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Daimbert #2
The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint
When the king goes off on vacation, leaving Daimbert in charge, the wizard is faced with the cranky saint of the shrine of the Holy Toe, a beguiling wood nymph, a plague of magical horned rabbits, and other crises
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 5, 2016
There's something so delicate and gentle about these books. I read the first in the series after my beloved dog had died, so was hoping for calmness, kindness, and optimism, and Brittain did not disappoint. I eagerly downloaded the second book in the series to my Kindle, and found it to be very much the same.
Not quite thrilling or emotionally-involving enough to excite me to a rare 5-star bestowing, but a very enjoyable book nonetheless. I am particular drawn to how the magic co-exists within a demonstrably Christian environment (I'm an atheist myself, but I appreciate the unusual decision for a fantasy series' setting)--the contrast between the workings of magic on one hand and religious faith on the other is particularly of note in this novel, which, as the title avows, contains an actual Saint.
Cosy without being twee, this is a perfect book for calming-down to at the end of the day.
Not quite thrilling or emotionally-involving enough to excite me to a rare 5-star bestowing, but a very enjoyable book nonetheless. I am particular drawn to how the magic co-exists within a demonstrably Christian environment (I'm an atheist myself, but I appreciate the unusual decision for a fantasy series' setting)--the contrast between the workings of magic on one hand and religious faith on the other is particularly of note in this novel, which, as the title avows, contains an actual Saint.
Cosy without being twee, this is a perfect book for calming-down to at the end of the day.
April 7, 2015
If you've read A Bad Spell in Yurt, which is book one in this series, you're familiar with the author's style, and this book is much the same. Actually, I'm not sure whether it's because this book is better or if it's just that I'm more in tune with the author's writing, but I think I liked this one a bit better than book one.
The Wood Nymph takes place a couple years after the events in ABSIY. Daimbert has settled into his role as Royal Wizard nicely, and seems a bit less stressed about his less-than-stellar grasp of magic. His friendship with Joachim, the Royal Chaplain, is comfortable, and he's still got a teensy little enormous crush on the most unavailable woman in the kingdom. All in all, things are nice.
Well, we can't have that, can we?
In the beginning chapters, the king and queen have gone on vacation, leaving the Royal Heir in charge. So when Joachim asks for company on a short trip for some church business, Daimbert readily agrees...and from there, things degenerate into the chaos we probably ought to have expected.
ABSIY was ultimately a mystery. This one is too...or rather, it's several little mysteries all wrapped up in one little package. Where did the great horned rabbits come from? Who's the stranger the duchess seems to have taken such a shine to? Where did the monster come from? Does the cranky saint want to leave his valley or not? And what in the world does the wood nymph have to do with all this?
I read several reviews of book one written by readers who were disappointed in how un-comical they thought ABSIY was; they thought they were getting a comic fantasy and were surprised at how dark or intense or something it got. Now, I didn't think that at all; even though Daimbert very nearly died in book one (it's not a spoiler if there's a sequel, right?), the tone of the whole book seemed pleasantly jovial to me...and while I didn't think it was funny in the sense that I was laughing out loud, I did a lot of smiling. It was light. It was breezy. It didn't stir up a great deal of emotion. I found it to be a happy escape.
The Wood Nymph has a similar tone throughout most of the book, but I will say that the ending was darker and more intense than the previous book. If you were one who thought book one was a bit too dark, you'll probably think that even more about this one.
To recap a portion of my review of book one, since it's relevant: I had two issues with ABSIY. The first was the importation of Christianity into a fantasy kingdom. The Yurt universe doesn't just have a religion that resembles Christianity, it has actual Christianity. It felt like a jarring sort of anachronism; the immersion in reading a fantasy book set in a made up world full of wizards and royalty and dragons and stuff evaporated when Joachim would start going on about Christ dying for their sins. In The Wood Nymph, I will say that although that aspect didn't change or go away, I found it less...unharmonious. I suppose I just got used to it, but in any case, it didn't bother me nearly as much.
