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Rogue Agent #1
The Accidental Sorcerer
Gerald Dunwoody is a wizard. Just not a particularly good one. He's blown up a factory, lost his job, and there's a chance that he's not really a Third Grade wizard after all. So it's off to New Ottosland to be the new Court Wizard for King Lional.
It's a shame that King Lional isn't the vain, self-centered young man he appeared to be. With a Princess in danger, a talking bird who can't stay out of trouble, and a kingdom to save, Gerald soon suspects that he might be out of his depth. And if he can't keep this job, how will he ever become the wizard he was destined to be. . .
The Accidental Sorcerer is the first novel in the Rogue Agent trilogy, from one of fantasy's newest stars.
It's a shame that King Lional isn't the vain, self-centered young man he appeared to be. With a Princess in danger, a talking bird who can't stay out of trouble, and a kingdom to save, Gerald soon suspects that he might be out of his depth. And if he can't keep this job, how will he ever become the wizard he was destined to be. . .
The Accidental Sorcerer is the first novel in the Rogue Agent trilogy, from one of fantasy's newest stars.
535 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
K.E. Mills
9 books234 followers"K.E. Mills" is a pseudonym of "Karen Miller"
I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.
I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.
Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.
I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.
When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.
I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!
I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.
In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.
So that’s me. You can wake up now ...
I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.
I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.
Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.
I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.
When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.
I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!
I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.
In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.
So that’s me. You can wake up now ...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
March 28, 2009
The Accidental Sorcerer is set in a magical fantasy world that closely resembles our own if you were to take several different periods and mash them altogether. Some people look like British tax agents, others like Elizabethan nobles. Some are dressed in flamboyant, brightly-coloured polka-dot pantaloons and ridiculous shirts, while others dress like bluestockings from the 20s. It's lots of fun. Technologically, it's also mixed: there're automobiles for driving, and magical portals for long-distance travel; carriages pulled by horses, and crystal balls for communicating. There's a touch of Harry Potter silliness and irreverence, some political knee-capping, and a deep dark sordid plot. Perhaps I should just start at the beginning?
Gerald Dunwoody is a Third Grade (re: "rate") Wizard trying to hold down his fourth job, now working as an inspector for the Ottosland government's Department of Thaumaturgy. A visit to a world-class staff factory called Stuttley's, where they make "superior" staffs for First Grade wizards, leads to utter disaster: the factory blows up and Gerald can't convince anyone that he used a First Grade staff to minimise the damage. Now he's lost his job.
In an attempt to lay low, he answers a desperate job ad for a Court Wizard in New Ottosland - a small country in the middle of the Kallarapi desert. Along with his talking bird Reg, he portals to New Ottosland and meets drab, frumpy Melissande, princess and Prime Minister; her loopy, butterfly-obsessed younger brother Rupert (he of the flamboyant trousers); and her older brother the king, Lional the Forty-third (all the kings are called Lional).
Being as unimpressive as he is, Gerald is about to lose the position before he's even started, and in desperation conducts a very rare, very difficult Level Twelve Transmogrification by turning Lional's cat into a lion. Little does he know, but this spells his doom: Lional is far from the vain, superior man he presents himself as, and his new lion has given him a wicked idea in which Gerald - or his now impressive magical gift - play a starring role. By the time Gerald realises how far gone Lional is, it's too late to save himself.
This book brings to mind - loosely - the humorous novels of Pratchett etc., and I think that's what Mills was going for. It's also quite dark at times, and serious, which creates a nice balance. The humour doesn't always hit its mark, mostly because there are a few very grating characters who are supposed to by funny in their acerbic rants, but are just irritating. There were some times when I chuckled, though.
The problem is the characters. While I'm all for inconsequential protagonists who are worse than ordinary, who aren't all that bright, who walk blindly into traps they can't extricate themselves from, who never seem to ask the right questions - well, they can work, and it's even more realistic, but they can also be incredibly annoying. Gerald was such a protagonist. I had high hopes for him, but he was just too disappointing, and very frustrating. I still liked him though.
Even worse than Gerald was Melissande, who was vocal, quick to anger, stupidly stubborn, argumentative, and brought out the worst in Reg - when those two got going at each other, the insults flying, it is sometimes funny but more often wearying. Melissande was not likeable, and I don't get that Monk would like her after such a short and unflattering meeting.
On the up side, Lional was wonderfully despicable, truly terrifying, and wholly unpredictable. I was genuinely scared of him. Incidentally, some of the really funny moments are connected to him, which is quite a gift. I also loved Zazoor, the Kallarapi sultan, who turned out to be the only "normal", rational, calm and possibly wise person in the entire book.
While the characters (some of them) were what brought this novel down for me, there was plenty to enjoy as well. It has a steady pacing and doesn't contain any needless exposition. It's light on descriptive pose passages, but tells you what you need to know to get a nice picture in your head that you can embellish yourself. I have to say though, that one of the things that nagged me was: why didn't Gerald just transmogrify the animal back to its original state? If that's not possible, that's fine, but the characters should have thrown the idea around to satisfy the reader. Because it seemed like such a simple solution to the big climax, and instead Gerald seems to make things even more complicated than they already were. Other than that, it made sense most of the time.
A fun, light read with darker undertones, set in a convincingly real and fantastical world, The Accidental Sorcerer is the first book in a new series which promises to launch Gerald into yet more life-threatening, easily-bungled situations which will change him - it's unlikely that he'll stay so naive for long.
Gerald Dunwoody is a Third Grade (re: "rate") Wizard trying to hold down his fourth job, now working as an inspector for the Ottosland government's Department of Thaumaturgy. A visit to a world-class staff factory called Stuttley's, where they make "superior" staffs for First Grade wizards, leads to utter disaster: the factory blows up and Gerald can't convince anyone that he used a First Grade staff to minimise the damage. Now he's lost his job.
In an attempt to lay low, he answers a desperate job ad for a Court Wizard in New Ottosland - a small country in the middle of the Kallarapi desert. Along with his talking bird Reg, he portals to New Ottosland and meets drab, frumpy Melissande, princess and Prime Minister; her loopy, butterfly-obsessed younger brother Rupert (he of the flamboyant trousers); and her older brother the king, Lional the Forty-third (all the kings are called Lional).
Being as unimpressive as he is, Gerald is about to lose the position before he's even started, and in desperation conducts a very rare, very difficult Level Twelve Transmogrification by turning Lional's cat into a lion. Little does he know, but this spells his doom: Lional is far from the vain, superior man he presents himself as, and his new lion has given him a wicked idea in which Gerald - or his now impressive magical gift - play a starring role. By the time Gerald realises how far gone Lional is, it's too late to save himself.
This book brings to mind - loosely - the humorous novels of Pratchett etc., and I think that's what Mills was going for. It's also quite dark at times, and serious, which creates a nice balance. The humour doesn't always hit its mark, mostly because there are a few very grating characters who are supposed to by funny in their acerbic rants, but are just irritating. There were some times when I chuckled, though.
The problem is the characters. While I'm all for inconsequential protagonists who are worse than ordinary, who aren't all that bright, who walk blindly into traps they can't extricate themselves from, who never seem to ask the right questions - well, they can work, and it's even more realistic, but they can also be incredibly annoying. Gerald was such a protagonist. I had high hopes for him, but he was just too disappointing, and very frustrating. I still liked him though.
Even worse than Gerald was Melissande, who was vocal, quick to anger, stupidly stubborn, argumentative, and brought out the worst in Reg - when those two got going at each other, the insults flying, it is sometimes funny but more often wearying. Melissande was not likeable, and I don't get that Monk would like her after such a short and unflattering meeting.
On the up side, Lional was wonderfully despicable, truly terrifying, and wholly unpredictable. I was genuinely scared of him. Incidentally, some of the really funny moments are connected to him, which is quite a gift. I also loved Zazoor, the Kallarapi sultan, who turned out to be the only "normal", rational, calm and possibly wise person in the entire book.
While the characters (some of them) were what brought this novel down for me, there was plenty to enjoy as well. It has a steady pacing and doesn't contain any needless exposition. It's light on descriptive pose passages, but tells you what you need to know to get a nice picture in your head that you can embellish yourself. I have to say though, that one of the things that nagged me was: why didn't Gerald just transmogrify the animal back to its original state? If that's not possible, that's fine, but the characters should have thrown the idea around to satisfy the reader. Because it seemed like such a simple solution to the big climax, and instead Gerald seems to make things even more complicated than they already were. Other than that, it made sense most of the time.
