Witch Doctor (Wizard in Rhyme, Book 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Christopher Stasheff (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wizard in Rhyme, Book 3 | Publication Date: November 30, 1994

Saul didn't have so many friends that he would give one up without a fight. So when Matt disappeared, Saul started a search that led through Matt's kitchen window -- straight into a world of magic and desperate danger!

Saul discovered that in this world, his love of verse made him a wizard. But his newfound magic earned him a dreadful foe: Queen Suettay, a false monarch without peer for wickedness and corruption. A fearsome sorceress herself, with armies steeped in evil ready to obey her every sinful command, she determined to break Saul's growing power -- or win his soul for Satan.

Fortunately, Saul earned some stalwart friends, as well: Gruesome the troll and young Squire Gilbert; Saul's own guardian angel, and the beautiful -- if unsubstantial -- Angelique. But he'd need the help of the mysterious Spider King to spin a web strong enough to trap this tyrant!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The third book in the Wizard of Rhyme series (after The Oathbound Wizard ) again features protagonist Saul Bremener, a hero so selectively thickheaded that there are several places where this often pleasant narrative seems more an excerpt from Kant's Critique of Pure Reason than a novel. Stasheff has a clever concept here: that Saul is neither good nor evil, while others in his fantasy world must be either one or the other. But he fails to make him a credible character; only a severe Calvinist could describe Saul as amoral. Saul is uncommonly dense when the author desires him to be, a trait he's not likely to share with most readers, who will find themselves way ahead of Saul in figuring out what's going on. Although he is surrounded by a crowd of well-wrought supporters--a knight, a bard, a ghost, a fairy and a delightful troll named Gruesome--Saul experiences a series of adventures that are more repetitive than suspenseful. Moreover, Stasheff's pedantry and philosophical hair-splitting rapidly become tedious.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

When Matt Mantrell, hero of The Oathbound Wizard , disappears suddenly, his closest friend, Saul Bremener, is worried. A search of Matt's apartment turns up a rune-covered sheepskin and spiders everywhere. His attention drawn to the manuscript, Saul barely feels the bite that transports him to Allustria, an alternate universe in which poetry is again the key to magic. Possessing a strong literary background and a wide streak of skepticism, Saul instantly becomes a powerful though reluctant wizard. But Saul seems to be the only means of toppling Allustria's reigning power--Queen Suettay--and freeing the people. Since in Allustria power is divided sharply between good and evil, Saul spends as much time debating ethics and his own fear of commitment as he does battling witches, and the whole tale is a shade deeper and more literary than the usual fantasy, albeit with a few lulls in the action. Yet there are plenty of plot twists to keep fans reading, and followers of the series A Wizard in Rhyme, of which this is the third installment, definitely will read it. Candace Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (November 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345388518
• ISBN-13: 978-0345388513
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Original Here, October 24, 2005

By 

Leah A. Harrington "Fantasy Lover" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Witch Doctor (Wizard in Rhyme, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is just a rehashing of The Oathbound Wizard. Nearly all of the major scenes are identical. The only difference is that they are told from Saul's POV. It's not really interesting, and I'm having a hard time reading it because it feels like like reading The Oathbound Wizard all over again. I understand that Stasheff was probably getting bored with the series, but he still could have done a better job with this one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the rest, September 6, 2002

By 

"rise6463" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witch Doctor (Wizard in Rhyme, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

My main problem with this book is that it takes Saul's POV the entire time, and to be honest, his need to contradict himself all the time just annoys the heck out of me and takes up too much space. I'm surprised Saul has a guardian angel at all actually. Narlh is the best reason to keep reading. And how stupid is Saul to never realize that Matt is the Lord Wizard of Merovence despite being told that at least 5 times in 3 days??? That one fact alone nearly made me stop altogether, till I realized Matt had to show up sooner or later so I kept on.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This author has a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor!, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Witch Doctor (Wizard in Rhyme, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is just full of wonderfully ironic happenings. The main charachter has a delightfully sarcastic sense of humor and the author relly did a good job of letting you know what he is thinking. This whole series is full of awsomly wierd creatures and the human element is definatly there. The book has a livley plot full of humor.