Master of the Five Magics: #1

I unfortunately read the first two books backwards upon just picking up "Secret of the Sixth Magic" at random from a section of used books at the local library. Once I finished it I went back immediately and was joyed to find that the first one was there also. This is probably the most sensible description of magic I've ever encountered in a fantasy book. It is detailed enough to understand how the systems work and how each school derives its own workings. I'm guessing because of Mr. Hardy being a physicist, that he had the technological slant in his writing to make it come out this way. Even though the story is imaginative enough on its own and the ideas behind the workings of demonology I think are great. I'm yet to read the 3rd novel but plan to buy a copy immediately after reading this just recently again (and enjoying it even more this 3rd time reading it). The theme in the book is rather basic but fits well to life and is perfectly understandable. I would recommend this book to any avid fantasy reader. If you enjoyed this one, then the other ones no doubt will be a good read to you.

Lyndon Hardy wrote a wonderful trilogy Master of the Five Magics Secret of the Sixth Magic Riddle of the Seven Realms I highly recommend all three books and I hope someone out there will reprint them in hardcover editions! Hint Hint ;-)

I grew up reading fantasy and science fiction, and one of the greatest regrets I have is that I never found more than three books written by Lyndon Hardy, an author I still consider an automatic buy. In a way, this man's work defined what I expect from fantasy. Of his three published works, I liked 'Master of the Five Magics' the best, followed closely with 'Secret of the Sixth Magic'. 'Riddle of the Seven Realms' comes in third, but keep in mind it's been over 20 years since I purchased the books, and I've moved six times and had to parse my book collection. I still have these wonderful novels, which I've re-read about once every five years. Now about the book -- it follows Alodar, an apprentice Thaumaturgist. The magic system used by Lyndon Hardy is unique and self-consistent, hitting the right balance of rules vs power to make fantasy magic truly interesting. The closest modern equivlents I can think of are David Farland's Runelords or even Robert Jordan's One Power. Alodar's journey takes him into enclaves of each magic practitioner across the land, and he meets adversaries that constantly beat him down. Yet he doesn't give up! I could really feel for Alodar by the end of the novel, so the primary characterization is wonderful. The plotting was strong, and kept me with the book until the end. I never expected some of the twists thrown at me by Hardy. As for the settings, I can still conjure up the inner heart of the Volcano with uncut gems waiting like burning fruit, the wizard's library with the spell barrier gongs, and the imposing black tower surrounded by minor demons. Those images have stayed with me for years, and have become benchmarks I measure new fantasy by. Lyndon Hardy hit the right mix of dialogue, pacing, and description I find lacking in so many 'modern' fantasy efforts. If you haven't read this wonderful novel, I urge you to try it.

Odd...wrote a review of this already, but the system never posted it! The book follows the quest of Alodar, a journeyman apprenticed to a thaumaturge, on a quest to restore his family's noble name by winning the hand of the queen. Each stage of his quest brings him up to the next branch of the arcane - alchemy, magic, sorcery and finally wizardry. This gives the author license to also detail the workings of each branch, bringing brilliant logic to each. What Alodar doesn't realize is that he's really being manipulated into a secondary quest much greater than winning the hand of the queen, one which entails saving the world. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone, most notably for bringing logic to magic, whereas so many others tell of effects but fail often to explain how the magic is made.

I read this book years ago, but It is still one of my favorites. It is a great fantasy novel for someone with an analytical mind and a penchant for subtlety. A good book for imaginative intellectuals (as opposed to entertainment-seekers or cyincal intellectuals who like to find fault in everything not of the mundane). Hardy is a good writer who has an excellent grasp of human nature and a natural bent for keeping complex theoritical constructs internally consistent. His story is imaginative and fantastic, and yet at the same time not an affront to one's "common sense". The story line moves along at a nice pace with a few nice twists and turns. This whole series is well worth a read or two. I can't say enough good things about this book.