Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke 
 Rating: (Reviewed in January 2017) 
 Two gentlemen's attempts to restore Magic in nineteenth century England should have been captivating but the length of this novel prevented it. The alternate history was quite an admirable undertaking, but too massive for a single novel, much to the detriment of the story. The reader only rarely witnessed any magic, which was disappointing because Gilbert Norrell's and Jonathan Strange's exploits were of great interest, especially their involvement in the Napoleonic Wars. The novel focused instead on their disagreements and various publications, and on the agendas of their 'friends', which were not as interesting. The main story arc built itself slowly but the ending was certainly the best part of the novel, finally offering some much needed developments. 
 "[Mr Norrell] hardly ever spoke of magic, and when he did it was like a history lesson and no one could bear to listen to him." 
 - Volume I Mr Norrell, Chapter 5 Drawlight 
 "'Can a magician kill a man by magic?' Lord Wellington asked Strange. 
 [...] 'I suppose a magician might," he admitted, "but a gentleman never could.'" 
 - Volume II Jonathan Strange, Chapter 29 At the house of Jose Estoril