Waiting on Wednesday: The Far West

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

The Far West (Frontier Magic #3)

Patricia C. Wrede

Expected Publication Date: August 1st 2012

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia C. Wrede, the fantastic conclusion to her tale of magic on the western frontier.Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child...but also the seventh daughter in her family. Her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful double seventh son. Her life at the edge of the Great Barrier Spell is different from anyone else's that she knows.When the government forms an expedition to map the Far West, Eff has the opportunity to travel farther than anyone in the world. With Lan, William, Professor Torgeson, Wash, and Professor Ochiba, Eff finds that nothing on the wild frontier is as they expected. There are strange findings in their research, a long prarie winter spent in too-close quarters, and more new species, magical and otherwise, dangerous and benign, than they ever expected to find. And then spring comes, and the explorers realize how tenuous life near the Great Barrier Spell may be if they don't find a way to stop a magical flood in a hurry. Eff's unique way of viewing magic has saved the settlers time and again, but this time all of Columbia is at stake if she should fail.

Why
When I decided to start participating in Waiting on Wednesday I knew there were three books I really wanted to post up: Palace of Stone, Bitterblue and The Far West. Patricia C. Wrede's Frontier Magic Series is a series that crept up on me and stole me away with it's amazingness.


Of all historical fiction, Oregon Trail, Orphan Train and Lewis and Clark related stories have always been my favourite. The frontier has always entranced me. What Wrede does and create an alternate reality of historical fiction. The series takes place in America during the time of westward expansion, but there is a twist: there is magic in this world (And the area we know as America is called Columbia in their version of the world). Magical creatures and wizards inhabit this version of the world. The world building is absolutely fantastic, and it is this world building that makes waiting for this next book so hard. Wrede is very careful to only reveal a little bit each book, go a little farther west. I want to know so bad what new creatures they will discover, and I know there's something big and bad coming.


If you have not had the pleasure of reading this series, go read it! The series starts with Thirteenth Child which is a pleasant introduction to the world and the main character, Eff, grows so much in both the first and second books. If you love fantasy, adventure, stories of magic or the wild west, you will love this series.