Even mages are human. And humans make mistakes. That was the thesis for Tane Carver’s senior dissertation at the mage school (which got him expelled in disgrace) and it is the underpinning for his livelihood. The flaw in all magic is the mage who casts it.
Lead character Tane Carver is very, very good at analyzing magic and spotting flaws but has no magical ability. Tane scratches a modest (very modest) living examining spell diagrams for flaws and advising how to correct problems and gaps in wards.
The Flaw in All Magic opens with the dean of divination at the mage school asking Tane to consult on a murder that could not have happened. One of Tane’s old friends is murdered in a locked lab, secured behind wards that prevent anyone unauthorized to enter. So how did someone gain access and who is the murderer?
The Flaw in All Magic combines a bit of whodunit with interesting fantasy elements and fun characters. Tane is a bit much sometimes, way too smart and not always truthful. Of course, as the hero, he bends the truth to save the day. Tane is irksome when he gets on his soapbox and author Dobson is good enough writer to keep these soliloquies to a minimum.
Author Dobson did not stint on creating even minor characters with personality. Indree, Tane’s old girlfriend and now a leading light in the local police, is fairly predictable yet believable, as are the nasty villain and the university leaders.
The best character is Kadka, half orc and half human, an extremely rare type of individual. She left her orc homeland because they saw her as human, and wandered the human countries for a while, finding they saw her as Orc. Now she is in Audland Protectorate, the one country left from the breakup of the Mage Empire centuries before that encourages magic and welcomes folks of all species, from goblins and orcs to elves and sprites. Kadka is in love with magic, seeing the wonder in what the mages do and the beauty in the magical workings.
Kadka has a fairly simple philosophy; if threaten anyone I care about then I will smash your throat in. That is extremely useful when she teams up with Tane to solve the murder and along the way finds a threat to her adopted country and indeed to everyone. Kudos to Dobson for writing such a novel blend of innocence, wonder and badassery.
The Flaw in All Magic is an enjoyable read, well written with complex backstory, good pacing and solid characters. The writing is good, with a few clumsy moments, as when Tane explains to Kadka how things work to bring us readers into the backstory.
I’ll most likely look for the sequels.
3+ to 4 Stars
Leave a Reply