Conjuring Zephyr

by D. Lieber

A woman disguised as a man. An all-male magical university. What could go wrong? Centuries after a ragtag group of scientists and their believers took refuge underground, humans have far surpassed their hopes of mere survival. Terrenus is now a prosperous civilization, where manners, polite society, and well-ordered magic reign. But not everyone is following the rules. Kai Stephenson lives in this oppressive society, where gender roles determine what magic women can and can't do. Her curious mind and bold ideas always seem to lead to trouble, but this time she's going all out. Rather than attending the finishing school her parents think they're sending her to, she enrolls in the most prestigious magic university...an all-male university. The fact that she must masquerade as a man seems only a minor inconvenience, at first. But in a society with strict rules on how the sexes interact, Kai's inexperience with men leaves her entirely unprepared. If she gets caught, her dreams are over, and they'll force her back into a life where she can barely breathe. If she succeeds, she'll change Terrenus and magic itself forever. Magic, societal pressures, and sexual self-discovery converge in this urban fantasy romance.

Genres: Fantasy

216 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2016

About the author

D. Lieber is an urban fantasy and sci-fi author with a wanderlust that would make a butterfly envious. When she isn’t planning her next physical adventure, she’s recklessly jumping from one fictional world to another. Her love of reading led her to earn a Bachelor’s in English from Wright State University.

Beyond her skeptic and slightly pessimistic mind, Lieber wants to believe. She has been many places—from Canada to England, France to Italy, Germany to Russia—believing that a better world comes from putting a face on “other.” She is a romantic idealist at heart, always fighting to keep her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds.

Lieber lives in Wisconsin with her husband (John) and cats (Yin and Nox).

Reviews

[Naiha Abid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the idea, exciting and unusual. Once you start you wouldn't give it up but I felt like the world and the characters could be dealt with in details.
At times I knew that I was reading a story and not living it which seems like something was missing with the writing.

If Lieber decides to write more of the world, history and geography, specifics, I'm definitely going to get a copy for myself.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the world becomes too cold for humans to live in they move underground to start a new world. In this underground world magic is discovered and is used in their survival but rules upon using it are set upon the humans.

Girls are taught and trained in using magic for homely things like making clothes or cleaning; girls are no not capable of learning more advance magic. But one girl Kai Stephenson is determined to prove otherwise by enrolling into the all-male university.

Kai disguises herself as a boy in order to attend the school. She doesn’t think that anyone will discover her secret with her boyish figure but she is sadly mistaken when a group of boys who become very good friends find out her secret.

Everything seems to be going down the right trek until some of the boys become attractive to her but by this time they have found out her that she is not a boy but there is one guy who doesn’t know that she is a girl but is ok with her being a boy. Kai now has a group of boy vying for her hand while she is trying to keep her identity a secret. Can she hide who she truly is or will her secret be exposed?

Come join Kai on her adventures of discovering magic and boys and herself as well. Conjuring Zephyr will take you on a magical ride one that you will enjoy tremendously. I would recommend Conjuring Zephyr to anyone who loves a great magical story that is filled with magic and adventures.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. The characters were real and interesting, with the story going so far as to give them all a unique cadence to their speech. The magic system was interesting and unique, with elemental magic being geared toward an almost yoga, tai-chi style discipline. The story has a definitive feminist message that is expertly done, present but not overpowering. Finally, while the main character is definitely a prodigy, you don't have the cliche where they instantly master everything.

There was just one thing that didn't really work for me. In the second and third act a love triangle (rectangleish later on) develops that doesn't really gel for me. The sexual scenes of her discovering self-pleasure and eventually getting with a guy, while well done and steamy enough to make you blush, seem to come out of left field at the beginning of them. Not to mention that such a love triangle would blow her cover and result in the end of everything she worked for.

Yet, despite that one flaw, Conjuring Zephyr is an amazing, character driven story that draws you in and never lets you go. Highly recommended.

[John Easom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic with a Distopian Shakespearian twist.

So cold mankind has to excavate and live underground. A discovery of mind blowing proportions to advance science but spoilt by male dominance to pre-Pankhurst proportions. Enter Master Will's idea of dress up gender swap so that male only University attendance can stretch to the more capable female. Good fun! Read it.

[Kelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Underdeveloped

Interesting story, but underdeveloped world, characters, intentions ... ugh, and simplistic plot. Abrupt actions without adequate explanation, everything was just too pat and easy.

[Stephanie Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting, thrilling and fast-paced... I loved it! From relatable characters to deep friendships, this novel was so good that I couldn't put it down. I only wish it was longer!

[Laura Lassiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like the concept of Avatar the last air bender but want a grown up twist, read this. D. Lieber gives us a new take on how humans will adapt to a post apocalyptic ice age. This story, like her other book, shows that a strong female character can overcome obstacles in a society that represses women's natural talents while not turning into a male bashing story line. Having the main character and her male counterparts explore their sexuality along with their developing control of their magic leaves me waiting for the next step in Kai's education. How will her world react when girls start using their magic in ways they never thought they could, only D.Lieber knows.

[Liubov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting unusual story! The characters are real and it was fun to follow the development of their relationship. But I had not enough description of Terrenus, it would be interesting to know more about history of this world and its structure.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting premise - but I'm not sure it works as an underground place - I think it would have been better to set it on a different planet or some type of problem which caused people to find "magic".

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, New Adult-type romance with high stakes and post-apocalyptic fantasy! Short and makes for a great day read!

[Marsha Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the story. Great characters and their interaction was so much fun! Different than most of its genre- Very unique and loved that it didn’t have a cliff hanger ending.

[Maria (a)]

DNF @ 7%. She's immediately made by her roommate and doesn't even panic?! Not buying it.