Witch and Wombat

I don't know what it is about the very word "wombat" which gets some people well on the way to cracking up with laughter. Fortunately, if you are not one of them, the fact that one of the characters in this story is turned into a wombat in the second chapter and stays that way for most of the rest of the book is far from being the only joke. The magical world is running out of psychic energy because humans in the "outer worlds" have stopped believing in witches, monsters, and other supernatural beings. So the troll, Bentwood, who acts as the Producer for "Grimmworld" comes up with an idea - to harness the imagination of dungeons and dragons fanatics from our world by bringing them to the "Inner Worlds" for a quest in the belief that they are taking part in a computer-generated adventure game. Hali, the "Witch" half of the title, and her familiar Bernie, who is the "Wombat" half, have to shepherd a group of three human kids and an obnoxious critic through the world of magic, not realising that the hazards they are passing through are very real and that they could actually get killed. At first, since most of the ogres and monsters attacking the party have been hired by the management and are under strict instructions to lose the fights the party gets into, the danger should not be too great. But then they run into union monsters who are on strike against the management, and suddenly things start to get rather too exciting ... The ending is a little downbeat; I wonder if Cushman was setting things up for a sequel which was never written. However, in general this is by turns amusing and exciting, and always entertaining.

This book has a little bit of everything - and all of it well done! Fantasy, role playing, magic, romance, fairy tale, dry humor, and mythical creatures are all in this one. The good (Hali), the bad (snotty elflord), and the ugly (Bentwood) combine to keep you entertained throughout the book. I recommend this book highly. My only complaint is that there is no sequel. I would definitely like to see more like this.

Business has been slow for Hali, and she's stuck in an irritatingly tidy A-frame with a blue plastic roof. When her boss Bentwood comes up with a scheme to lure fantasy gamers to the Inner World as tourists, she agrees to help in exchange for a properly spooky witch's hut... As witches go, she lacked a certain fearsome something... Preteens, to her mortification, pegged her instantly as a pushover... Hali liked to think that her mouse-brown hair snaked about her face, but in reality it hung in limp tendrils that only came to life in wet weather, when they suddenly sat up and curled wildly... At the other extreme, Hali's most beguiling expression, adopted at social occasions attended by attractive males, tended to send her targets running for their lives. The gamers are told that they'll have a chance to play a VR game of *unprecedented* realism. They're duly ported over from the Outer Worlds, and the fun begins. The first group includes two college boys, one high-school girl, and a singularly obnoxious game-critic - in terminal exasperation, Hali turns this last into a giant dung-beetle. He finds he rather likes his new role... "Trust me, he's a happy insect, " Hali said... "The antidote's the usual... " "True love's kiss?", Bernie asked, amused. "That one's not going to find true love outside a mirror." There are few surprises in this first novel, but the cheerful tone and amusing skits keep the pages turning. Ms. Cushman is perhaps better- known for her monthly column in Locus, where she reviews books much like the one she has written (though most of those are not so well done). She is a reliable reviewer and an entertaining writer. I hope she got sufficient encouragement from "W & W" to write another. Happy reading-- Peter D. Tillman [review written 1998]

this was such a great book that i can only hope there are sequels. a dash of realism in the fantasy world leaves witch hali needing money for a new house. the idea of her running counseling sessions for a group of teenagers under the cover of 'virtual reality' to disguise the magic was lots of fun and leaves us open for a sequel.. which i hope comes someday.

A truely amusing book Witch and Wombat takes a slightly snide look at some of the best loved fairy tales. In this book the princes aren't so charming, the witches have consciences and contract problems, the king got his queen by herding goats and the troll behind the scences has problems with strikes. On top of all of this add some real world gamers looking for action and there is a perfect mixture for mayhem. This is not a traditional fantasy novel and it is not for some one who takes fantasy too seriously, but if you are just looking to laugh then this is the book for you.