Her Majesty's Wizard
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Her Majesty's Wizard cover | |
| Author | Christopher Stasheff |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Darrel K. Sweet |
| Language | English |
| Series | A Wizard in Rhyme |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
Publication date | 1986 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp (paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-345-27456-3 |
| OCLC | 14517893 |
| Preceded by | none |
| Followed by | The Oathbound Wizard |
Her Majesty's Wizard is a fantasy novel by American author Christopher Stasheff, the first in the series A Wizard in Rhyme.
Plot summary
A PhD student called Matthew "Matt" Mantrell is transported into a fantasy world. In that world, which mirrors our own (but a thousand years ago), magic still reigns supreme. Dragons, wizards, sorcerers and giants are just some of the exotic residents of this world. Most importantly, faith (in the Christ) exists in this world, and largely influences the works of men[1]. Devout men who believe in and follow Christ - exactly the way the Christian doctrine dictates - will turn out successful in their actions.
Matt found himself the unwitting hero who has to rescue royalty-in-distress and help her regain her rule from an evil usurper.
Characters
- Matthew "Matt" Mantrell: A PhD student who, through reading forbidden runes, stumbled into a magical world similar to his original Earth homeland. The geography of the new world is similar to Matt's home world, and even shared some common history. By accident, he discovered he could perform magic in the new world by reciting rhymes.
- Malingo : Matt's main enemy throughout the book, Malingo is an evil sorcerer who wants to control all of Merovence, and rid the world of King Kaprin's line.
- Max : Maxwell's Demon. Thought in the beginning, to be evil, Max turns out to be not of hell, and helps Matt through all his troubles.
- Alisande: The rightful ruler of Merovence and a damsel-in-distress.
- Sir Guy de Toutarien: Alias Sir Guy Losobal. A brave and upright knight and epitome of romantic knight in feudal age. He hid the fact that he was a descendant of Hardishane, a hero in the past who fought evil and established an Empire for goodness and order.
- Stegoman: A fire-breathing dragon who unfortunately becomes intoxicated whenever he breathed fire.
- Hardishane: The first emperor of Merovence. Dubs Matt knight.
- Father Brunel: A priest who, through lust, becomes a werewolf on a full moon.
- Saint Montcaire: Patron saint of Merovence.
- Colmain : A giant sworn to protect Royal House of Merovence.
- Duke Astaulf: Murderer of the rightful king of Merovence and usurper of its throne.
- Sayeesa: A witch who charmed Matthew to make him use his powers at her bidding.
- Duke of Montmartre: A loyal noble to the rightful Royal House of Merovence. He and a number of other loyalist nobles were imprisoned by Duke Astaulf.
- Marquis Sauvignon: Son of Duke of Montmartre, he adored Alisande.
- Earl of Norville: Once aligned to the false king Astaulf, he switched allegiance to serve Alisande.
- Baron D'Art: A loyal noble who shared the same cell as Duke of Montmartre.
- Duke of Lachaise: A noble aligned with Duke Astaulf.
- Count Ennudid: A noble aligned with Duke Astaulf.
Major themes
Catholic thought and tradition are the driving forces in this work. The author forms a world in which the catechism as well as some early tradition translates directly into reality.
Another important theme is the culture shock resulting from an individual abruptly transitioning from modern relativistic culture into a black and white world.
Annotations
- A Visit from St. Nicholas, attributed to Clement Clarke Moore - "To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall, Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!", used by Matt in his first magical spell to transport away some people who were poking him curiously when he first appeared in their midst.
- The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus - "Give me your tired, your poor ..." recited by Matt to unwittingly conjure up masses of beggars.
Footnotes
- ^ Her Majesty's Wizard, Christopher Stasheff, 1986