SFF

Flint and Mirror

by John Crowley
Tor. Apr. 2022. 256p. ISBN 9781250817525. $26.99. FANTASY
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Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, holds the titular flint and mirror and stands in the crossroads of history, trying to reconcile his love for both England and his native Ireland. Hugh is caught between the forces of the uncanny sidhe (who gave him the flint and try their best to manage the destiny of Ireland) and the alchemical knowledge of John Dee (sorcerer to Queen Elizabeth I, who gifted him with the mirror). With these magical objects, Hugh will be able to keep Ireland free for at least another century—instead he hesitates, and recorded history takes over.
VERDICT Readers searching for the high magic of epic fantasy may be disappointed, but those looking for small magics within a broad scope of history (in a similar vein to the work of Guy Gavriel Kay) will be enthralled by Crowley’s (“The Ægypt Cycle”) alchemy of uncanny magic, ancient science, and tragic history.
Reviewed by Marlene Harris , Apr 01, 2022
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