A Plague of Sorcerers
Mary Frances Zambreno
Hyperion
Fiction, MG Fantasy
Themes: Familiars, Plagues, Small Animals, Wizards
***
Description
Young Jermyn, a boy with untapped magical powers, can’t become an apprentice until he attracts a familiar, a special animal who helps gifted people focus mystical abilities. A fight between his Aunt Merry, who raised him, and the pompous Weather Master unexpectedly brings out his magical side, and at last Jermyn's familiar comes to him – not a dignified cat, not a noble hawk, but a little skunk named Delia. Needless to say, a skunk familiar is hardly the sort of thing to impress one's peers or the community. Both apprentice and familiar must prove themselves to a world of skeptics in the midst of a deadly magical plague, foreign intrigue, and the continuing feud between Aunt Merry and the Weather Master.
Review
This book was okay, but it could've easily been a lot better. A scattering of interesting ideas and scenes were lost in wave after wave of long, dull conversations. Characters weren’t allowed to develop like they should have, and some of the magic "technobabble" got a little thick toward the end. A semi-satisfying ending which I, for one, didn't see coming right away helped salvage it, but I don’t intend to read this one again.