Od Magic

From Publishers Weekly Delicately skirting the edge of preachiness, World Fantasy Award�winner McKillip ( Alphabet of Thorn ) demonstrates once again her exquisite grasp of the fantasist's craft in this slender stand-alone novel. Generations ago, the seemingly immortal wizard Od saved the city of Numis from destruction, not out of altruism but because it seemed like a nice place to found a school of magic. Over the years, the practice of magic has come more and more under the king's control. Deciding to stir things up, Od recruits Brenden Vetch, a gardener from the northlands with tremendous raw power and no taste for politics. As Brenden arrives in Numis, so does a fabulous street magician, Tyramin, whose sleight-of-hand looks suspiciously like unauthorized wizardry. King Galin's attempts to control Brendan and arrest Tyramin only scare them away and earn him the scorn of his daughter, Sulys. As with the Narnia books and other fantasy classics with religious or political agendas, if you can shut off your awareness of worldly context, you'll find this an otherworldly delight. Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Some 400 years earlier, Od, a formidable magician, broke the siege of Kelior and saved the land of Numis. She was allowed to found a school of magic in that city, and then she left to wander, surfacing only occasionally. Later the school became part of the king's palace and was controlled over the years by the rulers, who deemed wild magic dangerous. Along comes Brenden Vetch, invited by Od herself to become the school's gardener because of his intimate knowledge of the ways of plants. His talent, which he isn't aware of, is old magic, and his arrival triggers a rebellion at the school. There are no evil villains here, just misguided leaders who circumscribe magic. With lyrical prose, well-limned characterizations, vibrant action, a sense of the wonder of magic, and a generous dollop of romance, this is a story that will bind readers in its spell. Sally Estes Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved Brenden Vetch has a gift. With an innate sense he cannot explain to himself or describe to others, he connects to the agricultural world, nurturing gardens to flourish and instinctively knowing the healing properties each plant and herb has to offer. But Brenden's gift isolates him from people--and from becoming part of a community.Until the day he receives a personal invitation from the wizard Od. She needs a gardener for her school in the great city of Kelior, where every potential wizard must be trained to serve the Kingdom of Numis. For decades the rulers of Numis have controlled the school, believing they can contain the power within it--and punish any wizard who dares defy the law.But unknown to the reigning monarchy is the power possessed by the school's new gardener--a power that even Brenden isn't fully aware of, and which is the true reason Od recruited him... Possessing a unique talent for connecting with the agricultural environment, Brenden Vetch is hired as a gardener by the wizard Od, but Brenden's gifts could tip the balance of power in the Kingdom of Numis.