Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy - a book review

 

 

 Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

 

 

 Sorcery and Small Magics (The Wildersongs, Book 1) by Maiga Doocy is my new favourite book. It has everything I love: a medieval fantasy world with magic, an academy (with dorms and a huge library) where said magic is learned and a world full of monsters outside of the boundaries of the country. The magic system is thoroughly thought out, but still remains mysterious, and the whole book has an incredibly cosy vibe to it.

 

 The main character, Leovander Lovage, has given up as a failure at the academy and tries to just muddle through his last year to meet his father's expectations to at least graduate. He struggles with memorising and has a generally very chaotic air about him; drinking, gambling and the need to needle people when the opportunity arises. He reminds me a little of Klaus in Netflix' Umbrella Academy, and a lot of the dialogue works quite well when I imagine his voice and attitude in general. It's not that Leo doesn't try hard enough, we can see him trying, but just simply trying is not enough for some of us.

 

 Enter Sebastian Grimm, the polar opposite of Leo. Grimm is incredibly thorough in anything he does, once he has memorised a spell he doesn't seem to forget it in a hurry, his character is well grounded and not at all suited to flights of fancy like Leo. Both have a history of bringing out the worst in each other, but due to academic circumstances, are required to work together and the plot really gets going from that point. So much humour and heart has been poured into the writing of this book, Leo is a complete disaster and we're rolling with it, and it's really fun. There are some dark topics that are handled delicately, and the characters are given time to really grow together through all of their differences, and it's shown well.

 

 A no context quote that I had to read over and over again because it amused me so much:

 

"I wanted to press my lips to the junction of throat and jaw and feel his pulse stutter. If I just let myself -

I licked Grimm's palm."

 

 The book is full of lovely re-directions that move the story forwards, keeping it fresh and interesting at every turn. We travel through grande parties, into little villages, forests infested with monsters and a sorcerer's tower, which is just as magical as it sounds. There is a perfect blend of academic focus mixed with the best cottagecore vibes, a strong attention to music and a love for language. I'm very excited to read the next book when it's released. Although part of a series, it worked quite well as a novel standing on it's own for me.