Od Magic

Back when I was a kid, Patricia McKillip really knocked me out with her Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy. Then a bunch of years got by me and I sort of lost track of her. Recently I've been on a rampage of rediscovery. She has several very loosely related volumes, including this one -- no connection among the story lines, but they have a distinctive style that sort of ties them together. They are all fabulous. McKillip has a lyrical writing style that has a poetic rhythm to it that for me calls to mind Dylan Thomas's work. I love how she anchors her imagery in sea, stone, fire and wind. You just can't write fantasy any better than this. If you're a fan of the genre, this is must reading. Even if you're not typically a fantasy reader, you'll be hooked by McKillip's stuff.

Od Magic (2005) is a standalone fantasy novel. In the Kingdom of Numis, all magicians are trained at the Od School of Magic in Kelior. The school was started within an abandoned cobbler shop in the shadows of the King's Palace, but has been slowly absorbed into the Palace over the past four hundred years. In this novel, Brenden Vetch has been invited to the school by Od herself to replace the gardener of magic plants. He has been listening to the plants for a few years, but feels frustrated by certain plants. He is also carrying a huge load of guilt for the death of his mother and father, despite his attempts to save them. His brother Jode, whom he managed to save, has tried to talk him out of his fugue, as had his lover Meryd, but to no avail. Both had eventually left him to travel to Kelior. Now he is in Kelior himself, looking for the door under the shoe. After entering the door, he feels magic around him. A tall darkly robed man melts out of the air in front of him and Brenden states his name and then his purpose. The man seems surprised at his presence and story, but takes him to someone who will show him the garden and his room. Yar Ayrwood has been at the school for nineteen years. He too had entered by the door under the shoe (most have never seen that door, having been admitted through the main entrance). When he finds Brenden in the vestibule, Yar takes him to Wye, who takes care of the administrative tasks. They are both troubled by the great reserve of magic in the gardener, but Od has sent the man, so they say nothing to the King or his advisors. Ceta Thiel is writing a history of Od, telling of her disposition of enemy forces seeking to conquer Kelior and the subsequent founding of the School of Magic. Ceta has found a few odd references to powers hiding on Skyrgard Mountain, which she passes on to her lover Yar. She also wants to see the labyrinth in the school basement. Princess Sulya is the King's daughter and the sister of Enys, the heir to the Kingdom. Neither have listened to her comments and questions since her mother died. Fortunately, Lady Dittany, her great-grandmother, still talks to her and shares her secrets. Tyramin is a purveyor of magic, creating astounding displays of color and form that fascinate all who see them. Mistral is his daughter and assistant, who sometimes turns into a flock of doves. His magic show has just come to town and is holding nightly performances in the Twilight Quarter. Valeren Grayle is the King's wizard, who sees threats to Numis on every side. Learning of Brenden and Tyramin, he immediately discerns great dangers and tries to discover more about them. Of course, his efforts generate fear in all whom he uses to investigate these risks to the Kingdom. Arneth Pyt is the son of Murat Pyt, the High Warden, and is the Quarter Warden for the Twilight Quarter. Thoroughly bored with his administrative job, Arneth leaps at the opportunity to search out Tyramin and discover

Patricia McKillip is one of the very few contemporary authors who can write original fairytales. You must give her time to make her case in the first few chapters but once you get going you cannot put this story down. Her characters develop with the story but not so rapidly as to lose credibility. The end is clearly the end with the possibility of happily ever after but not the certainty. I loved the book.

Because of the Harry Potter literary trend, there are a lot of "wizard school" books coming out. But Patricia McKillip turns that trend on its ear with "Od Magic," the most intelligent and exquisite "wizard school" book yet written. Don't expect flashy magic and goofy antics -- this is pure magic from start to finish. Brendan Vetch has always had a way with plants, and that is why the ancient wizard Od asked him to come to her wizards' school in the city of Kelior. When Brendan journeys there, he finds that Kelior is ruled by a king who fears magic, and the cold-hearted wizard Valoren. Any magic they don't approve is immediately outlawed, and strict rules are wound around the wizards' school. As Brendan arrives, other things begin to happen -- rebellious Princess Sulys finds out that she's been betrothed to Valoren. A mysterious masked wizard and his ever-changing daughter arrive in the forbidden Twilight Quarter. And when Brendan's powers suddenly show themselves, he flees to a strange mountain -- where the most powerful magic of all is hiding. "Od Magic" follows the basic template of McKillip's past novels: Rich prose, primal and exquisite magic, and several storylines that don't seem to be connected, but come together by the end. And while that end seems a bit too easy, it's a glorious ride to finally get there. The wizards' school is only a setting for magic that many fantasy writers can only dream of -- a magical maze, a girl who does illusions, and the veiled wildness of the Twilight Quarter. McKillip's velvety prose softens up the royal intrigues, with smoke, mirrors, ribbons, word games and illusions. Calling it intoxicating isn't much of a stretch; writing this lush and dreamy is something you can get drunk on. There are a few flaws -- the stuff about the "faces of magic" comes in rather late in the story, and the ending seems rather sudden and a bit too neat. It's a relief from endings that cannot be understood, though. However, she'll keep you guessing about what's going to happen until the very last pages. She even harkens back to her classic Riddlemaster series, with those ancient magical shapeshifters. Though "Od Magic" has the odd flaws (od flaws?), Patricia McKillip's enchanting writing and imaginative story make this a thing of beauty. Beautiful, deep and rich.