Review of Modern Magic by Anne Cordwainer . . . Posted 20 April, 2009

Modern Magic by Anne Cordwainer Clotho Press, Mid-Feb 2009, ISBN: 978-0-61525563-7 Reviewed by Mark Farrugia Book reviews index

Modern Magic is a novel made up of a series of interwoven short stories set in modern America. Together, the stories explore the theme of unrest within self regulated magical communities. Set over a decade, the stories are told from the viewpoints of two siblings. John is a wizard and renegade hunter. Basically, that means he hunts down wizards who have a tendency to misbehave. His sister, Liz, on the other hand possesses no magical ability, she is what the magical world refer to as a "mundane". The novel is structured around a magical world existing alongside, but kept separate, from the world as we know it. When the activities of renegade wizards rise, the magical world reaches the point of civil war with tragic consequences for the human race. Yes, conceptually a bit Harry Potter-ish but the feel of the novel is more contemporary American. The novel, Anne Cordwainer's first, is aimed at the young adult market and the short story, interchanging viewpoint works well as a medium and maintains interest throughout the novel. When I first started reading Modern Magic I did feel the character's individual voices were a touch too similar for my liking. However, John's voice changes as the story progresses and he is forced to mature under the weight of family and community responsibility. His self doubt and the stress he experiences while making life altering decisions are a stark contrast to "mundane" Liz who, for the most part, is forced to take things as given until she is forced to into the middle of the crisis. Like a lot of young adult fantasy, Cordwainer's novel deals with the complications of forming relationships. The problems which plague Liz as she tries to introduce boyfriends to her family of witches and wizards are a little predictable but they do get more complicated as the crisis facing the magical world grows. On the whole the issues of wizard/mundane relations are handled very well. Despite being written the first person I found the character's a little shallow and lacking emotion. At times their responses were a little predictable. On the whole though, if you like your fantasy urban and easy to read then Modern Magic is worth a look.

Reviewed by Mark Farrugia