Well, speaking as an actor and a Stasheff fan, I can say I found this book (and indeed, the whole series) perfectly delightful. While a few of the characterizations are a little bit stereotyped (no character actresses? Really, Mr. Stasheff!), I have to admit that, to one extent or another, I've trod the boards with each and every one of those folks---guess things only get to be stereotypes because they're true. The plot is fast-paced and beautifully developed, and Stasheff has obviously done his research. The technical details (at least, those connected to the theatre) are beautifully accurate, and Mr. Stasheff is one of the few authors I've seen who can actively capture on-stage, off-stage, and audience reaction simultaneously without being a single bit boring. There's a nice tie-in with his Warlock series, as well, but only if you're paying close attention. All in all, this is an excellent book, and I recommend it quite highly. Now, if he'd only *finish* the series...

Actually, when I first started reading I was a little confused because it starts with a chase scene of a runaway surf, not Magnus D'armond. But once I figured out what was going on everything went smoothly and I got totally into the book. A Wizard in Absentia is definetely one of Christopher Stasheff's better books and it goes very smoothly into the next book of the Rogue Wizard series A Wizard in Mind (another great Stasheff book). The only boring part was when he aganizes over his unethical use of his telepathical powers over one of his relations (on his father's side). Other then that the book was very interesting. I especially liked Ian, the runaway serf and Herkimer, the spaceship that was a gift from his relations.

Stasheff seemed to have contradicting ideas about what Matt's parents would be like until he brought them on board in this book, but I can forgive him that, and the occasional shifts in POV he makes to explain their backgrounds without decent transitions. Suffice it to say, who knew Matt had such gorgeous parents who were deeply in love with each other and really good spellcasters?

For everyone who loved the Wizard in Rhyme series, this book is a must read. Stasheff provides all the fun and action packed reading put into his first four books, adding more magic and mystery than before. Truly a recommendation for the Christopher Stasheff fan!

The book started a little slow, but ended very good. I liked how Mr. Stasheff bought in Matthews parents and made them wizards, too; and how he is developing the types of wizards. The book was very good, and was a enjoyable division.

This book is mainly a romance, not an adventure story like the Warlock and Rogue Wizard books. If you like romance novels, you are in for a treat. There are also some good fight scenes. It is interesting to see the three younger Gallowglasses after Magnus has left. I loved the way the book started out-it was hilarious. Though I enjoyed the book, I felt that Stasheff did not write as well from Cordelia's perspective as he did from Magnus's and Rod's. There were also some holes in the plot, and the turnaround in Alain's character seemed unrealistic. I found Alain's and Geoffrey's "disguises" very amusing-they fooled no-one. No doubt Magnus would be thouroughly disgusted. The futuristic anarchists are floundering-after she succeeded with Magnus, Finister uses the same old tactics, but fails because the situation doesn't call for them. She's just too slutty for SPITE'S good. I'm interested in the sudden language shift-all the young people have begun speaking modern English. Could this be part of a sinister plot by VETO? Anyway, M'Lady Witch was a good book, though it was mostly a romance.

This was my first Christopher Stasheff book and I thought it was fantastic. I am not going to tell you about the plot, because the other reviewers do a good job of that, but I thought that it was filled with adventure and humor. It is true that it is a story of romance, but it added that extra depth and intrigue to the book. There were some great battles of wits, and of courage, even if the monster was made of which moss. Fantastic read. I recommend it highly.

I read this book when I was younger and picked it up again and just fell in love with it all over again. A wonderful blend of fantasy and romance. This book definately tugs at your heart and makes you laugh out loud! Highly reccommended!

The basic idea is clever enough, but that's about the best I can say for it. The plot is far too easy - any kind of rhyme works exactly what the guy wanted to happen, except in one case, when the oversight he made *helped* him. Convenient, eh? Then there's the cheesy and poorly developed romance subplot. If you could suspend disbelief to ignore all the easy solutions and plot oversights, the book would be interesting enough, but I would definitely not recommend this book to anyone who likes *real* fantasy novels.

A university student from 1980s Earth is sent into a fantasy world, where he finds himself its most powerful wizard and must quickly adapt to the role. This world is build on an alternative reality concept: a medieval Europe where magic is worked by reciting poetry. Naturally the hero's vast knowledge of Shakespeare et al. comes in handy.

Had I taken the book too seriously, I would have been disappointed with magic where any rhyme will do and always works according to plan. The book could have been much shorter if the hero had simply said 'Yawn, yawn, evil's gone'. Fortunately the magic doesn't get overly abused. The battles involving magic were great, it's only the rules that need adjusting.

Stasheff is clearly a talented and well studied author. He's a bit too heavy on the religious angle, but that aside if you're looking for a read to just relax and have fun, this will do nicely.

[ Similar (and better): Terry Brooks, "Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold" ]

This was an Awesome book, there is an amazing mix of the modern-day thought and the medival thought, as well as a blend of the two different lands. This book is really religious though, and i wouild not recomend it if you cannot look past the religion in it to see the story. it is an arcahic form of catholism though so i donot find anythign offensive about it. I would highly recomend this book , though beware you will not be able to put it down, and you will learn something of poetry and physics. The lessons taught are cleverly hidden but they are taught none-the-less.

The (so-far) ultimate book in a very entertaining series. Please Please Mr Stasheff write more. As a theatre professional who loves science fiction I beleive you have caught much of the truth behind "The show must go on". Sure your characters are stereotypes but stereotypes only survive because there is some truth in them. Press on.

I just purchased all three of the Starship Troupers series -- they were wonderful!!! How disappointing to discover there are no more. Mr. Stasheff, please consider writing more -- you have left us hanging! What about the Man in Gray, Elector Rudders, Prudence, Ramou, Horace and the rest? AAAAAGHH!!!

I love the series!!!!! But I can't seem to find this book anywhere. Somebody needs to either reprint it or something!!!AAAHHHHHH!!!! Where is this book!

This book is a continuation of an interesting series by Mr. Stasheff. I like "historical" fantasy, and this is a fun little romp through an alternative England and Ireland (Bretanglia and Erin). While not as detailed and intricate as some other "historical" fantasy authors (such as Guy Gavriel Kay), this is a well written and entertaining book, with a firm emphasis on adventure and action, with plenty of political manoeuvering and backstabbing, chivalry, magic, and good vs. evil to keep anyone satisfied.

The plot in this book is somewhat predictable at times, such as the virtuous Prince who was "killed" but comes back from the dead to claim his throne from his evil brother, with the help of the good guys of course; and who killed the initial heir to the throne of Bretanglia became fairly obvious to me early on in the book. These gripes aside, I still enjoyed this book, and I recommend anyone who has enjoyed previous books from this series to read this one. However, this may not be the best book to read if you haven't read any of the other books in this series, as you may not understand all the background information that this book is refering to (in other words, read the first book, Her Majesty's Wizard, and all the sequels in order, before you read this one -- trust me, its worth it). The good thing about all the books in this series, including this one, is that each one has a distinct ending, and does not leave you hanging until the next one.

All in all, this book is a good continuation to a fun and entertaining series, and I am eagerly awaiting the next one!

In the Haunted Wizard,Stasheff spins an artful yarn that weaves several eras of English history[ in this universe anyway] into a merry old jaunt thru Bretanglia. For fans of the play and movie "The Lion in Winter", this book captures the wonderful scheming and backbiting of an ambitious royal family in medieval Europe. The use of Celtic and Druidic rituals and magic fits in wonderfully with the premise for this series. Matt Mantrell,The Lord Wizard,continues to keep one entertained in this book with his integrity, mastery of wizardry and his abilty to land on his feet. Other titles I would recommend would be Tad Williams' Dragonbone Chair;Stephen R. Donaldson's A Man rides Through;Margret Weis' The Lost King

An interesting, original premise, not often explored. Gets preachy on the politics and stereotypical (despite the obvious effort to avoid creating stereotypes in some areas). Extremely witty and enjoyable - I laughed aloud while reading it, and read both sequels.

The Starship Troupers series is Stasheff at his best. With a good original story and entertaining characters. My only disappointment is that only 3 books have been done. There is a developing story line which proved to be of intrest in all 3 books. The Troupers are a group of performers and misfits. Setting out to bring culture to the masses through live Theater. Believe me when i say "You'll never look at theater again the same way." The Chaos which follows them is very entertaining and informative about the value of an informed citizenry.

Personally, I think that this is Stasheff's best single book, with the possible exception of Warlock In Spite of Himself. The characters are interesting, and different, as is the situation. It's not just the same old story rehashed for the umpteenth time, like too many of the author's works. Of course, this series does become repetitive after the first book, but not so much so as the Warlock books (not to mention the Rogue Wizard series). At least, in this book, it's the first time he's used this formula. And, of course, being Stasheff, it's loads of fun! He's got to be doing something right to keep me reading all his books.

Quicksilver's knight is a reader's delight. Well crafted from beginning to end, it draws together all the elements of the universe the author has created for the Gallowglass clan, including an encore performance by our favorite villainess, Diane Finister, whose everchanging appearance has managed to confuse the family so far, and whose determined malevolance certainly keeps a plot moving. Quicksilver is a terriffic character, "cut from whole cloth" so to speak, as Stasheff manages to not only make her a very real person, but manages to enlist us in her cause. Even a novice in Granmarye can follow the storyline, and as usual, the fast paced action is a tremendous aid in suspending our disbelief. Thumbs up for another Stasheff success!

Geoffery Gallowglass is bored of every day things. He wants something exciting to happen. He sure got what he asked for. He is stuck between turning a beautiful bandit captin in and letting her live on her own. He then meets a stunning witch, and has to decide between the two. Some choice, eh?

I just read this book over again for the third or fourth time. Like all of the "Warlock" series, it was interesting on multiple levels. The High Warlock's middle son, Geoffrey Gallowglass, finds adventure, romance, intrigue, treachery, romance, intellectual challenge, comradery, wrongs to right, skullduggery and plenty of fun, as well as enough food for thought to keep him busy for years to come. This is a coming-of-age novel that is a delight. It fits in well with his sister Cordelia's story, M'Lady Witch, and is much easier reading than his brother Magnus' equivalent tale, Warlock and Son.

