⋙ Libro Paper Mage Leah R Cutter 9780451459176 Books

Paper Mage Leah R Cutter 9780451459176 Books

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Paper Mage Leah R Cutter 9780451459176 Books

I read this book originally when Roc released it, and am glad to have a kindle copy at last! I re-read it over the weekend, and admit to confusion over reviews that call the protagonist out on her passivity. Really? The protagonist of the book is stunningly non-passive to my eyes: she leaves the house of her family, learns to work magic, and then heads out onto the road to guard a caravan, during which she endures great hardships and does some rather heroic, epic things (and very cleverly, at that). Is merely longing for an expected life, one with communal ties and understandable merits, now a sign of passivity? Does wanting to have a spouse and children instantly pigeon-hole you as some kind of meek wallflower with no independent thoughts of your own?

In all honesty, my only problem with the book isn't a problem at all... it's that it's aimed too well at a Western audience. Cutter presents the protagonist's choice as just that: a dichotomous choice. She can have one thing, or the other, but it's a clearly stated either/or situation... one very well set-up to appeal to a Westernized audience who is going to want the protagonist to make the choice they would make in her situation. I thought that was clever of Cutter because it does make the book more readable and more enjoyable to an audience reared on traditional fantasies with Westernized notions of independence and choice... so I was very surprised to hear so many people complaining that they didn't see the choice at all!

I suppose "stay home and have a family" isn't considered enough of a valid choice for a lot of people for it to have registered.

Whatever the case, I thought Paper Mage was delightful. I loved the setting, I thought Cutter did a lovely job with the magic and the "adventures" that Xiao Yen overcame--which she mastered in a fashion that reminded me of myth, with cleverness and foresight rather than brute strength and force of arms--and I even liked the flashback structure, despite not having a taste for it usually. If you're looking for an enjoyable afternoon read and are tired of your fantasies feeling like Celtic/German mash-ups, definitely pick this book up.


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Paper Mage Leah R Cutter 9780451459176 Books Reviews

Back in 2003 or so, I attended a Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention and had the privilege of meeting Leah Cutter and talking with her for a few minutes. We both had an interest in Ancient China, and she told me about her new book, Paper Mage. I bought it. I read it. I loved it. I kept it.

The other day, I was in the mood to read something different, saw her book on my shelf, and remembered how much I enjoyed it years ago, and then realized I couldn't remember how it ended. So I picked it up to read again. Fortunately, I live alone, and if I spend time reading instead of cleaning, cooking, sewing, or any of the other mundane things one must do, no one cares! Had I picked it up earlier in the day, it would have been a one-sit read. Again.

Xiao Yen is the protégé of her aunt, Wang Tie-Tie, whether she wants to be or not. Wang Tie-Tie is a bit unusual in that when she became a widow, and had no men to look after her, she became head of the house and ran the business. She made all decisions regarding the family, and when a Paper Mage came to town to start a school, she sent her youngest niece to learn. It isn't that Auntie was being generous, it was that Auntie had an ulterior motive.

Xian Yen must learn to fit in, or at least accept, her world as different from what girls are brought up to believe and is traditional. She must work in the male world of magery. She is, more or less accepted at school, but when she graduates and goes out on her first assignment, she truly comes of age. And begins to understand that luck is not something that is given or taken away, but is something that is made.

If you are not familiar with the culture of the time, you might not realize just how difficult it was for Xiao Yen to be filial and honor her family—Auntie, Mother, Elder Sister—and to also learn she had her own life, and was capable of living it.

I had remembered enough of the story to know I loved it once, and had forgotten enough of the story to fall in love with it all over again. In fact, the ending was a total surprise to me!

If you like history, fantasy, and well-told stories, buy this book, read this book, and review this book. It's truly a marvelous read.
been lookin for this book for ages, as it is not sold in any store i have been to in the last few yrs.... I was super siked to find it here and at such a great price as well.

This book has been a favorite of mine since highschool
I liked the story being told, but it's both long and somewhat stagnant to read. It shifts back and forth between the past and present, which I admitted to liking once I figured out it was doing that, but character development doesn't really appear over the course of the story in any significant manner for the main character.
I read this book originally when Roc released it, and am glad to have a kindle copy at last! I re-read it over the weekend, and admit to confusion over reviews that call the protagonist out on her passivity. Really? The protagonist of the book is stunningly non-passive to my eyes she leaves the house of her family, learns to work magic, and then heads out onto the road to guard a caravan, during which she endures great hardships and does some rather heroic, epic things (and very cleverly, at that). Is merely longing for an expected life, one with communal ties and understandable merits, now a sign of passivity? Does wanting to have a spouse and children instantly pigeon-hole you as some kind of meek wallflower with no independent thoughts of your own?

In all honesty, my only problem with the book isn't a problem at all... it's that it's aimed too well at a Western audience. Cutter presents the protagonist's choice as just that a dichotomous choice. She can have one thing, or the other, but it's a clearly stated either/or situation... one very well set-up to appeal to a Westernized audience who is going to want the protagonist to make the choice they would make in her situation. I thought that was clever of Cutter because it does make the book more readable and more enjoyable to an audience reared on traditional fantasies with Westernized notions of independence and choice... so I was very surprised to hear so many people complaining that they didn't see the choice at all!

I suppose "stay home and have a family" isn't considered enough of a valid choice for a lot of people for it to have registered.

Whatever the case, I thought Paper Mage was delightful. I loved the setting, I thought Cutter did a lovely job with the magic and the "adventures" that Xiao Yen overcame--which she mastered in a fashion that reminded me of myth, with cleverness and foresight rather than brute strength and force of arms--and I even liked the flashback structure, despite not having a taste for it usually. If you're looking for an enjoyable afternoon read and are tired of your fantasies feeling like Celtic/German mash-ups, definitely pick this book up.