Customer Reviews

The Exploits of Ebenezum: A Malady of Magicks, A Multitude of Monsters, and A Night in the Netherhells

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3 star:		(1)
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Difficult to review. I really liked this book when I was a kid, and in a fit of nostalgia I sought out a used copy to read it again. It brings back memories of junior high, sitting around on a Saturday afternoon eating pizza, drinking Jolt cola and playing Dungeons & Dragons with my nerdy pals. Good times. But my personal fondness aside, I have to admit upon re-reading that the book technically isn't very good. If I'm rating based on how much I "like" it, I would give it four stars ... but if I apply the same harsh standards I apply to books that are NOT linked with happy memories of my youth, I can only give it three stars.

The story in a nutshell: Ebenezum is (in his own estimation) the greatest wizard of the Western Kingdom. His bumbling adolescent apprentice, Wuntvor, is the first-person narrator of the tale. One day Ebenezum accidentally summons (and must fight) a rhyming demon named Guxx. The aftermath of their battle leaves the wizard with an incurable allergy to magic. Whenever magic is nearby, he sneezes uncontrollably. Ebenezum and Wuntvor set off on a journey to the great city of Vushta, where - hopefully - the College of Wizards will be able to cure his malady. On the way they meet a series of silly characters and unlikely mishaps & adventures.

This is very much a product of the 1980s. It's a swords-and-sorcery fantasy adventure crammed with jokes, corny dialogue, puns and slapstick. All of the standard fantasy tropes are taken for granted; there is no attempt to justify them or build up a detailed alternate reality. There was a spate of "funny fantasy" series back then (Myth Adventures and Discworld come to mind instantly) and the Exploits of Ebenezum was just another lesser-known contribution to the genre. The story is amusing enough, but it has no real depth. The characters are interesting but they all speak in the same voice. It's a quest adventure and therefore very episodic, more of a sequence of events than an actual plot. A few of the humorous situations are genuinely funny, most are merely whimsical, a few may leave the reader staring in bewilderment. The writing comes across a bit juvenile, though I don't recall any overt claims that the book was written for children.

Unless you are in the 8-14 age bracket, or you read and enjoyed stuff like this when you were that age, I can't call this a must-have book. I like it, honestly, and I'm glad I have my own copy again (after my mom got rid of my old one in a yard sale) but when I look at some of the other books I have awarded 4 stars, I can only give this one 3. Sorry, Ebenezum.