Short Book Reviews: Physician to the Fae Plague

The Memory of Water (Magorian & Jones Book 1), by Taylen Carver (Stories Rule Press, 2020)

Despite a confusing and completely unnecessary prolog, this book drew me in. A plague has swept the world, killing most of its victims but transforming the survivors into creatures such as goblins, angels, sirens, and dragons. Feared and reviled by the human remnant, these “Errata” are hunted and corralled into reservations. In one such sanctuary, Michael Jones, a physician, devotes himself to treating the plague victims through the all-too-often-fatal metamorphosis. This is despite or perhaps because of the death of his family at the hands of the early Errata. The struggle is often futile, so Jones ends up teaming up with Ben Magorian, an honest-to-goodness wizard, although not the most easy-going person. Despite their incompatible beliefs, Jones’s entrenched skepticism, and Magorian’s antisocial attitudes, the two team up to thwart an even deadlier menace.

Once the story got going, I kept turning the pages. I loved the idea of medical approach to an essentially magical transformation. The various Errata races and their abilities, as well as the individual struggles (or not) to retain their humanity not only fascinated me but raise questions of ethics and compassion. I had a little trouble accepting that most people would so strongly reject their neighbors and family members for getting sick, or would not be curious, eager to have conversations with mythic-appearing creatures or to exploit them in movies, promotions, and the like (human greed at work). That’s my primary criticism, yet I was able to take such rejection and prejudice as a given in this world and go along with the story. I’m a sucker for wounded, conflicted heroes, and Jones was just that. This is the first of a series of the “Magorian and Jones” novels.