Unreal Alchemy

I have discovered the Belladonna U(niversity) series and, oh, it is my new favourite! Urban fantasy about Australian uni students who are connected to the university indie rock band, Fake Geek Girl.

These stories are funny, geeky and romantic, with great chapter titles and lots of fandom references. They employ different points of view and different narrative styles in a way that’s really effective.

I love the characters, who belong to three overlapping groups:
- Fake Geek Girl, consisting of Holly (singer), Sage (drums) and Juniper (cello);
- the Manic Pixie Dream House, where Holly shares a flat with her twin Hebe and Hebe’s internet friend Mei, and Sage lives upstairs with artist Dec and legacy student Ferdinand Chauvelin; and
- the show more so-called Basilisk Kings, Ferd and his childhood friends/fellow magical royalty, Viola Vale and Jules Nightingale.

They're a a bunch of young adults and between have a variety of romantic/sexual relationships and feelings between them, but some of their friendships and familial relationships are important and intense, especially Hebe and Holly’s relationships with each other and with Sage, and Viola’s friendship with Ferd.

This collection contains four stories (novellas?).

“Fake Geek Girl”: I think of this as Hebe’s story, perhaps because it begins with her meeting Ferd, perhaps because she’s the inspiration for many of Fake Geek Girl’s songs. But it’s also about why Ferd moves into the Manic Pixie Dream House and an argument Holly and Sage have about the future of the band.

“Unmagical Boy Story”: Viola has feelings about one of her best friends having lost his magic, transferred colleges, moved into a share-house and found a group of new friends.

“The Bromancers”: Fake Geek Girl and friends spend a weekend at a magical music festival; things don’t go to plan.

“The Alchemy of Fine”: The story of how Holly started the band, told in a series of scenes in reverse chronological order. It would not be a strong way to write a prologue but it absolutely works for a prequel.

From the chapter 'Hebe + Phoenix Boy = OTP' in “Fake Geek Girl”:

“He was like -- magical royalty. Posh foreign accent. There may have been a silk shirt and a phoenix tattoo. Antique sigils on a pendant. And -- you know.” I shifted uncomfortably. “Muscles.”
The boys who are interested in me once they get to know me are not boys who look like that.
Sage rolled his eyes at me. “He’s a fan of the band, Hebes. That means he’s into your brain.”
“I’m not in the band,” I said sulkily.
“Half our songs are about you, dimwit. You basically ARE the band.” show less

This collection is adorable, and it works as an example of the whole is more than the sum of the parts -- according to my records, I've read all four of the pieces contained within, although I actually only have memories of three of them.

But I've just chewed through the whole collection, and reading in a clump makes them more enjoyable (and the rather abrupt endings for at least two of them much easier to deal with -- because there is more to read!)

Fandom references, geeks galore, music and magic and university students learning about life and love. In an Australian setting.

Although I do have one quibble: this Australian absolutely walks around a campsite barefoot.

My ebook has a cover saying it is book one of Belladonna U. But the book itself is a series of very short stories about the same main group of college students with (or without) magic. Most of the characters were pretty cool, but unfortunately they didn't really do much development. Events were a bit bizarre (magic) but the core group of friends somehow had each other's backs. I won't seek out more from this author because the characters were so static.

This book was awesome, and I love it to bits! Super fun collection of linked novellas of a semi-famous indie rock band at a magical university. Man this was so good. Plus, my name is in the back in the acknowledgements.