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Magic by the Numbers #3
Riddle of the Seven Realms
Tells the story of Kestrel's encounter with the lady wizard, Phoebe, and follows their travels across universes as he attempts to save his world
403 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
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607 people want to read
About the author
Lyndon Hardy
11 books148 followersNew York Times best-selling author of the Magic by the Numbers fantasy series.
One Last Heist, the seventh book in the series, is now available.
I meld my knowledg in physics with the fantasy of alchemy, sorcery, and wizardry to produce tales in which there are constraints and limitations. Magic is not omnipotent. When the protagonists are in a jam, they are not saved with a simple bibbity, bobbiity, boo.
With the exception that book 5, Magic Times Three, involves the same protagonists as book 4, The Archimage's Fourth Daughter, all the books in the series have different leading characters. They can be read in any order.
I have some experience with adventures in our universe as well -- orchestrating the classic Rose Bowl Card Stunt in 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_R...
I have yet to come up with a plot in which a stamp collector saves the universe.
Wikipedia: Lyndon Hardy
One Last Heist, the seventh book in the series, is now available.
I meld my knowledg in physics with the fantasy of alchemy, sorcery, and wizardry to produce tales in which there are constraints and limitations. Magic is not omnipotent. When the protagonists are in a jam, they are not saved with a simple bibbity, bobbiity, boo.
With the exception that book 5, Magic Times Three, involves the same protagonists as book 4, The Archimage's Fourth Daughter, all the books in the series have different leading characters. They can be read in any order.
I have some experience with adventures in our universe as well -- orchestrating the classic Rose Bowl Card Stunt in 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_R...
I have yet to come up with a plot in which a stamp collector saves the universe.
Wikipedia: Lyndon Hardy
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 7, 2019
“Riddle of the Seven Realms” is author Lyndon Hardy’s third book in his 1980s “Magics” trilogy. I read the first book in the series, “Master of the Five Magics” not too long after it was initially released back in 1980. I then kind of forgot about it and didn’t even realize that the first release had spawned two sequels until I was recently on a quest to find and reread a few books which I had read earlier in my life. After finding all three of the volumes in a used book store one day, I made the investment and plunged back into this somewhat underground yet semi-classic fantasy series.
If you are interested, you can read my review of “Master of the Five Magics” here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
You can also read my review of the second book, “Secret of the Sixth Magic” here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hardy has recently published a new volume in the series called “The Archimage’s Fourth Daughter,” which I suppose I will have to pick up and review eventually. For the moment, I was just happy to read and enjoy this particular trilogy of fantasy novels, and overall it was worth the effort.
“Riddle of the Seven Realms” takes place some years after the events of the second novel. This seems to fit Hardy’s sense of continuity, since “Secret” was set a couple of decades after the first book. The author’s big claim to literary fame with this series is his detailed sense of world building and his very logical construction of a magical system that holds together all of the threads of his universe(s). That attention to detail continues with this book, as his characters must navigate a series of different universes, or realms, that all flow seamlessly and carefully from Hardy’s original vision. The plot is pretty straightforward. From the back cover:
“The worst of the mess they were in, Kestrel knew, was that it was all his own fault. It all began when he’d tried to cheat the lady wizard Phoebe with a load of worthless wood. When she insisted on testing his anvilwood sample, the demon Astron had burst through the fire with some wild tale of a mission to the archmage to save his master from a dread enemy. Then Kestrel decided, with Astron’s naive help, to bilk the other wizards of their gold. So they were pursued by eleven raging wizards and uncounted imps.
Drifting across the border in a lead balloon brought them to the archmage Alodar. But instead of calling off the pursuit, he had sent them into the perilous realm of the fey. And now they were being shuttled madly across universe after universe, each more dangerous than the last. It wasn’t fair, Kestrel thought, even if it was his fault!”
And thus the adventure ensues! Hardy keeps the action moving swiftly for the most part, though he still plays it very safe with his characters. Kestrel, one of the two primary heroes in the book, starts out as a prototypical Lyndon Hardy main character in this story. He begins as a cad with a hard-luck backstory who matures and eventually turns into a noble soul who finds his true inner self. The real treat here is the other main player in the tale, the demon Astron. Astron is the first truly layered and interesting personality that I have encountered in any of the three books in this series. He has a great origin story and seems to have genuine motivations for his actions. His presence makes this novel crackle on a level that the first two volumes in the series didn’t. Hardy has always placed the emphasis in this collection on the world building and magic system at the expense of his characters, but Astron breaks that mold in a refreshing way.
