Karen Miller is the top-of-the-line in fantasy in my belief. Her THE INNOCENT MAGE, and the GODSPEAKER trilogy of EMPRESS, THE RIVEN KINGDOM and HAMMER OF GOD are all perfect jewels of modern fantasy writing. Now, as K.E. Mills, she attempts a bit more whimsical approach with THE ACCIDENTAL SORCERER, which is the first of what is to be the ROGUE AGENT trilogy, featuring the follow-up books WITCHES INCORPORATED and WIZARDS SQUARED.
The sorcerer in question is one Gerald Dunwoody, Wizard Third Grade, and barely that, in a society that has its magical rules and usages strictly monitored. In fact, he works as such a monitor, and in his capacity, must visit a wizard staff manufactory in order to correct them on a matter of properly submitted paperwork.
He discovers much more egregious safety violations, but before he can report them, the plant is demolished by all the loose thaumaturgical energy that wasn’t properly contained. Even though Dunwoody did all he could, he is blamed for the accident. But in the process, he discovers some mysteriously latent magical powers that no Third Grade Wizard should ever possess, let alone be able to harness. Thus, the “accidental” of the title.
In order to let the heat die down, he takes a position as court wizard to an obscure king in a faraway kingdom. But it’s here that the trouble really starts. For this king has plans — serious, deadly, world-conquering plans. And Gerald is in the way.
The Miller/Mills magic is here in all its expected glory, with an intricate and well-thought-out magical system, all the standard political intrigue, and likable characters who are never too heroic. But it sometimes seems just a bit too much self-analysis is going on in the head of the main character. We understand he is conflicted, we understand he has doubts, but he tells them to us over and over again, and every once in a while, you just want to say, “Get on with it.”
But this is the first book of a series — one that has to set the tale and explain why such an average-seeming wizard actually has tremendously superior power. The follow-up novels will need to really explore this territory, and give us more of who Dunwoody really is, and less of how much whinging he’s going through to become the rogue agent. —Mark Rose
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• EMPRESS: GODSPEAKER — BOOK ONE by Karen Miller
• THE RIVEN KINGDOM: GODSPEAKER — BOOK TWO by Karen Miller
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I wanted to like this. I really did. But the villain was so rubbing his hands together and saying mwhahahaah that it just killed me.