I love Patricia A. McKillip. I have been reading her books since I discovered her as a young adult in the mid-70’s and her gloriously romantic fantasy, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Now 30 years and 20 novels later, McKillip continues to entrance me with her latest work, Od Magic. Before I talk about this book, let me mentions something about McKillip’s work, most notably, her use of language. Words seem ironically inadequate to describe the skill with which McKillip spins the English language into magic. Lyrical is one word that is often used in reviews, but it’s so much more. Most of McKillip’s work deals with magic, and if there is any true magic in the world, I would suspect it would be found in her use of language. I could luxuriate in work written by McKillip regardless of the story, simply to enjoy her use of words. How double wonderful for me that she writes the kinds of stories that fill me with wonder and emotion.
Od Magic is in some ways, standard McKillip fare. It takes place in a land where magic is commonplace, found in mighty wizards, unlikely, unnoticed princesses, and lonely gardeners. It is populated by wise and misguided kings, and mysterious beings of great unknown power. Long ago, a wizard giantess named Od, saved the city of Keilor in exchange for the promise of a school of magic being founded there. In the centuries that have passed, the school has flourished, becoming part of Keilor’s royal palace, overseen by the King. Od has been seen less and less frequently, sometimes presumed dead, before mysteriously appearing again, this time to a solitary gardener with the curious ability to talk to plantlife. Od encourages Brenden, the gardener, to travel to the school. His appearances startles the complacent teacher Yar, who keeps the fact of Od’s reappearance to himself. You see, magic is now entirely under the province of the King. All magic must be learned at his school, and used for the protection of Keilor. All other magic is outlawed, so when rumours of a master illusionist Tyramin, performing in the city’s Twilight Quarter emerge, the city of Keilor is thrown into a tizzy.
It all sounds complicated, as most of McKillip’s storylines tend to be, but it is the strength of her characters that has always been her second strength, after the sorcery of her words. Heroism lurks in unlikely forms; villainy is often found in the form of misguided nobility. Love, like magic, is a powerful force that overpowers reason. In an ironic twist, the magic that threatens the stability of Keilor in Od Magic is one without words. The fact that McKillip would imbue the ultimate wonder in this world with such power without her own greatest strengh; words, provides an interesting twist.
I am so happy that Patricia A. McKillip is out there writing and filling my heart with wonder with each and every novel she writes. You can all take your Harry Potter, I’ll take a little odd magic anyday.