Uncommon Charm, by Emily Bergslien and Kat Weaver

[mrissa]

Review copy provided by the authors, who are also personal friends of mine. Also I read an earlier draft of this novella.

Julia Selwyn-Stirling doesn't like to think of things she can't make into a joke, she tells us right out. She would really like to romp her way into her social debut and the pleasant upper class life to follow. There's no reason the new guest in her home has to interfere with that, even if he is her closest friends' illegitimate half-brother--and studying magic with her mother.

But as Julia gets to know Simon, the secrets that have been woven into her family life for her entire childhood start to unravel. And as beguiling as it is to drawl jokes and practice fencing, the ghosts that Simon can talk to have concerns that--dare Julia admit it?--might be more important.

This is Mitfordian fantasy, its froth not actually concealing family dysfunction and social discontent--not actually trying. It's got the interwar jewels and frocks and parties and boxing matches, it's got all the fun elements you're looking for in a novella with its prose voice. But it also has an awareness of all the solid, real things that a young woman could use a clever, assured voice to cover for in our world--and how much nastier that could get with working magic. This is so well-grounded and so self-assured as well as so much fun. I'm so glad it's coming out where the rest of you can enjoy it too.