Customer Reviews

The Wizard's Son

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some books are fantasy and other books are novels placed in a fantasy setting. This first novel by Kathryn Ramage is indeed set in a wondrous, rich and beautiful fantasy setting.

And it's a quite well done novel of a boy's coming to age (first major part is set when the protagonist is a young boy, next half is set when he's a older teen, then there's a short afterwards when he's a young adult), the story of a boy who loses his mother at a young age, then is swept off to live with his powerful father. The boy goes from a waterfront slum to a huge castle, slightly reminiscent of Gormengast.

The characters are realistic and well done, with deep and well crafted emotions and conflicts. There's romance, loss, love, reconciliation, anger, and much more.

It's set in a alt-hist world of Norman England, a world where magic, rather than technology rules. This reminded me of the Lord Darcy series a little.

And yes, the Father is a great and powerful wizard (he reminds me a bit of Elric), and Orlan, his son (the protagonist) has great magical potential. We see part of Orlans magical training, and a few instances where his father wields his magical power.

But- there's no dragons slain, no princess rescued, no epic battle scenes, no worlds saved from a Dark Lord. Thus, this may be a very good book for those tired of the "same-old, same-old" and who would like a good novel that has a fantasy setting.

I have rcvd a copy for review.

"If you will know any magic, you will know this: a word has power." So explains the most powerful wizard to his inquiring son at the beginning of The Wizard's Son, a novel that is lyrically written and artfully balanced between historical presence and magical place. This isn't Harry Potter because of more adult themes, and while not as complex as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, readers are introduced to an alternate earth with mystical settings, engaging characters, emotional conflicts, dark forces, and a quest. Fantasy buffs will relate to this beautifully crafted story and unique treatment and be eager for a sequel.

In the world of wizardry, the sins of the father are weighed heavily against the son. "The Wizard's Son" is the story of Orlan Lightesblood, a son of one of the most powerful wizards in the world. But being born under a wizard is no easy task, as the training that lies ahead of him seems to be a drop in the barrel for the enemies he will inherit. "The Wizard's Son" is an exciting fantasy, highly recommended.

As a very young child Orlan the main character is removed from the world he knows to live with his father the greatest Wizard in the world. This story takes us on the journey of watching Orlan grow in his apprenticeship with his friends and relatives and the paths he chooses to take.

First off I really enjoyed this book. It had that feel of being a great fantasy book about a young wizards journey but dealt more with the actual trials and tribulations any person deals with in life than just magic. From learning to deal with peer pressure and alcohol to youthful love and exploration, but also the responsibilities of magic and power. Looking forward to another book in what I hope will become a series.

i found this book engaging from the first page. I really got in touch and could feel with the characters. A very interesting novel. From my perspective it was in its own category among the many fantasy and magic novels that are among us. I felt that it had its own style that was written in such a captivating manner that I could not put the book down. But as I was saying before, the novel was not such that I felt the plot line was cliche or anything like that, it was very original. Almost a coming of age tale. Overall this book was a wonderful read that I am glad to have the privilege of reading it.

Following the posting of my review of Storylandia 1, which the editor of Wapshott press called "fair minded and honest", I received a request to give Wapshott Press another chance. I always intended to do that, but had no idea the opportunity would come so soon. I chose The Wizard's Son because I've long been a fantasy fan, and because it looks so good.

The first attraction of this novel is the lovely cover, with a view of the wizard's castle on the front, done in shades of red and black; absolutely perfect for this novel - but it doesn't stop there. The story synopsis available on the publisher's website set the hook before I ever got my hands on the book. The Wizard's Son is not simple fantasy with a single story arc. Instead it is a complex story that examines several issues in depth through multiple plot lines in the non-linear story. These issues include but are not limited to good versus evil, human nature and self restraint.

This novel does not disappoint, yet there is room for improvement too. While the characters introduced in the early part of the story are nicely developed, those who come along later are a bit flat. For instance, Orlan Lightesblood's wife and daughter are important to him, yet we are not allowed to know them well... Still, we have a tightly woven, well-told story with interesting and believable characters which is well worth the time it takes to read.

Recommended to fantasy fans ages 14 and up. This review has been simultaneously posted on Amazon.com, Dragon Views, Library Thing and YA Books [...]. The Wizard's Son was provided to me by the publisher free in exchange for this review.

this is one of those stories about a teenager that rebels against his father / master / teacher . Usually the character spends some time acting out and doing something stupid then waking up and learning from his experiences . Afterwards you have a character that goes on to do whatever . In THIS story the first part of the book we are shown how he grows up feeling second best and often ignored then most of the rest of the story he rebells and parties and so forth . At the very end he grows up and realizes that he has wasted a lot of time for little purpose . I would recommend waiting to see if there is a sequel , then you might want to read this one . It wasn't badly written it just needed to move along .

The first thing that captured my attention with this particular book was the scent. It was interesting, different from the standard smell of a book. I attribute this to the differences between large presses and the small press that produced the book. However, it intrigued me, and as soon as I had finished the book I was reading upon it's arrival, I began reading in earnest.

The story is fairly unique in the genre of Fantasy, neither being an Epic adventure such as the Lord of the Rings nor exactly a story of learning such as Harry Potter, despite having elements of apprenticship and learning within it. It is a coming-of-age tale, with a well written non-linear structure that allows Orlan, the wizard's son, to move from childhood to adulthood without the narrative being required to jump between interesting points. The setting of the story, primarily the wizard's home and a nearby city, are described sufficiently well, but certain characters have the potential to be much more developed, particularly ones that are introduced near the end. This is especially true of one of the main character's love interests, whose loss results in a major decision for Orlan. The reader is not as in love with this character as we should be, and so it is harder for us to understandt that decision.

The story, despite being well written, doesn't seem to have any one particular story-arc, except the emotions and feelings of the main character. This is what sets it apart from other fantasy works, and although the idea could seem unappealing to some readers, it is a book that is well worth reading. Although it doesn't have a great physical struggle between good and evil, it discusses the issue in great depth, through the different types of magic and the tumultuous opinions of Orlan, in a way that few authors can do. In addition to this it looks at the themes of self-restraint and human nature, both difficult topics that are incredibly well approached.

While not the most addictive book that I've read, it was a highly interesting and enjoyable read, and I look forwards to reading more of the author's work.