The two main feminine foils in the book failed to provide much spark. The wizard Phoebe seems kind of stereotypically flighty and the leprechaun Nimbia disappoints as needy and somewhat shallow. Hardly what I expected from a Queen of the Fey. Hardy usually creates reasonably strong female players, but these two seemed like they really weren’t essential to the story in any tangible way.
Overall it’s a decent enough finish to the original trilogy. Hardy manages to expand his basic concepts to their logical conclusions while providing a villain with a truly menacing agenda. The action flows neatly from one realm to the next while clues are dropped along the way for our heroes. That said, Hardy wastes too much time in a couple of really boring universes at the end that threaten to derail all of the interesting stuff that came before. And I do mean BORING. I almost never skip chapters in a narrative, but I came THAT CLOSE in this book. Watch out for the Realm of the Reticulates and the Realm of the Aleators if you do decide to pick up this trilogy.
Unfortunately, that big slowdown at the end dropped this from a four-star effort to a three-star for me. I loved the beginning with the expanded time in the realm of demon, and the inclusion of Astron as a character was a big win, but those wasted chapters at the culmination of the story just slowed the whole thing down to the pace of a sleeping snail in a bucket of glue. One of these days I’ll pick up Hardy’s continuation of the story, but for now I’m gladly moving on to other realms created by other writers. This is still a series that you might want to seek out if you enjoy classic fantasy with a bit of sci-fi overtones.
Oh, and Mr. Hardy, please make up your damn mind…..is it spelled Archmage or Archimage?? AHHHHHHH!!!! That little detail just about drove me nuts with this series, since he interchanges both spellings with no logic behind it whatsoever.
Last but not least, I read all of these books in the trilogy in their original Del Rey paperback editions with the Rowena Morrill cover art. I really dig that old Dungeons & Dragons aesthetic, and there is nothing more fun for me than creasing those old spines up as I get comfy on the couch, cat in lap, maybe a bit of Jethro Tull on the speakers…………
FINIS!! On to other worlds.
If you are interested, you can read my review of “Master of the Five Magics” here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
You can also read my review of the second book, “Secret of the Sixth Magic” here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hardy has recently published a new volume in the series called “The Archimage’s Fourth Daughter,” which I suppose I will have to pick up and review eventually. For the moment, I was just happy to read and enjoy this particular trilogy of fantasy novels, and overall it was worth the effort.
“Riddle of the Seven Realms” takes place some years after the events of the second novel. This seems to fit Hardy’s sense of continuity, since “Secret” was set a couple of decades after the first book. The author’s big claim to literary fame with this series is his detailed sense of world building and his very logical construction of a magical system that holds together all of the threads of his universe(s). That attention to detail continues with this book, as his characters must navigate a series of different universes, or realms, that all flow seamlessly and carefully from Hardy’s original vision. The plot is pretty straightforward. From the back cover:
“The worst of the mess they were in, Kestrel knew, was that it was all his own fault. It all began when he’d tried to cheat the lady wizard Phoebe with a load of worthless wood. When she insisted on testing his anvilwood sample, the demon Astron had burst through the fire with some wild tale of a mission to the archmage to save his master from a dread enemy. Then Kestrel decided, with Astron’s naive help, to bilk the other wizards of their gold. So they were pursued by eleven raging wizards and uncounted imps.
Drifting across the border in a lead balloon brought them to the archmage Alodar. But instead of calling off the pursuit, he had sent them into the perilous realm of the fey. And now they were being shuttled madly across universe after universe, each more dangerous than the last. It wasn’t fair, Kestrel thought, even if it was his fault!”
And thus the adventure ensues! Hardy keeps the action moving swiftly for the most part, though he still plays it very safe with his characters. Kestrel, one of the two primary heroes in the book, starts out as a prototypical Lyndon Hardy main character in this story. He begins as a cad with a hard-luck backstory who matures and eventually turns into a noble soul who finds his true inner self. The real treat here is the other main player in the tale, the demon Astron. Astron is the first truly layered and interesting personality that I have encountered in any of the three books in this series. He has a great origin story and seems to have genuine motivations for his actions. His presence makes this novel crackle on a level that the first two volumes in the series didn’t. Hardy has always placed the emphasis in this collection on the world building and magic system at the expense of his characters, but Astron breaks that mold in a refreshing way.
The two main feminine foils in the book failed to provide much spark. The wizard Phoebe seems kind of stereotypically flighty and the leprechaun Nimbia disappoints as needy and somewhat shallow. Hardly what I expected from a Queen of the Fey. Hardy usually creates reasonably strong female players, but these two seemed like they really weren’t essential to the story in any tangible way.
Overall it’s a decent enough finish to the original trilogy. Hardy manages to expand his basic concepts to their logical conclusions while providing a villain with a truly menacing agenda. The action flows neatly from one realm to the next while clues are dropped along the way for our heroes. That said, Hardy wastes too much time in a couple of really boring universes at the end that threaten to derail all of the interesting stuff that came before. And I do mean BORING. I almost never skip chapters in a narrative, but I came THAT CLOSE in this book. Watch out for the Realm of the Reticulates and the Realm of the Aleators if you do decide to pick up this trilogy.
Unfortunately, that big slowdown at the end dropped this from a four-star effort to a three-star for me. I loved the beginning with the expanded time in the realm of demon, and the inclusion of Astron as a character was a big win, but those wasted chapters at the culmination of the story just slowed the whole thing down to the pace of a sleeping snail in a bucket of glue. One of these days I’ll pick up Hardy’s continuation of the story, but for now I’m gladly moving on to other realms created by other writers. This is still a series that you might want to seek out if you enjoy classic fantasy with a bit of sci-fi overtones.
Oh, and Mr. Hardy, please make up your damn mind…..is it spelled Archmage or Archimage?? AHHHHHHH!!!! That little detail just about drove me nuts with this series, since he interchanges both spellings with no logic behind it whatsoever.
Last but not least, I read all of these books in the trilogy in their original Del Rey paperback editions with the Rowena Morrill cover art. I really dig that old Dungeons & Dragons aesthetic, and there is nothing more fun for me than creasing those old spines up as I get comfy on the couch, cat in lap, maybe a bit of Jethro Tull on the speakers…………
FINIS!! On to other worlds.
November 21, 2015
This series is a fun, escapist fantasy. It's most interesting aspect is the magic system with 5 + 3 + 1 types of magic explained in varying detail. The first book in the series, Master of the Five Magics is the best and most memorable, for this reason.
5 of 10 stars for this novel, 6 of 10 for Magic #2 and 7 of 10 for Magic #1
5 of 10 stars for this novel, 6 of 10 for Magic #2 and 7 of 10 for Magic #1
August 1, 2018
In this third volume of the loosely coupled trilogy - as the books can be read standalone - there are two protagonists: a con-man and a demon. Quite a lot of backstory about the demon is established first and he is probably the best realised character in the series as a whole, as a weakness of these novels is the characterisation. Astron has a genuine arc in the growth of his character. I enjoyed the parts where he appeared especially in his own domain. I also enjoyed the initial misadventures of him, Kestrel the con-man and Phoebe the female wizard when they go on the run and try to reach the archimage, in the first part of the book.
The story hinges around Astron's quest to resolve a conundrum which has been posed his master, the Prince who, in book 1, was outmatched by Alodar who subsequently became the archimage. (This third volume is set about 30 years after book 1.) A rival prince has set the Prince this puzzle and if he cannot resolve it, will destroy him. The Prince's situation becomes steadily grimmer throughout the story as Astron journeys from one realm to another, beginning with the realm where the series is usually set, to try to find the answer and obtain harebell pollen which another demon prince has demanded before giving them help. On the way he finds out more about humanity, experiences what it is to be human at one point, and gradually develops feelings for a fay ruler.
As with other books in the series, there are inventive contraptions, contrivances and in this case whole worlds, including one which has arcane board-game type rules. The biggest weakness in the story is the characterisation of the other characters, especially the women. In previous books the women have been almost cardboard cutout and the tendency continues here: there is an attempt to make Phoebe, whose role is love interest for Kestrel the con-man, more realistic by having her doubt her abilities - there is a lot of sexism in the wizards guild - but she does end up acting like a wimp most of the time, as does the female fay ruler who is the love interest for Astron.
Another issue is that I worked out pretty early on who was the real villain manipulating things behind the scenes. And some parts dragged rather, especially when they are almost literally sitting around for 10 or 15 days in the fay realm for no better reason, it seems, than to give Kestrel and Phoebe the chance to learn the fay language instead of Astron having to interpret for them. I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been more of the con-man tactics employed in reaching the archimage which happens too quickly after their initial misadventures: those were quite enjoyable. So on balance I would rate this 3 stars.
The story hinges around Astron's quest to resolve a conundrum which has been posed his master, the Prince who, in book 1, was outmatched by Alodar who subsequently became the archimage. (This third volume is set about 30 years after book 1.) A rival prince has set the Prince this puzzle and if he cannot resolve it, will destroy him. The Prince's situation becomes steadily grimmer throughout the story as Astron journeys from one realm to another, beginning with the realm where the series is usually set, to try to find the answer and obtain harebell pollen which another demon prince has demanded before giving them help. On the way he finds out more about humanity, experiences what it is to be human at one point, and gradually develops feelings for a fay ruler.
As with other books in the series, there are inventive contraptions, contrivances and in this case whole worlds, including one which has arcane board-game type rules. The biggest weakness in the story is the characterisation of the other characters, especially the women. In previous books the women have been almost cardboard cutout and the tendency continues here: there is an attempt to make Phoebe, whose role is love interest for Kestrel the con-man, more realistic by having her doubt her abilities - there is a lot of sexism in the wizards guild - but she does end up acting like a wimp most of the time, as does the female fay ruler who is the love interest for Astron.
Another issue is that I worked out pretty early on who was the real villain manipulating things behind the scenes. And some parts dragged rather, especially when they are almost literally sitting around for 10 or 15 days in the fay realm for no better reason, it seems, than to give Kestrel and Phoebe the chance to learn the fay language instead of Astron having to interpret for them. I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been more of the con-man tactics employed in reaching the archimage which happens too quickly after their initial misadventures: those were quite enjoyable. So on balance I would rate this 3 stars.
November 25, 2008
In many ways this could never live up to the first two books, but it is the natural conclusion to the series, as Hardy takes his story to its logical conclusion and explores more of the alternate dimensions that form the backdrop to his universe.
There's not much to say really, other than the fact that the story is perfectly satisfying, and the conclusion works to finish the book and the trilogy very well. There are some more twists to the "Laws of Magic" that were explored in the previous books, with yet another perspective added to the mix, this time by way of a non-human character who doesn't understand emotions in quite the same way.
Again, the characters are well-drawn and engaging, and the story rattles along quickly enough that the thin ice it skates over is barely evident.
Not recommended as a stand-alone book, but as a terrific conclusion to a better-than-average fantasy series.
There's not much to say really, other than the fact that the story is perfectly satisfying, and the conclusion works to finish the book and the trilogy very well. There are some more twists to the "Laws of Magic" that were explored in the previous books, with yet another perspective added to the mix, this time by way of a non-human character who doesn't understand emotions in quite the same way.
Again, the characters are well-drawn and engaging, and the story rattles along quickly enough that the thin ice it skates over is barely evident.
Not recommended as a stand-alone book, but as a terrific conclusion to a better-than-average fantasy series.
May 10, 2010
I liked the 1st one so much that the other two really did not have a chance.
March 14, 2025
Another fun, original fantasy/mystery from the underread Lyndon Hardy.
February 5, 2017
I had not read the previous novels in the series so had no preconceptions of expectations. Definitely a stand alone novel. I'd like to start with the seven realms. The title is a bit of a misnomer. The two main characters from whom this story is told, Aston the demon and Kestrel the con man, never visit the realm of the Skyskirr. They merely knew of its existence. Further, they never really visited the second Realm of Symmetry. Supposedly, the second realm merged with the first Realm of Symmetry the moment after they left the first realm. I do want to add though, that the Realm of Symmetry was a really neat concept. I found it very imaginative and truly unique. Kudos to the author for such. It is rare to read a fantasy novel and discover something you've not seen before. So much of it has already been done. The rest of the novel was your basic high fantasy theme - a collection of diverse individuals go on a dangerous journey fraught with peril along the way to complete a mission to save the realms - as basic as they come. Such standard fare would have resulted in a "meh" three star rating, but the Realm of Symmetry singlehandedly boosted this one star.
