In contrast to today's elaborate fantasy sagas, Watt-Evans's latest installment in his Ethshar series (Night of Madness; The Misenchanted Sword) provides a simple, complete story. Despite several years of study, Kilisha, an aspiring young apprentice wizard, has much to learn. After gathering ingredients for a lesson, she returns home to find her master, Ithanalin the Wise, transformed into a statue. A tax collector interrupted Ithanalin while working on a spell, a magic mirror tells her, with the result that the wizard's soul has been distributed among the various household objects. "The dish had run away with the spoon" is literally the case here, as all the furnishings have become animated and escaped out the door. In her efforts to track down the runaway objects and restore her petrified master to his former self, a quest that will eventually take her to the Overlord of Ethshar's fortress, Kilisha first tries to involve the Wizards' Guild but ultimately must rely on the few spells she knows and her master's spell book-as well as her own imagination, initiative and ingenuity. Excellent pacing and na‹ve charm make this good-natured fantasy especially suitable for teens.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
When the wizard Ithanalin falls afoul of one of his own spells, becoming an inanimate object and animating all his furniture instead, his apprentice, Kilisha, must find a way to reverse the spell and restore her master. First, however, she must round up the errant chairs, tables, and other pieces that have scattered throughout the magical city of Ethshar. Watt-Evans returns to his popular Ethshar series (Night of Madness; The Spell of the Black Dagger) for another dose of ebullient fantasy featuring sympathetic characters, fantastic sorceries, and a fairytale plot. For most libraries, particularly where the series is in demand.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
