was just following her instincts and delivering a lean, publishable first novel.

That said, I'm glad I stuck with this book - the ending was very rewarding, and Cho's Fairyland was refreshing after so many Charles Vess knockoffs. If you enjoy historical fantasies, it's worth a read. ( )

Light as a feather, with lots of wit and humour that keep the reader happy. “Sorcerer to the Crown” is very obviously a fantasy pastiche of Regency romances. The characters are exceedingly likable. When they find themselves in danger, you know that things will sort themselves out in a couple of pages (because it would be absolutely shocking if they did not). You will have a lot of fun with this book, I promise - just don’t go in expecting something like “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell” (don’t trust that blurb!). ( )

Känns lite som en blandning mellan Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell och Gail Carrigers böcker. Regency England magi = sant. ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2021/12/2021157-sorcerer-to-crown-zen-cho.html ( )