Young Writers Society

“When there is a battle to be fought, it is you who can choose the place of the battlefield.”

Thus says Cheveyo: mage, teacher, the first person in Thea's life to remain unimpressed by her lineage as Double Seventh, the seventh child of two seventh children. From birth, great things were expected of Thea, gradually replaced by puzzled disappointment as it became evident her magical abilities are, at most, minimal. Now, with Cheveyo, Thea has begun to weave herself a new magical identity, infused with elements of the original worlds where Cheveyo and others like him walk. But back home, she attends the Academy, the one school on earth for those who, like her, can't do magic. It is at the Academy that Thea realizes she will indeed have to fight, since her enemies are hungrier and more dangerous than she thought. What's more, her greatest strength may be the very powerlessness she has resisted for so long.

That is what the front flap inside the library's copy of Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage (ISBN: 978-0-06-083955-0) said when I picked it up from the shelf. It most certainly interested me.

Eventually, I read the entire novel. The storyline was intriguing. The girl, Thea, was destined by the laws of her universe to be a powerful magician, but was unable to do such simple tricks as transforming a metal cube into a metal sphere, one assignment she is given at school early on in the book.

Thea's older siblings, all brothers, are varied: some treat her with superior disdain, while others treat her like a sweet little girl. She is distraught at the look in her father's eyes as she can see his disappointment in her lack of magical ability shining through.

The beginning of the story took place in a desert, very different from the highly-magical, advanced world in which the opening scene of the novel is set. Alma Alexander's descriptions of the desert landscapes are stunning. The world Thea inhabits moves from a vaguely familiar, almost futuristic setting to a mystical world of ancient native gods, simple lives, and a road that she just can't seem to find.

Unlike other typical fantasy stories, there are no dragons to slay or, in contrast, to ride; no witches and warlocks flying around, waving their wands; no inherent elemental magical abilities; there are no elves or dwarves to be seen. The universe Alexander has created for Thea and her companions is utterly unique and absolutely stunning. Even the separate races that co-inhabit the world with the humans are unlike the typical inhabitants of fantasy worlds.

You guessed it. No elves. No dwarfs.

Fantasy fans will definitely enjoy this amazing novel. Many will recognize themselves in Thea. I know I recognized this underachieving teen whose parents expected worlds of greatness from her. If you're looking for a fresh breath in the fantasy world, check out Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander in your local library or on Amazon.com today.