The Wizard of Anharitte

by Colin Kapp

1st edition Panther 1975 paperback, vg++ In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Colin Derek Ivor Kapp was a popular UK science fiction author, but one who never became a success in the USA. He was active, though not prolific, as an author in the 1960s through to the 1980s.

He is best known for his "Unorthodox Engineers" stories, which recount an eccentric group of engineers, who accomplish impossible feats of engineering against all odds.

Pen names: Colin Papp, Colin Capp.

Reviews

[Jonathan Palfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short novel is readable and mildly entertaining, though rather inconsequential.

It takes place on a planet inhabited by humans with a mediæval society and technology (for unexplained historical reasons), which happens to be a vital trading centre for more advanced human societies on other planets of other solar systems; its importance as a trading centre is stated, and essential to the plot, but inadequately explained.

The story involves a struggle for influence and power on this planet between various off-world interests.

The protagonist, although painted as a decent and fairly likeable man, is responsible for escalating a basically commercial dispute into a small war, and seems curiously unaware that his moral justification for getting people killed is zero.

The entertainment value comes mainly from the ingenuity shown by his mysterious opponent, the Wizard of Anharitte mentioned in the title; although the so-called wizard turns out to have unfair advantages as well as ingenuity.

I note in passing that the cover illustration of this edition has no relevance whatsoever to the story; the artist, Peter Jones, evidently never read the book and never even bothered to ask for a brief summary.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the planet Roget the main city of Anharitte is the largest trading base in that sector of space, but one of the oligarchic lords of the city has been educating and training his slaves as a prelude to manumission. The loss of slave labor would seriously hurt the finances of both the local rulers and the influential Trade federation. Tito Ren is a trade delegate sent to Anharitte to assess the situation and quell the incipient uprising, which he fears, if some slaves are freed and others are not. The enlightened lord is Dion-Daizan, the Imaiz of Anharitte, known locally to be a wizard, but who Ren strongly suspects is a Terran. Ren successively meets and tries to enlist the aid of the other lords against the Imaiz but finds them either insane, fearful or just unwilling to go against him. Ren also has at his command a ship of the Rance corporation, skilled at quelling planetary disturbances, but to his horror discovers that not only are the not at his beck and call but that they are in fact murderous mercenaries doing the bidding of other figures behind the scenes. This gives Ren a certain grudging respect for the Imaiz, but he continues with his own orders and enlists the most vicious of the rulers, the Lady T’Ampere. The Imaiz has somehow neutralised the orbiting Rance warship but a whole fleet is now on its way to “quell” a mythical disturbance. With each failure Ren comes closer to understanding that the lord of Magda may not be a wizard but he is most definitely powerful. A nice tale from Colin Kapp.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I began reading this book overall because I found it in an old library for sale. I didn't think much of it until I opened to the first page and it genuinely caught my eye. My expectations were high as I read a few pages in the library and it somewhat met these expectations. Some chapters were very slow but others were well done and thought out. I did not have any personal connections to the society it was placed in or the medieval aspect to the space themed novel but I did appreciate the character development in Ren. The use of language was very put together in most areas but some lacked in some places as if the author was tired. I would recommend this book to young adults and more likely adults, the fiction part repels adults but it does not have a young feel to it, so most likely it would have a bias to an older audience. But all in all, it was a fun read and I enjoy reading more of Colin Kapp's books in the future

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is this very pleasant confection, even though Tito Ren's perspective eventually becomes transparently a strawman and the reader is left wondering exactly why he continues his campaign even though he is equally transparently outmatched by the Wizard of Anharitte.

The fact of the Wizard's planet of origin comes as no real surprise, and this is to the story's credit as Ren reaches that conclusion just as the reader does.

I do rather like these stories that try to pull together the politics and economics and do so without breaking the page count.

[Yulian Stoinov · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea is more suitable for a short story.

[Piper Mejia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably shouldn't have even tried to read this book - I was looking for historic sci-fi and this one is more fantasy genre. I really tried to get into the story but could not suspend disbelief.

[Ali Molenaar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Altijd leuk om heel oude SF te lezen, maar dit boek was verwarrend. De plot was mij volslagen onduidelijk en er zaten heel rare verwikkelingen in.

[Jules Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anharitte is the port city on a feudal planet whose location makes it an important hub in interstellar commerce. The Free Traders' local agent, Tito Ren, is charged with ensuring that things run smoothly. Alas for Ren, a powerful wizard is educating his slaves well beyond what is needed for them to do their tasks, and it's clear that the wizard is intent on brewing exactly the sort of social disruption that could cause trouble for trade. It's also clear to Ren that the wizard is no wizard, but an import like himself, using advanced technology to create his magic. Proving this to the local authorities is another matter, and Ren embarks on a little local war with the Imaiz, a careful balancing act that he keeps within the accepted practices of the society he's working within. Ren's problem is that he finds himself ever more in sympathy with the Imaiz's goals, while still wanting to keep faith with his employers.[return][return]It's a short novel by current standards, but there's plenty packed into it, from the entertainment of the cat-and-mouse game, to the careful description of Anharrite's culture, to the depiction of Ren's growing moral quandary. This is one of the books I happily re-read every so often.

[SciFiOne · Rating 5 out of 5]

1981 grade A
2003 grade A-