"Mother of Learning"

Not the actual cover art for this month's review

"Mother of Learning" is a fantasy novel with an original premise. Zorian is a young wizard studying at the premier academy of magical arts in his homeland's capital city. As he returns to school for the fall term, Zorian is unaware of political machinations taking place behind the scenes, and he soon finds himself trapped in a time loop he can't control. The novel was originally published in serial form by amateur writer Domagoj Kurmaic, Dickens-style, but I read the whole work in about six weeks — which is coincidentally about how long it took me to get through "Great Expectations."

Something that made Kurmaic's work stand out to me is how well-realized the world is. There are about a dozen different political factions and scores of supporting characters major and minor. Each have their own goals and contingency plans, do not wait for the main character to act, and respond believably to any changes he causes to events taking place during the time loop. A big part of the novel's draw is thus journeying alongside Zorian as he unravels the city's layered plots and mysteries, rooting for him as he grows in both magical ability and his personal character, and learning about what's at stake and what Zorian must sacrifice to ensure a good conclusion.

Verdict: part "Harry Potter," part "Groundhog Day," and entirely fun, "Mother of Learning" is a delightful time-traveling wizard mystery romp. Highly recommended.