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Misfit Heroes #1
Eye of the Wizard
On the longest night of the year, a dark wizard murders a knight and his wife.
The knight's children survive and swear revenge. Sam and Jamie vow to become knights like their father. Neev, the middle child, vows to become a wizard.
Five years later, things look grim. Sam is useless with the sword. Jamie is denied knighthood because she's a girl. Neev cannot cast a spell without growing donkey ears, a monkey tail, or an elephant trunk. The siblings feel like failures.
That's when the dark wizard strikes again.
Are the siblings powerful enough to defeat him? Or will they too die at his hands?
The knight's children survive and swear revenge. Sam and Jamie vow to become knights like their father. Neev, the middle child, vows to become a wizard.
Five years later, things look grim. Sam is useless with the sword. Jamie is denied knighthood because she's a girl. Neev cannot cast a spell without growing donkey ears, a monkey tail, or an elephant trunk. The siblings feel like failures.
That's when the dark wizard strikes again.
Are the siblings powerful enough to defeat him? Or will they too die at his hands?
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
Nook
First published January 30, 2011
75 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Arenson
148 books877 followersDaniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. The Huffington Post has called his writing "full of soul." He's written over forty novels, most of them in five series:
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 6, 2012
I don’t think that in all my years of reading, (or reviewing for that matter) I have ever knowingly pinned the words “fantasy” and “humorous” together. Fantasy has always been “Epic,” “Creative,” “Beautiful” but never…funny. The tales and journeys that make up the fantasy genre usually come with heart-shattering consequences, or at the very least some mind-bending self actualization, but, as a I flipped my Kindle closed on Daniel Arenson’s latest novel “Eye of the Wizard” the only coherent thought I could form was, “What the hell was that!?” (Eloquent right? LOL) The fact of the matter was…I was NOT expecting to laugh while reading this book. Don’t buy that? Here, lets take a look at the synopsis:
“On the longest night of the year, a dark wizard murders a knight and his wife. The knight’s children survive and swear revenge. Sam and Jamie vow to become knights like their father. Neev, the middle child, vows to become a wizard. Five years later, things look grim. Sam is useless with the sword. Jamie is denied knighthood because she’s a girl. Neev cannot cast a spell without growing donkey ears, a monkey tail, or an elephant trunk. The siblings feel like failures. That’s when the dark wizard strikes again. Are the siblings powerful enough to defeat him? Or will they too die at his hands?”
Doesn’t exactly scream “chuckle-fest” does it?
All of my preconceived notions and lofty expectations aside however, the story was wildly entertaining.
One of the best things about Daniel’s writing is his ability to build stories within themselves. Was there one major plot? Of course, (evil warlock wants revenge-so does a group of kids-chaos ensues,) but it’s the back stories he creates for his characters that make his books come alive. For example, if we didn’t know that Romy was a demon who used to spend all of her free time torturing sinners with a pitchfork, then her irrational fear of baby ducklings wouldn’t #1. make sense or #2. be as cackle worthy as it was. But…since we were offered up a past, present, and her inner dialogue as a glimpse into the future, we are able to enjoy all of the quirkiness needed to make a book (like this one) and the people residing inside of it successful.
Now, the narrative found in the pages of “Eye of the Wizard”, (and this is important) require your full attention. One of Daniel’s signature “traits” is to make his novels multi-narrative. This particular book boast (at one point) up to 8 different points of view. (I’ll give you a second to let that sink it…..ok) With so many different thoughts coming from a gazillion different directions, the chances of you “not knowing what the sam hell is going on,” are pretty high up there, (that means don’t read this book when you SHOULD be sleeping.) Just pay close attention to the words in front of you and you should be just fine.
As for the funny bits, (because that’s what really caught my attention) you can expect them to come at you in many different shapes and sizes, (ironic, slap stick, and on several occasions the absolutely absurd.) Taking the jokes for what they are, and not over-analyzing them is what makes the whole experience worth the while. For instance, who hasn’t had this thought before:
“Will you villains never learn?”
“Never spend so much time explaining your plans.”
Funny Right?
All in all it was a fun ride, with a band full of outcasts and misfits, who…despite their best efforts, always seem to find themselves a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal.
Not my favorite of Daniel’s books, but on par with the quality work I have grown to expect from him.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: If you are going to dabble in love potions, make sure the correct person drinks it. There is nothing worse than a burly bartender chasing you down for a goodnight kiss
“On the longest night of the year, a dark wizard murders a knight and his wife. The knight’s children survive and swear revenge. Sam and Jamie vow to become knights like their father. Neev, the middle child, vows to become a wizard. Five years later, things look grim. Sam is useless with the sword. Jamie is denied knighthood because she’s a girl. Neev cannot cast a spell without growing donkey ears, a monkey tail, or an elephant trunk. The siblings feel like failures. That’s when the dark wizard strikes again. Are the siblings powerful enough to defeat him? Or will they too die at his hands?”
Doesn’t exactly scream “chuckle-fest” does it?
All of my preconceived notions and lofty expectations aside however, the story was wildly entertaining.
One of the best things about Daniel’s writing is his ability to build stories within themselves. Was there one major plot? Of course, (evil warlock wants revenge-so does a group of kids-chaos ensues,) but it’s the back stories he creates for his characters that make his books come alive. For example, if we didn’t know that Romy was a demon who used to spend all of her free time torturing sinners with a pitchfork, then her irrational fear of baby ducklings wouldn’t #1. make sense or #2. be as cackle worthy as it was. But…since we were offered up a past, present, and her inner dialogue as a glimpse into the future, we are able to enjoy all of the quirkiness needed to make a book (like this one) and the people residing inside of it successful.
Now, the narrative found in the pages of “Eye of the Wizard”, (and this is important) require your full attention. One of Daniel’s signature “traits” is to make his novels multi-narrative. This particular book boast (at one point) up to 8 different points of view. (I’ll give you a second to let that sink it…..ok) With so many different thoughts coming from a gazillion different directions, the chances of you “not knowing what the sam hell is going on,” are pretty high up there, (that means don’t read this book when you SHOULD be sleeping.) Just pay close attention to the words in front of you and you should be just fine.
As for the funny bits, (because that’s what really caught my attention) you can expect them to come at you in many different shapes and sizes, (ironic, slap stick, and on several occasions the absolutely absurd.) Taking the jokes for what they are, and not over-analyzing them is what makes the whole experience worth the while. For instance, who hasn’t had this thought before:
“Will you villains never learn?”
“Never spend so much time explaining your plans.”
Funny Right?
All in all it was a fun ride, with a band full of outcasts and misfits, who…despite their best efforts, always seem to find themselves a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal.
Not my favorite of Daniel’s books, but on par with the quality work I have grown to expect from him.
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: If you are going to dabble in love potions, make sure the correct person drinks it. There is nothing worse than a burly bartender chasing you down for a goodnight kiss
September 19, 2012
This book was clearly meant for an entirely different type of reader than I, probably someone about a decade younger, but it was on sale for a buck and I was on a budget so...yeah.
The writing was awful, could not get attached to any of the characters, and the storyline was pretty bad. A couple times I laughed at the intended humor, but it was far, far outnumbered by the amount of times the book just caused me to wince and want to put it down.
The writing was awful, could not get attached to any of the characters, and the storyline was pretty bad. A couple times I laughed at the intended humor, but it was far, far outnumbered by the amount of times the book just caused me to wince and want to put it down.
January 5, 2012
This book was very disappointing. The story started off with great with immediate action and raised questions that made me interested in discovering more about the world and the characters. Less than halfway into the book, the tone of the story began to change and more humor was added, but eventually the attempts at humor began to overshadow the story. It became so silly that I stopped looking forward to reading this book and only finished it so I could leave a review about it.
I sincerely hope this is actually a children's book that was miscategorized in the Kindle library because it definitely wasn't an epic fantasy adventure.
I sincerely hope this is actually a children's book that was miscategorized in the Kindle library because it definitely wasn't an epic fantasy adventure.
January 21, 2014
I was fairly disappointed with this book. The premise of the story (misfit heroes band together and save the day) is one I like. However, it suffered from rather sagging plots and not-so-interesting characters.
The Thistle children see their parents killed one night in a horrific battle with a warlock. Their father was a famous knight, so two of the kids, Scruff and Jamie (female), decide to be knights while the other son, Neev, wants to be a warlock. None of them reach their goal as something blocks each one. Scruff has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and can't wield a sword, the only weapon of a knight. Jamie is a girl, and thus can't be a knight. And Neev was jinxed so that any spell he casts would have a backfire on him. They are joined by Romy, a childlike demon, and Cobweb, a Spiderling who talks like a baby. Together, they form Bullies for Bucks and offer to bully away any problem from monsters to mother-in-laws for money. What they don't know is the warlock who killed their father is hunting them, still seeking revenge on all of the Thistle family.
Sounds really cool? Unfortunately, it did start off awesome, but then slowed down as we had to meet each and every character, get their background and see their disgrace that led them to all meet up. Then it slowed down again as they trudged aimlessly along with no real plan in mind. We didn't get to have the meat of the plot start up until 50% in the book when Dry Bones the warlock starts attacking them, and even that starts off slowly before we get them knowing who they are up against and deciding to fight back.
The climax was very rushed and unsatisfying. The characters were very flat. Scruff was the strong one and rather silent type. We don't learn much about him beyond that. Cobweb can't speak well and is very in-tune to nature. Again, not much beyond that. Jamie is angry all the time and has a lot of false bravado, and no other development. Romy is childlike, though her behavior is mostly to a few childish whines and arguments. She's the flattest character. Neev is the second flattest as he's just a jinxed warlock with no other aims in life than to be a warlock. None of them seem to have any goals beyond what little characterization they follow. While I can understand the Thistle children having no plans beyond, "Find the warlock that killed our family", the others are just as bland. Cobweb never had any dreams. Neither did Romy. They don't have a direction and all of them just go with the flow.
I could see sections of this book where a better story was trying to emerge. There was promise in the very ending. I might get the second book if it's on sale, just to see if anything improved. I know first books in a series sometimes suffer as part of world building and background.
The Thistle children see their parents killed one night in a horrific battle with a warlock. Their father was a famous knight, so two of the kids, Scruff and Jamie (female), decide to be knights while the other son, Neev, wants to be a warlock. None of them reach their goal as something blocks each one. Scruff has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and can't wield a sword, the only weapon of a knight. Jamie is a girl, and thus can't be a knight. And Neev was jinxed so that any spell he casts would have a backfire on him. They are joined by Romy, a childlike demon, and Cobweb, a Spiderling who talks like a baby. Together, they form Bullies for Bucks and offer to bully away any problem from monsters to mother-in-laws for money. What they don't know is the warlock who killed their father is hunting them, still seeking revenge on all of the Thistle family.
Sounds really cool? Unfortunately, it did start off awesome, but then slowed down as we had to meet each and every character, get their background and see their disgrace that led them to all meet up. Then it slowed down again as they trudged aimlessly along with no real plan in mind. We didn't get to have the meat of the plot start up until 50% in the book when Dry Bones the warlock starts attacking them, and even that starts off slowly before we get them knowing who they are up against and deciding to fight back.
The climax was very rushed and unsatisfying. The characters were very flat. Scruff was the strong one and rather silent type. We don't learn much about him beyond that. Cobweb can't speak well and is very in-tune to nature. Again, not much beyond that. Jamie is angry all the time and has a lot of false bravado, and no other development. Romy is childlike, though her behavior is mostly to a few childish whines and arguments. She's the flattest character. Neev is the second flattest as he's just a jinxed warlock with no other aims in life than to be a warlock. None of them seem to have any goals beyond what little characterization they follow. While I can understand the Thistle children having no plans beyond, "Find the warlock that killed our family", the others are just as bland. Cobweb never had any dreams. Neither did Romy. They don't have a direction and all of them just go with the flow.
I could see sections of this book where a better story was trying to emerge. There was promise in the very ending. I might get the second book if it's on sale, just to see if anything improved. I know first books in a series sometimes suffer as part of world building and background.
June 15, 2020
A little childish
I have read other books by Daniel Arenson and looked forward to this one but I think it was meant for a much younger reader. I did finish the book and liked the story but the characters names and actions were far to juvenile for myliking.
I have read other books by Daniel Arenson and looked forward to this one but I think it was meant for a much younger reader. I did finish the book and liked the story but the characters names and actions were far to juvenile for myliking.
May 27, 2020
Misfit Heroes indeed! Absolutely riveting!
The three siblings had survived the night of the Grobbler Battle, each with the pain and scars, some visible, some carried inside never healing always hurting. The pain and sorrow applied to their search for the Warlock who killed their parents that terrible night. They swore to avenge their parents when they were trained to fight. Sam Thistle IV, known better as Scruff, and little sister Jamie,o hiding her femininity behind her skill at swords, trained to be knights. Their training ending without a title due to Scuff's inability to wield a sword and Jamie, a 15 years old squire soon to be knighted, her dreams shattered when her femininity was discovered. Neev trained to be a Warlock, but was scorned by the head Warlock when he went to graduate. The demon Neev had summoned from the darkest depths of Hell, was the cutest little demoness named Romy, and she decided to join the group. Rounding out their band was a Spiderling named Cobweb, an excellent archer and her beauty was astounding. The band of misfits became became Bullies For Bucks, seeking to earn some coins to feed and house them.
An amazing cast of characters lead the story through adventures and glorious battles. Daniel's ability to develop characters which bring joy to your heart or anger to your mind, has brought the most amazing misfit heroes to the pages of the tale. The enemies are as vile and disgusting as the heroes are tough and loveable. The story is twisted and populated with the most amazing npc's to paint the backgrounds. All in all, an outstanding read!
The three siblings had survived the night of the Grobbler Battle, each with the pain and scars, some visible, some carried inside never healing always hurting. The pain and sorrow applied to their search for the Warlock who killed their parents that terrible night. They swore to avenge their parents when they were trained to fight. Sam Thistle IV, known better as Scruff, and little sister Jamie,o hiding her femininity behind her skill at swords, trained to be knights. Their training ending without a title due to Scuff's inability to wield a sword and Jamie, a 15 years old squire soon to be knighted, her dreams shattered when her femininity was discovered. Neev trained to be a Warlock, but was scorned by the head Warlock when he went to graduate. The demon Neev had summoned from the darkest depths of Hell, was the cutest little demoness named Romy, and she decided to join the group. Rounding out their band was a Spiderling named Cobweb, an excellent archer and her beauty was astounding. The band of misfits became became Bullies For Bucks, seeking to earn some coins to feed and house them.
An amazing cast of characters lead the story through adventures and glorious battles. Daniel's ability to develop characters which bring joy to your heart or anger to your mind, has brought the most amazing misfit heroes to the pages of the tale. The enemies are as vile and disgusting as the heroes are tough and loveable. The story is twisted and populated with the most amazing npc's to paint the backgrounds. All in all, an outstanding read!
October 21, 2021
It starts off somewhat cliched but not horrible. Then I guess the humor appears?
Not sure who this book is written for. It reads like written for children in terms of writing style, but then a lot of humor is more teenage boy. Is there a large amount of people who want the Epic Movie fantasy novel? I get it, it's supposed to be funny at parts and creepy in others. But the entire thing just fails because in part it uses sight gags that don't work in novels. As well as at times not knowing what it wants to be. Humor and horror can be used together, humor and fantasy has been done really well. But this just failed at mixing.
Not sure who this book is written for. It reads like written for children in terms of writing style, but then a lot of humor is more teenage boy. Is there a large amount of people who want the Epic Movie fantasy novel? I get it, it's supposed to be funny at parts and creepy in others. But the entire thing just fails because in part it uses sight gags that don't work in novels. As well as at times not knowing what it wants to be. Humor and horror can be used together, humor and fantasy has been done really well. But this just failed at mixing.
November 13, 2023
This was an interesting read, and I found myself enjoying it immensely. I certainly felt for the "Bullies" having never truly fit in myself. It was great to see them develop from misfits into heroes and I liked sharing their journey. Excellent read!
November 22, 2017
borrowed from library:
a group of young misfits that band together and find they're not really misfits after all.
a group of young misfits that band together and find they're not really misfits after all.
April 21, 2019
Interesting YA story. It was entertaining, and enjoyable.
February 19, 2020
Overstatement of the obvious, editor fail. DNF chapter one.
May 10, 2020
Disappointing.
Disappointing. There is little else I can say. I am a fan of Daniel’s and have enjoyed reading his work but this time I’ll skip the rest of the series.
Disappointing. There is little else I can say. I am a fan of Daniel’s and have enjoyed reading his work but this time I’ll skip the rest of the series.
August 18, 2020
This was a fun read! Loved it, loved the characters.
June 18, 2022
Great fun
I really enjoyed this book. The plot is excellent, and the characterization is superb.
I am looking forward to the sequel.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot is excellent, and the characterization is superb.
I am looking forward to the sequel.
April 23, 2013
Plot/Storyline: 4 Stars
The story is fairly standard fantasy: evil warlock must be defeated by small group of heroes. At the same time, it's done in such a charming way that I found myself really pulling for the group. Several times I'd find myself laughing out loud at something that was said or done, and the whole romp just never really took itself all that seriously, but in a good way. Think Alan Rickman's performance in Robin Hood.
Another thing that I found interesting was the setting. As near as I can tell, it takes place in England, probably in the 1600s. It's a fairly small world setting (or at least the part that we get to see) - a handful of villages and a couple of actual cities. The smallness works for the story, though, as does the pseudo-realistic medieval world.
Characters: 3 1/2 Stars
The characters... on the one hand, they annoyed the bejeezus out of me. It was, after all, a group of teens, written as teens - "Don't make me pull this book over!" On the other hand, they still managed to retain charm and likeability. Part of what had me giggling (in a good way) throughout the whole book was the absurdity of some of the character flaws. One of the group is a beautiful spiderling (elf) who's a picture of perfection until she opens her mouth. That lisp of hers tends to cause some problems. Then there's Romy, a beautiful, yet child-like demon who decorates her pitchfork with ribbons. Add to that the three Thistle siblings, and you have a troupe of misfits. None are overly complex characters, but yet they still hold appeal.
Writing Style: 4 1/2 Stars
Daniel Arenson has a very smooth writing style - for the most part, the writing fades to the background. In almost all cases, that's a good thing. An exception I can think of would be Marjorie Liu whose writing is almost lyrical, but not everyone can, or even should, write that way. Overly elaborate writing can get in the way of the story, but a good writer won't let that happen. Thankfully, Arenson is a good writer. His story-telling was very comfortable, like curling up in a quilt while you read.
That said, I am going to take a moment to rant about one thing that bugged the ever-living daylights out of me. Romy the demon. Romy had hair of flame, and that hair did not burn like fire would, but was, instead, soft and warm. That's not what irritated me, though. What burned me (har, har) was the fact that almost every time Romy was mentioned, so was her hair. And every time her hair was mentioned it was also said that her hair was made of fire. Oh, and the part about it not burning. ARRRGH! I got it. Truly, I do. For the record, I liked Romy, I just was ready to shave her bald by the end of the book.
*********************************************
Eye of the Wizard is a quirky kind of book. There are a lot of "On the one hand..." type observations I have. Yet as a whole, it really comes together. If you're in the mood for a "serious" fantasy, I wouldn't suggest this. If, on the other hand, you want something fun and relaxing that will just let you kick back - grab this. I just finished up winter quarter at my university this week, and this was the book I chose to unwind with. It did not disappoint and was just a great, fun little romp.
The story is fairly standard fantasy: evil warlock must be defeated by small group of heroes. At the same time, it's done in such a charming way that I found myself really pulling for the group. Several times I'd find myself laughing out loud at something that was said or done, and the whole romp just never really took itself all that seriously, but in a good way. Think Alan Rickman's performance in Robin Hood.
Another thing that I found interesting was the setting. As near as I can tell, it takes place in England, probably in the 1600s. It's a fairly small world setting (or at least the part that we get to see) - a handful of villages and a couple of actual cities. The smallness works for the story, though, as does the pseudo-realistic medieval world.
Characters: 3 1/2 Stars
The characters... on the one hand, they annoyed the bejeezus out of me. It was, after all, a group of teens, written as teens - "Don't make me pull this book over!" On the other hand, they still managed to retain charm and likeability. Part of what had me giggling (in a good way) throughout the whole book was the absurdity of some of the character flaws. One of the group is a beautiful spiderling (elf) who's a picture of perfection until she opens her mouth. That lisp of hers tends to cause some problems. Then there's Romy, a beautiful, yet child-like demon who decorates her pitchfork with ribbons. Add to that the three Thistle siblings, and you have a troupe of misfits. None are overly complex characters, but yet they still hold appeal.
Writing Style: 4 1/2 Stars
Daniel Arenson has a very smooth writing style - for the most part, the writing fades to the background. In almost all cases, that's a good thing. An exception I can think of would be Marjorie Liu whose writing is almost lyrical, but not everyone can, or even should, write that way. Overly elaborate writing can get in the way of the story, but a good writer won't let that happen. Thankfully, Arenson is a good writer. His story-telling was very comfortable, like curling up in a quilt while you read.
That said, I am going to take a moment to rant about one thing that bugged the ever-living daylights out of me. Romy the demon. Romy had hair of flame, and that hair did not burn like fire would, but was, instead, soft and warm. That's not what irritated me, though. What burned me (har, har) was the fact that almost every time Romy was mentioned, so was her hair. And every time her hair was mentioned it was also said that her hair was made of fire. Oh, and the part about it not burning. ARRRGH! I got it. Truly, I do. For the record, I liked Romy, I just was ready to shave her bald by the end of the book.
*********************************************
Eye of the Wizard is a quirky kind of book. There are a lot of "On the one hand..." type observations I have. Yet as a whole, it really comes together. If you're in the mood for a "serious" fantasy, I wouldn't suggest this. If, on the other hand, you want something fun and relaxing that will just let you kick back - grab this. I just finished up winter quarter at my university this week, and this was the book I chose to unwind with. It did not disappoint and was just a great, fun little romp.
May 12, 2011
Storyline: I already used my eye pun on the review before this one… So, how about: Daniel Arenson is a true “Word Wizard”. And his book, “The Eye of the Wizard”, only helps to prove that my choice in nickname is both wholly accurate and clever.
Normally, I only reserve the monikers “Word Wizard” or “Word Warrior” (I like to fancy that this one is particularly clever and applies only to me) for those I hold in the highest esteem; so I don’t get to use them very often, but Daniel is quite talented and deserves the accolades that come along with such a wonderful title.
Outcasts. Exiles. Cast offs. Losers.
Meet the Thistle children: Scruff, Neev and Jaime. Their parents were murdered by an evil wizard who is hell-bent on destroying the whole family because of a burning hatred. (Oh, THAT’S a pun of the most terrible kind. You won’t get until you read the book. So, go read it now.)
Scruff and Jaime are kicked out of knight school because he’s too clumsy and she’s too…well…a girl. Neev, on the other hand, is flunked out of the Coven because he summons a less than scary demon for his last test... Romy is known more for her teddy bears and thumb sucking than her pitchfork and torturing. Cobweb is a beautiful Spiderling, who is rejected by her elders because a tragic speech impediment.
They all come together to form a motley crew of heroes and heroines: Bullies for Bucks. Can they pull it together to fight off the evil warlock that is hunting them? Will they ever have enough food for Scruff? And can Romy ever stop complaining about everything?!
Grammar/Spelling: I noticed some minor grammatical problems – homophones – that spell check wouldn’t catch. So, I’d recommend another beta reading.
Character Development: Oh my god! I loved these guys! Each one is a great stand alone character – but putting them together is just brilliant!
Oddly enough (or maybe that’s the way he wants it to be so that you’re compelled to like everyone the same amount! SORCERY! WORD WIZARDRY!), I can’t choose just one character I liked over the rest.
Scruff was adorable in his lumbering sweetness and Cobweb was as beautiful as she was kind. Sometimes I wanted to smack Romy myself and remind her that she was 207 years old and a demon for crissakes!
As for Neev, in my mind I pictured the son from American Dad – only not as nerdy. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, get yourself to The Google! It’ll help with the imagery.
Writing Style: Daniel’s style is fun and very easy to read - I read this all in one sitting. (So, I guess I can thank him for the eye twitches later…?) I loved his take on the fantasy genere. Grobblers, Spiderlings and an evil vulture named Vanderbeak. It doesn’t get more imaginative than that.
Continuity: No issues with continuity.
Overall Rating: 5
The Eye of the Wizard by Daniel Arenson is a wonderful fantasy adventure story! I really hope that Pixar finds this gem and makes it into the next big movie.
I honestly loved this book and when my son is a tad older (he’s six), I’m going to read it with him. I think this is a fantastic story that’s appropriate for almost all ages.
Thanks for sharing it with me, Daniel!
Normally, I only reserve the monikers “Word Wizard” or “Word Warrior” (I like to fancy that this one is particularly clever and applies only to me) for those I hold in the highest esteem; so I don’t get to use them very often, but Daniel is quite talented and deserves the accolades that come along with such a wonderful title.
Outcasts. Exiles. Cast offs. Losers.
Meet the Thistle children: Scruff, Neev and Jaime. Their parents were murdered by an evil wizard who is hell-bent on destroying the whole family because of a burning hatred. (Oh, THAT’S a pun of the most terrible kind. You won’t get until you read the book. So, go read it now.)
Scruff and Jaime are kicked out of knight school because he’s too clumsy and she’s too…well…a girl. Neev, on the other hand, is flunked out of the Coven because he summons a less than scary demon for his last test... Romy is known more for her teddy bears and thumb sucking than her pitchfork and torturing. Cobweb is a beautiful Spiderling, who is rejected by her elders because a tragic speech impediment.
They all come together to form a motley crew of heroes and heroines: Bullies for Bucks. Can they pull it together to fight off the evil warlock that is hunting them? Will they ever have enough food for Scruff? And can Romy ever stop complaining about everything?!
Grammar/Spelling: I noticed some minor grammatical problems – homophones – that spell check wouldn’t catch. So, I’d recommend another beta reading.
Character Development: Oh my god! I loved these guys! Each one is a great stand alone character – but putting them together is just brilliant!
Oddly enough (or maybe that’s the way he wants it to be so that you’re compelled to like everyone the same amount! SORCERY! WORD WIZARDRY!), I can’t choose just one character I liked over the rest.
Scruff was adorable in his lumbering sweetness and Cobweb was as beautiful as she was kind. Sometimes I wanted to smack Romy myself and remind her that she was 207 years old and a demon for crissakes!
As for Neev, in my mind I pictured the son from American Dad – only not as nerdy. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, get yourself to The Google! It’ll help with the imagery.
Writing Style: Daniel’s style is fun and very easy to read - I read this all in one sitting. (So, I guess I can thank him for the eye twitches later…?) I loved his take on the fantasy genere. Grobblers, Spiderlings and an evil vulture named Vanderbeak. It doesn’t get more imaginative than that.
Continuity: No issues with continuity.
Overall Rating: 5
The Eye of the Wizard by Daniel Arenson is a wonderful fantasy adventure story! I really hope that Pixar finds this gem and makes it into the next big movie.
I honestly loved this book and when my son is a tad older (he’s six), I’m going to read it with him. I think this is a fantastic story that’s appropriate for almost all ages.
Thanks for sharing it with me, Daniel!
August 3, 2012
Arenson starts the story by introducing what might be his best fantasy-creation to date: the grobbler. 'Pagan gods cursing beautiful, vain women, twisting and wilting their left halves?' They were terrifying to imagine, yet spoke to me very strongly. By being half wilted, half beautiful, they formed a metaphor for modern day society, which is obsessed with youth and beauty, yet at times twisted and dark. In all his books, Arenson has always showed a talent for creating yet he topped himself in this book. A multitude of new creatures appear, all of which seem to have their own detailed background. Therefore I was happy to find a character that is slightly reminiscent of those in Arenson's 'Flaming Dove': Romy, a demon.
Romy is a delightful character, perhaps the best in the book. As a fearsome-looking demon she scares everyone who sees her, yet her childish and immature character provokes quite a lot of hilarious situations. Put her together with a brutish but nice Scruff, the warlock who conjured her up to Earth, 15-year old Jamie who loves to wield her sword at everything and the charming Webcob who was expelled by her spiderling-clan for her speaking impediment. Together they form the Misfits, the Bullies for Buck, who are desperately trying to survive after being kicked out of their respective groups. The Thistle siblings, Jamie, Scruff and Neev, are all still haunted by the death of their parents, especially when their murdered seems to be chasing them.
Reading this book I felt delightfully nostalgic. I always loved stories about travelling knights, slaying monsters, simply being heroic. That is what I loved about stories about Knights and 'Eye of the Wizard' brought back those feelings brilliantly. There is a great sense of comradeship in the book that extends to include the reader in such a way I felt sad at the end of the book for having to leave them. There had been a perfect mix between darker and scarier moments and more light and fun moments, all coming together in a rather touching finale.
Although sometimes the moral of the story is a bit too obvious for my taste, Arenson's descriptions are amazing as always. I have to show myself from my nerd-side for a minute and tell you that this story brought me back to my Dungeons & Dragons - days. This is exactly the kind of set-up I would wish for in one of those games and I thanks Arenson for bringing me back to that.
Romy is a delightful character, perhaps the best in the book. As a fearsome-looking demon she scares everyone who sees her, yet her childish and immature character provokes quite a lot of hilarious situations. Put her together with a brutish but nice Scruff, the warlock who conjured her up to Earth, 15-year old Jamie who loves to wield her sword at everything and the charming Webcob who was expelled by her spiderling-clan for her speaking impediment. Together they form the Misfits, the Bullies for Buck, who are desperately trying to survive after being kicked out of their respective groups. The Thistle siblings, Jamie, Scruff and Neev, are all still haunted by the death of their parents, especially when their murdered seems to be chasing them.
Reading this book I felt delightfully nostalgic. I always loved stories about travelling knights, slaying monsters, simply being heroic. That is what I loved about stories about Knights and 'Eye of the Wizard' brought back those feelings brilliantly. There is a great sense of comradeship in the book that extends to include the reader in such a way I felt sad at the end of the book for having to leave them. There had been a perfect mix between darker and scarier moments and more light and fun moments, all coming together in a rather touching finale.
Although sometimes the moral of the story is a bit too obvious for my taste, Arenson's descriptions are amazing as always. I have to show myself from my nerd-side for a minute and tell you that this story brought me back to my Dungeons & Dragons - days. This is exactly the kind of set-up I would wish for in one of those games and I thanks Arenson for bringing me back to that.
February 27, 2011
If you're looking for serious high fantasy, this is NOT the book for you. If you want some light, fluffy, fantasy brain candy, this book might be right up your alley.
It's not a perfect book, but I enjoyed it. You've got your ragtag band of misfits (Sam, the wannabe knight who can't use a sword; Jamie, his sister, also a wannabe knight who is awesome with the sword but not allowed to be a knight due to being a girl; Neev, their brother, a wannabe warlock who sprouts animal parts any time he performs a spell; Romy, the cutesy, childish demon girl he summoned; and Cobweb, the beautiful, ethereal spiderling who can't help but speak with a lisp). You've got your evil-warlock-living-skeleton bad guy, Dry Bones. You've got a quest to avenge the death of Sam, Jamie, and Neev's parents. You've got lots of monster fights. And that pretty much sums it up.
It's really a rather silly kind of story, but it's big on heart and amusement, and I found myself liking even the annoying characters. There was no question about whether or not the good guys would triumph over evil, because this isn't that kind of story. It's just a fun, quick read with some humor thrown in for good measure.
It's not a perfect book, but I enjoyed it. You've got your ragtag band of misfits (Sam, the wannabe knight who can't use a sword; Jamie, his sister, also a wannabe knight who is awesome with the sword but not allowed to be a knight due to being a girl; Neev, their brother, a wannabe warlock who sprouts animal parts any time he performs a spell; Romy, the cutesy, childish demon girl he summoned; and Cobweb, the beautiful, ethereal spiderling who can't help but speak with a lisp). You've got your evil-warlock-living-skeleton bad guy, Dry Bones. You've got a quest to avenge the death of Sam, Jamie, and Neev's parents. You've got lots of monster fights. And that pretty much sums it up.
It's really a rather silly kind of story, but it's big on heart and amusement, and I found myself liking even the annoying characters. There was no question about whether or not the good guys would triumph over evil, because this isn't that kind of story. It's just a fun, quick read with some humor thrown in for good measure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2011
I'd like to start this review off by saying I spent the first moments reading Daniel Arenson's, Eye of the Wizard by asking myself what the hell a grobbler was. I took to google and found no answers, so I tweeted the question to my minions...er, followers on Twitter.
When no one seemed to know what the hell a grobbler is...I figured if I read the rest of it he'd probably let me in on the secret. I was right, and no, I'm not going to tell you here...
Now for a brief synopsis...
Eye of the Wizard is about an evil warlock that must be defeated by a group of heroes and has a real Robin Hood feel to it.
Now for what I think....
I love reading Arenson because his writing is efficient, fast paced, and quirky. This isn't my usual kind of read, but I found I liked this better than even Flaming Dove because of the humor reminiscent of Monty Python one can see in the opening scenes. This author is a smooth one, and even masters the tone of a scene with an artistry that is just damned impressive. Would I recommend it for serious fantasy fans? Probably not, but if you just plain love good writing, here it is.
When no one seemed to know what the hell a grobbler is...I figured if I read the rest of it he'd probably let me in on the secret. I was right, and no, I'm not going to tell you here...
Now for a brief synopsis...
Eye of the Wizard is about an evil warlock that must be defeated by a group of heroes and has a real Robin Hood feel to it.
Now for what I think....
I love reading Arenson because his writing is efficient, fast paced, and quirky. This isn't my usual kind of read, but I found I liked this better than even Flaming Dove because of the humor reminiscent of Monty Python one can see in the opening scenes. This author is a smooth one, and even masters the tone of a scene with an artistry that is just damned impressive. Would I recommend it for serious fantasy fans? Probably not, but if you just plain love good writing, here it is.
April 9, 2013
A nice, short, funny read. The tone of the book is very light and humorous. The plot seemed to advance very fast. However, after reading The Wheel of Time series all other book series seem to advance very quickly.
At times the author can be a bit repetitive and Romy annoyed me a little bit but, I think she was created to annoy the reader (at least I hope she was).
At times the author can be a bit repetitive and Romy annoyed me a little bit but, I think she was created to annoy the reader (at least I hope she was).
June 5, 2015
This is not great literature - even the author would admit that but who can read great literature on a daily basis? All y'all can call me a redneck if you like but I enjoyed this book and will get the next. An enjoyable read that kept me smiling (and how often does great literature do that?) 5 stars, recommended
April 7, 2011
I really liked this book. I started it thinking that it was going to be a serious fantasy book, but it ended up being very funny and kept me entertained. I'm still not quite sure what the title has to do with the story though, or even the picture on the cover.
December 31, 2015
This was just what I needed: a fun, lighthearted, standalone, adventure, fantasy! As others have stated, the title seems to have little to do with the story itself, but that really doesn't matter. Eye of the Wizard is a story anyone can enjoy!
August 3, 2014
This is a cute book, but not as cute as the Amazon description tends to imply. It is a nice twist on typical plot lines. Maybe the premise won't hold up for follow on books, but it was a nice read. It might make my re-read list at some point, but it won't be on my list of favorites.
April 14, 2015
An interesting group of heroes, a fairly simple quest. Too much bodily humor for me (a lot of drool for some reason). The characters seemed young - too young for the weird interact-species romance at the end. With a little more development, these could be interesting misfits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2014
Good fantasy novel, started out rough for the three teenagers but they overcame obstacles and avenged who they needed to avenge. interesting characters.
March 16, 2016
Eye of the wizard
Interesting tale let me tell you. A group of misfits get thrown together and how they overcome the fates that get thrown is enjoyable.
Interesting tale let me tell you. A group of misfits get thrown together and how they overcome the fates that get thrown is enjoyable.
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