An Unkindness Of Magicians - Kat Howard

Fiction

Rating: 8/10

I was on the hunt for a change of pace, not an infrequent occurrence in the life of a voracious reader, when my eyes landed on the quote on the back of this book.

“Imagine Harry Potter all grown up and out for blood.” Yes!  By all means let’s do that!  To be clear, I am not that easily fooled, certainly not by such a brazen claim. But was I curious so off I went…

Every twenty years, the heads of the magical houses that inhabit the Unseen World elect a champion to compete in a series of otherworldly duels.  On the surface it’s about power, position and ultimately dominance.  Beneath, it’s about all that as well as exploitation and the pitfalls of privilege.  

Lots of shadowy secrets lurking in all the corners of this story supported by a vividly drawn cast of characters. While thoroughly entertaining, one cannot declare it reaches the realms of Harry Potter.

Footnote: A fellow reviewer claimed this was “Harry Potter for adults”.  Funny, as I lined up at numerous midnight events, I thought Harry Potter was for adults.