The Wizard

The Wizard Knight Series, Book Two

By: Gene Wolfe

Narrated by: Dan Bittner

An epic narrative in two parts, Gene Wolfe's The Wizard Knight duology is in the rare company of those works which move past the surface of fantasy and drink from the wellspring of myth. Magic swords, dragons, giants, quests, love, honor, nobility - all the familiar features of fantasy come to fresh life in this masterful work.

The first half of the journey, The Knight, took a teenage boy from America into Mythgarthr, the middle realm of seven fantastic worlds. Above are the gods of Skai; below are the capricious Aelf, and more dangerous things still. Journeying throughout Mythgarthr, Able gains a new brother, an Aelf queen lover, a supernatural hound, and the desire to prove his honor and become the noble knight he always knew he would be.

Coming into Jotunland, home of the Frost Giants, Able - now Sir Able of the High Heart - claims the great sword Eterne from the dragon who has it. In reward, he is ushered into the castle of the Valfather, king of all the Gods of Skai.

Thus begins the second part of his quest. The Wizard begins with Able's return to Mythgathr on his steed Cloud, a great mare the color of her name. Able is filled with new knowledge of the ways of the seven-fold world and possessed of great magical secrets. His knighthood now beyond question, Able works to fulfill his vows to his king, his lover, his friends, his gods, and even his enemies. Able must set his world right, restoring the proper order among the denizens of all the seven worlds.

The Wizard is a charming, riveting, emotionally charged tale of wonders, written with all the beauty one would expect from a writer whom Damon Knight called "a national treasure." If you've never sampled the works of the man Michael Swanwick described as "the greatest writer in the English language alive today," the two parts of The Wizard Knight are the perfect place to start.

©2004 Gene Wolfe (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

Honor, Duty, Glory

your life is lesser until enriching it with is series. no Wolfe fan will regret listening.

an amazing listen

A narrator's performance was amazing, the voices he did weren't crazy, but I always knew exactly who was speaking without being told. there are a lot of metaphors and references in this book. you can ignore because behind them is an amazing story

Worthy story

Worth listening to. Worth a credit. Plus another for the first of the series, the knight.

Great Finale

Good closure. Makes me sad it's over but definitely recommend to a more mature audience!

A glorious tale well-told

The Wizard Knight is a fantasy tale that draws on Arthurian tradition and the works of authors such as Chesteron, Tolkien, and Lewis. Gene Wolfe is a deep and meticulous writer, and he adopts a very concrete and subjective perspective in telling his tale. It will take multiple readings to grasp in its fullness, though one reading will suffice for the bulk of its main narrative. That said, it is one of the most beautiful and challenging stories one can read, to be ranked with Chesteron's The Man Who Was Thursday, Lewis' Till We Have Faces, and even The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The narration is superb. Many voices are presented with gusto, character, and clarity by Dan Bittner. I did note a couple of awkwardly phrased lines and perhaps some mispronunciations, but these were minor, and did not detract from the powerful telling of a beautiful tale. Highlights include the dialogue between Able and Lothur, and the emotional conclusion in Able's voice. Highly, highly recommended, but be prepared to put in some work to fully enjoy the experience.