Sorcerer to the Crown is a 2015 historical fantasy novel set in Regency London written by Zen Cho.
Zacharias Whythe leads the Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers as the first African Sorcerer Royal. As the magical protector of England, his responsibility is to judge how magic should be best used for the good of the nation. Unfortunately, England's magic is fading. Zacharias must find out why, fix the problem, and fend off attempts at deposing him. In the process of carrying out his duties, he encounters Prunella Gentleman, an ambitious and extremely magical orphan determined to escape the school for gentlewitches where she's spent her entire life that possesses seven familiars' eggs when there has not been a new familiar in England for fifty years. Prunella intends to make the most of this discovery and attaches herself to Zacharias. Together, they set off to solve the magic drain and change the nature of sorcery along the way.
Sorcerer to the Crown contains examples of:
- Born into Slavery: Zacharias was born a slave before being bought by Sir Stephen, brought to England, and freed.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Zacharias is finally able to stand his ground against his adoptive father Stephen, after Stephen is dead. And a ghost. Zacharias finds his appearing in the midst of conversations with living people most annoying, and says so.
- Contagious Laughter: When Prunella sees that the spell she cast on Zacharias's chaise to prevent him from leaving without her turned each wheel into a squash, it's all she can do to keep from bursting into laughter, and Zacharias can't help but smile at the sight of her delight.
- The Dulcinea Effect: Exploited by Prunella, who notes how Zacharias is exactly the kind of gentleman who could be easily manipulated into helping a woman who plays the role of a damsel in distress. Prunella actually needs help but exaggerates for effect as she doesn't know Zacharias (who would help her anyway).
- Familiar: A magician cannot be a sorcerer without the loyalty of a familiar.
- Historical Fantasy: Takes place in a version of Regency England with magic, fairies, familiars, and more.
- Internal Reformist: Zacharias is a type 1. He is utterly horrified by Mrs. Daubeney's school and the harmful spells used to repress the girls' powers, and immediately gets to work on figuring out how to use his position as Sorcerer Royal to reform the magical education for women.
- Land of Faerie: Fairyland can be accessed through a border along the outskirts of Fobdown Purlieu. It is ruled by the Fairy Queen and King.
- Mistaken for Prostitute: The landlady at Fobdown Purlieu's inn assumes Prunella is a prostitute.
- Muggle Foster Parents: The magically gifted Prunella is raised by the completely unmagical Mrs. Daubeney. Indeed, Mrs. Daubeney serves as this for all the girls at her school.
- Slut-Shaming: Prunella is mistaken for a prostitute simply because she travels with Zacharias (even though she is accompanied by a female servant specifically to prevent damage to her reputation), and is not even given food in the inn they stay at. When a servant questions this mistreatment, she is told by the innkeeper that a decent woman would rather have died than allowing herself to sink so low.
- Socially Awkward Hero: Zacharias is not comfortable in social situations. He dislikes parties and so embarrassed when he tells Prunella that she looks nice that he's relieved when Mak Genggang draws all the attention in the room.
