Book Review: Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
11 October 2009 – 4:21 pm
I really loved the setting for this story. Wrede took events in American history and changed them to an alternative universe, much like Diana Wynne Jones did with her Chrestomanci books and British history.
The story takes place in the (pseudo) nineteenth century American western frontier. Magic is a daily part of life for most people and the challenges of the frontier include stampeding mammoth herds and worse. Years before magical geniuses Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson created a barrier to prevent these dangerous denizens from crossing the Mississippi, oops, Mammoth River, but settlers are still eager to take on the challenges of the new land.
Summary: “Eighteen-year-old Eff must finally get over believing she is bad luck and accept that her special training in Aphrikan magic, and being the twin of the seventh son of a seventh son, gives her extraordinary power to combat magical creatures that threaten settlements on the western frontier.”
I really hope that Wrede is considering a sequel or two in this setting. I recommend this book for young readers and all readers.
