Customer Reviews

Wizard's Bane

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

 

 

When William Irving "Wiz" Zumwalt, computer programmer extraordinaire, steps out his front door, and into an entirely different world, he realizes he's in trouble. In this other world, magic exists but computers don't. He feels useless here, but the great wizard who summoned him must have had a purpose for him, and, as he is an unknown factor, the evil Dark League are determined to capture him. It's a dangerous world for Wiz...But, when he discovers that working magic *can* be handled like writing a program, it becomes a dangerous world for the bad guys!

This is quite an exciting book. I must admit that when I first saw the book, I did not take it seriously. But, once I began reading, I was hooked. The author spins a fascinating story, people by interesting characters. Plus, I must admit that the author's unique take on magic was quite refreshing. If you like good, light-hearted swords-and-sorcery fantasy, then you will love this book!

I read this book under the title "Wiz Biz" and enjoyed it thoroughly. Treating magic as a science is not a new idea, but treating magic spells as if they were computer programs is a new twist to the idea. This book will appeal to the large number of computer geeks out there who also love fantasy roleplaying. I can't wait to read the other books in the series!

In the Wizard's Bane, the first of his currently 5 book series, Rick Cook starts an amazing and interesting fantasy story with a mix of computers. With a good fantasy and adventure story line he throughs in a computer programmer. This is a mix that should have been done a long time ago. Although the computer programs don't come into play much in this first novel as they do in the other it is a great building block for an excellant all around series

i got this book based on a friends recommendation.
lots of computer (esp. unix) in jokes and a fun read.
the series got better and better.
it's an easy read (i read most on two flights from SFO to ATL) so do not expect to work hard at it.

In a world where magic is commonplace, what use is an expert-level computer programmer like Wiz Zamult? The only person who knew the answer was the great wizard Patrius, but bringing Wiz to this medieval world cost Patrius his life. Moria, a beautiful red-headed hitch witch, is tasked to be Wiz's caretaker. However, Moria dislikes Wiz as much as he is infatuated with her. Somehow, this helpless stranger is the key to stopping the federation of evil wizards called the Dark League.

Wizard's Bane is not the kind of book I would've picked up on my own. However, as a fun challenge, it was chosen for me by someone whose literary opinion I've come to value highly. Plus it didn't hurt that the eBook version is free from Baen Books as part of their most awesome answer to online piracy -- eBook readers, check out the Baen Free Library. Despite not being my usual mug of ale, Wizard's Bane proved to be a lot of fun.

Mr. Cook doesn't attempt to create a complex story. It's a somewhat satirical, but straightforward good guys versus evil guys story, which proved refreshing. Especially if, like me, you're reading a lot of the dark and gritty stuff that the likes of George R.R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie have made popular. In fact, Wizard's Bane is the kind of book that's ideal for one of those picture-perfect fall days -- or in my case, a very rare fall-like late summer day -- all golden with a clear sunny sky and a gentle breeze, which sets a romantic mind to dreaming of adventure.

There's nothing about Mr. Cook's writing style that particularly stands out, but there's nothing to fault about it either. Its simplicity fits the story very well. There are, however, several missing and misspelled words that should have been caught by editing or may have stemmed from conversion to the eBook format.

What is intriguing about Wizard's Bane is Cook's idea of snatching a regular guy from Earth and plunking him down in a fantastical world where magic is a driving force behind almost everything. In addition, Wiz is a straight-up geek with no athletic ability, and his social skills are a little weak. So, as lost as anyone from our modern world would be, it's even more so for a guy whose sole talent is working with computers.

This isn't a completely original concept. Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court immediately comes to mind; even Wiz notes the similarities of that classic with his predicament. However, there's a big difference. Twain's character, Hank Morgan -- at least as I recall -- was a fairly confident guy who quickly realized how to take advantage of his (then) modern knowledge. Wiz Zamult doesn't have that luxury. In fact, the reason Wiz is such a good computer programmer is because early on in his life, he chose to master computers as compensation for his many shortcomings. Just doing the minor day-to-day chores required in a primitive world proves a challenge for him. It's believed that Wiz is to be a hero in the struggle against the League, but he seems to be a useless and dangerous burden to Moria and others.

I'm an IT professional myself. (Me, a professional? I know, my boss can't believe it either.) So this story was particularly fun for me. There's a lot of inside humor that mostly computer folks will get, especially UNIX admins or programmers, but it won't be distracting for non-technical people.

Years ago, when I studied computer electronics, this occurred to me: Deep inside all that computer hardware, where millions of teeny-tiny electric pulses pass along the countless paths in conceptual patterns to ultimately do things undreamt of mere generations ago, technology has blurred the line between science and magic. I dismissed those oddball ponderings as the products of an overactive imagination fueled by a passion for fantasy fiction. Besides, I'd rather have been reading instead of going to night school anyway. Apparently Rick Cook had similar ponderings himself, except he crafted them into a light-hearted, witty tale that's a perfect book to spend a leisurely afternoon with.

I confess that I've known Rick Cook as a friend for many years, and that can be an uncomfortable situation -- when the writer is your friend, what if you don't like the book? Fortunately, in this case that's not a problem, because I love the book. WIZARD'S BANE is a delightful read, just the sort of book that got me interested in reading science fiction and fantasy in the first place. The premise is ingenious: if magic is a computer program, then what's the language for the program? How do you master it without getting yourself killed? Even if you're nothing like the main character, Wiz, I guarantee you've known someone like him. Just read the first few pages, and you won't be able to stop until you reach the end. Fortunately -- there are sequels!

This book would make a great movie. Or even better, an HBO series. It gets my highest recommendation.

Book arrived in perfect condition, well wrapped, and it got to me in record speed. I'd buy from this seller again.

This is a stand alone book about a man brought to a world of magic by one of the strongest 'good' wizards in an attempt to counter the 'evil' wizards who are gradually winning the war.

He's a computer programmer who calls himself the 'Wiz' as that's a play on his name. When he arrives, he has no magic capabilities whatsoever, which confuses the wizard who summoned him.

One thing leads to another and he begins to learn the fundamental rules of magic and starts to correlate them with what he knows best. Computer programming. So he sets out to write a language for magic with which he can manipulate magic to help out the good wizards. When a woman he cares for gets kidnapped, Wiz decides to 'Hack the system'. It just gets good from there.

If you can find it, it's pretty good.