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The Spellsinger Adventures, Volume One: Spellsinger, The Hour of the Gate, and The Day of the Dissonance
Three fantasy novels of music and magic in the beloved series by a #1 New York Times–bestselling author.
A college slacker’s world is turned upside down when he’s transported to a new land where music can create magic . There, he teams up with other magical brethren and creates bonds of friendship he will honor for life.
Spellsinger: Jonathan Thomas Meriweather is a typical college student, interested in girls, music, and pot. But when an interdimensional portal lands him in another world, he learns that his musical ability can create magic, which he’ll need in order to stop a dark force.
The Hour of the Gate: Jon-Tom, whose posse now includes a wizarding turtle, a cowardly bat, and an otter with a filthy mind, must raise an army to fight the Plated Folk and end their queen’s plans to eat all the mammals in the land.
The Day of the Dissonance: Jon-Tom’s merry band went its separate ways after the battle of Jo-Troom Gate. But now the wizarding turtle, Clothahump, is dying, and Jon-Tom must embark on a new quest with his friends to search for a cure.
A college slacker’s world is turned upside down when he’s transported to a new land where music can create magic . There, he teams up with other magical brethren and creates bonds of friendship he will honor for life.
Spellsinger: Jonathan Thomas Meriweather is a typical college student, interested in girls, music, and pot. But when an interdimensional portal lands him in another world, he learns that his musical ability can create magic, which he’ll need in order to stop a dark force.
The Hour of the Gate: Jon-Tom, whose posse now includes a wizarding turtle, a cowardly bat, and an otter with a filthy mind, must raise an army to fight the Plated Folk and end their queen’s plans to eat all the mammals in the land.
The Day of the Dissonance: Jon-Tom’s merry band went its separate ways after the battle of Jo-Troom Gate. But now the wizarding turtle, Clothahump, is dying, and Jon-Tom must embark on a new quest with his friends to search for a cure.
- GenresFantasy
1020 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2017
118 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
500 books2,038 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 4, 2017
This collection consists of the first three books in Alan Dean Foster’s long-running series that features a human from our Earth falling into a fantasy world of giant talking animals. In this place he’s a musician/magician, but his spells hardly ever turn out as he’d intended; just about the only song he got right was Sloop John B, and that didn’t end well for him either. His diverse comrades—that word used to appease the dragon—include a wise old turtle, a Cockney-accented dirty-minded otter, a dapper rabbit, an angry bat, and two gorgeous but deadly human ladies. This is more than anything a comedy road adventure, with the group fighting evil and sometimes each other on their way to a face-off with the most dangerous foe any world has even seen.
The writing doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the reader shouldn’t either; just read and enjoy and don’t try too hard to make sense of it. . .
The writing doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the reader shouldn’t either; just read and enjoy and don’t try too hard to make sense of it. . .
January 31, 2019
Fun, magical series
The first 3 books of the Spellsinger series: Spellsinger, The Gate, and The Day of Dissonance. Follows the adventures of a college student who is whisked into another dimension? Planet? Definitely elsewhere, where animals speak and run civilization. The wizard who summoned him using magic turns out to be a large old Turtle. The Earthling turns out to be a musician and that's magical on this new planet. Thus we get our Spellsinger.
The first 3 books of the Spellsinger series: Spellsinger, The Gate, and The Day of Dissonance. Follows the adventures of a college student who is whisked into another dimension? Planet? Definitely elsewhere, where animals speak and run civilization. The wizard who summoned him using magic turns out to be a large old Turtle. The Earthling turns out to be a musician and that's magical on this new planet. Thus we get our Spellsinger.
January 17, 2026
Such a Unique story. Very different magic system and creative world building.
When I first read this book thirty years ago it blew my mind. I had never encountered such unique magic and world building. In the three decades since I have devoured countless fantasy books, but always hungered for the purity and complicated simplicity of the Bellwoods. I'm glad that I picked this up again, and will definitely finish the series.
When I first read this book thirty years ago it blew my mind. I had never encountered such unique magic and world building. In the three decades since I have devoured countless fantasy books, but always hungered for the purity and complicated simplicity of the Bellwoods. I'm glad that I picked this up again, and will definitely finish the series.
July 6, 2020
One of my favorite authors and a series I make a point of reading again every so often. I still enjoy the books as much as when I first read the series over 30 years ago. The writing and the humor hold up. While no one can say this is a classic masterpiece, the fact that my level of enjoyment has stayed the same over decades of reading makes this a five star book for me.
September 5, 2021
Entertaining but beware of old ideas
This is definitely old school sci-fi fantasy. It is very entertaining, but it is obviously not modern. I don't really have any way to explain the difference. And it seems to have a reliance on love triangles. But as I said it's very entertaining and I do recommend it.
This is definitely old school sci-fi fantasy. It is very entertaining, but it is obviously not modern. I don't really have any way to explain the difference. And it seems to have a reliance on love triangles. But as I said it's very entertaining and I do recommend it.
January 5, 2022
Awesome story from my Youth
These were books my uncle had when i was a young man, when i git a bit older i was allowed to read an have been hooked ever since!! i absolutely love reading this series!
These were books my uncle had when i was a young man, when i git a bit older i was allowed to read an have been hooked ever since!! i absolutely love reading this series!
March 14, 2022
It's as good as I remembered
Almost gave it four stars but it's not the fault of the author that his pop culture references are outdated. Remains a fun bit of fantasy and wonderful characters.
I loved going back in time
Almost gave it four stars but it's not the fault of the author that his pop culture references are outdated. Remains a fun bit of fantasy and wonderful characters.
I loved going back in time
June 11, 2018
Inventive and enjoyable a nice romp. Best way to enjoy is to read these as one novel.
April 15, 2020
Good (if light) fantasy. I should re-read it to see how well it's aged.
October 31, 2021
Haven’t read these since high school. It was a fun revisit.
July 21, 2022
Medicine
Foster never fails to deliver. The world of the spellsinger is a wondrous place.
Great characters, daring deeds a nd chock full of humor.
Foster never fails to deliver. The world of the spellsinger is a wondrous place.
Great characters, daring deeds a nd chock full of humor.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews