My Goodreads review: The Geomagician
Mar. 6th, 2026 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ankh_hplSo who needs dragons when you can hatch a pterodactyl?
Jennifer Mandula's The Geomagician is a richly imagined, solidly researched historical fantasy with both heart and brains. Set in an alternate Victorian England, it features a fictional version of the very real Mary Anning, a humble but self-educated fossil collector and paleontologist. Fossils, it turns out, make excellent storage vessels -- reliqs -- for personal magic, which everyone has to some extent. Unfortunately, the poor often have no choice but to sell their magic to survive. Significant portions of England's Industrial Revolution are fueled by this . . . which, of course, has inspired radical reformers.
Mary steps into the thick of it after she lets the Geomagical Society of London know about her newly hatched pterodactyl, Alex. Toothy, cute, and possibly imprinted on her, the critter may be her ticket to membership in the Society (despite her inconvenient gender). Or it may trigger a series of other adventures -- bringing her to the attention of the Church of England's Inquisitors in the process. And reuniting her with the lost love of her girlhood, who has scientific / political ambitions of his own.
When Mary comes to London (with Alex) the plot shifts into high gear. There's a secret lurking at the heart of the Society she wants so much to join -- and a radical reformer or two among her friends. At every turn, Mary faces questions of loyalty. Does she advance her own ambitions, or support other women? Does she side with her lost love, or her conservative mentor?
There's a lot going on in this novel. Adding magic to a society in the throes of science-based change doesn't simplify anything -- but that's part of the fun. The more the reader knows about Mary Anning and her times, the more enjoyable the read is likely to be. ( Even a quick Wikipedia check enhanced my time with this book.) Recommended for urban fantasy enthusiasts looking for something chewy and different, or anyone fascinated by paleontology.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jennifer Mandula's The Geomagician is a richly imagined, solidly researched historical fantasy with both heart and brains. Set in an alternate Victorian England, it features a fictional version of the very real Mary Anning, a humble but self-educated fossil collector and paleontologist. Fossils, it turns out, make excellent storage vessels -- reliqs -- for personal magic, which everyone has to some extent. Unfortunately, the poor often have no choice but to sell their magic to survive. Significant portions of England's Industrial Revolution are fueled by this . . . which, of course, has inspired radical reformers.
Mary steps into the thick of it after she lets the Geomagical Society of London know about her newly hatched pterodactyl, Alex. Toothy, cute, and possibly imprinted on her, the critter may be her ticket to membership in the Society (despite her inconvenient gender). Or it may trigger a series of other adventures -- bringing her to the attention of the Church of England's Inquisitors in the process. And reuniting her with the lost love of her girlhood, who has scientific / political ambitions of his own.
When Mary comes to London (with Alex) the plot shifts into high gear. There's a secret lurking at the heart of the Society she wants so much to join -- and a radical reformer or two among her friends. At every turn, Mary faces questions of loyalty. Does she advance her own ambitions, or support other women? Does she side with her lost love, or her conservative mentor?
There's a lot going on in this novel. Adding magic to a society in the throes of science-based change doesn't simplify anything -- but that's part of the fun. The more the reader knows about Mary Anning and her times, the more enjoyable the read is likely to be. ( Even a quick Wikipedia check enhanced my time with this book.) Recommended for urban fantasy enthusiasts looking for something chewy and different, or anyone fascinated by paleontology.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review.
