The Sultan of a strategically located Malayan island has arrived to ask for British magical support to subdue domestic rivals, but the Sorcerer Royal has a strict mandate to serve the nation, not the government and its politics.

Nobody has obtained a familiar from Fairyland in decades. For unknown reasons, the supply of magic in Britain is dwindling. There is great discontent among white British magic wielders (thaumaturges, in this book) that they are presided over by a foreign-born black man. Fast forward two decades, and Sir Stephen is dead and Zacharias has inherited the title of Sorcerer Royal along with the magical staff which approves of each holder of the office. Zen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown is the best one I’ve read – and the competition is not even close.īritain’s Sorcerer Royal Sir Stephen Wythe discovered Zacharias as a child – a toddler, in fact, enslaved on the ship on which Sir Stephen was traveling. I am most surely looking forward to the next book in the Royal Sorcerer series.I’ve tried so many of the ‘British history, but with magic’ books over the years: Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Jenny Sterlin's narration flows as beautifully as usual, differentiation between characters was excellent, with their individual voices well chosen and performed. I wished this had either been in two volumes or some of these enchanting concepts had been reserved for later so they could have been appreciated better. The reason the story only gets 4 stars from me is because it was so packed out with characters and events some aspects got slightly lost in the crowd. Without spoilering I have to hint there is a mode of transport introduced which I shall dream of using, but it's certainly not a barouche. It is written in Georgette Heyer Regency style and this is achieved well and suited the story. Serious issues concerning the treatment of women and slavery are also introduced and it is good to have these aspects included as well as lighter ones. It was a never ending collection of surprises, both amusing and intriguing. Sorcerer to the Crown is a glorious debut entry into the fantasy book world and Zen Cho's skill and imagination is a delight.

Heyer-style court intrigue with magic and mayhem

Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho