MAGIC'S PAWN
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Novel Rationale: Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey (Published by Daw Books, Inc., 1989)
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Vanyel Ashkevron, a hopeful musician, is sent by his overbearing (homophobic) father from his home where he doesn’t fit in. He goes to live with his Aunt Savil, in Haven, the capital of Valdemar and hub of the country’s magical education. Alone and marginalized, Van’s only hope is to become a Bard. When even that hope is dashed, it is Savil’s openly gay protégé Tylendel who helps Vanyel begin to fit in and discover his own sexuality as he starts to respond to the love that he so desperately wants. Following Tylendel’s death, Van’s magic is awakened and he is Chosen to become a Herald—one of the magical guardians of the Kingdom. Despite his initial reticence, he realizes his magical potential and hunger to protect people when he responds to a village’s cries for help.
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Themes:
Coming Out
Bildungsroman/ Coming of Age
Gay
Homophobia
Acceptance
Romance
Identity
Family
Magic/ Fantasy
Connection to the Curriculum: Magic’s Pawn is exemplary in this field of literature because it is one of the few young adult novels with gay characters that is situated in the fantasy genre rather than fiction. Along with discussions on genre and novel form, students will have the opportunity to discuss a true bildungsroman and explore the traditional levels a boy must go through in order to become a man—as Van does by the end of the novel when he accepts both himself and his duty as a Herald. The novel’s unique setting and characterization will add to student’s learning of novel form and structure, and the issues it brings up, such as performativity, discovery of self identity, young adult romance, and child-parent relationships, will accompany these discussions.
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A Note on the Text: (The best way to evaluate and understand a novel is to personally read the book in its entirety)
Vanyel’s story is such that he must endure many hardships on his journey to become an adult. This novel contains scenes of suicide, attempted suicide, prostitution, and sexual references. As a novel in the fantasy genre, it also contains the use of magic as a metaphor for sexuality and power. After working his way through the trials he must face, Vanyel eventually comes to understand and accept his identity as well as becoming a working member of his society.
