Search - A College of Magics

An amusing tale about a young woman and her rival attending a school for the magically gifted. Not Harry Potteresque at all, but still a fun little romp all on its own.

Very good fantasy read. Says it's for 10 and up, but I think it gets a PG-13 rating in places for romantic aspects. Dialogue felt a bit choppy in places, and there are definitely a few in-jokes about Bryn Mawr College, the author's alma mater. Overall, however, these problems do not detract from the general excellence of the plot and characterizations. Also, a nice twist at the end that leaves plenty of room to take the series somewhere meaningful in its sequels.

Though geared more for the feminine reader, there is enough testosterone (from both genders) to hold the interest of all readers.

Around the turn of the twentieth century Faris Nallaneen is within a few years of becoming the rightful duchess of Galazon, when her uncle decides it would be a good idea to attend Greenlaw College, a highly sought after girls school. Faris is sure her uncle is just sending her away so he can plot, undisturbed, a way to take the duchy himself. So she intends to get thrown out at of school as soon as possible. Unfortunately, her uncle has already forseen that possibility, and has taken steps to foil her plans.

Now Faris is committed to complete the unwanted education, and to become a full-fledged 'WITCH' of Greenlaw. But even this will not be easy as there are others who would rather see her fail, or better still -- die.

Mystery, magic, and mayhem mingle with early twentieth century politics to make this an interesting coming-of-age novel. Definitely a good read.