Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
Shockingly, a young villager Breaker becomes the Swordsman when the current office holder retires. Breaker assumes he will have some time to learn his duties and to become acquainted with his now seven peers, who seem so supreme to him. However, he has no time for on the job training as he soon finds he has to save the realm as a switch in the checks and balances have occurred; a rogue wizard is ready to take absolute power while Breaker doubts he is prepared for the mission and wonders if his people might be better off under a more centralized magically controlled economic system.
THE WIZARD LORD, Volume One of the Annals of the Chosen, is a terrific but typical sword and sorcery tale that is somewhat refreshed by the checks and balances of power that in many ways parallels the American government. However, the philosophical sharing of rule is more an underlying theme as the prime plot is the coming of age quest of the newest Chosen One. Fantasy fans, especially the S&S crowd, will take pleasure from Lawrence Watt-Evans’ invigorating tale.