The Magic Goes Away

This novel was less a fantasy adventure and more an extended parable - holding a mirror up to our current world of consumerism and environmental collapse by imagining a long-long-ago world that faced the same challenges as they used up the magic in the world.

It is not a happy-ever-after tale, it does highlight the stupidity of some reactions (the world is collapsing because of overusing oil/manna? Your answer is to go and make maps so you can overuse more?) and this could be a depressing read, but it is told with wit which sweetens the pill.

Do I have any gripes, yes but not with the text - with the illustrations. I mean, I try to avoid swearing but What The ........ ? My copy was Illustrated every few pages and I think the illustrator was reading a different book to me, especially where the female character Mirandee is concerned. She is initially described as wearing blue robes, but later when they reach mountains of bundling up under woollen layers. In the illustrations her outfit.... well to refer to it as underwear would be too much....this stuff aspires to be underwear when it grows up.

Pictures aside, this weas a clever and thought provoking book.