Customer Reviews

Wizard's Heir

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4 star:		(1)
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Despite what is written on the cover of the book, this is NOT a standard fantasy story. Liam Rhenford, the main character, has been everywhere and done everything. After inheriting a familar from a dead wizard friend and a magical house with air conditioning and an endless supply of food from a magic oven, he is set to learn magic. Then someone robs him. They steal stuff only a wizard could use. His city of Southwark is convinced that Liam is the only wizard in town, just ask anyone. Then the newest temple in town is illegally entered and the head of the temple assaulted. The head of the temple wants to fight EVERYONE. Inter-temple violence threatens. How can the two events be related? The local sheriff wants his help. Liam consults the local Thieves' Guild, but it is too poor and disorganized to help. You CANNOT guess who the thief is until the author tells you or even WHY all the running around is going on. If you like fantasy, this book is a step above the normal.

Wizard's Heir continues the tale of the adventures of Liam Rhenford and his dragon familiar, Fanuilh. Liam awakens one morning to find that three of the magical artifacts left to him by the wizard Tarquin have been stolen - but how? and why? He reports the theft to his friend, the Aedile (the Sheriff), but he has his own problems. Someone tried to rob the temple of one of the new gods in town. Liam decides to investigate his own theft because the Aedile is too busy. Little does he know that this will lead to infiltrating the Thieves' Guild, a ghost wandering around in search of his body, a master swordsman with an incurable disease, and a caged gryphon...

This was a fabulous book in that Daniel Hood continues his excellent development of characters and beautiful writing style. The story was easy to follow (maybe a little too easy...), but full of fascinating characters and descriptions. Buy the book A Familiar Dragon and get the first three books in one hardbound edition (available used online for about half the price of a normal hardbound) - it is well worth your time and effort!

Before starting this series (this is the 2nd book) I had expected an amusing light fantasy. I didn't get it but that's ok because I got something better! Hood is crossing genres with a vengence and I thoroughly enjoy it. In the first book (Fanuilh) he weaves fantasy and hard-boiled-detective. A tricky combo but well done. When I started this book I expected more of the same. Surprise! This time he whipped together fantasy and Sherlock-Holmes-style mystery! (What was so unusual about the behaviour of the Gryphon? The Gryphon DIDN'T bark in the night) I hope he continues the genre-crossing in the other books in this series. Perhaps fantasy and police-procedural is next?!?

A fun read, this book caught my attention with its clever hero and suprise ending. Overall, it is an excellent book which starts a lovely fantasy series. Read it, I think you'll like it.

This book was very cool.It really sparks the ol' imagination.Daniel Hood really did good