The School in Carmarthen

The School in Carmarthen (Школа в Кармартене) is a Magic Realism novel by Russian linguist Anna Korosteleva released in 2006. In it, a Wizarding School exists in Wales, teaching its students Celtic history of the British Isles, magical poetry, alchemy, multiple languages of varying degrees of deadness including animal languages, and cultural knowledge from all around the world. The plot… isn't really there as a unified central line; instead, smaller parable-like arcs involving different sets of characters all coexist and intertwine into a cohesive whole. The book is filled to the brim with references to Celtic Mythology and lore, as well as nods to Chinese, Greek, Roman and Scandinavian cultures.

The novel, like Korosteleva's other literary works, has been posted publicly online (Russian only) and the author refuses any book deals from publishing houses, although doesn't mind small printed editions made by fans.

Tropes used in The School in Carmarthen include:

Absent-Minded Professor: Merlin himself because of being Merlin, and Morgan ap Cerrig because of being the Art of Oblivion professor.
Adaptational Heroism: Dian Cécht from the legend killed his son Miach out of jealousy for his superior abilities, but in this book he is given a more sympathetic "I did what I had to do" motive and is full of remorse.
Artistic License Geography: The real city of Carmarthen is nowhere near the river Usk. However, the mythical Caerfyrddin, home of Merlin, was said to be there.
Brave Scot: Fingall McColm is forthright to a fault and it takes a lot to unsettle him.
Celtic Mythology
Cool Teacher: Everyone, pretty much, but special mention goes to: Eoin Mac Cárthaigh, for his "one of us" factor and keen sense of poetry; Cerwyn Quirt, for his dedication both to science and to people he loves; Dian Mac Cécht, for his impeccable bedside manner and mastery of medicine; and Tarquin Snake, for his respect for the un-alive and complete refusal to sugarcoat reality.
Dark And Troubled Past: Two mystery plotlines concern Snake's and Mac Cécht's past deeds.
Ditzy Genius: Merlin Ambrosius is an old cranky oddball, but his advice is sometimes indispensable.
Expy: Tarquin Snake is a cold, calculating, sarcastic and enigmatic chemistry teacher. He has black hair and eyes, dark clothes, morbid interests, very little tact, and a history of being the right-hand man of a genocidal overlord - although later he is revealed to be a Double Agent on the side of good (in a rather astonishing meta coincidence). His first appearance has him bursting into the classroom "like a gust of wind", letting the students know he will not play nice, and holding a dramatic pause as the class falls silent, before beginning the lesson. His first name is Latin and his surname sounds like... well, like that of Severus Snape (yes, in Russian too).
Foreshadowing: Some plot points are anticipated by earlier episodes in the story.
- In Berwyn's first scene he is watching a group of students play Transformations - a poetic game which often involves imagining yourself as the forms you invoke in your lines. He ends up mastering Tuatha Dé Danann poetry indirectly, through his transformation ability.
- Cerwyn Quirt restores Ceridwen's note from ashes despite not being supposed to, invoking the idea of "one must not violate the laws of nature/entropy" long before this turns out to be the motive behind Dian Mac Cécht's filicide.
Friend to All Living Things: Gwydion ap Cleddyf. His mentor Tarquin Snake, however, is a friend to all non-living things: fire, metals, ancient organic compounds and others.
Geas: Dian Mac Cécht must let his hair down during surgery and never cut it.
Genius Bonus: This book contains traces of… let's see… Irish, Scottish and Welsh literature, history and mythology, Chinese culture and philosophy, Greco-Roman philosophy, Germanic mythology and a looooot more.
Gentle Giant: Liutgard is sweet, polite and a literal stone giantess.
Gentleman and a Scholar: Cerwyn Quirt absolutely excels at both, being a refined aristocrat who would go to any lengths for his parents and pupils, and a brilliant and enthusiastic chemist.
Good All Along
- Tarquin Snake wasn't working for Cromwell of his own free will – he only stayed by his side to keep him from closing down Merlin's school.
- And his student whose name was to be forgotten? He adopted a penname to hide his scientific endeavours from his parents.
Good Is Not Nice: Snake is harsh and unapologetic, but knows what he's doing.
The Gump: Some students of Practical Applications attempt to change events of the past. One of them tries to stop the Battle of Hastings by talking down both armies at once, accidentally inventing the Old English language in the process.
The Hermit: Saint Collen the librarian. Even better: he was a hermit before, but retreated to the school library to get away from all the noise and commotion.
The Inspector Is Coming: A running plotline is the imminent arrival of an English ministry inspection and the necessity to masquerade (badly) as a normal boarding school.
Kindly Vet: Gwydion came to Merlin's school just to learn how to treat sheep.
Land of My Fathers and Their Sheep: The setting.
Magical Realism
Magnetic Hero: Llewelys ap Cynfarch is the heart of any party.
Malaproper: Siegfried Völsung occasionally tries and fails to show off his knowledge of Welsh idioms.
The Medic: Dian Mac Cécht, Tarquin Snake and their mutual student Gwydion.
Nice Guy: Cerwyn Quirt goes above and beyond for his first-year wards.
Obstructive Bureaucrat: The English officials looking for an excuse to shut the school down.
Public Domain Character: Many of the staff, starting with Merlin himself.
Punny Name: The English inspectors.
Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Most of the teachers.
Rhymes on a Dime: Anyone who gets immersed in Welsh/Greek/Chinese poetic traditions soon finds themselves speaking in verse.
Sapient House: All of the towers of the school have names and distinguishing features, and some of them are almost alive. One, called the Branwen Tower, even moves around the building.
Servant Race: The "khlebopechki" (lit. female bread-bakers) populating the kitchen and doing all the housework. They are treated with respect by everyone in the school and perform their duties happily and diligently.
Shrinking Violet
- Creirwy, the youngest student in the school.
- The Branwen Tower, nicknamed the Shy Tower, is a shrinking violet building.
Shown Their Work
Speaks Fluent Animal: Rhiannon teaches this skill, or rather several skills since different animals have different languages.
The Stoic: Tarquin Snake never breaks his emotionless facade.
Teacher-Student Romance: It's easier to count who hasn't had a crush on Mac Cécht or Rhiannon.
The Storyteller: Fintan son of Fíngen teaches Fomorian Lore by sitting down by the fire surrounded by the students and retelling old legends as if they were established fact. He also has spent the last several thousand years collecting Welsh family legends and traditions.
Take That: Towards Obstructive Bureaucrats, culturally insensitive researchers, and the English in general.
Terrain Sculpting: Cú Roí's specialty. Ceridwen ferch Peblig wants to learn it from him.
Tragic Keepsake: Mac Cécht's clothes are stained red in memory of his son.
Translation Convention: The dialogue and the like is understood to be in Welsh by default, unless the characters have switched to English to appease the inspectors.
Voluntary Shapeshifting: One of the subjects at the school which Berwyn is frighteningly good at. Two of the teachers, Hlodowig Nachtvogel and Eoin Mac Cárthaigh, can turn into an owl and a raven respectively.
Wizarding School: Combined with an education in culture and history of the land.
Write Who You Know: Eoin Mac Cárthaigh is based on the real Dr. Eoin Mac Cárthaigh from Trinity College, Dublin, who Anna met while studying there.
Wrong Genre Savvy: Gwydion's friends try to dig up some dirt on Tarquin Snake to expose him as the villain he appears to be. They are wrong on all counts.