What is it about magic?
I am a huge, unrepentant sucker for a good magic system. And Daine’s in Wild Magic has to be one of my all time favourites. Her magic is simple, but it’s vast; it’s nature itself. It’s fitting then that for most of the book it’s too big for her, and she has to grow to take hold of it. That journey, for me, is the emotional backbone of this book. And a message I think everyone could stand reminding of now and then; change, grow, evolve, you can’t even dream what you’re capable of until you do.
This story has a heart of gold. It’s about finding your place in the world.
“Daine looked at these unusual people who had become friends, and laughed. “It’s fair funny,” she explained. “I’ve gone from having no home to having too many!””
It’s about learning who you are.
““Impossible,” the girl said flatly. “Look at me. I’m pink, my fur’s patchy, I walk on two legs. I’m human, human all over.”
On the outside, the pony insisted. Not inside. Inside you’re People.”
So what’s a better way of saying I love this book? It hits all the high points. The dialogue is smooth and natural. The characters suck you deep into the story. Daine, with the heart-wound of her destroyed family, the magic she’s still learning about. Her animals, their different voices and natures. Onua and Numair, who love her and teach her, and who are sometimes in awe of her magic. The pace and plot are quick and clever. The world building is some of the best I’ve seen.
I guess there’s really no other way of saying it. I love this book.
A wild wolf-howl of a recommend.
