Wizards & the Warriors (Chronicles of Age of Darkness) (Chronicles of An Age of Darkness 1) [Hardcover]

Hugh Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1987 | Series: Chronicles of An Age of Darkness 1 (Book 1)

The Confederation of Wizards is forced to put aside its long-standing historical dispute with the inhabitants of Rovac. Instead, both must join together in a common cause, to prevent the utter destruction of their world. They face two perils: the Swarms, and a power that turns living things to stone and brings rocks to life. ""Cook writes with grace, vividness, and a fair amount of wit."" - Booklist. ""A nonstop fantasy adventure...recommended for fantasy collections."" - Library Journal. ""This first volume...proclaims a talent worth watching."" - Publishers Weekly.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 351 pages
• Publisher: Colin Smythe (December 31, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0861402448
• ISBN-13: 978-0861402441
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,076,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Stuff, August 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Wizards & the Warriors (Chronicles of Age of Darkness) (Chronicles of An Age of Darkness 1) (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best I've ever read in my life. It's definitely the best piece of fantasy out there, apart from the other volumes of the 'Chronicles of an Age of Darkness' Series, especially the 4th and 10th. If You're bored by all the regular fantasy novels from various authors i won't mention here, where everything is black or white and the structure and course of action are so clear that You know everything in advance, this will genuinely cheer You up again! The characters don't seem to be constructed and are vivid and realistic. Things happen as if by random, which makes the book so thrilling to read. However the plot doesn't end up in total chaos, but always leads to certain crucial events in the history of the world. It is seen from a different point of view in each of the 10 volumes and the stories may entwine. The different heroes interact: They meet and talk to each other, they fight each other or join in a common cause for a while. So a person who appears only shortly in a former volume may be the hero in the next, or former main characters casually appear in a later volume. This fascinating feature can not be found in any other fantasy series I know of. It really makes me sad that the series seems to end with the 10th volume. I'd give a year of my life to read more of it (especially about the south searcher plot and the Skull of The Deep South). So if you ever happen to read this, Hugh, write more! Or if You're a reader and know Hugh or his email address, pester him with pleas for more ;)

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The start of something good, December 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wizards & the Warriors (Chronicles of Age of Darkness) (Chronicles of An Age of Darkness 1) (Hardcover)

Despite the name (which is effectively 'Generic Fantasy number one'), this book is an excellent read and the introduction to what is possibly the best fantasy series yet written. If you're tired of the typical cliched rubbish (I mention no names but take a bow 'The Belgariad'), you will really enjoy this. (By the way, if anyone else in the world has noticed that there are actually NINE types of wizard, please confirm that it's not just my imagination). In conclusion, silly name but great book. Just read the first few pages and you'll be hooked -

'It was Phyphor's birthday. He was 5736(?) years old. He saw no cause to celebrate.....'

For more, read the next 500 odd pages.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Wizards and the Warriors, September 28, 2006

By 

not4prophet (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wizards & the Warriors (Chronicles of Age of Darkness) (Chronicles of An Age of Darkness 1) (Hardcover)

Because it's so tough to find Hugh Cook's books in America, I've pursued this series in an awkward order, reading the second, third, and fourth books before getting to this one. This may perhaps give me a unique experience, since I some of the key events in "The Wizards and the Warriors" before I read the first page. Nevertheless I found this novel a treat, packed with action, bizarre magic, larger-than-life characters, and conflicts to match. I wouldn't praise it to the moon; it has its ups and downs just like all of Cook's novels. But ultimately I think this is his best work so far.

I'll cover the downs first. Hugh Cook is a poor world-builder. He doesn't flesh out the various locales or the societies we encounter along the way. Every city seems more or less like every other. The pacing is very unbalanced, as we may spend twenty pages hunting crabs for food and then rush through some vitally important developments in a few paragraphs. And there are some highly likeable and engaging characters who just drift out of the story, never to be seen again.

On the up side, we have, well, quite a lot. "The Wizards and the Warriors" is a story of awesome scope, and the sequence of major events is developed with great creativity. You never know what will come next. Of particular note are an epic journey on an underground river, and the final encounter with the Orders of Wizards at the Castle of Controlling Power. Cook breaks the standard rules of narratives, bravely disposing of important characters at unexpected moments. The magic is another high point. I desperately want a magic green bottle of my own.

The characters steal the show, however. Cooks eye for human nature is keen. He understands well how a person's behavior changes in extreme circumstances, often in unpredictable and illogical ways. To that end, "The Wizards and the Warriors" is filled with oddball turns of events. The central character, Morgan Hearst, passes through many stages on his journey, from brave and foolish, to brave and ruthless, and finally to true heroism at the end.