A Wizard In A Feud [Mass Market Paperback]

Christopher Stasheff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2002

When Gar Pike—the Rogue Wizard—and his traveling companion Alea land their ship on a planet harboring a lost colony to do some minor repairs to the ship’s computer, they decided to take some time for shore leave, and explore. It’s not long before they meet one of the indigenous life forms of the planet: Fairies.

As Gar and Alea explore more of the world and meet more of the inhabitants, they quickly come to realize that every clan is feuding with their neighboring clans. Though everyone secretly wants peace, nobody will listen to those with the courage to preach it, those who have been sent into exile for wanting everyone to get along.

Posing as traders and healers, Gar and Alea team up with the Fairies, the Wee Folk, the Druid priests, and two particularly courageous exiles to reintroduce the abandoned Druidic religious tradition to the people and, hopefully, reintroduce peace to all the clans.

Under the nom de guerre of Gar Pike, renegade psychic wizard Magnus D’Armand travels the stars fighting injustice and oppression, like his father, Rod Gallowglass, the Warlock in Spite of Himself. But unlike his famous father, Magnus refuses to play by the rules, sowing the seeds of freedom and revolution throughout the galaxy.

When Gar and Alea land their ship on a planet for computer system maintenance, they aren’t expecting to run into Fairies, Wee Folk, Druid priests, and feuding clans transplanted from Scotland and then forgotten. Can they, along with two courageous exiles and the psychic powers of the Fairies, and Wee Folk, bring peace and order to this world?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this delightful blend of fantasy and space opera, the ninth in Stasheff's (The Warlock in Spite of Himself) Rogue Wizard series, Gar Pike and his colleague, Alea, must reunite a lost planetary colony, apparently consisting of Scots, who no longer possess the parts, fuels and know-how to keep a technological civilization going. While the colony has spread, society has broken down into constantly warring clans equipped with muskets. Add to this mix two intelligent, alien species, each with six limbs. In the more evolved species, the fairies, two of the limbs have become wings. Their ground-dwelling cousins, elves, are equipped with two sets of arms. Fairies, elves and humans exist in an uneasy truce. The humans have learned to avoid the deep forests, while the fairy and elves avoid the farms and the ill-kept roads threatened by outlaws and traveled mainly by peddlers and priests of a religion that has largely fallen into disbelief. On occasion lovers from feuding clans take up residence near the fairy mounds or clearings protected by the aliens' psychic powers and herbalism. The various conflicts and plot twists will keep new readers happily turning the pages, while established fans will probably find of most interest the evolving relationship between Gar and Alea. The author of several other series (Starship Troupers, the Warlock's Heirs, etc.), Stasheff shows once again that he's the master of easy, entertaining fantasy.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gar Pike and Alea are back, with Alea no mere sidekick but a formidable partner in the effort to eliminate tyranny on one planet after another. The latest planet to receive their ministrations is inhabited by basically decent people who have a murderous tradition of feuding from which they can find no escape. The local aliens, who appear to the humans as "fairies" and "elves," play a key role in breaking the deadly cycle of violence and revenge, though not without functioning collectively as yet one more deus ex machina. Detailed depiction of local society, the planet's people's awareness of the price they are paying, the characterization, and the strong Celtic flavor of much of the story all raise the novel well above the level of other recent volumes in Stasheff's Wizard series. That is just as well, because neither Stasheff nor his readers are likely to wind things up before Gar and Alea do something about their growing mutual attraction. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy; 1st edition (February 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812541529
• ISBN-13: 978-0812541526
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,408,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wizard in a Rut - aimed more at those following the series, September 13, 2001

By 

Erich Mohr "Arandil" (Sonoma County, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wizard in a Feud (Rogue Wizard) (Hardcover)

Please do not take my header the wrong way... I love Stasheff's many series, and will continue to buy hardbound copies as they are released, sight unseen. I would never turn aside a new reader, but I would never recommend this particular title as a jumping on point either.

Magnus and Alea are continuing on their now joint quest to alleviate suffering throughout the lost colonies... that is, they are looking for worlds that have degenerated into an oppressive socio-economic society that has no chance of bettering it's people. Magnus and Alea attempt to move the society in whatever direction would most benefit that particular planet. The series started out by making the point that Democracy was Good. It then proceded to show that other forms of government are just as valid provided there are controls in place for each type... socialism, conservative theocracy, matriarchal oligarchy, etc... what works best for THOSE PEOPLE, regardless of what form it may take.

This time around, Magnus and Alea find a society broken into clans much like the Scottish Highlanders, but with a more Hatfield & McCoy feel. The clans are in constant conflict with one another, while fearing the native "elves" and "fairies", and the remaining Druids try to spread a message of peace that no one can believe anymore.
As in the last book, Evanescent (the great big cat-like Esper from 'A Wizard and a Warlord')seems to be more in charge than just tagging along for the ride, Magnus seems to become ever less powerful, and Alea grows stronger. On the up side, we are given another glimpse into the growing relationship between Alea and Magnus, and the very real psychological hurdles that Magnus has built. Alea is more likely to understand where they are in their relationship before Magnus ever gets through his own barriers. And there are ever more hints of Magnus' desire to go home, if only to visit and rest up.

To sum up... love the series... plot dwells less on protagonists abilities than on their function as tools for their silent partner. I DO appreciate the pacing of the growing relationship between the two leads, the woman will usually figure out the obvious before the guy EVER gets a clue. By the same token, the previous two books have hinted at Magnus' return to Gramarye... will the next deliver? I hope Stasheff has not exhausted all the avenues he wished to explore with Magnus, but I would enjoy a less stagnant Magnus who once again solves problems on his own, with support and ideas from Alea, and let Evanescent just WATCH this time. The cat is nice, but it is too much a ghost in the machine. Get Magnus home for the wedding.

Again, do not start the series here... go back a couple of books. Thank you for your attention, you may resume browsing...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the Feud of the Gods, December 6, 2002

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Wizard in a Feud (Rogue Wizard) (Hardcover)

Wizard in a Feud (2001) is the ninth SF novel in the Rogue Wizard series. While these stories don't have the glamour of A Wizard in Spite of Himself, the author has kept up the interest fairly well for such a long series.

Another world, another problem. When Herkimer, the robot, has a memory fault, Magnus and Alea land on the first livable planet. The planet seems to have been settled by Scots and to have achieved an early 19th century level of technology. Rather than stay on board, Gar -- AKA Magnus -- and Alea are quite happy to have shore leave after 4 months in space.

As they hike through the woods, they encounter foot high winged humanoids, the fairies, who question them and let them go. Later, Gar meets the elves, a related species without the wings.

Gar and Alea meet many of the clan folk, and some outlaws, and begin to understand the situation. Of course, the problem is feuding, with each clan afraid to stop unilaterally. Moreover, the clans outlaw any of their folk who are too different or make too much trouble, and they consider talk of peace as troublemaking. Naturally, Gar, Alea, the wee folk, and Evanescent, the stowaway guardian, combine to bring peace to the planet.

The story is interesting even if improbable and totally illogical. It is nice to see that Alea is beginning to trust her own abilities and to see Magnus in a romantic light. Recommended to all Stasheff fans and anyone who likes light fantasy with a touch of humor.

-Arthur W. Jordin

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read in this excellent fantasy series, June 27, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Wizard in a Feud (Rogue Wizard) (Hardcover)

Herkimer, the computer system that controls his space ship, informs Magnus D'Armand and his traveling companion Alea that a malfunction is occurring within the CPU. Memory is failing so rather than risk the problem spreading into the life support systems, Magnus heads to the nearest planet that can support Terran life, an apparent lost colony that Herkimer cannot recall from the database.

Because of the price on his head, Magnus becomes Gar Pike in case the isolated inhabitants of Oldeira has a SCENT or two on this planet, remote as that possibility seems. Upon landing, Herkimer's the problem rectifies itself sending a chill up Magnus' spine due to the speed and timing of the correction. On the planet, Gar and Alea begin to meet the local population starting with fairies. Soon the duo realizes that the planet abounds with feuds between clans reminiscent of Old Earth's Scottish squabbles. As Gar and Alea try to spread peace and democracy among the people, someone else seems to be evanescently manipulating the scenario from the shadows.

The head wizard of the galaxy Christopher Stasheff provides his myriad of fans with the latest Rogue Wizard novel. A WIZARD IN A FEUD is a delightful story that takes outer space travelers Magnus and Alea into a seventeenth century Scottish environment with otherworldly creatures to spice up the environs (and plot). Though fans will want the personal relationship between Magnus and Alea to pick up steam, The Wizard In Spite of Himself crowd will enjoy Mr. Stasheff's latest fantasy.

Harriet Klausner