Wizard in a Feud is the ninth in the Rogue Wizard series. While these stories don't have the glamour of A Wizard in Spite of Himself, Stasheff has kept up the interest fairly well for such a long series.

Another world, another problem. When Herkimer, the robot, has a memory fault, Magnus and Alea land on the first livable planet. The planet seems to have been settled by Scots and to have achieved an early 19th century level of technology. Rather than stay on board, Gar -- AKA Magnus -- and Alea are quite happy to have shore leave after 4 months in space.

As they hike through the woods, they encounter foot high winged humanoids, the fairies, who question them and let them go. Later, Gar meets the elves, a related species without the wings.

Gar and Alea meet many of the clan folk, and some outlaws, and begin to understand the situation. Of course, the problem is feuding, with each clan afraid to stop unilaterally. Moreover, the clans outlaw any of their folk who are too different or make tomuch trouble, and they consider talk of peace as troublemaking. Naturally, Gar, Alea, the wee folk, and Evanescent, the stowaway guardian, combine to bring peace to the planet.

The story is interesting even if improbable and totally illogical. It is nice to see that Alea is beginning to trust her own abilities and to see Magnus in a romantic light. Recommended to all Stasheff fans and anyone who likes light fantasy with a touch of humor.

Please do not take my header the wrong way... I love Stasheff's many series, and will continue to buy hardbound copies as they are released, sight unseen. I would never turn aside a new reader, but I would never recommend this particular title as a jumping on point either.

Magnus and Alea are continuing on their now joint quest to alleviate suffering throughout the lost colonies... that is, they are looking for worlds that have degenerated into an oppressive socio-economic society that has no chance of bettering it's people. Magnus and Alea attempt to move the society in whatever direction would most benefit that particular planet. The series started out by making the point that Democracy was Good. It then proceded to show that other forms of government are just as valid provided there are controls in place for each type... socialism, conservative theocracy, matriarchal oligarchy, etc... what works best for THOSE PEOPLE, regardless of what form it may take.

This time around, Magnus and Alea find a society broken into clans much like the Scottish Highlanders, but with a more Hatfield & McCoy feel. The clans are in constant conflict with one another, while fearing the native "elves" and "fairies", and the remaining Druids try to spread a message of peace that no one can believe anymore.
As in the last book, Evanescent (the great big cat-like Esper from 'A Wizard and a Warlord')seems to be more in charge than just tagging along for the ride, Magnus seems to become ever less powerful, and Alea grows stronger. On the up side, we are given another glimpse into the growing relationship between Alea and Magnus, and the very real psychological hurdles that Magnus has built. Alea is more likely to understand where they are in their relationship before Magnus ever gets through his own barriers. And there are ever more hints of Magnus' desire to go home, if only to visit and rest up.

To sum up... love the series... plot dwells less on protagonists abilities than on their function as tools for their silent partner. I DO appreciate the pacing of the growing relationship between the two leads, the woman will usually figure out the obvious before the guy EVER gets a clue. By the same token, the previous two books have hinted at Magnus' return to Gramarye... will the next deliver? I hope Stasheff has not exhausted all the avenues he wished to explore with Magnus, but I would enjoy a less stagnant Magnus who once again solves problems on his own, with support and ideas from Alea, and let Evanescent just WATCH this time. The cat is nice, but it is too much a ghost in the machine. Get Magnus home for the wedding.

Again, do not start the series here... go back a couple of books. Thank you for your attention, you may resume browsing...

Herkimer, the computer system that controls his space ship, informs Magnus D'Armand and his traveling companion Alea that a malfunction is occurring within the CPU. Memory is failing so rather than risk the problem spreading into the life support systems, Magnus heads to the nearest planet that can support Terran life, an apparent lost colony that Herkimer cannot recall from the database.

Because of the price on his head, Magnus becomes Gar Pike in case the isolated inhabitants of Oldeira has a SCENT or two on this planet, remote as that possibility seems. Upon landing, Herkimer's the problem rectifies itself sending a chill up Magnus' spine due to the speed and timing of the correction. On the planet, Gar and Alea begin to meet the local population starting with fairies. Soon the duo realizes that the planet abounds with feuds between clans reminiscent of Old Earth's Scottish squabbles. As Gar and Alea try to spread peace and democracy among the people, someone else seems to be evanescently manipulating the scenario from the shadows.

The head wizard of the galaxy Christopher Stasheff provides his myriad of fans with the latest Rogue Wizard novel. A WIZARD IN A FEUD is a delightful story that takes outer space travelers Magnus and Alea into a seventeenth century Scottish environment with otherworldly creatures to spice up the environs (and plot). Though fans will want the personal relationship between Magnus and Alea to pick up steam, The Wizard In Spite of Himself crowd will enjoy Mr. Stasheff's latest fantasy.

Harriet Klausner