A Handful of Magic

Notes:

Victorian London is always a prime target for parallel worlds; it combines a rich variety of characters with a bustling enterprise. In this case, we have a land where magic and magical creatures are commonplace, but where technology, while still recognisably Victorian, is more widespread: steam-driven perambulators; air-borne hansom cabs; public transport dirigibles. And then the wizards and witches on brooms and carpets. Of course, the baddies of the piece are the electricity-loving scientists, while the goodies are the craft-minded magic users who are starting to seem old-fashioned.As usual with such books, the magical aspects are not terribly serious, mostly consisting of brief utility spells, occasionally concocted from the traditional ingredients. One of the major characters, Kit's Aunt Pearl, lives on the roof of St Paul's with the gargoyles of which she is the warden. As usual the religious aspect of St Paul's comes second to its role as a potent symbol of London.