Tomes of Spellcasting--The Oathbound Wizard

Tomes of Spellcasting

Welcome to the land of mystery, where the impossible is possible, and the improbable the reality. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with magic and meet the souls that wield this wondrous powers.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: The Oathbound Wizard
Author: Christopher Stasheff
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1993

Her Majesty's Wizard, Matthew Mantrell, has spent three years loving his queen, Alisande of Merovence. But a commoner can't marry a queen, can he? Infuriated by his situation, he swears a dark and forbidding oath. It was an oath sworn rashly in anger, perhaps, but while it might mean nothing in the world of his birth, in this alternate universe it is a binding agreement...and Matt finds himself set on the path to overthrowing the evil sorceror king of Ibile, Gordogrosso, in hopes of winning a throne of his own. Unable to retreat, Matt resigns himself to fate and begins his campaign to topple the evil dictator. But what can one man--even one so puissant as the Lord Wizard of Merovence--do against Gordogrosso's legions of evil? Call upon allies from all time and space, perhaps, even to summoning the Spirit of Mischief, the people of Ys, and Robin Hood and his band of freedom fighters and outlaws. But can even such fearsome and accomplished warriors as these stand against the thousands of black-hearted soldiers and scores of evil sorcerors under Gordogrosso's command?

The Oathbound Wizard is a great sequel to Her Majesty's Wizard. As we might expect--and eagerly hope--Matthew Mantrell isn't permitted to simply sit back on his laurels and enjoy peace and prosperity. That would be absolutely boring. Instead, he gets himself in trouble and he really has to work to get himself out of it. After all, how interesting would it be if he simply stepped in an conquered Ibile? No, the hardships he must face are what make the book--and the character--so interesting.

I like the way the author brings together bits and pieces of the "real" world's history and literature, and does it in such a way that it seems smooth and natural. And some of the logic that couples with these real-world interjections is excellent. For example, when Matt calls upon Hop o' My Thumb--a.k.a. Hobgoblin, a.k.a. Puck, a.k.a. Robin Goodfellow--he expects someone larger than the scarcely inch-tall sprite that appears in his palm, but in that world he's called "Hop o' My Thumb" so he appears that way, being small enough to actually hop over someone's thumb. Regarding Matt's summoning of the Grendel now...I really enjoyed that, because Beowulf is one of my favorite Old English poems, so I know about it!

The Oathbound Wizard continues the Wizard in Rhyme series. Christopher Stasheff does an excellent job of further shaping a world very close to our own (which is the one Matt originally comes from) that is yet not our own. Overall, this book is an excellent successor to Her Majesty's Wizard, and a definite must-read!

Rating: Thumbs up! Wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins...and seeing the trouble Matt got into, I can believe it!

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