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Kedrigern #1
A Voice for Princess
If only I could find the right spell! At 160 years old Kedrigern is a relatively young, bachelor wizard of some reputation. He is a master magician, specializing in the performance of counter-spells, that is, magic to counteract the incantations of other spell-casters. Kedrigern is a respected member of the Wizards' Guild, though he cannot see why such an organization needs to exist. It all seems too much like the bureaucracy of the new upstart practice of alchemy. Then to Kedrigern's chagrin the Guild proposes to allow the membership of an alchemist, Professor-Doctor-Master Quintrindus. Kedrigern speaks strongly against the idea, but when it is put to the ballot he is the only person who votes against. Greatly miffed Kedrigern resigns.
213 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1986
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285 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 29, 2009
I was only a few pages into this book when I went to Amazon and bought every Morressy title I could find (the reasonably priced ones anyway). It's quite funny and engaging, with just enough darkness (the barbarians!) to add some tension. Even though Kedrigern is quite a powerful wizard who thinks before he acts, his spells don't always turn out like he wants.
Readers who like Barry Hughart's books (Bridge of Birds especially) would like Kedrigern. I think Harry Potter fans would like him too.
Readers who like Barry Hughart's books (Bridge of Birds especially) would like Kedrigern. I think Harry Potter fans would like him too.
October 1, 2019
This is a humorous tale of old school fantasy where the magic is very magical, the world is in a state of barbarism, & the princesses are beautiful even when they've been turned into toads. Kedrigern is a crusty, middle-aged codger who really hates traveling & isn't shocked by anything except the whims of people, especially women. He really prefers to live quietly & study, so Princess breathes some chaos into his nicely ordered life & it's a fun trip.
Morressy is definitely an underrated author. His stuff isn't of the highest caliber, but he definitely writes entertaining tales. I read one of his SF books, Under A Calculating Star, not long ago & really liked that. It was even better. He also has a few fantasy books of which Graymantle is one book of a duology. There's also another book that I seem to recall is a prequel, The Time of the Annihilator to them. I want to get around to rereading them, too.
Morressy is definitely an underrated author. His stuff isn't of the highest caliber, but he definitely writes entertaining tales. I read one of his SF books, Under A Calculating Star, not long ago & really liked that. It was even better. He also has a few fantasy books of which Graymantle is one book of a duology. There's also another book that I seem to recall is a prequel, The Time of the Annihilator to them. I want to get around to rereading them, too.
November 14, 2023
3.5
Pohádka, milá, epizodní, určitým způsobem neohraničená, ale přesto má v lecčems nastaveny krátkozraké hranice.
Číst ji jako dítě, jsem nadšená a vlastně ani nemůžu říct, že by mě Kedrigern nepotěšil, nedodal mi toliko slíbeného klidu, ale něco, něco mě na něm přece jen otravovalo. Možná ta věčná roztrhanost na malé kousíčky, protože konec jsem slupla jako malinu!
Pohádka, milá, epizodní, určitým způsobem neohraničená, ale přesto má v lecčems nastaveny krátkozraké hranice.
Číst ji jako dítě, jsem nadšená a vlastně ani nemůžu říct, že by mě Kedrigern nepotěšil, nedodal mi toliko slíbeného klidu, ale něco, něco mě na něm přece jen otravovalo. Možná ta věčná roztrhanost na malé kousíčky, protože konec jsem slupla jako malinu!
September 17, 2021
Different... a wizard who mainly want to be home, drink beer, look at the sunrise and be working alone on his own... no wonder people shut them selves off into towers etc etc. He hates travelling, people etc. He happens to meet magic things along the way and dispell curses as his special profession.
I like it, but takes some time to get used to the slow tempo as things just happens to come by. No wars etc but more of magical issues to solve...
I like it, but takes some time to get used to the slow tempo as things just happens to come by. No wars etc but more of magical issues to solve...
October 4, 2013
I had hoped to enjoy this more, and indeed there were elements which appealed tremendously. Some of the language is nice, the rhyme is rather splendid and it's all-together not too serious a work. it did seemed to end a little flatly though, and it did feel drawn-out and stretched in places. Fun, but not amazing. But there are further stories !
December 29, 2011
Actually, there's not much to tell about the book. It's simple (maybe even too simple), it's funny (in a farcical comedy style), there's always something going on. Should appeal to Discworld fans.
Doesn't beat Pratchett though.
Doesn't beat Pratchett though.
September 23, 2017
Lighthearted and entertaining, though slightly annoying at times. Good for fans of the Enchanted Forest chronicles.
