The Dark Hand Of Magic [Hardcover]

Barbara Hambly - (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Publishing; 1st edition (1990)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000PS46ZM
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good ending to a great series, June 5, 2003

By 

Steven Sammons (Auburn University, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dark hand of Magic (Unschooled Wizard 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Barbara Hambley's Sun Wolf series is one of her best, and this book is a thrilling end to it. Sun Wolf returns to his old troop of mercenaries to help them against a dark wizard who is bent on their destruction. Again, a vividly written book where the characters are just like you and me. Multiple themes run through this book, some of the more prominent ones include things we all face as human beings. Sun wolf returns to the group of people (like family) he recruited, trained, and led for 20 years as a mercenary, but now he is a wizard, not a merc. Also, he is no longer the leader. Each character must deal with those changes in their own way, and Hambley is up to the task of showing us that the question, "Can we ever go home again?" is as real to mercenaries and wizards as it is to you and me. Hambley again displays her skill at both fantasy and mystery here, as Sun Wolf struggles to find out who put the curse on the troop, and why. The climatic finish is worthy of high fantasy, and will grip the reader to the thrilling end. The aftermath is bittersweet, and satisfying. I encourage fantasy fans everywhere to find the three books of this series and read them. You won't be disappointed, and I suspect they will find their way into your library to read over and over.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Memorable characters, December 11, 2010

By 

Pulchritude - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Hand of Magic (Paperback)

This third book in the series about Sun Wolf and Starhawk is perhaps not as good as the first, but is still an entertaining read. The book concentrates heavily on Sun Wolf as he tries to cope with his newly acquired magical powers and newly discovered love for Starhawk. In the story, he is called back to help his old mercenary crew fight off a curse that has beset them during the siege of a town. Faced with his old crew, Sun Wolf discovers how much he has changed.

The plot of the book is good (although I felt that the end dragged a bit) but it's the characterization that truly sets this book apart from most works of fantasy fiction. The characters in the novel are very human and not always lovable. The complexity of Hambly's main characters makes the novel memorable.

The novel does feature a few scenes and descriptions that are grim and disturbing. The book contains a horrifying scene of the murder of a young girl and frequently references rape. Thus, it is certainly not for the younger crowd and I would not recommend it to anyone under 16.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic - Magic and Morality., February 4, 2000

By 

Mark Lamont. (Winchester, England.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Hand of Magic (Paperback)

In this book, the erstwhile wizard Sunwolf and his lover, Starhawk, find that even when they are trying to find a teacher for 'Wolf's talent, the way is treacherous. Their old friends in the mercenary company are in trouble from a powerful wizard and ask for Sunwolf's help in defeating him. Faced with past loyalties and the need to find a teacher, Sunwolf dubiously accepts in the hope of placating both sides of the conflict. A Dark Hand of Magic deals with both magic and morality - a curious yet nevertheless attractive basis for a book.