Peculiar and bent in several ways, this was a great read.

There’s a magic world beyond the boundaries of ours named Crenshaw. No one but those imbued with magic are allowed in. We get to see the initiation of three sets of folks who thought they were normal. Margaret Lynch and her son Craig who drove off the road in the mountains, Dan Monaghan a cancer patient who had a terrible fall while hiking, and last but not least, Ellie Brandeau who meets the compelling, mysterious lady  Prospero in the aisle of her library before taking her aunt out to dinner. On the drive…she is forced to avoid a bicyclist and three cows. She and her aunt are thrown in a terrible accident when Ellie hits the cows.

What do the they find out? They all have been blessed by unknown magic powers and must attend a Remedial academy of magic to be trained in their use. But that’s not all! The land of Crenshaw is slowly withering from bad water and polluted air, and out of these new citizens, one of them might be blessed with the ability to cure the ills of Crenshaw.

What makes Crenshaw particularly colorful (besides the magic) is the environment. People dress how they choose - high Renaissance and plain wizard or even Victorian. They can drive cars and have modern hospitals. A modern-style congress manages the everyday rules and structure of the denizens’ lives.

For some reason, they can’t have children and the boundaries of Crenshaw seem rather small and confining. We learn some about the main characters, but Ellie and Prospero are the central focus. As a matter-of-fact the two become involved in an intense relationship with Prospero the stronger women of the two; Ellie being the sorceress’s apprentice and, at first, loving it. However, because she is nominally very independent, she does not want to be controlled by the circumstances (a couple of the others don’t either). The story is bound in some constraints but still moves towards a vague explanation of Crenshaw’s problems,

But there has been no clarifying of who might be poisoning the air and water and why. We have no idea who Crenshaw’s neighbors are. And though it’s interesting that people with hidden magical talents are being trained to be aware of their abilities…there is a drawback for those who are not magical enough.

There will be a sequel with hopefully a strong explanation of Crenshaw’s magic. But this is quirky enough for any fantasy reader. ~~ Sue Martin

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