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Od Magic
Patricia A. McKillip Book Review

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Plot Summary of Od Magic
"Grief stricken at loosing his parents, Brenden Vetch has withdrawn into himself. He listens to the unspoken language of living things, especially plants. He has gained a reputation for great skill with all kinds of plants. Then one spring day an unusual woman named Od asks Brenden to come be the gardener at her magic school. She wants him to grow things for magic. Od realizes that Brenden knows the magic of living things, even if he does not realize it himself. He agrees and a few months later he travels to her magic school. He follows Od's directions and looks for a door under a shoe sign. He enters the door and surprises the wizards teaching there. No one has entered that door since the wizard Yar, nineteen years ago. It's been even longer since Od has visited her school, so Brenden creates quite a commotion. He learns that 400 years ago Od came into the city of Numis, which was at war. She came to the king and said she wanted to start a school in his city. The king told her that if she saved the city she could start the school. So she defeated the opposing armies and started her school. Since then she shows up every several with stories about her travels, checks on the school, and leaves again. Now the school is mostly controlled by the kings of Numis, who keep a very close eye on all the students. The wizard Yar decides to keep the fact that the gardener has strong magical abilities to himself. Yar thinks that Od has sent Brenden to the school for a reason. Little does he realize the destiny Brenden has.
Meanwhile the guard, Arneth, has been assigned to investigate the rumors about the magician Tyramin. Rumor says he is staying in the Twilight Quarter of Numis. Some rumors say he is a master illusionist, others say he is practicing real magic, something the king has forbidden outside of the school of magic. The king wants Arneth to discover the truth. In order to do that, Arneth will end up needing the Princess' help, who may herself be a magician. "

Michelle, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Od Magic
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - a powerful magician
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Age: - 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Main Adversary
Identity: - society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Od Magic
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
A Faerie Ring by Michael Honeth
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
Left Horse Black by S.J. Reisner
The Aware by Glenda Larke


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Patricia A. McKillip Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Michelle  

SCHOLARS:
Zainab Iqtidar  Kevin Tolley  


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