The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

Magician
By K.L. Noone
JMS Books, 2021
Five stars

Never have I read a book so completely filled with love and (more importantly) compassion. “Magician” is a near-archetype of a fairytale love story, but without any of the sharp edges that classic fairytales often have.
Lorre is the most powerful wizard in the world—and the last of his kind. He is living peacefully, hidden from the world, on a small island someplace warm.

Then, somewhat to his surprise, he is found by Gareth, Prince of the Mountain Marches—a small, rustic kingdom in the chilly north; a place of no great wealth and no political importance.

And somehow, Lorre abandons his self-imposed exile to follow Gareth home and to help his people.

For all that she fills her book with solid, interesting characters, these two central figures are what make this story sing. It is a full-on romance, but is far from mindless in its romanticism. Lorre, as we might expect, at over three centuries old, is a complicated person with a sometimes difficult past. We learn all about him, in bits and pieces, as he travels with Gareth northward to see what he can do.

Gareth is unremarkable, except that he is remarkable—for his persistence, for his non-judgmental appraisal of this ancient, powerful wizard; and for his determination to help the people in his kingdom—all of whom he loves as if they were family. He has no guile, no idea that in approaching this legendary wizard, he is himself becoming part of the legend.

Yes, it is a sappy love story; but it is also endearing in its open-hearted innocence and sincerity. Gareth is an impossible figure, because he has no axes to grind and no ambitions, other than to help. Such kindness is not traditionally heroic, and that completely throws Lorre for a loop.

So, as we come to understand, Gareth was apparently sent to save the wizard, although neither he nor the wizard had any idea.

I loved every minute of this, even as I shook my head in the realization that goodness like this doesn’t even exist in fairytales. Sigh.