September 2, 2024
John Morressy was so dang good at what he did. His Iron Angel fantasy series skyrocketed to the top of my all-time favorites in fantasy, and for that reason I’ve been equal parts eager and nerve-wracked to begin his Kedrigern series. Happily, I can report that A Voice for Princess is every bit as enjoyable as I’d dared hoped. Different as it is from the seriousness of Ironbrand and Graymantle, A Voice for Princess was an absolute delight right from page one. I found myself having a lot in common with the curmudgeony (but lovable) 160 year old wizard. Take from that what you will. Now I have the unenviable task of trying to make the few remaining books last as long as possible. Why couldn’t this brilliant man have graced us with more writing?
August 5, 2017
Pohadka o zaklete princezne v zabu a jejim odcarovani. Hledani kouzla pro hlas primcezny, kouzla, ktere by ji hlas premenilo z kvakani na mluvu. Pohadka o jejich zivote. Pribehy o Kedrigernovi jsou pro me zklamanim na to, jak byly vychvalovane. Ovsem cetba pro deti - idealni..
August 13, 2017
I love these books. My mom had them on her bookshelf when I was a kid, and I still love to dust them off and read them.
October 29, 2019
Dragged at times, but good when it was good.
June 1, 2025
Pohádka, která mě bavila. Jdu shánět další díl.
February 26, 2017
Prijemne a oddechove cteni
May 15, 2025
I'm sorry if you somehow enjoyed it, but this book simply isn't funny. To be clear, I see all the attempts at humor, but I didn't laugh (or even smile) once. (For some perspective, the last book I read before this was "Mrs. Dalloway", and I laughed and smiled throughout.) It's obviously meant to be a humorous novel, but the humor is purely theoretical, and the delivery is all wrong. There's nothing unexpected, and the overall tone is somewhat childish. It was a chore to read even a chapter or two at a time. Yes, I could have DNF-ed it (life is short, and all that), but it wasn't offensive, merely dull (and it's not exactly a 1000-page epic). I prefer to finish the things I start so that I can look back and say "I read that" (and besides, I'd have no right to a rating or review otherwise, and consequently no closure).
Despite practically sharing a last name with the author (Morressy/Morrissey), the cover artist inaccurately painted a stereotypical wizard on the cover. Kedrigern wears a plain tunic and trousers instead of a fancy robe, no hat at all, and is clean-shaven. Nor, I believe, does he keep strange little effigies of himself on a stick.
Kedrigern's hobby of summoning inanimate objects from the distant future seems to be abandoned halfway through. Maybe it resurfaces in the sequels, but I will not be reading them.
The titular "Princess" is awkwardly called nothing but as if it were her proper name, which dehumanizes the character. And Kedrigern's house troll is often referred to as "it" even though the parents were given the dignified distinction of being male and female respectively.
...
Unsound Grammar:
"I'm going to my workroom and start making a list of spells." (p. 96)
...
There's an uncalled-for amount of "gleaming" in this novel. Characters "demand" a few too many times.
-
On p. 165, the author used both "here and there" and "[this] here, [that] there" in a single paragraph.
-
Uses of "blurt": 3 (within 26 pages of each other)
Uses of "loom" (verb): 1
Uses of "here and there": 3
Uses of "here [this], there [that]": 2
Uses of "[this] here, [that] there": 1
...
5/10
Despite practically sharing a last name with the author (Morressy/Morrissey), the cover artist inaccurately painted a stereotypical wizard on the cover. Kedrigern wears a plain tunic and trousers instead of a fancy robe, no hat at all, and is clean-shaven. Nor, I believe, does he keep strange little effigies of himself on a stick.
Kedrigern's hobby of summoning inanimate objects from the distant future seems to be abandoned halfway through. Maybe it resurfaces in the sequels, but I will not be reading them.
The titular "Princess" is awkwardly called nothing but as if it were her proper name, which dehumanizes the character. And Kedrigern's house troll is often referred to as "it" even though the parents were given the dignified distinction of being male and female respectively.
...
Unsound Grammar:
"I'm going to my workroom and start making a list of spells." (p. 96)
...
There's an uncalled-for amount of "gleaming" in this novel. Characters "demand" a few too many times.
-
On p. 165, the author used both "here and there" and "[this] here, [that] there" in a single paragraph.
-
Uses of "blurt": 3 (within 26 pages of each other)
Uses of "loom" (verb): 1
Uses of "here and there": 3
Uses of "here [this], there [that]": 2
Uses of "[this] here, [that] there": 1
...
5/10
July 31, 2020
3.5 stars, stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary
Kedrigern, a cantankerous old wizard, quits the Magician's Guild in disgust at the entry of alchemists. On a rare client service trip from his new refuge, he saves a beautiful princess who's been transformed into a frog. They fall in love. All's well, except... Princess still sounds like a frog.
Review
I was a big fan of John Morressy’s Iron Angel trilogy, and I picked up this book soon after it came out. It’s a different kind of book, of course – a light-hearted fantasy romp where Iron Angel was fairly serious – but I had hopes. To some extent these were met – the book is fun enough that I picked up three more in the series – but it doesn’t have the same magic (so to speak).
The premise is fun, if not innovative – Kedrigern is a grumpy old wizard – and it’s fine that some aspects are not too credible – he saves a beautiful princess who falls in love with him for no particular reason. The plot is fairly episodic, and it never really escapes that broad characterization of ‘kind of fun’. There are plenty of moments of good humor, and the story moves along nicely. As I said, I picked up three others in the series, but haven’t felt the need to get the remaining two. If you’re looking for undemanding light fantasy, this is a good fit.
Summary
Kedrigern, a cantankerous old wizard, quits the Magician's Guild in disgust at the entry of alchemists. On a rare client service trip from his new refuge, he saves a beautiful princess who's been transformed into a frog. They fall in love. All's well, except... Princess still sounds like a frog.
Review
I was a big fan of John Morressy’s Iron Angel trilogy, and I picked up this book soon after it came out. It’s a different kind of book, of course – a light-hearted fantasy romp where Iron Angel was fairly serious – but I had hopes. To some extent these were met – the book is fun enough that I picked up three more in the series – but it doesn’t have the same magic (so to speak).
The premise is fun, if not innovative – Kedrigern is a grumpy old wizard – and it’s fine that some aspects are not too credible – he saves a beautiful princess who falls in love with him for no particular reason. The plot is fairly episodic, and it never really escapes that broad characterization of ‘kind of fun’. There are plenty of moments of good humor, and the story moves along nicely. As I said, I picked up three others in the series, but haven’t felt the need to get the remaining two. If you’re looking for undemanding light fantasy, this is a good fit.
August 25, 2011
Originally posted at FanLit.
A Voice for Princess is the first volume of John Morressy’s KEDRIGERN CHRONICLES, a series of novels and short stories about the reclusive wizard Kedrigern. In this first novel, Kedrigern retires from the wizard guild because he’s mad at his colleagues for schmoozing with alchemists (whom Kedrigern considers beneath barbarians on the human worth scale). Accompanied by his ugly but loyal house troll, Spot (whose vocabulary consists entirely of the word “Yah!”), off Kedrigern goes to build himself a solitary home on Silent Thunder Mountain.
Eventually Kedrigern becomes lonely and decides he’d like a wife. After a couple of unsuccessful courting efforts, he stumbles upon a beautiful and intelligent princess who has been turned into a frog. What luck! Kedrigern’s area of expertise is counterspells, but ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
A Voice for Princess is the first volume of John Morressy’s KEDRIGERN CHRONICLES, a series of novels and short stories about the reclusive wizard Kedrigern. In this first novel, Kedrigern retires from the wizard guild because he’s mad at his colleagues for schmoozing with alchemists (whom Kedrigern considers beneath barbarians on the human worth scale). Accompanied by his ugly but loyal house troll, Spot (whose vocabulary consists entirely of the word “Yah!”), off Kedrigern goes to build himself a solitary home on Silent Thunder Mountain.
Eventually Kedrigern becomes lonely and decides he’d like a wife. After a couple of unsuccessful courting efforts, he stumbles upon a beautiful and intelligent princess who has been turned into a frog. What luck! Kedrigern’s area of expertise is counterspells, but ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
December 4, 2012
Veselé i poučné čtení (tedy v případě že někdy potkáte zakletou princeznu), které neváhám doporučit všem. Velmi originální přístup k pohádkové a čarodějnické tematice, která ovšem slouží jako obálka pro velice košatý a zábavný příběh. V celé sérii knih o Kedrigernovi jsem nenašel jedinou kterou bych nedoporučil. Kdo neznáte, čtěte!
V anglických komentářích jsem si všiml srovnání s Prachettem nebo Rowlingovou, nevěřte jim. Moressyho fantas a vypravěčský um jsou zcela nevšední a nedostižní.
V anglických komentářích jsem si všiml srovnání s Prachettem nebo Rowlingovou, nevěřte jim. Moressyho fantas a vypravěčský um jsou zcela nevšední a nedostižní.
April 28, 2009
Badly written and Princess becomes pretty loathsome every time she can speak. Exceptionally mediocre. Give it a miss.
June 8, 2010
Fun 1st volume in series.
August 15, 2010
A delightful series about a crotchety wizard and a princess.
May 8, 2011
Very enjoyable!
July 10, 2011
I loved this series. I looked avidly for the next paperback to come out and while I was sad at it ending, I was mostly satisfied of the ending.
December 30, 2012
I love this series for their whimsy and humanization of wizards and magic. Lots of fun.
August 21, 2014
Kedrigern is really funny and his troll servant is even funnier.
July 25, 2012
My introduction to Kedrigern. Funny and entertaining!
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October 23, 2018i read this when i was 16. i just love this book how it's full of surprises. i can't wait to own it!
and no i don't go into full details cuz i don't want to spoil it for anyone else. have fun reading it :)
and no i don't go into full details cuz i don't want to spoil it for anyone else. have fun reading it :)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews