The Councillor

January 18, 2021
Beaton’s slow-moving fantasy debut follows a volume of poetry (Unbroken Circle) and a PhD thesis on Shakespearean drama—and these influences manifest clearly throughout the saga of Lysande Prior, an orphan swept from indigence to be raised in the Eliran palace. When Lysande’s royal mentor, Queen Sarelin, is assassinated, Lysande, now 22, becomes the Councillor, tasked with selecting the next ruler of Elira. Elira is ostensibly a post-magical realm, the land’s former rulers, the elementals, having been ousted by humans with magic-neutralizing handcuffs. Now the last elemental power player, the White Queen, is suspected of Sarelin’s assassination. But no one suspects Lysande’s addiction to a magical potion, supplied by an elemental friend. Thus, while Lysande seeks the defeat of the White Queen, she’s equally driven to protect everyday elementals. This premise is typical of high fantasy, but the language, pacing, and relentless imagery—black roses, writing quills, and the colors gold and green feature prominently—are of a different order. In dense, occasionally overwritten prose, Beaton excavates Lysande’s inner life, sometimes at the expense of worldbuilding, which is maddeningly slow to cohere. The pace accelerates and stakes become clear once Lysande’s foil, Luca Fontaine, arrives in the mix—but it’s a long wait. Readers will need to be patient to get to the goods. Agent: Julie Crisp, Julie Crisp Literary.

Starred review from February 1, 2021

DEBUT Lysande Prior was an orphan of the White Wars before she was plucked up as companion to Iron Queen Sarelin Brey herself. Scholar and the queen's closest friend, Lysande leads her life by Elira's motto: Everything in its place. Yet when the Iron Queen dies suddenly, Lysande is thrown into the position of Councillor, the one who must decide who the next ruler of Elira will be from the city-rulers of the realm. Faced with learning about this group should not be difficult; however, Lysande is also trying to investigate her beloved friend's death, which she thinks was the result of magic. Dealing with her addiction to chimera scale only adds to the struggles Lysande faces, as it is revealed that the magical White Queen is gathering power against Elira, including a traitor hidden within the group. Only when the truths are revealed will Lysande find a way to face her questions and own thoughts of power. Beaton's worldbuilding, character evolutions, and morally gray decisions make this story incredibly nuanced and smart. VERDICT A skilled debut of politics, secrets, and magic that will grab readers from the start.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

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