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Renshai Trilogy #2
The Western Wizard
The second novel in a brilliantly conceived epic by the author of The Bifrost Guardians. Colbey, the Renshai of prophecies, must struggle to integrate the gift/burden given him by the Western Wizard and train the first new generation of Renshai warriors. Sequel to The Last of the Renshai.
528 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 4, 2023
3 stars.
Following on pretty directly from book 1, this book sees a (small) quest to restore the rightful king to his throne, and Colbey, the last of the Renshai, trying to rebuild his people from a small handful of students learning the Renshai fighting techniques which made them the most renowned sword wielders in the known world (as well as the most bloody-thirsty and hated). Meanwhile, Shadimar, the eastern wizard, is concerned about the fate of his western colleague, who appears to have passed on without a successor. The wizards of the east and west champion the forces of neutrality and prevent the northern and southern wizards (who champion good and evil respectively) from upsetting the balance of the world. Without a new wizard to aid him, the risk of the world tipping out of balance into chaos and bringing about Ragnarok, the prophesied end of the world, is great. Shadimar can sense that Colbey and the Renshai have a part to play in this epic struggle, but is unclear whether Colbey is the destined saviour of the world, or its destroyer.
I did enjoy it and liked reading about most of the characters (most - one or two just irritated me), but this book felt a little unfocused to me, as though it didn't particularly contribute much to the trilogy as a whole (apart from one big event I'm not going to mention, even with spoilers). In itself it was a pretty good read, though, with plenty of wandering and action, with a smattering of intrigue as well. So all in all I'm still looking forward to reading the next book and hopeful I'll finish the series this year.
Following on pretty directly from book 1, this book sees a (small) quest to restore the rightful king to his throne, and Colbey, the last of the Renshai, trying to rebuild his people from a small handful of students learning the Renshai fighting techniques which made them the most renowned sword wielders in the known world (as well as the most bloody-thirsty and hated). Meanwhile, Shadimar, the eastern wizard, is concerned about the fate of his western colleague, who appears to have passed on without a successor. The wizards of the east and west champion the forces of neutrality and prevent the northern and southern wizards (who champion good and evil respectively) from upsetting the balance of the world. Without a new wizard to aid him, the risk of the world tipping out of balance into chaos and bringing about Ragnarok, the prophesied end of the world, is great. Shadimar can sense that Colbey and the Renshai have a part to play in this epic struggle, but is unclear whether Colbey is the destined saviour of the world, or its destroyer.
I did enjoy it and liked reading about most of the characters (most - one or two just irritated me), but this book felt a little unfocused to me, as though it didn't particularly contribute much to the trilogy as a whole (apart from one big event I'm not going to mention, even with spoilers). In itself it was a pretty good read, though, with plenty of wandering and action, with a smattering of intrigue as well. So all in all I'm still looking forward to reading the next book and hopeful I'll finish the series this year.
July 1, 2020
I'm enjoying these way more than I expected.
So this starts off pretty much where book one finished but it spans a much longer timeline. The first part is the restoration of Sterrane but soon enough there is a jump of ten years. The first book was Rache, Mitrian and Garn as our main POV's and we do get some of them again but this book is pretty much all Colbey and I loved it. Colbey has a lot to deal with in this book, from re-examining his beliefs somewhat and what the new Renshai should be, to his own fate in relation to the consequences to that meeting with the Western Wizard and the realisation that he has become so skilled he might never die in battle and attain Valhalla.
Colbey is such an interesting character. He is the last true Renshai and was brought up when they were at their most ferocious. He has been training with the sword every day since he was a toddler and by the end of this book he is in his seventies so now his skill is balanced with wisdom. There is more to him than meets the eye and by the end of book he is pretty broken. It is refreshing to read about a much older warrior and his longevity is explained mostly in the book though I think there are a few more things going on that haven't been revealed yet.
The world has opened up more in this book and we learn more about the Cardinal Wizards and their part in maintaining the balance set up by Odin. It's also a pretty melancholic book in that the author is not afraid to kill of characters, sometimes in the most brutal and tragic way. She's ahead of her time in this sense. The gods still haven't played too much a part as of yet but I am convinced the stakes are going to be raised even more in the next volume.
