Synopsis: “Magic, madam, is like wine and, if you are not used to it, it will make you drunk.” Faerie is never as far away as you think. Sometimes you gind you have crossed an invisible line and must cope, as best you can, with petulant princesses, vengeful owls, ladies who pass their time embroidering terrible fates, or with endless paths in deep dark woods and houses that never appear the same way twice. The heroines and heroes bedevilled by such problems in these fairytales include a conceited Regency clergyman, an eigthteeth-century Jewish doctor and Mary Queen of Scots, as well as two characters from Jonathan Strang & Mr Norrell: Strange himself and the Raven King.
To say I’m satisfied with this book is an understatement. Those who have read (and completed) Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell will definitely enjoy this book as well because it’s so much more interesting. This is a collection of short stories, a style that’s completely different from the longwinded Jonathan Strange. There is much less footnote in tiny fonts, and each tale is gripping and captivating.
It is no doubt that fantasy has its sub-genres – wizards and warlocks, beastality, elfin … and then there are somewhat contemporary or modern fantasy like Jonathan Strange (set in 1800s). Sometimes I like wizardry, like Eddings, and sometimes I like contemporary stuff like this. The Ladies of Grace Adieu is more faerie than wizard, and that’s what makes it more … believeable. If you told me faeries existed in rural Scotland, I might believe you. Because of Susanna Clarke. She just takes magic to another level (nothing like Harry Potter that is getting so melodramatic). So yeah, fantasy fans must read this book.
Yeah, but to be honest, there was ONE story I didn’t like. I don’t remember why I didn’t like it, maybe I was distracted by something else, and so I skipped over that story. But the rest of the stories were really really nice. Yep.
Ok, now time to get back to my books. First exam tomorrow morning. Dang it.
