Wizard of the Pigeons (Mass Market Paperback)

by Megan Lindholm (Author), Robin Hobb (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Author
Although long out of print in the US, Wizard of the Pigeons has been re-issued in the UK by HarperCollins. (ISBN 0007112564) For this and other newly reissued Megan Lindholm books, visit Amazon.co.uk.

Thanks!

About the Author
Megan Lindholm also writes as Robin Hobb. Robin Hobb is the author of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Trilogy, and the Tawny Man Trilogy.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ace; 1st edition (January 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441894674
• ISBN-13: 978-0441894673
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #966,874 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Magic Among the Homeless, May 18, 2004

By	Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This week I want to talk about a book that is often hard to find, but one of the finest urban fantasies written. I refer to Megan Lindholm's WIZARD OF THE PIGEON. At a convention panel on magic, it was suggested that there were no mixes of magic and socialism in fantasy literature. I brought up this book as possibly the only socialistic treatment of a magic system (at least outside of a socialist country).

The book centers around the title character who is a street person. Apparently everyone with magic ability is a street person. Everyone's magic is different and none is better of worse than another. There is no one in charge. You just go to the person who can do what you need. The story sets up the characters and the world setting very nicely and quickly. Then our protagonist becomes hunted by a horrible monster.

I will leave it to the reader to determine if the story has a happy or sad ending. I personally found the ending to be rather sad. Whatever you decide, it is a very enjoyable and though provoking urban fantasy in a slender volume and I recommend it to anyone who can handle the concept of magic in a modern setting.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, haunting book, June 30, 1999

By A Customer

Wizard of the Pigeons is an exquistely written book. It's well crafted, perfectly carried out. Also read her other books under the name Robin Hobb.

Summary on the back cover:

The other street people called him Wizard. He just wanted to be left alone.

He came back from Vietnam thinking he'd left its evils behind forever; he never wanted to feel the intoxicating rush of battle again.

But something wicked was drifting through the streets, a black magic that threatened the entire city--and only Wizard had the power to stop it.

Soon he would have to make a choice: To stand and fight, or turn and run. To be a wizard, or just a man.

The time had come to choose...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow paced, but well written, April 4, 2004

By	Lacey Savage (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

At a time when so many fantasy novels are rehashing the same plot, it was delightful to stumble upon such a different story. The concept is intriguing. The main character, Wizard, is bound by the rules of magic. He must not carry more than a dollar at a time, he must always tell the truth as he knows it, he must remain celibate, and he must feed and protect the pigeons. If you're thinking that the first and last rule make him sound like a lot of the homeless you encounter on big city streets - well, that's the idea.

A homeless Wizard. One who has an interesting way to help people. He doesn't cast spells, but he knows things. People talk to him, and what he tells them is helpful, accurate, and always insightful. Then a mysterious, shadowy figure from his past re-emerges and threatens to destroy not only Wizard himself, but the entire city as well.

Though beautifully written, WIZARD OF THE PIGEONS is a very slow paced book. A lot of time is spent on exploring and learning about the characters, and during this time, they don't really do much. Wizard, however, makes one bad choice after another, while constantly doubting himself, until I was ready to either throttle him or throw the book in frustration. The ending is anti-climactic, and quite disappointing as well.

Still, despite its obvious faults, I enjoyed reading this book for the simple reason that it's an excellent example of wonderful writing. Great descriptive passages and intriguing themes abound, but if you like your fantasy fast paced, this book won't satisfy.