Unnatural Magic

Imaginative adult fantasy with a murder mystery plot Unnatural Magic is a low fantasy story with a Victorian atmosphere and three voiced main characters. The character plots are: a teenage magical prodigy setting out to get an education in a largely male-dominated world, a young(ish) half-troll woman carving out a place for herself even though she doesn't fully fit in either human or troll society, and a former soldier at loose ends after becoming a deserter. These threads are tied together by an overarching conflict between humans and trolls as the peaceful trolls keep turning up dead in human cities and rumors of trolls massacring human villages run rampant. Some of the things I appreciated most about this novel were the worldbuilding (fairly intricate without being overexplained); the presence of two very different female MCs; the clever commentary on things like war, anti-minority sentiments, and gender roles; and the distinct voices of the three narrators, particularly the troll Tsira. There was a lot to like, but in the end Unnatural Magic wasn't quite my cup of tea. Particularly, I wanted to enjoy Tsira's storyline because it's so rare to see female characters who are allowed to be bigger and stronger than their male counterparts and still be considered attractive, but her whole romance plot felt uncomfortably fetishized. I ended up preferring Onna, the young wizard, for both her character and plot arc. I'd recommend this novel to readers who enjoy low fantasy: stories driven more by everyday characters than big conflicts and powerful players. There's also some cross-genre appeal for fans of murder mysteries, particularly in the second half of the book.

Intriguing story, main characters fleshed out well, varied and interesting world...what's not to like?

This book is a fantastic mix of genres and really pulls you into the story. I would highly recommend it!