My other issue, though, persisted. Daimbert was (is?) at times a hard character to relate to. This came up in several respects, but probably the most grating was his interpersonal relationships. Daimbert simply doesn't react to other people the way I would. In book one, the primary manifestation of this was in his friendship with Joachim - Daimbert decided that they shall be friends, and he spent the rest of the book taking that for granted...even though Brittain didn't portray the priest as particularly likeable. I couldn't figure out why Daimbert wanted to be his friend. Like the religion thing, I guess I made my peace with the chaplain, because I didn't find him nearly as unpleasant in this book. (He rather grew out of his piousness, which no doubt made a difference.) No, but now, Daimbert has a new ducal wizard to contend with, a young man he'd gone to school with named Evrard. I think the author was trying for cheerful and impish, but Evrard mostly struck me as rude and exasperating. I could understand to a point why Daimbert would want to have a good relationship with his colleague, after two years of only having the priest around to talk to, but I lost my patience with Evrard about five minutes after Daimbert and I both met him, and it was hard to understand how Daimbert could be so...forgiving.
Daimbert's slightly dissonant personal relationships might not have been such a big issue for me had the book not been written in first person. The advantage of a first person story is that we're right there in the main character's head. When being right there in his head still isn't enough to relate to his thought processes, then we've got a problem.
Eh. I'm giving this four stars, so clearly it's an overlookable problem. I won't call this book perfect any more than I thought ABSIY was perfect, but it was still a fairly light, amusing, pleasant couple of days of entertainment. If you liked the first book, you'll almost certainly like this one too.
And now that I've typed a review that's longer than the book itself, I'm off to go read book three.
The Wood Nymph takes place a couple years after the events in ABSIY. Daimbert has settled into his role as Royal Wizard nicely, and seems a bit less stressed about his less-than-stellar grasp of magic. His friendship with Joachim, the Royal Chaplain, is comfortable, and he's still got a teensy little enormous crush on the most unavailable woman in the kingdom. All in all, things are nice.
Well, we can't have that, can we?
In the beginning chapters, the king and queen have gone on vacation, leaving the Royal Heir in charge. So when Joachim asks for company on a short trip for some church business, Daimbert readily agrees...and from there, things degenerate into the chaos we probably ought to have expected.
ABSIY was ultimately a mystery. This one is too...or rather, it's several little mysteries all wrapped up in one little package. Where did the great horned rabbits come from? Who's the stranger the duchess seems to have taken such a shine to? Where did the monster come from? Does the cranky saint want to leave his valley or not? And what in the world does the wood nymph have to do with all this?
I read several reviews of book one written by readers who were disappointed in how un-comical they thought ABSIY was; they thought they were getting a comic fantasy and were surprised at how dark or intense or something it got. Now, I didn't think that at all; even though Daimbert very nearly died in book one (it's not a spoiler if there's a sequel, right?), the tone of the whole book seemed pleasantly jovial to me...and while I didn't think it was funny in the sense that I was laughing out loud, I did a lot of smiling. It was light. It was breezy. It didn't stir up a great deal of emotion. I found it to be a happy escape.
The Wood Nymph has a similar tone throughout most of the book, but I will say that the ending was darker and more intense than the previous book. If you were one who thought book one was a bit too dark, you'll probably think that even more about this one.
To recap a portion of my review of book one, since it's relevant: I had two issues with ABSIY. The first was the importation of Christianity into a fantasy kingdom. The Yurt universe doesn't just have a religion that resembles Christianity, it has actual Christianity. It felt like a jarring sort of anachronism; the immersion in reading a fantasy book set in a made up world full of wizards and royalty and dragons and stuff evaporated when Joachim would start going on about Christ dying for their sins. In The Wood Nymph, I will say that although that aspect didn't change or go away, I found it less...unharmonious. I suppose I just got used to it, but in any case, it didn't bother me nearly as much.
My other issue, though, persisted. Daimbert was (is?) at times a hard character to relate to. This came up in several respects, but probably the most grating was his interpersonal relationships. Daimbert simply doesn't react to other people the way I would. In book one, the primary manifestation of this was in his friendship with Joachim - Daimbert decided that they shall be friends, and he spent the rest of the book taking that for granted...even though Brittain didn't portray the priest as particularly likeable. I couldn't figure out why Daimbert wanted to be his friend. Like the religion thing, I guess I made my peace with the chaplain, because I didn't find him nearly as unpleasant in this book. (He rather grew out of his piousness, which no doubt made a difference.) No, but now, Daimbert has a new ducal wizard to contend with, a young man he'd gone to school with named Evrard. I think the author was trying for cheerful and impish, but Evrard mostly struck me as rude and exasperating. I could understand to a point why Daimbert would want to have a good relationship with his colleague, after two years of only having the priest around to talk to, but I lost my patience with Evrard about five minutes after Daimbert and I both met him, and it was hard to understand how Daimbert could be so...forgiving.
Daimbert's slightly dissonant personal relationships might not have been such a big issue for me had the book not been written in first person. The advantage of a first person story is that we're right there in the main character's head. When being right there in his head still isn't enough to relate to his thought processes, then we've got a problem.
Eh. I'm giving this four stars, so clearly it's an overlookable problem. I won't call this book perfect any more than I thought ABSIY was perfect, but it was still a fairly light, amusing, pleasant couple of days of entertainment. If you liked the first book, you'll almost certainly like this one too.
And now that I've typed a review that's longer than the book itself, I'm off to go read book three.
August 18, 2025
Very much an older slice-of-life novel, with a very slow plot, relatively low stakes (and even high stakes feel kind of low), and a lot of discussions/musings on religions, the soul, and the use of magic. Maybe not the most exciting novel, but definitely a nice palette cleanser with likeable characters.
November 29, 2015
Second book in this charming series about a newly-graduated wizard (who cut class more often than not) who gets a job in a very small kingdom. Characters are delightful; plot, though, not all that compelling. Good comfort reading.
April 27, 2015
a great 2nd book. I enjoyed it even more than the first. The most interesting thing is the mix of Christianity in the book with magic
December 26, 2018
Second book and follow on to A bad Spell In Yurt. Again, these read more as a mystery in a fantasy setting than a pure fantasy book. Written in first person narrative, Daimbert is the court magician of Yurt. Magic is real in this universe but not the focus of the story. This mystery has to do with horned rabbits, a out of control magical monster, a handsome but mysterious hunter -- oh, and a wood nymph and cranky saint of course. Too much going on I felt. I have the feeling the author is trying to explore some faith vs. science questions in this series (mainly by conversations between Daimbert and the court priest Joachim) but if he is he is doing it poorly.
The best part is when the immortal wood nymph reflects on death and the soul, which she doesn't think she has because she is immortal. This is contrasted by the old magician, who is searching for
immortality because he is reaching the end of magic's ability to keep his body alive. Now that I think of it I guess the Cranky Saint was immortal in a different way (he was still answering prayers hundreds of years after his matyrdom) yet once again I did not feel the author tied these themes together in a satisfying way.
It's a decent enough read to get two stars and to go on to the next one in the series, Mage Quest.
The best part is when the immortal wood nymph reflects on death and the soul, which she doesn't think she has because she is immortal. This is contrasted by the old magician, who is searching for
immortality because he is reaching the end of magic's ability to keep his body alive. Now that I think of it I guess the Cranky Saint was immortal in a different way (he was still answering prayers hundreds of years after his matyrdom) yet once again I did not feel the author tied these themes together in a satisfying way.
It's a decent enough read to get two stars and to go on to the next one in the series, Mage Quest.
June 30, 2025
Another problem in Yurt that Daimbert is determined to fix! I just love Yurt and the people so much I can’t wait to hear more of Daimbert’s tales. And hopefully Everard comes back to work with him.
I didn’t like it as much as the first, but maybe it was because there was an absence of Lady Maria! She’s a fav character of mine and I need maria + daimbert fanfic haha.
Reading these (especially on audible with Eric Vincent) feels like your grandpa is telling you an epic bedtime story and there is always a happy ending.
I didn’t like it as much as the first, but maybe it was because there was an absence of Lady Maria! She’s a fav character of mine and I need maria + daimbert fanfic haha.
Reading these (especially on audible with Eric Vincent) feels like your grandpa is telling you an epic bedtime story and there is always a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2017
This is much better than the cover (which has nothing to do with the story) makes it out to be. Fun magical shenanigans, religious machinations, and a touch of tragedy all add up to a good read.
