What do you think?
Rate this book
Ethshar #11
The Unwelcome Warlock
The Calling. Sooner or later, it claimed every powerful warlock...a growing magical compulsion to go north from Aldagmor that nothing could stop. Hanner the Warlock knew his days were numbered. The Calling pulled at him ceaselessly now, and his ability to resist had begun to crumble. So he determined to find a place where the Calling couldn't reach him...another world, located through a magic tapestry. Every warlock knew that the farther he was from Aldagmor, the weaker the Calling was - and the weaker his magic was, as well, but that was only a secondary consideration. That weakening had given Hanner the idea to find, or make, a place so distant from Aldagmor than the Call couldn't reach it at all.
Unfortunately, the Call took him anyway. And that's where his story really gets interesting. Because the Calling wasn't what everyone believed. And, when the wizards who had been Called over the decades suddenly wake up again at the object doing the calling...and find themselves without their powers...the world may never be the same again!
Unfortunately, the Call took him anyway. And that's where his story really gets interesting. Because the Calling wasn't what everyone believed. And, when the wizards who had been Called over the decades suddenly wake up again at the object doing the calling...and find themselves without their powers...the world may never be the same again!
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
9 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 11, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised to see another Ethshar novel after a hiatus of several years and this book did not disappoint. The secret to the secret of warlockry is revealed (kind of), and we follow Sterren and Vond (from the Unwilling Warlord) through several prominent landmarks in the world of Ethshar. A nicely paced, breezy read, and particularly enjoyable if you are already familiar with the Ethshar backstory. If not, fear not, the story stands well alone too.
March 26, 2012
Loved it! Watt-Evans always seems to take you in a direction you had no idea you'd be going. I always enjoy bringing back characters from past books, and very much enjoy where I think this series is heading, given some information on the Demarchan cult. Exciting!
June 25, 2013
We finally find out what happened to the warlocks; and meet a bunch of old friends again.
Very well done.
Very well done.
January 4, 2024
The series has built up enough continuity now that this book references most of the previous ones to some degree, particularly, of course, the similarly named The Unwilling Warlord. (I'd be prepared to bet the author sooner or later regretted naming two books in a way that enables them to be confused with each other.) It also seems to have a lot of references to Night of Madness, which I skipped in the series because it didn't appeal to me. I followed it OK, though; you could begin here, because even though it's not as self-contained as the earlier books, everything from previous continuity is adequately explained as it becomes relevant, but ideally read the earlier books first.
The mysterious power that feeds warlocks has changed, and Vond, the most powerful of them, is back. He built an empire in The Unwilling Warlord and then was drawn away by the Calling, which compelled warlocks who used too much magic to go to a particular place that was also the power source, but now he's returned, and since he has the very loosest possible grasp on the concept of "other people's concerns are important too" and is the most powerful magician alive, that's a problem for everyone around him. In particular, it's a problem for the former leader of the warlocks (now depowered), not least because Vond has decided to take over his house.
The book proceeds with a clash of pretty much every faction and person who has an interest in dealing with Vond, which is a lot of them, and none of them really have much of a plan most of the time; there are some regrettable consequences to that. One thing I like about these books is that the characters, even the very powerful ones, are often quite limited in their problem-solving ability, in that they're encountering new situations outside their experience and having to improvise, and often they get it wrong at first. That gives a realistic feel that anchors the plentiful magic and other fantastic elements, and means the resolutions don't come too easily, which is a risk of high-magic stories. Another thing I like is that they're generally well-disposed towards their fellow humans as a matter of course, and those who aren't are depicted as despicable.
Solidly crafted, this is a strong addition to a good series.
The mysterious power that feeds warlocks has changed, and Vond, the most powerful of them, is back. He built an empire in The Unwilling Warlord and then was drawn away by the Calling, which compelled warlocks who used too much magic to go to a particular place that was also the power source, but now he's returned, and since he has the very loosest possible grasp on the concept of "other people's concerns are important too" and is the most powerful magician alive, that's a problem for everyone around him. In particular, it's a problem for the former leader of the warlocks (now depowered), not least because Vond has decided to take over his house.
The book proceeds with a clash of pretty much every faction and person who has an interest in dealing with Vond, which is a lot of them, and none of them really have much of a plan most of the time; there are some regrettable consequences to that. One thing I like about these books is that the characters, even the very powerful ones, are often quite limited in their problem-solving ability, in that they're encountering new situations outside their experience and having to improvise, and often they get it wrong at first. That gives a realistic feel that anchors the plentiful magic and other fantastic elements, and means the resolutions don't come too easily, which is a risk of high-magic stories. Another thing I like is that they're generally well-disposed towards their fellow humans as a matter of course, and those who aren't are depicted as despicable.
Solidly crafted, this is a strong addition to a good series.
January 26, 2023
Oooouuu. This was nice. Aldagmor finally unveiled. Kinda.
I was hoping we'd see a Wizard-Warlock Fight, but I guess that doesn't really work out, given how prep-heavy wizardry is, and all this drama happening in the middle of a large city, to boot.
In any case, it seems the Wizard's Guild aren't really the ones running things in this bitch. Wonder if we'll ever see a confrontation between both Sides.
Loved the return of Sterren -- he's probably my favorite main character in the entire series, with Tobas a very close second. And business is booming for Dumery and his partner, which is sweet.
I liked the neat handling of the ex-Called situation by the triumvir et al. Competent stuff with little fuss, as we've come to expect from this writer's characters.
IIRC, this book marks the first real jump in time since the 2nd book, advancing us maybe 10 years past the Vondish Ambassador. See where it goes next.
I was hoping we'd see a Wizard-Warlock Fight, but I guess that doesn't really work out, given how prep-heavy wizardry is, and all this drama happening in the middle of a large city, to boot.
In any case, it seems the Wizard's Guild aren't really the ones running things in this bitch. Wonder if we'll ever see a confrontation between both Sides.
Loved the return of Sterren -- he's probably my favorite main character in the entire series, with Tobas a very close second. And business is booming for Dumery and his partner, which is sweet.
I liked the neat handling of the ex-Called situation by the triumvir et al. Competent stuff with little fuss, as we've come to expect from this writer's characters.
IIRC, this book marks the first real jump in time since the 2nd book, advancing us maybe 10 years past the Vondish Ambassador. See where it goes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2020
Another Great Ethshar Tail
For decades I have been a fan of Lawrence Watt-Evans work, especially his series of novels set in the fantasy setting if Ethshar! If you are unfamiliar with the previous texts this novel is a sequel to three earlier works specifically building on events set forth in those. If this is your first exposure to Ethshar I recommend you read in this order to get the best effect. 1) Night of Madness 2) The Unwilling Warlord 3) The Vondish Ambassador 4) The Unwelcome Warlock (this novel)
It isn't strictly necessary as each novel is written as a stand alone story, but the building and culmination of the story finishing with this one makes for an excellent quadrology within the larger setting. In the same fashion several other novels in the setting can be grouped together for greater enjoyment because the same characters flow through them as a set.
For decades I have been a fan of Lawrence Watt-Evans work, especially his series of novels set in the fantasy setting if Ethshar! If you are unfamiliar with the previous texts this novel is a sequel to three earlier works specifically building on events set forth in those. If this is your first exposure to Ethshar I recommend you read in this order to get the best effect. 1) Night of Madness 2) The Unwilling Warlord 3) The Vondish Ambassador 4) The Unwelcome Warlock (this novel)
It isn't strictly necessary as each novel is written as a stand alone story, but the building and culmination of the story finishing with this one makes for an excellent quadrology within the larger setting. In the same fashion several other novels in the setting can be grouped together for greater enjoyment because the same characters flow through them as a set.
July 3, 2023
Thirty years ago thousands of people woke up screaming from a nightmare only to find they could move things with their mind. Hundreds of people also disappeared but a new magic was born, Warlockery. Warlocks get stronger as they use magic but they are subject to the calling, a whispering voice in their head that gets louder the more they use magic until they fly off to the North, never to be seen again.
What happens when they come back..?
I'd always figured there would eventually be a book that explored where Warlocks go when they're called (my theories were slightly wrong but still kind of right?) so it was finally good to get some closure on that. This, I think, is the first time where the author has brought back a character from a previous book so that was pretty nifty. Probably don't read this one if you hadn't read all the warlock related books but it's a good read.
What happens when they come back..?
I'd always figured there would eventually be a book that explored where Warlocks go when they're called (my theories were slightly wrong but still kind of right?) so it was finally good to get some closure on that. This, I think, is the first time where the author has brought back a character from a previous book so that was pretty nifty. Probably don't read this one if you hadn't read all the warlock related books but it's a good read.
April 15, 2019
I really enjoyed the ending of this one!
November 24, 2014
The Calling was always a natural limit on warlocks. Once they used too much magic, the Calling would become strong enough to overwhelm them, and they'd take off flying to the mysterious source of all warlockery. It's been like that ever since the Night of Madness, when warlocks appeared...Until the day it suddenly stopped. Suddenly, all Called warlocks were freed, as if no time had passed, and had to adjust to a world where they didn't have any magic, and up to 34 years had passed them by. The one exception was the Emperor Vond, the most powerful warlock ever, who had conquered 18 kingdoms and created his empire before being called. He was back also, and somehow still had his power, and no longer needed to fear the Calling.
Lawrence Watt-Evans adds a pivotal new novel to the Ethshar novels, and while the series overall is loosely connected individual tales, the Unwelcome Warlock acts as a direct sequel to both the Night of Madness and the Unwilling Warlord, and also an opportunity to have cameo appearances from characters from another half-dozen Ethshar books. He once again tells a story of how magic would impact the world, and despite the fantastic things it can do, how people, both magicians and regular non-magical folks would apply logic and common sense to deal with the strangeness that magic adds to the world. The world of the Hegemony of the three Ethshars has lots of types of magic, from wizardry, witchcraft, sorcery, theurgy, demonology, warlockery, and even obscure things like ritual dancing and science. They all have their own limits, powers, and rules, and all have an interest in keeping the status quo - the sudden vacuum of most warlocks from the mix threatens to disrupt the precarious balance of power.
As a bonus, this is the first Ethshar book that gives a greater amount of focus on how theurgy works, and also answers some of the greatest mysteries of the world - while also revealing just enough of a few others to whet the appetite for what really happened to shape the world of the Ethshars into the chaotic magical place it is today.
Lawrence Watt-Evans adds a pivotal new novel to the Ethshar novels, and while the series overall is loosely connected individual tales, the Unwelcome Warlock acts as a direct sequel to both the Night of Madness and the Unwilling Warlord, and also an opportunity to have cameo appearances from characters from another half-dozen Ethshar books. He once again tells a story of how magic would impact the world, and despite the fantastic things it can do, how people, both magicians and regular non-magical folks would apply logic and common sense to deal with the strangeness that magic adds to the world. The world of the Hegemony of the three Ethshars has lots of types of magic, from wizardry, witchcraft, sorcery, theurgy, demonology, warlockery, and even obscure things like ritual dancing and science. They all have their own limits, powers, and rules, and all have an interest in keeping the status quo - the sudden vacuum of most warlocks from the mix threatens to disrupt the precarious balance of power.
As a bonus, this is the first Ethshar book that gives a greater amount of focus on how theurgy works, and also answers some of the greatest mysteries of the world - while also revealing just enough of a few others to whet the appetite for what really happened to shape the world of the Ethshars into the chaotic magical place it is today.
January 25, 2012
Fantasy; worldbuilding. There's a major event, and we see how the characters react, and we learn about the power structures of Ethshar.
Mostly, the characters react logically and reasonably, with no grandstanding or selfishness or really irrationality of any sort. Ethshar must be a pretty nice place to live.
The "villain" was sort of interestingly drawn: he wasn't angry, really, or even evil; he just happened to have immense magical power and to have decided that meant other people weren't important.
Anyway I liked it.
Mostly, the characters react logically and reasonably, with no grandstanding or selfishness or really irrationality of any sort. Ethshar must be a pretty nice place to live.
The "villain" was sort of interestingly drawn: he wasn't angry, really, or even evil; he just happened to have immense magical power and to have decided that meant other people weren't important.
Anyway I liked it.
December 21, 2014
I started reading this because of a review by HPMOR fanfic author saying Lawrence Watt-Evans creates first level intelligent characters in this and lets the magic happen but it turned out to be a boring read. The main characters in the book never leave their comfort zone, some are so boring that they do almost nothing in the book but list out/think abt what they can do. I liked his attempt to create multiple magical orders in his world but could have named them better than using synonyms like wizard/witch/sorcerer/warlock. I say 3/5 is me being generous.
March 7, 2012
Ethshar is always pleasure to read and this filled in some more of the picture in interesting ways. We still don't really know what caused the Night of Madness or just what the Towers of Lumeth really are, but we've seen more of the backstory. Plus, as always, reasonable characters who are enjoyable to be around. Larry can have more of my money for more Ethshar whenever he can write more.
February 8, 2016
The ethshar series is one of my all time favorites. I started reading it when the first book came out and I have never been disappointed. This story fills in gaps and resurrects all your favorite characters to wrap up mysteries that have been brewing for many books. Fun as always. Don't miss this classic series.
June 7, 2021
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
December 14, 2013
I look forward to the books in Larry Watt-Evans Ethshar series like I do a great barbecue restaurant.
July 30, 2014
It was really cool to read the aftermath of many of the previous stories.
January 3, 2015
A pleasant, fun read. Now I want to read some of his earlier books.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews