The Crusading Wizard

All in all a pretty good book. I like the new character addition of Balkis and am looking forward to the next book. The first few books in the series were great, but a lot of the storylines in the last couple books have seemed to have the same basic concept. This book adds a little more with the addition of Balkis being a major character and not just someone who shows up now and again. I only have one fault with the book. That being how the Caliph got to Damascus with Talas bin Daoud and his army arriving later, when earlier in the book the Caliph was held up outside of Bagdad and Talas had already arrived at Damascus. Other than that, the book was altogether a good read.

This was a very good book of mister Stasheff's, but as all books in series become, it gets a bit formulaic. (I know I cant spell that word) And there were some characters that I just didn't really get (like fortune, what's with the spinnig plates and darts?) Anyway this was a very good book and probably my second (my first is Her Majesty's Wizard) favorite book in the series.

The book was very good, and I am a huge fan of Chris Stasheff, but the plot is wearing a bit thin. Satan has gotten his followers together, they march on Merovence, Alisande must get her army together and go out to fight them; only to discover that Matt has already done most of the work. He explains to the evil ones why they should go home and they fully understand and agree with him. *sigh*

I could not put this book down! The unification, at least temporarily,of forces of Christendom and Islam to protect the Holy City,Jerusalem, was a masterstroke by Stasheff. If you love the historical "what if" he puts into this series then this is his best work to date! The story unfolds with a little girl being given up by her mother in the care of the Elements [literally] to protect her from the evil Horde! Now an orphan in the world,little Balkis is cared for by Nymphs and Dryads. Most of the old favorite characters make appearances and there are several new ones introduced, most importantly we get our first real glimpse of Matt's children.

This isn't Matt's book, although he's in it. The book is really about Balkis, the infant set adrift in a river by her mother, hoping to save the babe from the barbarian horde. Saved by water sprites and dryads, who turn her into a cat and teach her how to survive, Balkis spends her formative years knowing nothing of her past. Finally, after learning all she can about magic from a kindly witch, she goes to Matt to try to learn more. She ends up rescuing him multiple times, and helps him to retrieve his kidnapped children. She is a fascinating character, and I hope she returns in future books, after she's had a chance to mature a little and grow into her powers fully.