Customer Reviews

Wizard World

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

 

 

"Wizard World" is actually "changeling" and "Madwand" combined.

In "changeling" we reveal that Pol Detson , a son of a sorcerer , and Mark Marakson , a son of Our-world-computer-genius , have been switched when they were babies in order to prevent the murder of the sorcerer's son.

Mark grows in a world that chose to go in the ways of magic , but his machanical talents are stronger within him. He does'nt care about the reaction he gets from his surrounding , until he's almost lynched , and vows to revange.

Pol detson , mean-while , is in our world. He is an artist , a musician , a guy with a free soul and feeling he does'nt belong.

Since childhood , he had a white streak going trough his black hair. He has mild telekinetic powers , and while playing he sometimes build castles and dragons and such from smoke.

The day comes , when Mark , with the help of ancient technolegy , is becoming a real threat to the delicate balance in his world. The only way to stop him is to confront him with Pol.

Pol is hauled into this world of magic by the old sorcerer that made the switch to begin with , and is amazed. He is in the land of his dreames.

Being from a long lineage of sorcerers his powers grow. When he is recognized as belonging to that lineage he is almost lynched himself , but eventhough he's been treated horribly he decides to confront Mark Marakson in protection of civilization and in guarding the status-quo between technolegy and magic.

In "Madwand" Pol lives in his father's castle and is studying sorcery. He is a Madwand - that is , a natural magician , but he too can learn alot in matters of techniqe.

I can't reveal the plot since it's a story about how Pol is driven into the schemes and plots of the sorcereres guild , and finds out detailes about his lineage and father.

In this books you will find a marvelous interpatation to magic - a combined hallucination , based on telepathy , that makes all the "fireworks" in a strugle of will-power between psionic people.

Offcourse , when you read about Pol's "second sight" (the way he sees magic) and follow him in his understanding that every sorcerer sees magic diffrently , it's a little more exciting than reading it here.

I gave the book only four stars because I can't compare it to "Lord of light" or "Creatures of light and darkness" - those are 5 star books , but it is a very good fantasy non-the-less.

Recommended.

This book is Changeling and Madwand in one binding. You can check them for my reviews.

I won't repeat my review here, only the bottom line.

This is an early work of Zelazny's, well before the Amber series. In this book, Zelazny explored the concept of magic, of a man who suddenly comes into his magical inheritance (sounds familiar ? Corwin waking up and slowly realizing what his inheritance is) and is introduced to a magical world who is different from our mundane world.

This books is filled with magic, monsters and battling wizards.

I've already remarked that the book's only drawback is the characters who do not seem fleshed out as much as in the Amber series. Having said that, this is still a five star book who belongs in the library of any fantasy lover.

These books (Changeling and Madwand) are fantastic to read. I really don't want to give any more of the plot away than the product description already has. Changeling (the first book) is an epic tale of magic vs science/technology. Madwand picks up soon after Changeling leaves off. It leads you farther into the strange alternate world of magic that Zelazny only skims through in the first book. It was also a relatively easy read, and I breezed through it, which is normally diffucult for me to do, but Zelazny keeps the books at a fast past while somehow maintaining great detail. I highly recommend this series.

One miniscule downside. There is a decent ending to the two book series, but there will be a reason why many readers are left wanting more. Apparently Zelazny passed away before he was able to finish the third book in the series. Aside from this, you won't regret reading Wizard World.

Nothing to fancy here. It has a decent plot with ok characters. Over all its a good read that wont find a home on my shelf with better books. This doesn't rate up there with the Amber series for sure. If the author had gone into a bit more detail and depth throughout the book it would of vastly improved things. The best selling point for the book is a fairly unique look at the use of magic.

As it is its a good enter level fantasy book.