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Rogue Wizard #8
A Wizard and a Warlord
During his last fight for peace and democracy on a forgotten planet, the interplanetary liberator Gar Pike somehow managed to get himself a new traveling companion: Alea, a young with a certain amount of psychic ability - and a heavy dose of attitude to boot.
Now the ship feels like it's shrinking, and Alea's always around, asking questions, sticking her nose in, and tensions are rising. But when they finally land on their next target planet, it's... strange. There doesn't seem to be ANY government to overthrow, good or bad, yet life still seems to be orderly, peaceful, and happy.
Until a forest outlaw builds an army and starts conquering villages, that is. With no government and no military, there's nothing and no one to stop him. The locals pray the mythical "Scarlet Company" will, but it's nowhere to be seen... and may not even exist.
Can Magnus and Alea alone save these peaceful people from brutal conquest? One thing is clear: when a wizard and a warlord square off, you can expect the unexpected.
Now the ship feels like it's shrinking, and Alea's always around, asking questions, sticking her nose in, and tensions are rising. But when they finally land on their next target planet, it's... strange. There doesn't seem to be ANY government to overthrow, good or bad, yet life still seems to be orderly, peaceful, and happy.
Until a forest outlaw builds an army and starts conquering villages, that is. With no government and no military, there's nothing and no one to stop him. The locals pray the mythical "Scarlet Company" will, but it's nowhere to be seen... and may not even exist.
Can Magnus and Alea alone save these peaceful people from brutal conquest? One thing is clear: when a wizard and a warlord square off, you can expect the unexpected.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2000
8 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Stasheff
105 books302 followersThe late Christopher Stasheff was an American science fiction and fantasy author. When teaching proved too real, he gave it up in favor of writing full-time. Stasheff was noted for his blending of science fiction and fantasy, as seen in his Warlock series. He spent his early childhood in Mount Vernon, New York, but spent the rest of his formative years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Stasheff taught at the University of Eastern New Mexico in Portales, before retiring to Champaign, Illinois, in 2009. He had a wife and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 15, 2021
This is the eighth book in the Rogue Wizard series, and sees Magnus/Gar trying to adapt to his new female companion while wondering how to help the citizens of an ungoverned planet. It's an amusing if light-weight entry in the series, with plenty of social satire and speculation and amusing dialog. Fun stuff, but not among Stasheff's best.
January 1, 2018
Whole series is quite light weight adventure entertainment with introduction to different political situations, characters are little bit too naive at the times and it has heavy repetition in all of the books.
November 20, 2017
This story ended up better than I thought it was going to be. I'm giving it three stars, I'll read some more in the series and see how it goes.
December 31, 2019
Quite the imaginative world - one I would enjoy going to.
June 3, 2014
@ 1.0% // "fairly glowing with rage", "fairly sizzling with anger"? Overuse of the word "fairly" does not sit well with me.
@ 48.7% // And this time the modified story is Cinderella. How interesting. I didn't realize that I was reading a compilation of folk tales from around the world with a formulaic Magnus d'Armand plot as a wrapper, but it appears that I am. Good stuff, though.
@ 64.8% // I need which MagnusGar reveals himself to be an Act Utilitarian: "I seek the greatest good of the greatest number..."
@ 72.6% // Ah, MagnusGar's new deus ex machina mental talent: the ability to instantly self-teleport. Well then. If it weren't for his self-imposed ethics rules, which seem to vary in restriction from tale to tale, we wouldn't have any plot conflict, would we? He can already command the bodies of others and the minds of others and non-sentient objects. It is a wonder he feels any anxiety at all, really.
@ 93.1% // And just like that, the deed was done. Assassination, again.
@ 48.7% // And this time the modified story is Cinderella. How interesting. I didn't realize that I was reading a compilation of folk tales from around the world with a formulaic Magnus d'Armand plot as a wrapper, but it appears that I am. Good stuff, though.
@ 64.8% // I need which MagnusGar reveals himself to be an Act Utilitarian: "I seek the greatest good of the greatest number..."
@ 72.6% // Ah, MagnusGar's new deus ex machina mental talent: the ability to instantly self-teleport. Well then. If it weren't for his self-imposed ethics rules, which seem to vary in restriction from tale to tale, we wouldn't have any plot conflict, would we? He can already command the bodies of others and the minds of others and non-sentient objects. It is a wonder he feels any anxiety at all, really.
@ 93.1% // And just like that, the deed was done. Assassination, again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2013
I like Stasheff's Rogue Wizard series. They're quick, they have good social commentary but also have some fun.
Actually come to think of it, I've enjoyed all three of his Wizard series. I don't know why he doesn't write anymore, but he should.
Actually come to think of it, I've enjoyed all three of his Wizard series. I don't know why he doesn't write anymore, but he should.
November 18, 2016
I would have given this book a 3/5 But it let me down at the end and made me feel like the story was pointless, at least it was short.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews