1 of 2

Write now Article Tools

Karen Miller's Kingmaker, Kingbreaker and Godspeaker books are among some of my favorites. I was thrilled when I realized that she had a new book out under the pen name K.E. Mills, and promptly scooped it up.

The Accidental Sorcerer opens with our hero, Gerald Dunwoody, as he arrives for a surprise inspection of Stuttley's Superior Staff factory. Things head magnificently downhill from the very beginning, and before the end of the second chapter, poor Gerald is out of a job. As luck would have it, he soon finds a new position as the new Court Wizard for the king of New Ottosland, a landlocked, backwater country mired in its Traditions.

I really enjoyed the first few chapters. Gerald Dunwoody is a character you can't help sympathizing with: a Third Grade wizard whose qualifications came from a correspondence course, Gerald has resigned himself to a life of civil service with the Department of Thaumaturgy. As more and more of the secondary characters make their appearences, though, the focus shifts from Gerald to the greater scheme of things in New Ottosland, and I found myself losing interest.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Karen Miller's previous works (particularly Innocent Mage and Empress) was the depth of the characters. They were so well-written that it seemed like they would step off the page at any moment, and they all had distinct personalities.

I'm not sure what happenened between then and now, but The Accidental Sorcerer features the most ridiculous cast of supporting characters I've ever come across. There's Reg, the talking bird with a mysterious past. There's Lional the Forty-third, the totally insane ruler of New Ottosland. There's Melissande, frumpy princess extraordinaire, and then there's Rupert, the dim-witted, butterfly-obsessed prince. It's an overwhelming mish-mash of whackos, and it left me feeling like I was drowning in a sea of eccentricities.

Along with the heavy-handed characterizations comes a great deal of bickering between the characters. Reg in particular is obnoxious, having smart-alec comebacks for just about every situation. I wouldn't have minded the constant arguing so much if it served some purpose, but for the most part it's just filler that does nothing to advance the plot or contribute to characterization. I found myself skimming through more and more of it as the story progressed, something I rarely ever do with any book.

The Accidental Sorcerer does offer up some interesting-if not surprising-plot twists. Even though a lot of the book felt like filler, it was a fairly enjoyable read. The excerpt from Witches Incorporated at the end of this book was definitely engaging-I'm looking forward to picking up a copy when it's released in June.

Learn more about this author, Tora.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Book reviews: The Accidental Sorcerer: Rogue Agent Book One, by K. E. Mills?
We want to hear your view. Write now!