Thomcat
1/22/2025
Magic in our time (well, the 1960s) without having to enter a cupboard or travel to another land (or play a LitRPG game, for the modern reader). Was really glad to see the map and follow the progress in our world - and equally glad I wasn't trapped in the copper mines!
This is the first book of a trilogy - the second was published 3 years later, and the third seceral decades later. This book does come to a very satisfying end. The closest analogue I can find is the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander - which wasn't *technically* in this world, but it sure felt like Wales to me.
Minor criticism - of the two main characters, only one shows some dimension - and the good news is that it's Susan. The wizard is surprisingly Gandalf like - disappearing for a chunk of the book. Well, the author was only 23 at the time, and comparisons to Tolkien are inevitable.
Solid 4½ stars, and hoping the second is as good. Looking forward to reading more Garner after this.