Tor, Dec 2002, 24.95, 269 pp.
ISBN: 0765300125
In Ethshar of the Rocks, apprentice wizard Kilisha returns to the shop after collecting ingredients for her next lesson when she realizes a disaster has occurred. The shell of her mentor Ithanalin the Wise lies perfectly still as if he has been turned into a statue. Using a magic mirror that absorbed much of Ithanalin's memory she learns what happened to her teacher. He was working on a spell when someone knocked on his door. When he went to answer, he tripped over a spriggan and lost control of the spell sending his essence among the nearby inanimate objects. The knocker opened the door letting out the fleeing rug and much of the furniture.
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Kilisha begins an effort to gather up the animated inanimate objects so that she can get help from the Wizards Guild in performing a restorative spell. However, because of rebellion elsewhere, Kilisha receives little aid from the guild so she must depend on her own resources to gather the now living artifacts, amuse a spriggan that just wants to have fun, and hopefully with fingers crossed bring back her teacher to his former self.
This amusing fantasy is a delightful tale that showcases Lawrence Watt-Evans' ability to cast a spell on his audience. The entertaining story line is an action-packed journey into wizard-hood that teens will especially like, as there is plenty of cotton candy to sweeten the tale. Kilisha is a wonderful heroine who faces the responsibilities thrown on her with trembling fear, but performs her duties majestically. The support cast, especially the spriggan, adds to a gentle frolic for genre fans.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