May 4, 2010
Disappointing sequel to Master of the Five Magics and Secret of the Sixth Magic.
I wasted money and time reading it.
Just skip it.
I wasted money and time reading it.
Just skip it.
January 22, 2018
The structure and payoff were not nearly so satisfying as with the previous two. The dual protagonists are not insufferable in the way the previous two were, but are certainly still of questionable character in ways that the narrative itself chooses not to question. This isn't really a new issue, but it feels like the rest of the novel isn't enough to cover it as well, and the ways in which these men rub me wrong ends up being more closely-tied to the off-putting gender politics of the whole series, making that issue harder to ignore.
Book one had an occasional woman character relevant as the protagonists love interest, and her general inaction in the plot blended well with her net being everpresent. The second novel had a woman co-protagonist that was just kinda there most of the time, being useful to the protagonist and the plot. The third one has two women to match the two men who share the spotlight, and neither of them has much of any agency, and their personal struggles, where even mentioned, take a distant back seat to the possessive men they are there to be useful and/or attractive to.
Book one had an occasional woman character relevant as the protagonists love interest, and her general inaction in the plot blended well with her net being everpresent. The second novel had a woman co-protagonist that was just kinda there most of the time, being useful to the protagonist and the plot. The third one has two women to match the two men who share the spotlight, and neither of them has much of any agency, and their personal struggles, where even mentioned, take a distant back seat to the possessive men they are there to be useful and/or attractive to.
January 8, 2025
I’ve had two copies of this on my shelf for at least 20 years (lost one to a fire in 2013, and I found a replacement). Some books you can’t wait to get through to see how they end, some you don’t want to put down. This is neither of those. I liked Five Magics, though was not fond of Secret of the Sixth Magic. This was a little better than that but not by much. Cumbersome dialogue, slow pace, oh well.
February 20, 2022
Another run through by Hardy.
Protagonists betrayed by fate and thus embittered? Check
Interesting world building dependent upon an intricate self-consistent paradigm? Check
A system so complex that only an engineer could visualize it? Check
But still fun. It held up okay for a 30 year old book.
Protagonists betrayed by fate and thus embittered? Check
Interesting world building dependent upon an intricate self-consistent paradigm? Check
A system so complex that only an engineer could visualize it? Check
But still fun. It held up okay for a 30 year old book.
December 23, 2025
this scintillatingly scientific trilogy concludes with the detailing of a universe’s floorplan on top of its already complicated and mathematical magic system, and despite some basic character work I am so entranced by the systems at play here that I can’t help but have enjoyed every minute.
June 13, 2020
I enjoyed this a good amount. It continues to delve into the magic system of the universe, which I found quite interesting. The only problem I had was the sappiness of the ending.
July 7, 2020
A good read
This book was easy to fallow and understand. There was plenty of action and it made the book exciting. I recommend this book.
This book was easy to fallow and understand. There was plenty of action and it made the book exciting. I recommend this book.
August 7, 2024
By now i was ready to move on.
November 18, 2024
Not as I remembered it but an interesting commentary on magic use in this very different world.
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October 23, 2025Riddle of the Seven Realms (Mass Market Paperback) by Lyndon Hardy (Author)
March 3, 2021
Our hero is master of five magics, has to master meta-magic. I like how plot resorts to logic and puzzles that need to be solved. Magic can be cop-out for fantasy, used for unravelling tricky situations. Thinking has power as well as spellcasting. You have to know the spell, before casting. Allure of desire and love is powerful, and can cast own spell.
January 7, 2008
I had to wait about 3 months for Amazon to find a used copy of this for me; I'd read the first two and had to finish the series! A good capper.
Want to read
October 24, 2010Multi-universe adventure. Demon, wizard and conman on a quest to save the demon's world.
May 10, 2011
A neat book, linking may of the disciplines and schools of thoughts.
March 16, 2013
A surprisingly strong ending to the trilogy, fulfilling the potential shown in the first book, despite the weakness of the second.
January 9, 2014
great finish to the series with the most complicated plot line and terrific imagination
June 10, 2014
Meh. If I wasn't already invested in the trilogy, I probably would not have finished it.
October 8, 2014
Another Hardy novel with strangely bad cover art.
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
July 20, 2016
The premise of magical laws is stretching thin in this book.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews