TOR/ Forge Spotlight Day 4: Queen Victoria's Book Of Spells Anthology
Publisher:
AH!! This Anthology had me at Queen Victoria ! All the stories in this anthology are new. I don't mind anthologies that pull from other sources but because I read a lot I usually find one or two repeats in my anthology choices so it was cool that all of these stories were new to me.
The entire book has a wonderful Gothic, magical feel to it. My favorite part of the book was actually the Introduction by Terri Windling titled : Fantasy, Magic, and Fairyland in Nineteenth-Century England. This is a very thorough exploration of the circumstances that led to the Victorian fascination with faeries and the occult.
Now for my favorite stories in the book:
Queen Victoria's Book of Spells
by
Delia Sherman
What if Queen Victoria had a magical tutor? How would that have changed the shape of her life and the world of England as a whole? In Delia's story modern day England is rich in magic. It is a tradition that has governed their country for centuries. Dr. Ransome has been given the job of searching through Victoria's diary for oratio obscura's ( hidden words). The journal begins June 7th,1833. At first Ransome discovers the journal not that different from a typical teenage girl. Victoria has filled the pages with hidden rants against her mother and the restrictions of her life.
There are also darker elements about the threats to Victoria's throne and her frustration at having a plethora of princes shoved her way. And finally Victoria's deepest thoughts about the love of her life and the lengths she will go to secure them. Really intriguing story.
The Memory Book
by
Maureen McHugh
The Memory Book is one of those stories that has you running to goodreads looking to find more works by the author. The focus of this story is Laura Anne a young governess who recently has become a part of the Finch household. The Finch's are barely above Laura's station in life yet they live in denial about it. Laura goes through her days showing little emotion in regards to her experiences yet when she is home she has a special red book that she pulls from hiding. In this book she places photos and cutouts. These aren't typical memories though. Instead they are workings. Magical workings. From simple to vicious Laura Anne uses her book to get her way. From giving one of her charges headaches, to breaking up an impending nuptials and quite possible murder, everything put into the book becomes reality.
This was such a great story! Its quite understandable that the repression of females in Victorian life would lead to a fascination with the occult as a means for entertainment and possibly control over their circumstances.
This is just a sampling of the great stories in this collection. Definitely worth your time!
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