Author Mikel K. Andrews captures the outdoor feel and texture of the North Shore in his book Coming of Mage. He also brings the reader the passion of Quinn Sullivan, a young man in love with Emma, a promising alchemist. Quinn is normal in every way except that he is a wizard who spends his summer between freshman and sophomore year working for minimum wage in a ski resort for wizards. To learn more, pick up the book from one of our local bookstores or purchase it from Amazon.
It isn’t such a stretch to imagine a North Shore with magical creatures since sightings of moose, wolves and other wildlife is certainly awe-inspiring. However, the author of Coming of Mage, Mikel Andrews, takes the idea a step further, populating a community that is strikingly similar to Cook County with mages, alchemists as well as inepts, otherwise known as non-magic users.
Quinn Sullivan is a first-year college student who, like plenty of other college kids, has no money, no car, and a lot of homework to catch up on before heading back to school. While working at an off-season ski resort for wizards during his summer break, Quinn is busy leading basilisk tracking excursions and going on canoe trips with glowing flametail krill trailing his canoe.
His real goal for the summer is not, however, to earn money for college nor get caught up on his spells with his friend and mentor, Babbit. Instead, he is intent on moving beyond the friend zone with one of his only friends at the resort, an alchemist named Emma.
Although Emma currently sees Quinn as “just a buddy,” he has a plan to move beyond that. Discovering that Emma needs a solistone, a very rare and expensive gem in order to study alchemy abroad in England, Quinn decides to find her one.
Unfortunately, Quinn’s self-appointed mission forces him to team up with his nemesis, a task Quinn describes as “Belittling! Humbling. Prostrating. It was downright torture.” Along the way, he also becomes friends with Tristan, a magus with his own set of unique and valuable skills.
Another difficulty that makes the task nearly impossible is that Quinn also needs to find a base material for the stone, which may or may not be guarded by a magical creature that most believe to be extinct, but which Quinn has spotted near the resort. Despite the many obstacles, Quinn’s resolve remains.
Andrews does an excellent job creating his magical world while also maintaining the spirit of the North Shore. Mixed in with magical happenings and creatures, there are very typical resort traditions like canoe trips, barbecues, and sweatshirts. There are also a few landmarks that will undoubtedly ring some bells for people from the area.
While it is fun to see familiar settings in this fantastical adventure, the array of characters and a suspenseful plot are two additional qualities. Quinn Sullivan is a strong protagonist with whom readers can relate and sympathize as he sets aside his own desires and leaves his comfort zone far behind all in the interest of helping out a friend.
Coming of Mage is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores as well as local independent bookstores.
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