Matthew Hughes first introduced Margolyam, a young sorceress with great potential, in Cascor (you can read my review here). Margolyam decides to attend The Institute of Hermetic Studies to become a thaumaturge and learn more magical spells. However, her professors discover that Margolyam has a rare ability: she’s a “Tome-tickler.” Margolyam can open ancient spell books that other thaumaturges couldn’t access. This creates problems for Margolyam when her enemies frame her.

Two of Margolyam’s professors at The Institute, Vinciano and Quist, approach her with a proposal: if she will accompany them to Olliphract–a city of thaumaturges, wizards, sorceresses, and magical beings–they will reward her with more lessons and magic spells. Margolyam accepts their offer and finds Olliphract a bizarre city completely surrounded by mountains. Vinciano and Quist begin their experiments with Margolyam’s powers, but they attract a cunning thaumaturge, Fatezh, who also wants to use Margolyam’s powers…for nefarious reasons.

Margolyam’s adventures include meeting Skyrie, a magician from the Past aeons. Skyrie created a magic artifact, The Hat, that can totally destroy Reality. Margolyam needs to find The Hat before other thaumaturges find it and annihilate everything.

Matthew Hughes has the gift of creating worlds where magic makes sense in the hands of quirky magicians and sorceresses, some Good and some Evil. The wild adventures his characters undertake are both thrilling and intense as they confront challenges and dire perils! Margolyam is an imaginative and heartfelt story of a young girl learning about the power and dangers of her talents. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Foreword — vii

1. The Touch — 1
2. Nescience — 43
3. The Institute — 88
4. Olliphract — 135
5. The Hat — 172
6. The War — 201
7. Skyrie — 233
8. The Boyfriend — 271

Epilogue — 302

Acknowledgments — 307

Bibliography — 309

A Note from the Author — 311