The Geomagician

Set in Victorian England, Mandula’s charming debut introduces an impoverished female fossil hunter who fights to gain entry to London’s upper-crust, all-male Geomagical Society. Acknowledged as an expert in geomagic, an academic field at the intersection of paleontology and sorcery, Mary Anning knows she deserves to be nominated to the Society, but her appeals have so far been rejected. After a gale storm hits her rural seaside village, Mary discovers a fossilized dinosaur egg that later hatches. She names the baby pterodactyl Ajax and hopes his existence will finally earn her a spot in the Society. Unfortunately, the Society sends member Henry Stanton, the man who broke Mary’s heart a decade ago, to investigate her claims. With Mary’s attachment to Ajax growing, she fears what will happen to him if he falls into the wrong hands, and must determine who, if anyone, to trust. As both the intrigue and second-chance romance slowly ramp up, Mary must also come to terms with her own magical abilities. The pace is sluggish, but the heroine is easy to root for and Mandula does a good job capturing the magic and snobbery of this alternate England. Readers in the mood for cozy historical fantasy should check this out. (Mar.)