The Paper Magician

Ceony Twill is denied the chance to choose the school of magic to which she will be permanently bound. Instead, an unknown benefactor pays for her tuition, and she’s consigned to life as a “Folder,” a practitioner of paper magic. Apprenticed to the amiable Emery Thane, the hardworking Ceony resigns herself to her fate and soon discovers that there is more to paper magic than she thought. Thane is not the eccentric he pretends to be; he has played a crucial role in the ongoing purges of practitioners of the forbidden arts of blood magic. Before Ceony’s horrified eyes, Thane’s past comes back to haunt him when his former wife, Lira, ambushes him and leaves him for dead. Thane’s only hope is Ceony, but the young magician’s determination and a handful of spells may not be enough to save him. Ceony displays commendable pluck facing a more experienced mage trained in the dark arts, and Holmberg gives her a complete story while leaving ample room for sequels. Short (almost too short) and to the point, this promising debut recalls the early work of Patricia Wrede. (Sept.)