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The Magister Trilogy, by Celia S.Friedman

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The Magister Trilogy is an epic fantasy series based in a world where expending magic comes at the cost of one’s own life force. Those with magical abilities only have a limited amount, and once expended, they expire. The magical exceptions are the Magisters, a secret group of male witches with an undying athra (or magical force).

It turns out that secret source of the Magisters’ life force is their ability to remotely feed on others’ life forces. Mere humans suddenly become afflicted by the mysterious “wasting disease” while they are slowly drained by the Magisters, who deliberately remain ignorant of their hosts (“consorts”). Early in the series we learn that Prince Andovan, son of one of the most powerful rulers in the world, has suddenly become inflicted by the Wasting Disease.

This is surprising to all the Magisters, because it defies the Magister Oath. The Magisters keep to a code of ethics to temper their more base instincts – they are fiercely territorial and cannot stand being within proximity to others of their kind, but they each have the power to flatten armies and destroy kingdoms single-handedly. Accordingly they have made an Oath that if one Magister is retained by a royal house, the others will leave their employers alone. Thus since King Danton is served by the powerful Magister Ramirus, his son Prince Andovan should be off limits to other Magisters as a consort.

It is against this complex web of magical stage-setting that we are introduced to Kamala, the talented witch with magical Sight, who doggedly seeks out a male Magister mentor, and convinces him to train her. She survives her training to become the first female Magister.

Siderea, the Witch-Queen of the Free Peoples, has stayed in power longer than any witch should last due to her secret manipulations of her many Magister lovers, who help keep her alive.

Gwynofar, Queen of the High Kingdom and wife of King Danton, pursues the religious rituals of her native Kierdwyn, convinced of the inner power of the Lyr people who will supposedly rise up to protect the world when the evil Ikati reappear. While ridiculed by the High Kingdom court and even her husband, she remains dedicated to the Lyr mythology.

While this series has many of the traditional elements of epic fantasy – magic, dragon-like creatures (Ikati), secret invaders, and epic quests – it is also a feminist story. The main female characters – Kamala, Siderea, and Gwynofar – are women of power trying to break into a boys club. To some extent the series tracks their individual successes and creative problem-solving, as they kick ass and change the world. Friedman’s female characters are complex and interesting to follow, and it is refreshing to have the women take the spotlight.

I haven’t been rating the books I review but think it might be helpful to add this feature to my reviews. Of a total of possible 5 đź‘Ť I would give this one 4 đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť!

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

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Goodbye, Vitamin is the charming story of Ruth, who returns to her childhood home for a year to help with her father who is in the early stages of dementia. The novel takes the form of a journal, with entries marked by date recording her observations of the life swirling around her.

Outside the Laundromat, two drunks are sharing a cigarette. The man has a hand tenderly cradling the back of the woman’s head, which she appears to enjoy at first, before she begins to resent it.
“You think it’s lumpy,” she says, pulling away, suddenly. “You think my head is lumpy.”
“I don’t think it’s lumpy,” he says.
“You do,” she says. “You think it’s lumpy.”
“Baby, I love your head,” he says.
“You’re saying I’m not smart,” she says. “Is that what you’re incinerating?”
He says, “I’m not incinerating a thing.”

These entries have a parallel in a journal Ruth is given by her father when she first returns home, recording his observations of her as a child trying to make sense of the world. Each entry is told from the father’s perspective (“I”) about Ruth (“you”).

Today you asked why it was that people say cloudless but not cloudful. Today you made clear that you did not know there was a difference in the spellings of “pitchers” and “pictures.” You scraped seeds off of bagels and planted them in the flower bed out front. I didn’t have the heart to tell you that there’s no such thing as a bagel tree.

As the story develops, Ruth’s entries become centered around her father. The narrative voice switches, as she takes over the adult “I” and he fills in the childlike “you.”

Today I gave you my old seashell collection. You arranged all the shells at the bottom of your fish tank in a pretty way.
“Thank you for the exoskeletons,” you said to me.
“You’re welcome,” I said to you.

The novel makes an adventure out of everyday life, with small moments becoming the milestones. Time seems to stand still while Ruth navigates the changing cognitive abilities of her father, his evolving relationship with her mother, and her own mourning of a failed relationship which prompted her return home. Ruth seems like a spectator to her life, observing with wonder, but without judgement, the life around her. As her father’s doctor advises,

“There’s nothing really to ‘do,’ he says, just be present.”
“Like in the moment” I say.
“I meant ‘around,'” he says. “But sure, that, too.”

Woody Allen wrote that showing up is 80% of life, but Khong shows us you can reach 100 by showing up and paying attention. Her quiet observations inspire one to live in the present and savor each moment for its singularity.