Sorcerer to the Crown

A Sorcerer Royal Novel

By: Zen Cho

Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

The Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers, one of the most respected organizations throughout all of England, has long been tasked with maintaining magic within His Majesty's lands. But lately the once proper institute has fallen into disgrace, naming an altogether unsuitable gentleman - a freed slave who doesn't even have a familiar - as their Sorcerer Royal and allowing England's once profuse stores of magic to slowly bleed dry. At least they haven't stooped so low as to allow women to practice what is obviously a man's profession.

At his wit's end, Zacharias Wythe, Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers and eminently proficient magician, ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England's magical stocks are drying up. But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path that will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain - and the world at large.

©2015 Zen Cho (P)2015 Recorded Books

Delightful

Fans of The Night Circus and Jonathan Strange will be likely to enjoy this weaving of manners and magic. All the characters were well drawn and the story, although not shocking, a bit slow to start and a bit abruptly ended, was very enjoyable. Jenny Sterlin is a phenomenal narrator and exactly right for this period and the variety of accents. I'm looking forward to listening to the next book and hoping to work "droll" into my regular vocabulary.

Really good story

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is into fantasy. The story flowed and the Narrator did a great job. I am hoping there are more stories to come from this. 👍🏼

Slow start but excellent ending!

As a lover of Regency, Austen and fantasy, as well as authors of diverse backgrounds, I thought this would hit all my buttons. I had to slog through a few chapters in the beginning, but once I was hooked I was entranced. I can’t wait to investigate more from Zen Cho!!

Wonderful.

Fantastic story. Fantastic setting and terrific characters. Can't wait for book 2. Jenny Sterlin's narration is spot on as always.

Surprised! Highly recommended

I was looking for something like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and to my surprise this novel surprised me! I thought the diversity angle would be heavy handed and offensive. I enjoyed the female protagonist throughout the story.

Definitely will listen to the next volume as well as other novels by the author.

who else is tired of the 18th century

Read it and see how many plots you find that were stolen from other books. I have found Little Miss Sunshine, a Shirley Temple movie, as well as a PG Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster short story.

It reads like Diana Wynne Jones without the clever humor and human insight.

Deeply satisfying

Zen Cho's novel offers all the joys of genre(s) fiction with all the disappointing stuff crossed out and rewritten just as one would like
Jenny Sterling is a perfect, dryly humorous narrator

Outstanding Reader

For lovers of fantasy regarding magic, this is such a good book. But it is the reader, Jennie Sterling, who makes it superb. She is the best I have heard.

Enjoyable story with engaging characters

I liked this audiobook and book. The characters are very likeable, especially Zacharias. The lead, Prunella, is almost too powerful and effortlessly perfect, but that’s preferable to a damsel in constant distress or an immoral protagonist. And I still really loved her all in all.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and all of its characters quite a lot. The relationships between the characters are especially wonderful as they are multidimensional and show the depth of human connection, illustrating how we can be feel simultaneous paradoxical emotions about each other sometimes. The side characters are very strong too and I found myself interested in learning more about them; so I was certainly drawn into this world of Cho’s.
The plot is solid and intriguing. It does feel like a slow pace even though a lot is happening. So, it wasn’t un-put-downable, but sometimes that’s a good thing and prolongs the enjoyment.
I enjoyed the way the romance was handled and in many ways all the action is similar- it’s happening, but it’s not so emotionally intense or all consuming for the reader. This is a major part of the appeal of the book for me. And my number one important quality in a book: minimal to no angst! Huzzah!
The narrator’s performance was excellent, no complaints there.
My only complaint about the story itself is that there are occasionally sudden scene changes or jumps that are hard to visualize for their lack of lead in or context.
Will definitely check out the next in the series though.

Exceptional!!

This a refreshing perspective on the impact of race, gender, and class on a magical society. The depth of the characters is heart wrenching and humorous. The author skillfully combines the burden of a race conscious society with the power of the human spirit. Well done!