Onna Gebowa is a young woman with some good deal of magical talent, a mind for numbers, and a natural knack for magical parameters, but growing up in Cordridge-on-Sea, a rural town that would never be mistaken for being progressive, her hopes of becoming a wizard lied in gaining entry to the Weltsir College of Magic, a magic school in the more urban city of Leiscourt. When she finds herself discriminated against during the examination process, she realizes that her only chance is to apply at a college of magic in the Wizarding city of Hexos, where applicants are judged on their magical potential and prowess, not their wealth or gender.
Speaking of prejudice, there have been a rash of unexplained and especially gruesome murders of trolls, believed to have been perpetrated by humans. These murders have remained unsolved and, as some trolls have attacked human settlements in retaliation, suspicion and mistrust have grown, threatening to bring war between humans and trolls and, possibly, different human towns, as each points the finger at the other as possible sources of the attacks.
Cynallumwyntsira - or Tsira, for short - is a half-troll reig who can't seem to fit in anywhere. As the daughter of her clan's leader, she feels destined to form a clan of her own, but has trouble gaining followers. That is, until she happens upon an injured human soldier, Captain Phillim Kail Jeckran, and takes him in and nurses him back to health. When the troll murders strike a bit too close to home, Tsira and Jeckran head to the nearest decent-sized human city, to get away from the attacks on border trolls and to try their hands as mercenaries.
About half of the book follows the unlikely and unconventional relationship between Tsira and Jeckran and their adventures as they seek their fortune, first trying to avoid the attacks on trolls and then, later, trying to find those responsible for the murders. The other half of the story covers the adventures of Onna Gebowa, as she makes her journey across the sea to Hexos, to fulfill her dream of becoming a wizard. She will discover that prejudice is everywhere, but that she just might be able to achieve her dreams, after all, if she's willing to put herself to the task. In her endeavors, Onna will find herself using her magical skills to attempt to catch the killer, as well.
Unnatural Magic explores some variations on gender and relationships, approaching the topics in non-traditional ways, but with differing cultures and even species making it easier to accept. How can one categorize a relationship between a human and a troll, when trolls don't, as such, have the concept of "male" or "female," for example.
The characters are endearing and the story is exciting and interesting and I would love to read another story set in this same world and to follow the continuing adventures of Tsira, Jeckran, Onna and friends. I don't know whether C. M. Waggoner has plans to expand upon the setting, but I do hope so. Either way, Unnatural Magic holds a complete and satisfying story between its covers, so if the above has piqued your interest, by all means, do give it a read.