A fun, light read with darker undertones, set in a convincingly real and fantastical world, The Accidental Sorcerer is the first book in a new series which promises to launch Gerald into yet more life-threatening, easily-bungled situations which will change him - it's unlikely that he'll stay so naive for long.
December 4, 2013
It's not a bad story. I enjoyed the plot and I might even read the sequel if the mood strikes me.
Then why the rating? Because every conversation that was not between the desert people or in the last 10 pages of the book was a constant barrage of characters insulting each other, getting offended about trivial things, acting beyond-stupidly obstinate, and being generally rude to each other, often without cause. Sure, everyone enjoys reading a bit of cleverly written repartee, but if your characters are unable to communicate in any other, remotely adult fashion, even in life-and-death situations, and every verbal encounter devolves into trading insults, then I consider it a stylistic problem. Any moments of real anger and tension in conversations felt meaningless because everyone was always annoyed and squabbling as a default state anyway.
Three times I had to put the book down and go do something else because the constant bickering among characters was driving me up the wall! Maybe I just can't find the humor in constant conflict. Does it get better in the next book?
Then why the rating? Because every conversation that was not between the desert people or in the last 10 pages of the book was a constant barrage of characters insulting each other, getting offended about trivial things, acting beyond-stupidly obstinate, and being generally rude to each other, often without cause. Sure, everyone enjoys reading a bit of cleverly written repartee, but if your characters are unable to communicate in any other, remotely adult fashion, even in life-and-death situations, and every verbal encounter devolves into trading insults, then I consider it a stylistic problem. Any moments of real anger and tension in conversations felt meaningless because everyone was always annoyed and squabbling as a default state anyway.
Three times I had to put the book down and go do something else because the constant bickering among characters was driving me up the wall! Maybe I just can't find the humor in constant conflict. Does it get better in the next book?
June 13, 2017
Seemed like a cute idea at first, but then it was so slow.
Far too long and really quite dull.
Far too long and really quite dull.
July 16, 2012
I found this book when I was reading the publisher's blog, looking for posts by an editor I was going to meet at a conference, and saw information about upcoming releases, which included a book called Witches Incorporated. I tend to notice anything that involves something to do with magic combined with the "incorporated" concept (since I have a book called Enchanted, Inc.), so I zoomed in on it, learned it was a sequel and backtracked to learn about the first book. It took me a while to find that first book in a store, in part because I don't go to bookstores that often these days and in part because when I did go, this book was never there. But I did finally find it and yes, it was pretty much just the kind of thing I like.
This is what you could call an "otherworld" fantasy, in that it's set in some alternate world that isn't directly related to our world. But what's different is that it's a more contemporary (maybe Edwardian? certainly early 20th century) otherworld, where most of them tend to be rather medieval. This is a magical world with cars, electricity and telephones, so it fits into what I would have considered urban fantasy before I saw what the publishing world was calling urban fantasy. I really enjoyed this book, and it was the kind of thing I've been looking to read. I liked the good-guy characters -- Gerald, his genius best friend, the very practical princess, the butterfly-obsessed prince and the smart-mouthed bird. There's lots of subtle humor, though I wouldn't classify it as a comedy, but then there's also some pretty intense action. Some of the reviews I found considered this a drawback -- that it seems like a light book, but takes a dark turn. It does get pretty dark and intense in places, but I don't think anyone who's watched Joss Whedon's TV shows or the current version of Doctor Who would be shocked by the shift in tone. In fact, it does feel like a Doctor Who episode, with fun characters, a bit of silliness, and then horrible things happening
This is what you could call an "otherworld" fantasy, in that it's set in some alternate world that isn't directly related to our world. But what's different is that it's a more contemporary (maybe Edwardian? certainly early 20th century) otherworld, where most of them tend to be rather medieval. This is a magical world with cars, electricity and telephones, so it fits into what I would have considered urban fantasy before I saw what the publishing world was calling urban fantasy. I really enjoyed this book, and it was the kind of thing I've been looking to read. I liked the good-guy characters -- Gerald, his genius best friend, the very practical princess, the butterfly-obsessed prince and the smart-mouthed bird. There's lots of subtle humor, though I wouldn't classify it as a comedy, but then there's also some pretty intense action. Some of the reviews I found considered this a drawback -- that it seems like a light book, but takes a dark turn. It does get pretty dark and intense in places, but I don't think anyone who's watched Joss Whedon's TV shows or the current version of Doctor Who would be shocked by the shift in tone. In fact, it does feel like a Doctor Who episode, with fun characters, a bit of silliness, and then horrible things happening
January 31, 2010
I enjoyed the book, the world and some of the characters. Other characters turned me off and I found completely unbelievable. I was really annoyed by the sudden changes in one of the secondary characters towards the end and I cannot explain it further without giving away major spoilers. I also didn't understand some of the relationships between different characters.
Not only were there sudden shifts in characters there was also a shift in the tone of the book going from a funny bumbling sorcerer and an insult throwing bird to some darker tones. I found this jarring.
I like the world that was created enough to try the next book in the series but I am in no hurry to do so.
Not only were there sudden shifts in characters there was also a shift in the tone of the book going from a funny bumbling sorcerer and an insult throwing bird to some darker tones. I found this jarring.
I like the world that was created enough to try the next book in the series but I am in no hurry to do so.
July 8, 2014
This one had been on my "to be read" for a while and it turned up available at the library in audio...so I downloaded it. I have just purchased a book that I've been waiting a year for so getting through this one was more of a priority than it's story in some ways. I was in a hurry to get to the read I'd been anticipating.
It opened okay. It was "obviously" going to be (at least partly) a comedy of errors type book. The hapless hero who means well but things always go the wrong way and catastrophes happen around him. They are of course no fault of our "said hero" but they somehow always appear to be.
That's how it started. As I went on through the opening disaster and followed Gerald (Dunwoody) on through his drab 3rd level wizard life, I was mildly interested...that's as I said how I started the book.
Then I found myself laughing aloud at the description of a "Vampire Butterfly" sitting on Princess (and Prime Minster) Melissande's nose. From there I settled in and enjoyed the book greatly.
What we do have here is an interesting adventure, part thriller, part humor and all urban fantasy that sets up a promising new series. I like it...greatly. The characters are done very well, light hearted yet at times dark they aren't flat and stay true once they get established. (Now that said ).
There is only one reason the book fails to get a 5 star rating "from me". That reason is that at times I find Gerald almost terminally annoying. At times I was so heartily sick of his I want to slap him and say
But, that said, it's an excellent book...almost a 5 and I can recommend it highly.
It opened okay. It was "obviously" going to be (at least partly) a comedy of errors type book. The hapless hero who means well but things always go the wrong way and catastrophes happen around him. They are of course no fault of our "said hero" but they somehow always appear to be.
That's how it started. As I went on through the opening disaster and followed Gerald (Dunwoody) on through his drab 3rd level wizard life, I was mildly interested...that's as I said how I started the book.
Then I found myself laughing aloud at the description of a "Vampire Butterfly" sitting on Princess (and Prime Minster) Melissande's nose. From there I settled in and enjoyed the book greatly.
What we do have here is an interesting adventure, part thriller, part humor and all urban fantasy that sets up a promising new series. I like it...greatly. The characters are done very well, light hearted yet at times dark they aren't flat and stay true once they get established. (Now that said ).
There is only one reason the book fails to get a 5 star rating "from me". That reason is that at times I find Gerald almost terminally annoying. At times I was so heartily sick of his I want to slap him and say
But, that said, it's an excellent book...almost a 5 and I can recommend it highly.
January 28, 2009
The Accidental Sorcerer by K E Mills
Published by Orbit, January 2009
489 pages
ISBN: 9781841497273
One of the great things about comedic fantasy, for me, is that sometimes initial impressions can be deceiving. What reads as light can actually contain deeper thinking, and what at the outset seems to be fluffy can actually be quite harsh. However, set in the context of a Fantasy, satirical jibes can be made without being a polemic. For example, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld stories are perhaps the pinnacle of this, but I’m also thinking the biting satire of Christopher Moore and the well-mannered tone of Jasper Fforde.
KE Mills’ latest (a new book by popular writer Karen Miller) is perhaps something which many readers will find entertaining. It is the tale of a wizard, Gerald Dunwoody, who initially appears to be an inept bureaucrat (Wizard, Third Class), but after being unfairly blamed for an accident at a wand-making factory, he finds himself out of a job but with unusual prodigal talents, created by the work-related accident.
Desperate for a job, Dunwoody takes on a position as a Royal Court Wizard in the small, rather backward and little-known kingdom of New Ottosland. Newly elected Prime Minister (and Princess) Melissande, sister of newly crowned King Lional the 43rd is desperate for anybody to occupy the role, other previous applicants being dissuaded by her mercurial brother.
At this point most readers would expect lots of humorous ‘fish out of water’ type scenarios, bureaucratic misunderstandings and blundering mishaps. And so, at first, it is. I was pleased that the dialogue works better than the author’s earlier books for me initially, perhaps because it is deliberately mannered in a Potter-esque faux-romp style.
However, having initially set itself up as a light-hearted tale, at this point (at about page 260) Accidental Sorcerer takes such an abrupt turn into torture and horror that the feel-good intentions of the first half are smothered by the dark events of the latter part of the book. Often mixing such elements of light and dark can add another dimension to a novel – Pratchett is a master, for example – but for me this didn’t really work. Here the disjointedness is not a subtle blending, with hints and foreshadowing before the volte-face, but instead a gluing together of two seemingly distinct separate parts.
Minor quirks annoyed me further – a female bird called ‘Reg’, the overuse of the word ‘ducky’ as a term of endearment by the previously mentioned bird, the use of place-names as surnames was a little forced – Nether Wallop and Scunthorpe*, for example, and cumulatively these traits may be a distraction for readers.
Similarly there was one major plot solution that was just a little too convenient (though to mention it would create a major spoiler), and one major block of expedient plot resolution in two pages that Scooby-Doo would’ve been proud of. Though not major issues, they did cause my suspension of disbelief to become a little unsteady.
In summary, though a pseudonym has been used, the book still has the style and prose of a Karen Miller novel. I did enjoy it more than the Kingmaker/Breaker duology, and consequently I suspect a lot of readers will be perfectly happy with the books for the positive reasons I have made above. I am sure that, for all my personal quibbling, the book will tick the right boxes for many readers. The ending sets itself up for further books, of which there are at least two others pending.
This is a humorous fantasy that is not particularly deep, nor complex, but to its credit it doesn’t try to be. Instead it tries to be – and can be - entertaining.
*I had better make clear, for those who know me, that although I was born in Scunthorpe, I was at pains to make sure that this didn’t affect my reading of the book. In fact, in some ways it made the book funnier, albeit unintentionally.
Published by Orbit, January 2009
489 pages
ISBN: 9781841497273
One of the great things about comedic fantasy, for me, is that sometimes initial impressions can be deceiving. What reads as light can actually contain deeper thinking, and what at the outset seems to be fluffy can actually be quite harsh. However, set in the context of a Fantasy, satirical jibes can be made without being a polemic. For example, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld stories are perhaps the pinnacle of this, but I’m also thinking the biting satire of Christopher Moore and the well-mannered tone of Jasper Fforde.
KE Mills’ latest (a new book by popular writer Karen Miller) is perhaps something which many readers will find entertaining. It is the tale of a wizard, Gerald Dunwoody, who initially appears to be an inept bureaucrat (Wizard, Third Class), but after being unfairly blamed for an accident at a wand-making factory, he finds himself out of a job but with unusual prodigal talents, created by the work-related accident.
Desperate for a job, Dunwoody takes on a position as a Royal Court Wizard in the small, rather backward and little-known kingdom of New Ottosland. Newly elected Prime Minister (and Princess) Melissande, sister of newly crowned King Lional the 43rd is desperate for anybody to occupy the role, other previous applicants being dissuaded by her mercurial brother.
At this point most readers would expect lots of humorous ‘fish out of water’ type scenarios, bureaucratic misunderstandings and blundering mishaps. And so, at first, it is. I was pleased that the dialogue works better than the author’s earlier books for me initially, perhaps because it is deliberately mannered in a Potter-esque faux-romp style.
However, having initially set itself up as a light-hearted tale, at this point (at about page 260) Accidental Sorcerer takes such an abrupt turn into torture and horror that the feel-good intentions of the first half are smothered by the dark events of the latter part of the book. Often mixing such elements of light and dark can add another dimension to a novel – Pratchett is a master, for example – but for me this didn’t really work. Here the disjointedness is not a subtle blending, with hints and foreshadowing before the volte-face, but instead a gluing together of two seemingly distinct separate parts.
Minor quirks annoyed me further – a female bird called ‘Reg’, the overuse of the word ‘ducky’ as a term of endearment by the previously mentioned bird, the use of place-names as surnames was a little forced – Nether Wallop and Scunthorpe*, for example, and cumulatively these traits may be a distraction for readers.
Similarly there was one major plot solution that was just a little too convenient (though to mention it would create a major spoiler), and one major block of expedient plot resolution in two pages that Scooby-Doo would’ve been proud of. Though not major issues, they did cause my suspension of disbelief to become a little unsteady.
In summary, though a pseudonym has been used, the book still has the style and prose of a Karen Miller novel. I did enjoy it more than the Kingmaker/Breaker duology, and consequently I suspect a lot of readers will be perfectly happy with the books for the positive reasons I have made above. I am sure that, for all my personal quibbling, the book will tick the right boxes for many readers. The ending sets itself up for further books, of which there are at least two others pending.
This is a humorous fantasy that is not particularly deep, nor complex, but to its credit it doesn’t try to be. Instead it tries to be – and can be - entertaining.
*I had better make clear, for those who know me, that although I was born in Scunthorpe, I was at pains to make sure that this didn’t affect my reading of the book. In fact, in some ways it made the book funnier, albeit unintentionally.
September 30, 2023
Pseudo-wizard Gerald Dunwoody is a weakling, a whiner and a marshmallow. After getting fired from his third (or was it his fourth) job, he accepts a position in a far off country as the Royal Court Wizard to King Lional of New Ottosland. His first task transforms a lion into a pussycat and gives crazy King Lional seriously deluded ideas of grandeur. He decides to invade the neighboring country with dragons and magic. Thus ensues a debacle of immense proportions that puts Gerald and Reg smack in the middle of chaos.
After a while, Gerald and his bird sidekick, Reg, grow on you. Even the King's sister, Melissande becomes likeable when compared to the barmy King. His madness is immediately apparent and rather scary.
A real slow read as Gerald's whiny poor-me attitude is aggravating as hell. But if you can persevere, the story has merit. It's a totally enjoyable read with madmen, holy men, dragons, talking birds, sorcerer's (both good and evil). With a little bit of everything thrown into the mix including a surprise ending.
After a while, Gerald and his bird sidekick, Reg, grow on you. Even the King's sister, Melissande becomes likeable when compared to the barmy King. His madness is immediately apparent and rather scary.
A real slow read as Gerald's whiny poor-me attitude is aggravating as hell. But if you can persevere, the story has merit. It's a totally enjoyable read with madmen, holy men, dragons, talking birds, sorcerer's (both good and evil). With a little bit of everything thrown into the mix including a surprise ending.
July 5, 2020
This was a really fun read, and there are definitely things that weren't as they appeared. I really like stories where an individual who is underestimated by everyone ends up being the one that they need. I found it shocking the villain ended up being the prince. Plus, the bird was hilarious and there were definitely a lot of fun moments in the book.
April 25, 2018
Pretty silly. XD That's all I can say for now. This book had me laughing so hard. Especially Gerald's talking bird, Reg.
Oh my GOSH, especially Reg. She is hilarious.
"Resolve?! You mean assassinate! Over my dead body, mate! Raise so much as an eyebrow at this boy and I'll be wearing your eyeballs for earrings!"
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This book is really, REALLY long though. It definitely could have been edited down a few hundred pages. That's the only issue I have with the story.
Oh my GOSH, especially Reg. She is hilarious.
"Resolve?! You mean assassinate! Over my dead body, mate! Raise so much as an eyebrow at this boy and I'll be wearing your eyeballs for earrings!"
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This book is really, REALLY long though. It definitely could have been edited down a few hundred pages. That's the only issue I have with the story.
August 27, 2012
Basic Plot: Gerald Dunwoody goes from government bureaucrat to Court Wizard, and from barely a level three in power to beyond level one after an accident at a staff factory causes his potentia to fully realize itself. Now he's caught between a desert and a mad king...
I have to confess, it was the second book in the series that first caught my eye, something about witches, but I couldn't bear to read the second book in a series before the first, so I grabbed this one, despite not being entirely sure what it was going to be about. I was quite pleasantly surprised.
It's sort-of urban fantasy. The world is clearly based on ours, but isn't ours. Gerald is from Ottosland, which bears a strong resemblance to England. The humor in the book is very British-tongue-in-cheek, which kept me smiling. The writing was clean and direct, and the dialogue felt very natural. I liked the plot, which could have very easily gotten bogged down in the details of world-building, but didn't.
I had never heard of the author before, so I thank the happenstance that caused a librarian to purchase this book and the further serendipity of my randomly finding it on the library shelf. I'm now quite eager to get to that book I originally spotted.
I have to confess, it was the second book in the series that first caught my eye, something about witches, but I couldn't bear to read the second book in a series before the first, so I grabbed this one, despite not being entirely sure what it was going to be about. I was quite pleasantly surprised.
It's sort-of urban fantasy. The world is clearly based on ours, but isn't ours. Gerald is from Ottosland, which bears a strong resemblance to England. The humor in the book is very British-tongue-in-cheek, which kept me smiling. The writing was clean and direct, and the dialogue felt very natural. I liked the plot, which could have very easily gotten bogged down in the details of world-building, but didn't.
I had never heard of the author before, so I thank the happenstance that caused a librarian to purchase this book and the further serendipity of my randomly finding it on the library shelf. I'm now quite eager to get to that book I originally spotted.
June 22, 2010
The story starts with a light, comedic tone and shifts very abruptly about half-way through. Someone expecting humor along the lines of Asprin's Myth series, or Pratchett's Discworld will be disappointed I think.
But the darkness doesn't start early enough, and isn't consistent enough, to appeal to fans of Martin's Fire and Ice series or the Kushiel series.
The setting was a mish-mash of technologies and magic. The changes in conversation and setting from magic portals and the manufacture of magic wands to cars and telephones were abrupt and jarring.
Overall, a somewhat confused and mixed bag of a story. I may or may not read the next in the series.
But the darkness doesn't start early enough, and isn't consistent enough, to appeal to fans of Martin's Fire and Ice series or the Kushiel series.
The setting was a mish-mash of technologies and magic. The changes in conversation and setting from magic portals and the manufacture of magic wands to cars and telephones were abrupt and jarring.
Overall, a somewhat confused and mixed bag of a story. I may or may not read the next in the series.
June 23, 2010
This is a fun piece of fantasy fluff. The pacing is good, and Mills makes some very good decisions for plot movement (not "twists" perhaps, but progression that is not entirely suspected).
One ding against the publisher (orbit). The editing was very bad. How bad you ask? Well, there were typos. There were punctuation errors. There was one chapter where two drafts of the second half of the chapter were printed one after the other. Okay, that was pretty funny.
One ding against the publisher (orbit). The editing was very bad. How bad you ask? Well, there were typos. There were punctuation errors. There was one chapter where two drafts of the second half of the chapter were printed one after the other. Okay, that was pretty funny.
September 5, 2012
Not my favorite. I had trouble getting into the book. I was well over half way before I could read more than a few pages at a time. The bird, Reg, is probably the most interesting character but none of them really caught my attention. The book was much better towards the end (over 300 pages in) and I might give the next one a try based on the end of this book but I'm not even sure of that.
February 6, 2017
I've seen a bunch of reviews hating on the characters in this book (particularly Melissande and Reg) but I want to say straight off that I thought they were excellent. Both practical, capable, and not there to serve as love-interests --- whoopeeee. Reg in particular gave me a couple of chuckles. Also, once I thought of it there's no way to un-see it, but I've found a young Melissande. Auburn hair, stocky, practical, frumpy yet also awesome....?
You're damn RIGHT it's Barb!!! #JusticeForBarb
Read full review on my site
Ottosland is deftly drawn as a sort of nostalgic Edwardian Britain, and the magical departments are full of all of the bureaucratic ho-humming and putt-putting which made the Ministry of Magic such an unpleasantly dull yet also strangely menacing villain in Harry Potter. This book is also chock-full a British style humour reminiscent of Terry Pratchett, full of odd juxtaposition and a sense of magical realism. By this I mean that ridiculously named characters (such as Saint Snodgrass and Wizard Bonadingo) stumble around a ridiculous world (full of things like etheretic transductors and jam toast), and hurl old fashioned insults such as 'buffoon' 'ninny' and 'laggardly great sausage' at eachother. (Okay, I made the sausage one up, but it fits really well).
Like Terry Pratchett, the surface droll-ery also hides dark and unsettling undertones. Because I was expecting it from reading a few reviews, I wasn't as taken aback by the darker turn the novel takes 2/3 of the way in. Actually, I have to largely disagree with the consensus from a lot of reviewers that it was a jarring change; I thought it worked really well. There are a few clues early on which suggest that the novel will not be as happy go lucky as it seems (the perverse attitudes of Department officials, Gerald's utter bleakness about his future) and the evilness builds up smoothly from the moment we realise that Lionel is more than just your average prick.
Unfortunately, New Ottosland is nowhere near as well drawn as the Ottosland of the first 100 pages. In fact, the only things we no for sure exist in New Ottosland are the Royal Zoo and the Royal Duckpond. There is zero description of anything outside the palace, and almost no mention of anyone outside of the five main cast members which leaves the story feeling somewhat groundless, and the plot overly simplistic.
What also doesn't work so well is how seriously everyone starts to take themselves within the last 150 pages of the novel. It's all I wish I was dead this and So much blood on my hands that. The shocking/tragic impact of Lionel's dragon burning 100 peasants to death is officially 0% moving whatsoever, mainly because Mills fails to even introduce any of the characters before their miserly end. So how can you expect us to give a crap about them? In fact, little descriptions are shoe-horned in post-BBQing: "That's Arabella from the kitchens, she always give me extra pudding!" Alas woe! Um no, big effing deal? Arabella never even had a line before she got her face fried off. Maybe if Mills had spent more time developing a bigger cast, and less time having Reg repeat the same 6 insults over and over for 57 pages, the climax of the book would have had some emotional punch. Or maybe just an emotional poke. Or just SOMETHING. (it had nothing. dis make maddy sad).
Speaking of the devil(bird), let's talk about Reg. Certainly, I like her a lot as a character. And her endless insulting running of the mouth was pretty fun. Or at least it was, until the 100 page mark, and the dawning realisation that Reg was never...going...to stop. Every sentence would end with an exclamation point for ever more. Every time there was conversation, Reg would interrupt to scream repetitive insults for three paragraphs. THERE WAS JUST TOO MUCH . A random sample:
"Oy you! Princess Tearaway! What's the bleeding rush!" "His duty!" shrieked Reg, "What about yours!" "Sartorial disaster of a princess!" "You've fallen arse over tea kettle for Madam Fashion Disaster haven't you!" "Let me tell you what, ducky, I won't have it!" "You, me, parasols at 50 paces!" "Who is responsible for that jackdaw nest I'm sure you're pleased to call a hairdo!" "Appearance of intelligence my arse!" "Give me strength! If only she wasn't such a box of a girl!" "At least the dungeons would be quiet!" "Oy you, princess Diva, put a sock in it!" "Now can we please get on with it!"
Yes Reg, can we please get on with it? It. Is. EXHAUSTING.
She also never stops insinuating that Lionel's got mental health issues. He's "raving" he's "barmy" he's "demented" and "round the bend", not to mention "stark raving bonkers" and a "lunatic". NO, Reg, he's just narcissistic and EVIL. It completely undermines the maliciousness of his actions to keep going on about him being mad, not to mention undermining the issues faced by people who actually have mental health problems.
I got fed up extremely quickly of Reg's endless and stupid insults of Melissande's appearance. There is zero character/relationship growth between the two characters, mainly because Reg doesn't let Melissande get a word in (despite the fact that Melissande is a Prime Minister, and Reg is a bird). In fact, although Reg is clearly the main culprit, can we talk about how patronisingly Gerald's internal voice also is about Melissande's 'frumpiness' and 'ugliness' quite unnecessarily for a good 100 pages? For crying out loud, she's a prime minister running a country --- and all they can think about is the fact that she doesn't wear heels? There's even a horrific Pygmalion scene where Melissande is just so unbearably ugly that Gerald just has to magic her pretty, just the way men like it. *VOMS IN MOUTH*
Barb would be literally so done with your BS right now. If she was here to read it that is, damn youuuuu!!!*
Fortunately, Gerald's attitude tones down a little bit once it is revealed that Melissande is dressing frumpish on purpose to 'hide' herself from Lionel, and avoid any potential 'marry off the princess' scenarios. But Reg's attitude doesn't, and as pretty much every character in the book says about 34 times over she needs to put a sock in it. This novel could be (and quite frankly should be) a good 50 pages shorter if she had.
Finally, I've GOT to mention a thing which drove me around the bend for the entire novel --- what the frick species of bird is Reg????!!!! There are literally MILLIONS TO CHOOSE FROM and they are all SO DIFFERENT!?! That's like saying she's a Is she a penguin?? An eagle??? A parrot?? I love birds and tHIS ANNOYS ME SO MUCH
What ARE Reg?? in fact what are bIRD??
Overall: Fun, but not that fun. Probs won't be picking up the sequel.
*I didn't even watch Stranger Things but the Barb fandom is a seething internet whirlpool of normcore and discontent which is impossible to avoid so let's just all agree that BARB IS QUEEN OF OUR HEARTS AND ALWAYS SHALL BE *pants*
You're damn RIGHT it's Barb!!! #JusticeForBarb
Read full review on my site
Ottosland is deftly drawn as a sort of nostalgic Edwardian Britain, and the magical departments are full of all of the bureaucratic ho-humming and putt-putting which made the Ministry of Magic such an unpleasantly dull yet also strangely menacing villain in Harry Potter. This book is also chock-full a British style humour reminiscent of Terry Pratchett, full of odd juxtaposition and a sense of magical realism. By this I mean that ridiculously named characters (such as Saint Snodgrass and Wizard Bonadingo) stumble around a ridiculous world (full of things like etheretic transductors and jam toast), and hurl old fashioned insults such as 'buffoon' 'ninny' and 'laggardly great sausage' at eachother. (Okay, I made the sausage one up, but it fits really well).
Like Terry Pratchett, the surface droll-ery also hides dark and unsettling undertones. Because I was expecting it from reading a few reviews, I wasn't as taken aback by the darker turn the novel takes 2/3 of the way in. Actually, I have to largely disagree with the consensus from a lot of reviewers that it was a jarring change; I thought it worked really well. There are a few clues early on which suggest that the novel will not be as happy go lucky as it seems (the perverse attitudes of Department officials, Gerald's utter bleakness about his future) and the evilness builds up smoothly from the moment we realise that Lionel is more than just your average prick.
Unfortunately, New Ottosland is nowhere near as well drawn as the Ottosland of the first 100 pages. In fact, the only things we no for sure exist in New Ottosland are the Royal Zoo and the Royal Duckpond. There is zero description of anything outside the palace, and almost no mention of anyone outside of the five main cast members which leaves the story feeling somewhat groundless, and the plot overly simplistic.
What also doesn't work so well is how seriously everyone starts to take themselves within the last 150 pages of the novel. It's all I wish I was dead this and So much blood on my hands that. The shocking/tragic impact of Lionel's dragon burning 100 peasants to death is officially 0% moving whatsoever, mainly because Mills fails to even introduce any of the characters before their miserly end. So how can you expect us to give a crap about them? In fact, little descriptions are shoe-horned in post-BBQing: "That's Arabella from the kitchens, she always give me extra pudding!" Alas woe! Um no, big effing deal? Arabella never even had a line before she got her face fried off. Maybe if Mills had spent more time developing a bigger cast, and less time having Reg repeat the same 6 insults over and over for 57 pages, the climax of the book would have had some emotional punch. Or maybe just an emotional poke. Or just SOMETHING. (it had nothing. dis make maddy sad).
Speaking of the devil(bird), let's talk about Reg. Certainly, I like her a lot as a character. And her endless insulting running of the mouth was pretty fun. Or at least it was, until the 100 page mark, and the dawning realisation that Reg was never...going...to stop. Every sentence would end with an exclamation point for ever more. Every time there was conversation, Reg would interrupt to scream repetitive insults for three paragraphs. THERE WAS JUST TOO MUCH . A random sample:
"Oy you! Princess Tearaway! What's the bleeding rush!" "His duty!" shrieked Reg, "What about yours!" "Sartorial disaster of a princess!" "You've fallen arse over tea kettle for Madam Fashion Disaster haven't you!" "Let me tell you what, ducky, I won't have it!" "You, me, parasols at 50 paces!" "Who is responsible for that jackdaw nest I'm sure you're pleased to call a hairdo!" "Appearance of intelligence my arse!" "Give me strength! If only she wasn't such a box of a girl!" "At least the dungeons would be quiet!" "Oy you, princess Diva, put a sock in it!" "Now can we please get on with it!"
Yes Reg, can we please get on with it? It. Is. EXHAUSTING.
She also never stops insinuating that Lionel's got mental health issues. He's "raving" he's "barmy" he's "demented" and "round the bend", not to mention "stark raving bonkers" and a "lunatic". NO, Reg, he's just narcissistic and EVIL. It completely undermines the maliciousness of his actions to keep going on about him being mad, not to mention undermining the issues faced by people who actually have mental health problems.
I got fed up extremely quickly of Reg's endless and stupid insults of Melissande's appearance. There is zero character/relationship growth between the two characters, mainly because Reg doesn't let Melissande get a word in (despite the fact that Melissande is a Prime Minister, and Reg is a bird). In fact, although Reg is clearly the main culprit, can we talk about how patronisingly Gerald's internal voice also is about Melissande's 'frumpiness' and 'ugliness' quite unnecessarily for a good 100 pages? For crying out loud, she's a prime minister running a country --- and all they can think about is the fact that she doesn't wear heels? There's even a horrific Pygmalion scene where Melissande is just so unbearably ugly that Gerald just has to magic her pretty, just the way men like it. *VOMS IN MOUTH*
Barb would be literally so done with your BS right now. If she was here to read it that is, damn youuuuu!!!*
Fortunately, Gerald's attitude tones down a little bit once it is revealed that Melissande is dressing frumpish on purpose to 'hide' herself from Lionel, and avoid any potential 'marry off the princess' scenarios. But Reg's attitude doesn't, and as pretty much every character in the book says about 34 times over she needs to put a sock in it. This novel could be (and quite frankly should be) a good 50 pages shorter if she had.
Finally, I've GOT to mention a thing which drove me around the bend for the entire novel --- what the frick species of bird is Reg????!!!! There are literally MILLIONS TO CHOOSE FROM and they are all SO DIFFERENT!?! That's like saying she's a Is she a penguin?? An eagle??? A parrot?? I love birds and tHIS ANNOYS ME SO MUCH
What ARE Reg?? in fact what are bIRD??
Overall: Fun, but not that fun. Probs won't be picking up the sequel.
*I didn't even watch Stranger Things but the Barb fandom is a seething internet whirlpool of normcore and discontent which is impossible to avoid so let's just all agree that BARB IS QUEEN OF OUR HEARTS AND ALWAYS SHALL BE *pants*
July 15, 2019
Following an explosion that, no matter what his (now former) boss believes, definitely wasn't his fault, Wizard Third Grade Gerald Dunwoody finds himself out of a job and with furyher prospects for his wizarding career in Ottosland looking exceedingly dim. Luckily, a friend comes the rescue, bringing Gerald's attention to a job advert that might suit him: King Lional of the former colony New Ottosland is in need of a court wizard, which might be just the thing to bolster Gerald's CV. Of course, what seems to good to be true usually is, and this whole court wizard gig takes some rather unexpected turns with potentially dire consequences.
I picked this up entirely by chance and ended up enjoying it immensely - a thoroughly entertaining read set in a world I'm lookign forward to returning to.
I picked this up entirely by chance and ended up enjoying it immensely - a thoroughly entertaining read set in a world I'm lookign forward to returning to.
July 3, 2017
Totaly crazy people in this book, a bird that talks and says exaclty what she thinks all the time and donät care who hears it and what they think. Kind of funny and a loot of "how will Gerald fix this?"
September 2, 2020
It was an interesting story but somewhat long, and the characters (and especially their conversations) were often not compelling.
February 11, 2009
Can Gerald get into any more trouble?
As a compliance officer (on probation) for the Department of Thaumaturgy, Gerald Dunwoody heads to Stuttley’s Superior Staff factory for a snap inspection. Seems that the safety statements, that are supposed to be witnessed and signed, haven’t been sent in for the last two months, which is a breach of regulations. But while there, an accident occurs, and Gerald is being blamed.
Fired, he slips a little into a depression, sure that he won’t find another, not for a while at least, until the factory debackle has died down. But his friend, Monk, spots what could potentially be a job for him. Seems the king of New Ottosland is looking for a court wizard. At this point, Gerald would be happy to get anything. And off he goes.
But things aren’t what they seem. In any aspect. Something happened to Gerald in that factory, and now he can do things that even most First Grade wizards can’t. And by doing something he didn’t think he could do, he unwittingly put himself in a position that he’ll only be able to get out of by the skin of his teeth.
Princess Melissandre is smarter than most give her credit for. She’s deliberately made herself look frumpy; she refuses to end up anything like the long list of Princess Melissandres before her. But as the sister of the king, she’s blind to that Lional is truly up to.
Seems Prince Rupert is also hiding behind a mask. Acting like the dim-witted little brother obsessed with butterflies, he knows a lot more than anyone would think. But to reveal what he knows could put him in harms way.
And King Lional… he wants to take New Ottosland to heigher heights than the previous kings before him. He has ‘visions’ of New Ottosland being a land to be reckoned with. He wants to take New Ottosland out of their relaxed and out-dated traditions and rise to the top. And the way he’s going about it is all wrong. See, King Lional has gone mad. He wanted so much to be a wizard since he was a kid, and has become obsessed with what he wants. No one truly understand at what lengths he’ll go to, and Gerald learns it quickly - the hard way.
But will Gerald be strong enough to stop him?
I enjoyed this story. At first, I thought the story would be a fun, light read, something to breeze through on the way to the next novel. How wrong was I! Deep-seated feelings, thoughts, plot twists, things you never saw coming. Characters who aren’t what they appear to be. Action, drama, mystery, the dialogue isn’t simple, thoughts aren’t simple, actions aren’t simple.
A few things bugged me a little, though. For instance, King Lional. Seemed like a typical king as I’ve read before. Demanding, superior, arrogant, just like a lot of kings are, but you get a sense right away that something isn’t right, and it bugged me a little that no one could see it. A brother and sister blind to it, okay, I get that. Staff and servants stay way from it, I get that too. Gerald spots something’s off, and yet no one has a clue? All those missing wizards and not one thing is done about it? Wizards leaving messages that they’re going off, but to never been seen or heard from again? How can people be that blind?
I found Gerald to be a little naive and under confident of himself. It felt like he really didn’t have any idea on how to conduct himself, how to be with other people. I mean, sure, the whole job as a court wizard is new to him, but his uncomfortableness around other people made me feel uncomfortable, and I really didn’t like that.
But, in the end, Gerald really does redeem himself, doesn’t he? No matter how scared he was, he fought to the finish; he used his fear to beat his opponent, and a job well done. I think anyone who swears an oath to do no harm, and that choice is taken away from him, would be down on himself, but I think he’ll become stronger for it.
Reg - delightful bird, isn’t she, LMAO?! Oh, she had me in stitches that one. Her comments, her views, how she really doesn’t care of your status… excellent characters - for a bird.
LOL, and I can’t help but wonder if a little ’something-something’ is going to happen between Melissandre and Monk…
As a compliance officer (on probation) for the Department of Thaumaturgy, Gerald Dunwoody heads to Stuttley’s Superior Staff factory for a snap inspection. Seems that the safety statements, that are supposed to be witnessed and signed, haven’t been sent in for the last two months, which is a breach of regulations. But while there, an accident occurs, and Gerald is being blamed.
Fired, he slips a little into a depression, sure that he won’t find another, not for a while at least, until the factory debackle has died down. But his friend, Monk, spots what could potentially be a job for him. Seems the king of New Ottosland is looking for a court wizard. At this point, Gerald would be happy to get anything. And off he goes.
But things aren’t what they seem. In any aspect. Something happened to Gerald in that factory, and now he can do things that even most First Grade wizards can’t. And by doing something he didn’t think he could do, he unwittingly put himself in a position that he’ll only be able to get out of by the skin of his teeth.
Princess Melissandre is smarter than most give her credit for. She’s deliberately made herself look frumpy; she refuses to end up anything like the long list of Princess Melissandres before her. But as the sister of the king, she’s blind to that Lional is truly up to.
Seems Prince Rupert is also hiding behind a mask. Acting like the dim-witted little brother obsessed with butterflies, he knows a lot more than anyone would think. But to reveal what he knows could put him in harms way.
And King Lional… he wants to take New Ottosland to heigher heights than the previous kings before him. He has ‘visions’ of New Ottosland being a land to be reckoned with. He wants to take New Ottosland out of their relaxed and out-dated traditions and rise to the top. And the way he’s going about it is all wrong. See, King Lional has gone mad. He wanted so much to be a wizard since he was a kid, and has become obsessed with what he wants. No one truly understand at what lengths he’ll go to, and Gerald learns it quickly - the hard way.
But will Gerald be strong enough to stop him?
I enjoyed this story. At first, I thought the story would be a fun, light read, something to breeze through on the way to the next novel. How wrong was I! Deep-seated feelings, thoughts, plot twists, things you never saw coming. Characters who aren’t what they appear to be. Action, drama, mystery, the dialogue isn’t simple, thoughts aren’t simple, actions aren’t simple.
A few things bugged me a little, though. For instance, King Lional. Seemed like a typical king as I’ve read before. Demanding, superior, arrogant, just like a lot of kings are, but you get a sense right away that something isn’t right, and it bugged me a little that no one could see it. A brother and sister blind to it, okay, I get that. Staff and servants stay way from it, I get that too. Gerald spots something’s off, and yet no one has a clue? All those missing wizards and not one thing is done about it? Wizards leaving messages that they’re going off, but to never been seen or heard from again? How can people be that blind?
I found Gerald to be a little naive and under confident of himself. It felt like he really didn’t have any idea on how to conduct himself, how to be with other people. I mean, sure, the whole job as a court wizard is new to him, but his uncomfortableness around other people made me feel uncomfortable, and I really didn’t like that.
But, in the end, Gerald really does redeem himself, doesn’t he? No matter how scared he was, he fought to the finish; he used his fear to beat his opponent, and a job well done. I think anyone who swears an oath to do no harm, and that choice is taken away from him, would be down on himself, but I think he’ll become stronger for it.
Reg - delightful bird, isn’t she, LMAO?! Oh, she had me in stitches that one. Her comments, her views, how she really doesn’t care of your status… excellent characters - for a bird.
LOL, and I can’t help but wonder if a little ’something-something’ is going to happen between Melissandre and Monk…
January 22, 2023
Found this review on my blog and realized it never made it to GR.
The Accidental Sorcerer by K.E. Mills (pseudonym for Karen Miller) has strong characters that are fully part of their entirely fictional fantasy world. Which is especially interesting because I don't think the world is given a name.
I think that indicates how strong a fantasy setting it is. In this book, the first of the Rogue Agent series, three different countries are in play: or rather, primary protagonist Gerald Dunwoody moves from Ottosland to New Ottosland, the colony, which is entirely surrounded by the desert country of Kallarapi.
Never, in any of these settings, is the audience given a rundown of the political system, the laws, the culture or the population statistics. Instead, the characters move through their surroundings, and like people reflect only on what immediately impacts them. So Gerald doesn't really think about how his government operates, but as a third-grade wizard and cog of bureaucracy, we learn about out it operates on a day-to-day level, and more importantly the attitude the government has to its function. Gerald's whole story begins when, at the factory he was sent to inspect , there is an explosion as a result of lax safety standards. Instead of the illustrious company being investigated, Gerald is fired.
Because he is only a third-grade wizard, several self-important first-class wizards go out of their way to make him further miserable--a very clear class structure that is only emphasized by his absent-minded, genius-inclined best friend Monk who is so far up the social ladder that, while he cannot directly get Gerald out of trouble, he can make the others back off. However, when his own stunts go awry, he isn't immune from the consequences.
The focus of the book is Gerald's time in New Ottosland. Unlike the mother country, New Ottosland follows Tradition with the capital "T". They speak the same language, every building is an exact copy, and every king is named Lionel and every queen Melisande--as are the first male and female heir. Gerald's problem is the new King Lionel disbelieves in any need for advisors or anything other than strict obedience.
And war is brewing with Kallarapi, the desert that surrounds New Ottosland. Given descriptions of turbans, camels, and very prominent Holy Men and gods, at first glance, Kallarapi might read as the stereotypical middle-eastern backwards country. But holy man Shugat is, well, if not good, especially to our protagonists, at least right. Kallarapi is a fully independent county--it represents mostly how backwards New Ottosland has become.
The beginning the The Accidental Sorcerer is in many ways whimsical. There's a great deal of witty banter, and wry observations on the fabric of society. But the strongest part of the book, the most moving, is that there really is evil in this world, and no one can be perfectly good.
Evil is human, and there is death--and it actually affects the characters. Someone is tortured, and changed forever. Everyone is actually impacted by the end, and there is no magical healing.
Edit 1/21/23. I guess the ability to have multiple dates read is gone? That's irritating.
Still appreciate the darkness - without being grimdark - of this book
The Accidental Sorcerer by K.E. Mills (pseudonym for Karen Miller) has strong characters that are fully part of their entirely fictional fantasy world. Which is especially interesting because I don't think the world is given a name.
I think that indicates how strong a fantasy setting it is. In this book, the first of the Rogue Agent series, three different countries are in play: or rather, primary protagonist Gerald Dunwoody moves from Ottosland to New Ottosland, the colony, which is entirely surrounded by the desert country of Kallarapi.
Never, in any of these settings, is the audience given a rundown of the political system, the laws, the culture or the population statistics. Instead, the characters move through their surroundings, and like people reflect only on what immediately impacts them. So Gerald doesn't really think about how his government operates, but as a third-grade wizard and cog of bureaucracy, we learn about out it operates on a day-to-day level, and more importantly the attitude the government has to its function. Gerald's whole story begins when, at the factory he was sent to inspect , there is an explosion as a result of lax safety standards. Instead of the illustrious company being investigated, Gerald is fired.
Because he is only a third-grade wizard, several self-important first-class wizards go out of their way to make him further miserable--a very clear class structure that is only emphasized by his absent-minded, genius-inclined best friend Monk who is so far up the social ladder that, while he cannot directly get Gerald out of trouble, he can make the others back off. However, when his own stunts go awry, he isn't immune from the consequences.
The focus of the book is Gerald's time in New Ottosland. Unlike the mother country, New Ottosland follows Tradition with the capital "T". They speak the same language, every building is an exact copy, and every king is named Lionel and every queen Melisande--as are the first male and female heir. Gerald's problem is the new King Lionel disbelieves in any need for advisors or anything other than strict obedience.
And war is brewing with Kallarapi, the desert that surrounds New Ottosland. Given descriptions of turbans, camels, and very prominent Holy Men and gods, at first glance, Kallarapi might read as the stereotypical middle-eastern backwards country. But holy man Shugat is, well, if not good, especially to our protagonists, at least right. Kallarapi is a fully independent county--it represents mostly how backwards New Ottosland has become.
The beginning the The Accidental Sorcerer is in many ways whimsical. There's a great deal of witty banter, and wry observations on the fabric of society. But the strongest part of the book, the most moving, is that there really is evil in this world, and no one can be perfectly good.
Evil is human, and there is death--and it actually affects the characters. Someone is tortured, and changed forever. Everyone is actually impacted by the end, and there is no magical healing.
Edit 1/21/23. I guess the ability to have multiple dates read is gone? That's irritating.
Still appreciate the darkness - without being grimdark - of this book
August 4, 2009
What a great, funny read!! I bought this book, because I knew K.E. Mills was a pseudonym for Karen Miller whose Kingmaker/Kingbreaker duology I loved and I was intrigued by the fact that she chose to write such a different style under another name, instead of her own.
And I'm mighty glad I picked it up! I had a fab time with this story, it made me laugh out loud several times. The sense of humour in this book reminded me of that of Terry Pratchett and Tom Holt, in that it's not your run-of-the-mill slapstick comedy, but a bit more subtle and way more sarcastic in places.
From bumbling Gerald, to the dowdy (but plucky) Mellisande, the sweet, slightly not all there Rupert to the irrepresible Reg, I adored Mills' cast of characters. I thought Reg, with her acidic comments and slightly old fashioned idiosyncracies, was especially hilarious. I hope that in the following books we'll learn the details of her backstory, because I'd loved to know the how and when of it!
Of course there were some not so good bits, mostly Gerald's letting stuff happen to him, but honestly, since I finished it two days ago and didn't immediately set down my thoughts on paper, I can't really remember was it was that nagged me, all that is left is the sense of fun and anticipation of reading the next book.
All in all, this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a light, fun and entertaining fantasy story.
June 11, 2020
This one is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 star for me. For the moment I'll go with three, but I might change it later.
As the title suggest, this is a funny book. It has a lot of modern things in it and lives from witty dialogue and banter. It really is made up off a lot of jokes and everyone is quite snippy and forever spouting puns - even in the worst circumstances ever. So if you are looking for a "serious" fantasy book - this is not for you. If you like people playing on each other to always one-up each others banter, and if you like humour in the face of danger - than this one will be for you.
This book is no pure comedy though. It has torture, death and darker topics too. So it's not all light and fluffy, if you expect that.
Why am I swaying between the 3 and the 4 stars?
While I quite enjoyed the story and liked the wisecracks and the fast pace - the characters were a bit lacking. Really all they did was quibble, in every situation throughout the book. And EVERY character does it. At times they lose their individuality in that. Also some decision just happened to fast to feel realistic. If you are 100% "no" one second I don't think you'll just change your mind within a sentence or two. The characters really could have been fleshed out better.
There is not so much plot progression. Not a big epic tale - it's about a wizard getting a new job, trying to keep the shit from hitting the fan (nor very wise or successfully...), and then about what happens after it does hit the fan. So no big politics, a long quest or anything of the like.
All in all it was an entertaining book and I enjoyed it - not sure if I'll continue the series though.
As the title suggest, this is a funny book. It has a lot of modern things in it and lives from witty dialogue and banter. It really is made up off a lot of jokes and everyone is quite snippy and forever spouting puns - even in the worst circumstances ever. So if you are looking for a "serious" fantasy book - this is not for you. If you like people playing on each other to always one-up each others banter, and if you like humour in the face of danger - than this one will be for you.
This book is no pure comedy though. It has torture, death and darker topics too. So it's not all light and fluffy, if you expect that.
Why am I swaying between the 3 and the 4 stars?
While I quite enjoyed the story and liked the wisecracks and the fast pace - the characters were a bit lacking. Really all they did was quibble, in every situation throughout the book. And EVERY character does it. At times they lose their individuality in that. Also some decision just happened to fast to feel realistic. If you are 100% "no" one second I don't think you'll just change your mind within a sentence or two. The characters really could have been fleshed out better.
There is not so much plot progression. Not a big epic tale - it's about a wizard getting a new job, trying to keep the shit from hitting the fan (nor very wise or successfully...), and then about what happens after it does hit the fan. So no big politics, a long quest or anything of the like.
All in all it was an entertaining book and I enjoyed it - not sure if I'll continue the series though.
August 23, 2010
The Accidental Sorcerer is the tale of a likeable loser wizard who discovers, through accident, enormous powers, and then has adventures...
If that sounds a tad... unoriginal, then that's because it is. This is cheerfully shallow pulp fiction. It's energetic, fun to read, fast moving, funny in places, and well put together. It's competent, though never outstanding.
Our main hero is accompanied by an acerbic, sarcastic sidekick bird (I tend to think it is an owl), befriends an acerbic, sarcastic, plump princess, works for a vain, egocentric king, and is gormless amongst them. He's a likeable nobody, whom a great destiny awaits, et cetera.
As fun as the book is, its by-the-numbers story, over the top characters (and its tendency to have very similar, entertaining, sarcastic sidekick type characters) can be a bit tiring. It feels a bit like the writer can do vaguely amusing, but not truly witty or funny, so we're stuck with vaguely amusing as a default voice.
Am I going to read the next book in the series? Honestly, probably not. This was forgettable, pleasant fare, but had nothing that would convert me into a loyal fan. Then again, I might some day feel like reading something comfortably fluffy, and then I'll probably have to decide between a Karen Miller / K.E. Mills book, or an Esther Friesner book.
If that sounds a tad... unoriginal, then that's because it is. This is cheerfully shallow pulp fiction. It's energetic, fun to read, fast moving, funny in places, and well put together. It's competent, though never outstanding.
Our main hero is accompanied by an acerbic, sarcastic sidekick bird (I tend to think it is an owl), befriends an acerbic, sarcastic, plump princess, works for a vain, egocentric king, and is gormless amongst them. He's a likeable nobody, whom a great destiny awaits, et cetera.
As fun as the book is, its by-the-numbers story, over the top characters (and its tendency to have very similar, entertaining, sarcastic sidekick type characters) can be a bit tiring. It feels a bit like the writer can do vaguely amusing, but not truly witty or funny, so we're stuck with vaguely amusing as a default voice.
Am I going to read the next book in the series? Honestly, probably not. This was forgettable, pleasant fare, but had nothing that would convert me into a loyal fan. Then again, I might some day feel like reading something comfortably fluffy, and then I'll probably have to decide between a Karen Miller / K.E. Mills book, or an Esther Friesner book.
March 7, 2011
Not a bad book but not a great one, either, thus the two stars. My biggest gripe is that the tone was so erratic. I'm not sure what Mills intended her theme to be - a journey of self-discovery, the megalomania of despots, the supremacy of religion - it all ended up in her book. It started out as the story of a lovable but bumbling wizard, turned into political intrigue, then there was some torture, some good-guy reveals....The story was just too short to handle it all. Tolkien managed it, but that was in 3+1 books. That said, if Mills had written 4 books instead of one, I really think she would have nailed it. Not on Tolkien's scale, but enough to give due credit to her ideas. For the most part, the writing was smooth and flowed well.
I liked the characters, I really did. I thought they were all unique and well-developed. It was hard not to root for Gerald, or be fairly spooked by Lional. Most of the major characters exhibited an annoying tendency to bicker and accuse, however, even under supremely inappropriate circumstances (when facing a vastly superior military force, for example). It was an entertaining motif at first, but after a while, it was distracting. By the end of the book, it was testing the patience of this reader.
I'll probably read the next book in the series, just to see how Mills continues with her characters.
I liked the characters, I really did. I thought they were all unique and well-developed. It was hard not to root for Gerald, or be fairly spooked by Lional. Most of the major characters exhibited an annoying tendency to bicker and accuse, however, even under supremely inappropriate circumstances (when facing a vastly superior military force, for example). It was an entertaining motif at first, but after a while, it was distracting. By the end of the book, it was testing the patience of this reader.
I'll probably read the next book in the series, just to see how Mills continues with her characters.
July 13, 2011
Maybe closer to five stars.
This novel was recommended by Maureen at "Aliens in this world"
http://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/...
The plot of a intelligent but somewhat bumbler that discoverers he has more magical talent than expected and goes on to his potential is certainly not a new plot. But when done right can be enjoyable. That is the case here of Gerald the third rate magician in a government job who has had problems in previous jobs not totally his fault is the setup for this novel. As the title implies he is no mere third rate magician, but something much more. Circumstances lead him to applying for a job as Court Magician is some foreign and small country is what sets up the series of events. Add in a sarcastic sidekick and you get the basic setup.
The plot was quite well executed and involved plenty of action, intrigue, and guessing at what was going to happen next. Only rarely did I guess correctly what was going to happen next as it kept me in suspense.
All the factors I love in a novel were there such as great characters you care about and serious moral concerns as a major underpinning. Even better it nicely combined the serious and the humorous.
This novel was recommended by Maureen at "Aliens in this world"
http://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/...
The plot of a intelligent but somewhat bumbler that discoverers he has more magical talent than expected and goes on to his potential is certainly not a new plot. But when done right can be enjoyable. That is the case here of Gerald the third rate magician in a government job who has had problems in previous jobs not totally his fault is the setup for this novel. As the title implies he is no mere third rate magician, but something much more. Circumstances lead him to applying for a job as Court Magician is some foreign and small country is what sets up the series of events. Add in a sarcastic sidekick and you get the basic setup.
The plot was quite well executed and involved plenty of action, intrigue, and guessing at what was going to happen next. Only rarely did I guess correctly what was going to happen next as it kept me in suspense.
All the factors I love in a novel were there such as great characters you care about and serious moral concerns as a major underpinning. Even better it nicely combined the serious and the humorous.
February 17, 2015
The world KEM constructed reminded me so much of Terry Pratchett's discworld, except modern, and there's more magic than rational thinking in the witches. Still, the humor and feel of the world (the way the countries and people interacted with each other), along with the possibility of divine forces, seemed like discworld.
That said, I wouldn't fault the book at all except for how mean and rude the characters were to each other. Even when they were in the middle of a rescue mission, the main characters couldn't stop nagging. Why? Do friends have to act like that? I know characters don't have to be perfect, and I accepted it from Reg, but Melissande and Gerald were nearly as bad.
The plot was not completely predictable. I didn't expect the extent of Lional's treachery, but I did suspect Rupert. I did expect Gerald to be a special wizard. I did suspect that sort of ending, with a big magical duel, although I hoped it wouldn't happen. There were too many times Gerald could have done something to prevent it, if he'd dared.
I hated Lional. Yes, he was bad, but the book was tarnished for having his evil presence. Oh, and Gerald was a neat character. The plot progressed logically, and the conflicts were suspenseful.
That said, I wouldn't fault the book at all except for how mean and rude the characters were to each other. Even when they were in the middle of a rescue mission, the main characters couldn't stop nagging. Why? Do friends have to act like that? I know characters don't have to be perfect, and I accepted it from Reg, but Melissande and Gerald were nearly as bad.
The plot was not completely predictable. I didn't expect the extent of Lional's treachery, but I did suspect Rupert. I did expect Gerald to be a special wizard. I did suspect that sort of ending, with a big magical duel, although I hoped it wouldn't happen. There were too many times Gerald could have done something to prevent it, if he'd dared.
I hated Lional. Yes, he was bad, but the book was tarnished for having his evil presence. Oh, and Gerald was a neat character. The plot progressed logically, and the conflicts were suspenseful.
May 29, 2010
This one was a bit of a disappointment.
It starts with a lowly third grade wizard, trying to prevent a magical accident in a wand factory that is being run into the ground out of greed. He is then blamed for the accident by the same manager who caused it.
This is where the book starts and that's how it continues. anyone in authority is a pompous bastard, and poor little third grade wizard tries to stop it all going pare shaped and despite himself actually succeeds, but is eaten by guilt for not doing better.
The characters are simply either too evil or too good.
Too much is simply explained by a character in "You know captain..." style, instead of just being woven into the story.
The only redeeming character is the talking bird companion, and she too gets repetitive and annoying after a while.
It is a coming of age type story, but our young hero stands up against such incredible odds that he needs super powers and a bunch of helpful friends to shepherd him to victory despite himself. This may be the theme of many other books, but here it just doesn't seem to fit in the seams are showing.
It starts with a lowly third grade wizard, trying to prevent a magical accident in a wand factory that is being run into the ground out of greed. He is then blamed for the accident by the same manager who caused it.
This is where the book starts and that's how it continues. anyone in authority is a pompous bastard, and poor little third grade wizard tries to stop it all going pare shaped and despite himself actually succeeds, but is eaten by guilt for not doing better.
The characters are simply either too evil or too good.
Too much is simply explained by a character in "You know captain..." style, instead of just being woven into the story.
The only redeeming character is the talking bird companion, and she too gets repetitive and annoying after a while.
It is a coming of age type story, but our young hero stands up against such incredible odds that he needs super powers and a bunch of helpful friends to shepherd him to victory despite himself. This may be the theme of many other books, but here it just doesn't seem to fit in the seams are showing.
December 31, 2009
This book was another pleasant surprise. I was engrosed in the story and highly entertained. It's a traditional fantasy set in the 1800s on a different world where wizards are an accepted part of society. Gerald, the hero, is a 3rd rate wizard with a pechant for messing things up. He works for the ministry of magic as a lowly inspector. When he goes to inspect a wand factory, a huge industrial accident takes place and somehow, he avoids being fried and instead keeps the town from blowing up. Nobody believes him, though, and he loses his job in disgrace. His genius inventor friend Monk helps him find a job as a court wizard in a tiny backwards colony, and things go from bad to worse quickly. By the end, Gerald has the deaths of innocents on his conscious and a new job as a secret agent sworn to fight black magic. Gerald also has a talking bird named Reg who was a witch but is now enchanted into a bird form. Lots of comic relief with the bird.
April 22, 2016
Plot summary: Gerald Dunwoody is a rather inept wizard. When he loses his job yet again due to a magical catastrophe, it seems like his career is over for good. But when his friend Monk recommends that he apply for the position of Royal Court Wizard to a far way kingdom, his life is about to change forever.
Thoughts: I loved this. Gerald Dunwoody is like a less "RUN AWAAAAAAAAY!!!!" version of Terry Pratchett's Rincewind. The supporting characters were a lot of fun, and the dialogue was entertaining. Sure, some parts of the plot could have been trimmed a little more, while others - namely Gerald's feathery offsider, Reg - could have been better explained earlier in the story. But I basically didn't want to stop reading from the moment I picked it up.
Also? It has the greatest dedication of ever:
I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on the other books in the series as soon as possible.
Thoughts: I loved this. Gerald Dunwoody is like a less "RUN AWAAAAAAAAY!!!!" version of Terry Pratchett's Rincewind. The supporting characters were a lot of fun, and the dialogue was entertaining. Sure, some parts of the plot could have been trimmed a little more, while others - namely Gerald's feathery offsider, Reg - could have been better explained earlier in the story. But I basically didn't want to stop reading from the moment I picked it up.
Also? It has the greatest dedication of ever:
I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on the other books in the series as soon as possible.
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