There are a few things off, the pacing is a bit off in places and one character seems to have only been introduced to provide a dilemma for Colbey and plant doubts in the relationship between Colbey and Shadimar. Other than that though I really enjoyed it and have been making time every evening to read which I haven't done for a while. Very much looking forward to the conclusion.
4.5 stars rounded down.
Please see this and other reviews at https://barrysbloodybooks.home.blog/
So this starts off pretty much where book one finished but it spans a much longer timeline. The first part is the restoration of Sterrane but soon enough there is a jump of ten years. The first book was Rache, Mitrian and Garn as our main POV's and we do get some of them again but this book is pretty much all Colbey and I loved it. Colbey has a lot to deal with in this book, from re-examining his beliefs somewhat and what the new Renshai should be, to his own fate in relation to the consequences to that meeting with the Western Wizard and the realisation that he has become so skilled he might never die in battle and attain Valhalla.
Colbey is such an interesting character. He is the last true Renshai and was brought up when they were at their most ferocious. He has been training with the sword every day since he was a toddler and by the end of this book he is in his seventies so now his skill is balanced with wisdom. There is more to him than meets the eye and by the end of book he is pretty broken. It is refreshing to read about a much older warrior and his longevity is explained mostly in the book though I think there are a few more things going on that haven't been revealed yet.
The world has opened up more in this book and we learn more about the Cardinal Wizards and their part in maintaining the balance set up by Odin. It's also a pretty melancholic book in that the author is not afraid to kill of characters, sometimes in the most brutal and tragic way. She's ahead of her time in this sense. The gods still haven't played too much a part as of yet but I am convinced the stakes are going to be raised even more in the next volume.
There are a few things off, the pacing is a bit off in places and one character seems to have only been introduced to provide a dilemma for Colbey and plant doubts in the relationship between Colbey and Shadimar. Other than that though I really enjoyed it and have been making time every evening to read which I haven't done for a while. Very much looking forward to the conclusion.
4.5 stars rounded down.
Please see this and other reviews at https://barrysbloodybooks.home.blog/
November 1, 2022
Seeing beyond ingrained belief systems
I’m not a reviewer. Never wrote a decent book report. But I love the inner battles and parallels I find in these books. The lines between good/evil law/chaos. So clearly do I see the parallels to our own religious fanaticism. Political fanaticism. The sense of aloneness that comes when you see the world bigger than such narrow fanatical tropes.
I’m not a reviewer. Never wrote a decent book report. But I love the inner battles and parallels I find in these books. The lines between good/evil law/chaos. So clearly do I see the parallels to our own religious fanaticism. Political fanaticism. The sense of aloneness that comes when you see the world bigger than such narrow fanatical tropes.
February 7, 2017
This one is better than the first of the trilogy, in my opinion. More action, more plot, characters developed more - so more of everything that makes it a good story. A few twists and turns which are even better! Looking forward to reading the 3rd book.
August 4, 2017
Better than book one!
It just doesn't get better than than these stories. Micky Zucker Reichert is a treasure! I recomend reading up on how she acted out parts of her ideas with friends for her books
It just doesn't get better than than these stories. Micky Zucker Reichert is a treasure! I recomend reading up on how she acted out parts of her ideas with friends for her books
March 18, 2020
A smooth continuation of the first book in the trilogy/series. Mickey does an excellent job of foreshadowing the future of the characters. There are some absolutely riveting battle scenes which pull you through them like a river.
September 30, 2022
I enjoyed the first book, but in this, the travel felt less meaningful. The characters, particularly the woman Renshai and gladiator, felt flattened compared to book 1. The lore started to lose mystery and just feel tangled.
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October 23, 2025As the victorious Renshai struggle to place the rightful king of Bearn on his throne, word of the Western Wizard's death arrives, and Shadimar, the Wizard of the East, must find a mortal to replace him.
February 18, 2024
A little redundant at times, but necessary transitional material to the 3rd book in the trilogy
November 18, 2011
Original review posted here
After reading the first book in the Renshai series, The Last of the Renshai, I knew I’d be diving into the second book in short order. I was no longer cowed by the enormous size of the books (600+ paperbacks? Sure.. I didn’t need those hand muscles), and anxious to see what the world held in store for characters like Colbey, Mitrian, Garn, and more. I needed to know – plus I knew at this point that Reichert wouldn’t disappoint me in the action sequences.
I wasn’t wrong.
I wasn’t sure where the story would go after the deaths that occurred in the end of The Last of the Renshai, but what I began to appreciate as I read this book is just how much ground the “grey” area between good and evil covers. Reichert moves her story away from a prominent good and evil bent and throws in chaos and law – just for the fun of it. All I have to say is.. WOW.
I think this is the first series I’ve read that deals actively with chaos and law in addition to good and evil. (When I say evil, by the way, don’t be thinking “evil” as in evil bad guy – there’s a difference in this series.)
I really have come to respect this series. It’s a solid story, solid characters, interesting lore (even though Mickey borrows quite liberally from Norse mythology) and the world is one that immediately gives the reader an awe-inspiring sense of just how vast it is.
The third book blew me away even more… but more on that when I write and publish my review of it.
I cannot stress how much I recommend checking this series out. The descriptions of sword-fighting alone make it a series worth looking at, but there is oh-so-much-more than that.
After reading the first book in the Renshai series, The Last of the Renshai, I knew I’d be diving into the second book in short order. I was no longer cowed by the enormous size of the books (600+ paperbacks? Sure.. I didn’t need those hand muscles), and anxious to see what the world held in store for characters like Colbey, Mitrian, Garn, and more. I needed to know – plus I knew at this point that Reichert wouldn’t disappoint me in the action sequences.
I wasn’t wrong.
I wasn’t sure where the story would go after the deaths that occurred in the end of The Last of the Renshai, but what I began to appreciate as I read this book is just how much ground the “grey” area between good and evil covers. Reichert moves her story away from a prominent good and evil bent and throws in chaos and law – just for the fun of it. All I have to say is.. WOW.
I think this is the first series I’ve read that deals actively with chaos and law in addition to good and evil. (When I say evil, by the way, don’t be thinking “evil” as in evil bad guy – there’s a difference in this series.)
I really have come to respect this series. It’s a solid story, solid characters, interesting lore (even though Mickey borrows quite liberally from Norse mythology) and the world is one that immediately gives the reader an awe-inspiring sense of just how vast it is.
The third book blew me away even more… but more on that when I write and publish my review of it.
I cannot stress how much I recommend checking this series out. The descriptions of sword-fighting alone make it a series worth looking at, but there is oh-so-much-more than that.
March 27, 2010
The Western Wizard by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Sequel to The Last of the Renshai. The Western Wizard was a thrilling novel about war, loyalty, king-building, prophecy and the search for the Western Wizard's successor. I found it to be a very enjoyable read in which I also found myself invested in the fate of the characters. Some of the character interactions were a bit rough and there were places where the emotional narrative was given too much tell as opposed to show. However it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book. There was one exchange between the Eastern Wizard and Colby that really made me laugh:
'Colby studied the Eastern Wizard. "I guess we'll find you useful after all."
Now Shadimar grinned broadly. "If you had just confessed that at the beginning of our discussion, we could have finished long ago. What is it with warriors that makes them jabber endlessly without saying anything?"
"Warriors?" Amused by the role reversal, Colbey laughed. He indulged Shadimar's whimsy for the sake of the joke. "Maybe. Just maybe, I'm practicing to be a Wizard." (575).'
Sequel to The Last of the Renshai. The Western Wizard was a thrilling novel about war, loyalty, king-building, prophecy and the search for the Western Wizard's successor. I found it to be a very enjoyable read in which I also found myself invested in the fate of the characters. Some of the character interactions were a bit rough and there were places where the emotional narrative was given too much tell as opposed to show. However it didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book. There was one exchange between the Eastern Wizard and Colby that really made me laugh:
'Colby studied the Eastern Wizard. "I guess we'll find you useful after all."
Now Shadimar grinned broadly. "If you had just confessed that at the beginning of our discussion, we could have finished long ago. What is it with warriors that makes them jabber endlessly without saying anything?"
"Warriors?" Amused by the role reversal, Colbey laughed. He indulged Shadimar's whimsy for the sake of the joke. "Maybe. Just maybe, I'm practicing to be a Wizard." (575).'
December 15, 2010
There is something about this series that I really like. It doesn’t seem to have a central theme and main characters come and go. Some even die. It almost feels like a living progression where the story will change according to the choice and events that happen to the main groups. It’s not the case, but it feels like it. Only because every time I think we are coming to the climax,….the story moves on. So it’s a lot like life. One big event doesn’t happen and we all take a bow. Instead of losing me, I have found that I am anxious to move on with it and see where it goes. I am on the 3rd book now and I think I have come to the realization that Coby is the main charater. (LOL)
This isn’t Tolkien or Abercrombie, but it delivers just the same. If you like good story telling, bloody battles, breach in loyalties, magic, and an investment in your story, you will like this series. I did.
This isn’t Tolkien or Abercrombie, but it delivers just the same. If you like good story telling, bloody battles, breach in loyalties, magic, and an investment in your story, you will like this series. I did.
September 27, 2016
I first read this book a very long time ago, and to this day it (and, honestly, almost everything by this author!) ranks among my all time and forever favorites!
A fitting follow-up to the first in the series, this book certainly doesn't disappoint readers in the slightest! Going beyond "The Last of the Renshai", this book continues and expands the story in beautifully unexpected ways. Delving further into the characters, their motivations, and the wills of the Gods, this books was a superb second in a trilogy!
*** Please note that I am playing "catch up" with some old and favorite reads! Enjoy my Backlog! ***
A fitting follow-up to the first in the series, this book certainly doesn't disappoint readers in the slightest! Going beyond "The Last of the Renshai", this book continues and expands the story in beautifully unexpected ways. Delving further into the characters, their motivations, and the wills of the Gods, this books was a superb second in a trilogy!
*** Please note that I am playing "catch up" with some old and favorite reads! Enjoy my Backlog! ***
July 5, 2013
ok, mickey, way to kill off characters without any sense of foreshadowing.
actually, i kind of liked that. it made the book feel a lot more believable and real than most other fantasy novels of the same time period.
i thought this was a great continuation in the series. i'm reading through the final book of the trilogy right now and i'm eager to learn more. i'll probably read the next trilogy before too long as well.
:) good work, mickey.
actually, i kind of liked that. it made the book feel a lot more believable and real than most other fantasy novels of the same time period.
i thought this was a great continuation in the series. i'm reading through the final book of the trilogy right now and i'm eager to learn more. i'll probably read the next trilogy before too long as well.
:) good work, mickey.
June 25, 2019
Colby should be as well known as Drizzt is too fantasy readers, Why he is not is beyond me and its a shame. He is a great character that is a ton of fun to read about.
These books are not great literature but they have action, adventure, daring and for what they are, are perfect. If you enjoy fantasy with a Norse twist these are the books for you. Be forwarned do not start with this book, you really do need to read the first in the series in order for this to have the same appeal.
These books are not great literature but they have action, adventure, daring and for what they are, are perfect. If you enjoy fantasy with a Norse twist these are the books for you. Be forwarned do not start with this book, you really do need to read the first in the series in order for this to have the same appeal.
September 24, 2023
I didn't think I was going to enjoy this one much, since a few of the characters are different from the first book. I ended up really enjoying most of them, though. Sterrane, who was just sort've there in the first one ended up being a great, if simple character. Like someone else said, I love the Gods and the overall feeling of this series.
April 20, 2013
This is probably closer to 3.5 stars than 3, but definitely not quite as good as the first book, Last of the Renshai. It's sort of a bridge between the first and third books, and while a lot of things happen, the story doesn't quite progress as far as you think it should.
May 30, 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 22, 2009
A modest fantasy world with a strong Viking flavor to it. It has a mild allure but it pales compared to Elric or Drizzt. This faery tale is going back to the thrift store.
August 29, 2013
A most enjoyable tale taking us through many emotions and trials with characters. As with the first book a pleasure to read. A book easy to get lost in.
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December 8, 2014I cannot believe she did [thing] to [character], or that I would want another fifty pages to wrap things up.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews