A truly unusual happening - the creation of a sorcerer - has set the magic and wizards of the Disc all aflutter. The youngster doesn't really understand his own power, plus, he's being controlled by a not-quite-dead wizard father in the form of a staff. Things will never be the same again.
Rincewind is once again called on, as the worst wizard in the world, to be the hero. He meets up with the daughter of Cohen the Barbarian and together they're forced with the company of a very rich, very bored seriph with literary aspirations.
There's quite a bit of bickering between the crew during their quest, which I found more annoying than smart. I was much more interested in the machinations of the Librarian trying to save the living, magic books of Unseen University. And, in the magic war reforming the Disc.
It ends with things a few things unresolved - but there are 36 more books in the series.
Showing posts with label wizards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wizards. Show all posts
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
The Disc's first female wizard was created nine years ago, accidentally, and now Granny Weatherwax is fighting to get Esk the instruction necessary to control her magic. With untrained magic, anything can (and does) happen.
This one's prime Pratchett, as he knocks tradition sideways with a new world order built around a strong, determined girl wizard and her tenacious witch mentor. Esk also befriends Simon, another wizard-to-be who's also got special talents.
This one's prime Pratchett, as he knocks tradition sideways with a new world order built around a strong, determined girl wizard and her tenacious witch mentor. Esk also befriends Simon, another wizard-to-be who's also got special talents.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde
Corporatized magic for profit, professional kidnapping and ransom scams, and high-risk tourism are all factors in the fantasy quest (sorry, no, not a quest, didn't fill out the paperwork - it's just a business trip) of this novel, the third installment of The Chronicles of Kazam series.
When magician The Once Magnificent Boo gets kidnapped, our heroine and intrepid orphan Jennifer Strange turns the ransom negotiation into a multi-tasking trip to also save the world's last two dragons by locating a mythical stone for a crooked magician. And she might find a way to sneak in a date, too.
The first two books in this series (The Last Dragonslayer and The Song of the Quarkbeast) to me felt a bit incomplete ... like they were building to something. Yes, THIS is what they were building to! Fforde has found his groove with this third book, and he's not done because this one ends with the start of a whole new world for the magicians of Kazam. I won't ruin it for you.
I seriously loved this book, and I couldn't have said that for the first two. But I've really come to love these characters, and the storyline in this one is full, rich, and satisfying. Best yet!
When magician The Once Magnificent Boo gets kidnapped, our heroine and intrepid orphan Jennifer Strange turns the ransom negotiation into a multi-tasking trip to also save the world's last two dragons by locating a mythical stone for a crooked magician. And she might find a way to sneak in a date, too.
The first two books in this series (The Last Dragonslayer and The Song of the Quarkbeast) to me felt a bit incomplete ... like they were building to something. Yes, THIS is what they were building to! Fforde has found his groove with this third book, and he's not done because this one ends with the start of a whole new world for the magicians of Kazam. I won't ruin it for you.
I seriously loved this book, and I couldn't have said that for the first two. But I've really come to love these characters, and the storyline in this one is full, rich, and satisfying. Best yet!
Monday, June 17, 2013
The wonderful wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum
You think you know the story, but have you actually taken the time to read the book? I don't remember finishing it as a child, so last week I ordered the audio version at the library. I got the one narrated by Brooke Shields, and she does an amazing job. Kids will be engaged by all the voices she does for the vast array of characters, especially the ones not in the movie. Check out this version for your summer road trips.
First, this is a children's story. The conflicts are just enough to keep things interesting without leaving little ones trembling in the overnight hours. Baum's story is a captivating tale of a, seemingly, very young girl unwillingly having an adventure in a strange land. While some vicious events do occur, the story quickly moves beyond them.
Second, adults should give it a shot. If the written version escaped you in childhood, you will likely find this to be far superior to your memories of the 1939 film. Additionally, if you have become enamored of Gregory Maguire's version of events, either in print, or on stage, this will give you added background. It is fun to see just how much room Mr. Baum left for expanded ideas when writing the original story.
You think you know the story, but have you actually taken the time to read the book? I don't remember finishing it as a child, so last week I ordered the audio version at the library. I got the one narrated by Brooke Shields, and she does an amazing job. Kids will be engaged by all the voices she does for the vast array of characters, especially the ones not in the movie. Check out this version for your summer road trips.
First, this is a children's story. The conflicts are just enough to keep things interesting without leaving little ones trembling in the overnight hours. Baum's story is a captivating tale of a, seemingly, very young girl unwillingly having an adventure in a strange land. While some vicious events do occur, the story quickly moves beyond them.
Second, adults should give it a shot. If the written version escaped you in childhood, you will likely find this to be far superior to your memories of the 1939 film. Additionally, if you have become enamored of Gregory Maguire's version of events, either in print, or on stage, this will give you added background. It is fun to see just how much room Mr. Baum left for expanded ideas when writing the original story.
Monday, November 26, 2012
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
In a near-distant future, magic exists. While it's been relegated to performing boring tasks like delivering pizza and rewiring houses without tearing up the walls, it does exist and is in use - and teen orphan Jennifer Strange is the girl who schedules the work and fills out the forms to make it legal.
But it seems there are bigger jobs for Jennifer to perform - this coming Sunday at noon, for example, she's supposed to kill the last dragon in existence. Not that she WANTS to, or even necessarily WILL ... but Big Magic is afoot, and abundant soothsayers agree the visions include both Jennifer and dragon death.
The comedy is decidedly British (like Fforde's other books, and in the vein of Douglas Adams or Monty Python), and the setting is the Ununited Kingdoms. It's fairly obvious Fforde plans to make this a series - there are a lot of characters introduced here that could have a rich life down the line in another tale. And while there's a satisfactory ending to the tale, the climax of this story is almost an after-thought in the larger scheme of establishing mythology for another story.
While the main character is 16 years old (in two weeks), this story would easily be of interest to younger readers or adult readers too. Jennifer is a teen slightly wise for her years - but not dissimilar from anther magical orphan embraced by young and old alike (*cough*Harry*cough*).
But it seems there are bigger jobs for Jennifer to perform - this coming Sunday at noon, for example, she's supposed to kill the last dragon in existence. Not that she WANTS to, or even necessarily WILL ... but Big Magic is afoot, and abundant soothsayers agree the visions include both Jennifer and dragon death.
The comedy is decidedly British (like Fforde's other books, and in the vein of Douglas Adams or Monty Python), and the setting is the Ununited Kingdoms. It's fairly obvious Fforde plans to make this a series - there are a lot of characters introduced here that could have a rich life down the line in another tale. And while there's a satisfactory ending to the tale, the climax of this story is almost an after-thought in the larger scheme of establishing mythology for another story.
While the main character is 16 years old (in two weeks), this story would easily be of interest to younger readers or adult readers too. Jennifer is a teen slightly wise for her years - but not dissimilar from anther magical orphan embraced by young and old alike (*cough*Harry*cough*).
Monday, July 9, 2012
Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen
So I picked up this book because it features a quilted monster. (How could that even be scary? Oh, maybe an ugly quilt? Just kidding. It's sewn up of people!)
And then when I finished the book, I wondered if this was part of a series. This can't be all, can it? It seems like just the start of a much bigger story. But it turns out that this is all in Yolen's series ... because eventually JK Rowling wrote the rest instead. Yolen published this book, about a reluctant boy wizard named Harry who's forced into wizarding school, in 1991. Rowling published the first Harry Potter book in 1997.
Much, much too similar. And I just wasn't feeling the drama in Yolen's story like I was meant to. I wanted the original to be superior. But really, it just feels like it needs more (it's a pretty slim volume) - it feels like it should have been the first half of a longer book, or (I guess) the first book in a series. That never was.
And then when I finished the book, I wondered if this was part of a series. This can't be all, can it? It seems like just the start of a much bigger story. But it turns out that this is all in Yolen's series ... because eventually JK Rowling wrote the rest instead. Yolen published this book, about a reluctant boy wizard named Harry who's forced into wizarding school, in 1991. Rowling published the first Harry Potter book in 1997.
Much, much too similar. And I just wasn't feeling the drama in Yolen's story like I was meant to. I wanted the original to be superior. But really, it just feels like it needs more (it's a pretty slim volume) - it feels like it should have been the first half of a longer book, or (I guess) the first book in a series. That never was.
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