Too Many Magicians by Randall GarrettMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this novel. (Technically, it's in the middle of an omnibus edition, but it's novel length, so I'm reacting to it on its own.) There's so much to like--an interesting setting, capable and engaging characters, a tricky mystery, and plenty of action.
Set in a sort-of England and France in the 1960s, the story takes place in a timeline where the Plantagenant kings never lost the throne and continued to control France as well as Great Britain. The technology lags about a century behind ours, but they excel at magic instead. This empire includes all of North and South America, though it seems to be less colonized than our world. In addition to his detective skills, Darcy--the Sherlock-like figure who is the main investigator here--is tough and good with weapons, making him a decent action hero, and although he cannot himself do magic, his partner--a good Dr. Watson stand-in--can and does. They are an effective team.
Throw in a few mysterious deaths, spies and double agents from the rival Polish Empire, and some practitioners of black magic, and you can't miss.
Something about the whole vibe of this novel and related short stories just really works for me, and I enjoy it. (As a result, I scored it quite a bit higher than the average. Not sure why some others didn't like it as well, but that's how it works.) I wish there were a bunch more novels, but we are not so lucky. I'll have to be satisfied with the chunky omnibus which still contains 6 more short stories I haven't read yet.
This probably is best for those attracted to alternate timeline stories and/or steampunk novels, especially mysteries, though it straddles several categories.
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