I just wish the covers of the this and the first book were more representative of the contents.
I just wish the covers of the this and the first book were more representative of the contents.
January 27, 2018
Joy in thinking
At times the story whet to fast. But it is a good read. The ability to think and analysis is a gift
At times the story whet to fast. But it is a good read. The ability to think and analysis is a gift
January 11, 2019
Oh boy, it turned out that I couldn’t stand another episode of this. So frustrating that he gets everything wrong and is so pompous about it. He never learns.
March 4, 2024
Not quite as good as the first book in the series, but still a lot of fun.
July 15, 2015
I picked this up, having enjoyed the first one, because I felt like something light and amusing that would also be well-edited. It was neither as amusing nor quite as well-edited as I'd hoped, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
It appears to be scanned from a print copy, reasonably well except that there are now spaces in the middle of some compound words (presumably where there was a line break and a hyphen in print). There are also a few outright errors, like "complaintant" instead of "complainant", "too" for "to" and other minor typos.
The story is, again, a kind of mystery. Christianity is treated respectfully. The characters are appealing, but the stakes feel rather low.
I'll keep reading the series, though slowly, I think.
It appears to be scanned from a print copy, reasonably well except that there are now spaces in the middle of some compound words (presumably where there was a line break and a hyphen in print). There are also a few outright errors, like "complaintant" instead of "complainant", "too" for "to" and other minor typos.
The story is, again, a kind of mystery. Christianity is treated respectfully. The characters are appealing, but the stakes feel rather low.
I'll keep reading the series, though slowly, I think.
August 11, 2016
A highly-entertaining follow-up to the A Bad Spell in Yurt. Daimbert is becoming a more-competent Wizard, and he goes to a small corner of Yurt with his friend Joachim to help resolve some perceived issues with a wood nymph and a Saint's relics. I like the development of the characters in this book, and the introduction of a few new characters, including a newly-graduated Wizard. There is some good action, and also some contemplative parts that I enjoyed. I will continue to read the series.
June 3, 2014
A cozy medieval magical fantasy with a dollop of simple Christianity. Everything here is quaint and comfortable. Except for the monster running loose. 80s chauvinism. Misleading cover. The narrator is good, but there are production issues (one chapter drowned out by inappropriate background music.) Not as good a story as I remember this being.
January 6, 2010
This book was definitely worth reading; I enjoyed it though not as well as the first. I liked it, but didn't love it. It got more interesting as I read on, and left me looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
May 5, 2009
Just as witty and entertaining as the first novel. And with a title like that, how can you resist reading it!
November 9, 2011
Rereading this book for the first time in years. Still enjoyable, still not quite as fun as the first one in the series. :)
September 7, 2015
Enjoyable read. Mix of Christian theology with Sword & Socerery. A young wizard with doubts in his abilities, manages to hold things together with and without magic.
October 2, 2015
Real fun, very wacky and very medieval.
June 24, 2016
Enjoyed this, but Daimbet was an even weirder mix of unsure, incompetent, assured, clever, capable and dumb than the first book.
April 26, 2017
Daimbert is two years older and wiser in his second story, but still a charmingly flustered character. Here he is stumped by sightings of fanged, horned rabbits and roped into a dispute involving a an irascible saint who keeps sending people visions about the disposition of his relics (a big toe). Add to this a beautiful wood nymph, a mysterious huntsman, some tacky profiteers, and a mopey regent, and poor Daimbert is beset on all sides. He is joined in his quest by a very likable young wizard hired by the duchess, fresh out of the wizard's school and about as useless as Daimbert himself was upon his own graduation. Together they have to fight against all sorts of magical mischief. In the midst of the reliquary dispute is Joachim, priest and friend of Daimbert. Joachim is a Christian priest and I was surprised at how much religion and theology that he inserts into the story. A lot of very serious and weighty Christian concepts get discussed. There is a holy man/hermit who has some things to say as well. I was a little surprised and wondered how those outside the faith would feel about all of it. In any case, Daimbert steers his own course in discovering who is behind the creatures and uses all his wits to mediate some surprising conflicts. I would say that I enjoyed this one a tiny less than the first one, but still very well.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews