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Magic by the Numbers #1
Master of the Five Magics
This is a lady on a quest to learn the 5 arts of magic.
373 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
280 people are currently reading
4804 people want to read
About the author
Lyndon Hardy
11 books149 followersNew York Times best-selling author of the Magic by the Numbers fantasy series.
One Last Heist, the seventh book in the series, is now available.
I meld my knowledg in physics with the fantasy of alchemy, sorcery, and wizardry to produce tales in which there are constraints and limitations. Magic is not omnipotent. When the protagonists are in a jam, they are not saved with a simple bibbity, bobbiity, boo.
With the exception that book 5, Magic Times Three, involves the same protagonists as book 4, The Archimage's Fourth Daughter, all the books in the series have different leading characters. They can be read in any order.
I have some experience with adventures in our universe as well -- orchestrating the classic Rose Bowl Card Stunt in 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_R...
I have yet to come up with a plot in which a stamp collector saves the universe.
Wikipedia: Lyndon Hardy
One Last Heist, the seventh book in the series, is now available.
I meld my knowledg in physics with the fantasy of alchemy, sorcery, and wizardry to produce tales in which there are constraints and limitations. Magic is not omnipotent. When the protagonists are in a jam, they are not saved with a simple bibbity, bobbiity, boo.
With the exception that book 5, Magic Times Three, involves the same protagonists as book 4, The Archimage's Fourth Daughter, all the books in the series have different leading characters. They can be read in any order.
I have some experience with adventures in our universe as well -- orchestrating the classic Rose Bowl Card Stunt in 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_R...
I have yet to come up with a plot in which a stamp collector saves the universe.
Wikipedia: Lyndon Hardy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
September 18, 2016
The Master of Five Magics (1980) by Lyndon Hardy sits at that annoying place between being a good and a bad book. The book itself tells the story of Alodar, who desperate wants to be a suitor to the Queen, so that he can restore the fortunes of his once noble heritage. In doing so, he tries each magic.
The structure of the story is rather fun, with the early parts of the book acting as independent stories, and the later part acting as a single story. The episodic breakdown worked out rather well, giving the reader a coherent tale for each segment. This broke down towards the end, making the episodes slide one into the other, presumably because the story just worked better as a singular narrative as opposed to a sequential narrative.
Lyndon's exploration of magic proved rather fun, as each magic had its own twists, turns, and downfalls. These differences lent themselves well to each distinctive type of of story.
The world itself is a slapdash sword and sorcery style world, where there's no need for a map, history and politics are shallow, and all those fussy world building details don't matter much.
At the same time, the characters are stiffer than wallboard and more difficult to swallow. Their dialog is so stiff that you could starch your drawers. There isn't a naturalistic line in the entire narrative. Meanwhile, the women can be divided into impossible love interest and achievable love interest. The Queen, of course, is busty and beautiful. Meanwhile, the achievable love interest is a redhead, rough and tumble, and not like all those other stuffy girls.
By the end, our hero has become mighty studly, defeated the enemy, gotten the girl, and restored himself. This isn't a spoiler as these books only have that sort of ending.
While the plot sometimes rolls along well, at other times, it becomes an annoying inconvenience between you and the end of the book. The later chapters increasingly ground on me (not that the early chapters didn't), while the end, the part that should have been most engaging because it was the accumulation of everything that came before, could be mostly waved off as filler and ignored.
If you made me choose good or bad, I would describe this books as a good bad book. The book is objectively bad enough to throw against the wall, but it's not without it merits and avoids most of the excesses of bad book. Unfortunately, it doesn't have enough good qualities to qualify as a good book.
The structure of the story is rather fun, with the early parts of the book acting as independent stories, and the later part acting as a single story. The episodic breakdown worked out rather well, giving the reader a coherent tale for each segment. This broke down towards the end, making the episodes slide one into the other, presumably because the story just worked better as a singular narrative as opposed to a sequential narrative.
Lyndon's exploration of magic proved rather fun, as each magic had its own twists, turns, and downfalls. These differences lent themselves well to each distinctive type of of story.
The world itself is a slapdash sword and sorcery style world, where there's no need for a map, history and politics are shallow, and all those fussy world building details don't matter much.
At the same time, the characters are stiffer than wallboard and more difficult to swallow. Their dialog is so stiff that you could starch your drawers. There isn't a naturalistic line in the entire narrative. Meanwhile, the women can be divided into impossible love interest and achievable love interest. The Queen, of course, is busty and beautiful. Meanwhile, the achievable love interest is a redhead, rough and tumble, and not like all those other stuffy girls.
By the end, our hero has become mighty studly, defeated the enemy, gotten the girl, and restored himself. This isn't a spoiler as these books only have that sort of ending.
While the plot sometimes rolls along well, at other times, it becomes an annoying inconvenience between you and the end of the book. The later chapters increasingly ground on me (not that the early chapters didn't), while the end, the part that should have been most engaging because it was the accumulation of everything that came before, could be mostly waved off as filler and ignored.
If you made me choose good or bad, I would describe this books as a good bad book. The book is objectively bad enough to throw against the wall, but it's not without it merits and avoids most of the excesses of bad book. Unfortunately, it doesn't have enough good qualities to qualify as a good book.
April 5, 2019
Somewhere in the latter part of the '80s I was working summers in the maintenance department at the residence halls at the University of Houston, where I was an anthropology major. One day I wandered over to the carpentry shop to grab something, and found Rick the carpenter dude finishing up this book. He and I liked to talk books, and he ended up giving me that battered little paperback copy of “Master of the Five Magics.” I read it over the next few days, enjoyed it, and then pretty much forgot about it for the next 30 years or so.
As I have gotten older, though, I have found some value in rereading books that I had read when I was younger. It’s interesting to discover what 30 years of perspective can do to a literary experience. And thus it was that I wandered across Lyndon Hardy’s durable fantasy one day in the racks at Half-Price Books. The first thing I noticed was that the original book had spawned two sequels, “Secret of the Sixth Magic,” and “Riddle of the Seven Realms.” I plucked all three off of the shelf and checked out with a satisfied smile.
Hardy’s novel had created a bit of a stir when it was first published back in 1980. It was a popular enough book that it influenced a song by Megadeth called “Five Magics.” Author Pat Rothfuss gave it some love as an influence on his own “Kingkiller Chronicles” series. The five color magic code in the “Magic: The Gathering” card games was also inspired by “Master of the Five Magics.” That’s a pretty fair amount of pop cultural credibility for a book that isn’t going to replace “Lord of the Rings” on anyone's bookshelf at any point in time.
The other big calling card for this book was its very detailed system of magical laws that defined and directed the storyline. It was logical and solid and served as the backbone of the universe that Hardy had created for his characters. Thaumaturgy was the simplest of the magics, the engineering hub of the world, practical and simple. Alchemy was also reasonably useful on a day-to-day basis, creating everything from potions to salves in a sort of assembly-line style. Sorcery was a darker art, concerned with glamours and mind-control. Magic was an art of perfection that could take years to yield results. And the darkest art of all was Wizardry, which meant controlling demons, or conversely being controlled BY demons.
The main hero, Alodar, must master all five of the arts in order to restore his family’s honor and standing. He strives to become a suitor to the Queen of Procolon, the busty and vivacious Vendora. But Vendora has a comely court adviser, Aerial, who truly makes an impression on our hero and makes his decisions a bit more difficult as the pace proceeds. Alodar must eventually do battle with the Demon Prince as the fate of his world hangs in the balance. It’s a straightforward plotline with a couple of neat surprises that manages to stay away from a few of the more common sword and sorcery tropes.
My impression reading this 30 years ago was that it was fun but mostly forgettable. I was playing a lot of Dungeons and Dragons at the time, and it kind of seemed like it was tailor-made for the D&D crowd, which was really not a bad thing at all. It didn’t have much depth of character, but that was okay as the main calling-card for this book was its detailed system of magic. From a D&D perspective, that was awesome in and of itself.
My thinking now is that “Master of the Five Magics” is a better read than I remembered it to be. Part of that 30-year perspective is that a lot of truly AWFUL and derivative fantasy has been released in the interim. Yes, there has been something of a renaissance the last few years, but for a while there, things looked bleak, and I mostly abandoned fantasy as a genre because of the dearth of good material.
Overall, though, the book was an enjoyable reread. I was able to get a more cinematic view in my head this time, and the plot worked better for me because of it. The characters are still kind of wooden and stock, but they function perfectly well in the context of the story. The big star is still the intricately designed magical system, and you can tell that this is where Hardy really wanted to expend his effort. It does pay off, though, as I really wanted to know how this universe worked and reacted for each different class of the arts. At its heart, this is a fun novel that manages to deliver the basic sword and sorcery goods. The action really picks up in the final stages of the story as Alodar takes on the role of Archimage to do battle with the dreaded Demon Prince whose machinations have been revealed as the driver for all that has come before. In the end, its essentially genre-pulp fiction, but it’s pretty damn GOOD genre-pulp fiction. I will ultimately judge and rate a book like this by whether or not I enjoyed it and had fun reading it, and I definitely had fun with “Master of the Five Magics.”
I’m currently reading the follow-up, “Secret of the Sixth Magic.” So far it’s a worthy successor to the original. Stay tuned for my review when I finish that volume.
As I have gotten older, though, I have found some value in rereading books that I had read when I was younger. It’s interesting to discover what 30 years of perspective can do to a literary experience. And thus it was that I wandered across Lyndon Hardy’s durable fantasy one day in the racks at Half-Price Books. The first thing I noticed was that the original book had spawned two sequels, “Secret of the Sixth Magic,” and “Riddle of the Seven Realms.” I plucked all three off of the shelf and checked out with a satisfied smile.
Hardy’s novel had created a bit of a stir when it was first published back in 1980. It was a popular enough book that it influenced a song by Megadeth called “Five Magics.” Author Pat Rothfuss gave it some love as an influence on his own “Kingkiller Chronicles” series. The five color magic code in the “Magic: The Gathering” card games was also inspired by “Master of the Five Magics.” That’s a pretty fair amount of pop cultural credibility for a book that isn’t going to replace “Lord of the Rings” on anyone's bookshelf at any point in time.
The other big calling card for this book was its very detailed system of magical laws that defined and directed the storyline. It was logical and solid and served as the backbone of the universe that Hardy had created for his characters. Thaumaturgy was the simplest of the magics, the engineering hub of the world, practical and simple. Alchemy was also reasonably useful on a day-to-day basis, creating everything from potions to salves in a sort of assembly-line style. Sorcery was a darker art, concerned with glamours and mind-control. Magic was an art of perfection that could take years to yield results. And the darkest art of all was Wizardry, which meant controlling demons, or conversely being controlled BY demons.
The main hero, Alodar, must master all five of the arts in order to restore his family’s honor and standing. He strives to become a suitor to the Queen of Procolon, the busty and vivacious Vendora. But Vendora has a comely court adviser, Aerial, who truly makes an impression on our hero and makes his decisions a bit more difficult as the pace proceeds. Alodar must eventually do battle with the Demon Prince as the fate of his world hangs in the balance. It’s a straightforward plotline with a couple of neat surprises that manages to stay away from a few of the more common sword and sorcery tropes.
My impression reading this 30 years ago was that it was fun but mostly forgettable. I was playing a lot of Dungeons and Dragons at the time, and it kind of seemed like it was tailor-made for the D&D crowd, which was really not a bad thing at all. It didn’t have much depth of character, but that was okay as the main calling-card for this book was its detailed system of magic. From a D&D perspective, that was awesome in and of itself.
My thinking now is that “Master of the Five Magics” is a better read than I remembered it to be. Part of that 30-year perspective is that a lot of truly AWFUL and derivative fantasy has been released in the interim. Yes, there has been something of a renaissance the last few years, but for a while there, things looked bleak, and I mostly abandoned fantasy as a genre because of the dearth of good material.
Overall, though, the book was an enjoyable reread. I was able to get a more cinematic view in my head this time, and the plot worked better for me because of it. The characters are still kind of wooden and stock, but they function perfectly well in the context of the story. The big star is still the intricately designed magical system, and you can tell that this is where Hardy really wanted to expend his effort. It does pay off, though, as I really wanted to know how this universe worked and reacted for each different class of the arts. At its heart, this is a fun novel that manages to deliver the basic sword and sorcery goods. The action really picks up in the final stages of the story as Alodar takes on the role of Archimage to do battle with the dreaded Demon Prince whose machinations have been revealed as the driver for all that has come before. In the end, its essentially genre-pulp fiction, but it’s pretty damn GOOD genre-pulp fiction. I will ultimately judge and rate a book like this by whether or not I enjoyed it and had fun reading it, and I definitely had fun with “Master of the Five Magics.”
I’m currently reading the follow-up, “Secret of the Sixth Magic.” So far it’s a worthy successor to the original. Stay tuned for my review when I finish that volume.
March 1, 2010
I read this back in the early 80s and almost loved it....between 4 and 5 stars, I decided not quite 5 but close.
Follow Aldor as he on his "quest" (which could be said to change) as he gathers knowledge of the 5 schools of magic, mastering each as he progresses. Aldor, spurred on by his "love" for the queen, seeking to become, Archimage...will he make it?
Okay it's an old line, but it's a fun book. I found it right after the Magician Apprentice etc series. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed this book.
Funny. I saw a review of someone who thought just the opposite of what I did here...I found the book fun and light. I've totally disliked other books, and found people saying the same about them that I'm saying about this one. This always fascinates me, the various tastes we have here. To each their own (as I've said elsewhere).
Follow Aldor as he on his "quest" (which could be said to change) as he gathers knowledge of the 5 schools of magic, mastering each as he progresses. Aldor, spurred on by his "love" for the queen, seeking to become, Archimage...will he make it?
Okay it's an old line, but it's a fun book. I found it right after the Magician Apprentice etc series. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed this book.
Funny. I saw a review of someone who thought just the opposite of what I did here...I found the book fun and light. I've totally disliked other books, and found people saying the same about them that I'm saying about this one. This always fascinates me, the various tastes we have here. To each their own (as I've said elsewhere).
November 25, 2008
One of my favourite fantasy series, it works because the underlying principles have been properly thought out and are then explored in interesting ways. Sure, the actual "world" is nonsense - it has no real internal logic, and the basic geography, history, economy and society are merely place-holders, but that's because the whole thing is suborned to the discussion of how a viable "magic" system could work without it becoming simply a crutch to support society. So we get alchemists who have to mass produce, contrasted with magicians who have to be absolutely precise, and sorcerers who risk their minds contrasted with wizards who risk their souls. The specification of basic "Laws" for each type of magic adds enormously to the credibility of the set-up.
In the first book of the series, the principles and laws of the "Five Magics" are explored through the device of sending our hero on a series of increasingly dangerous quests involving a whole array of credible minor characters and even a couple of quite good surprises, especially when the inevitable exposition scene arrives.
And the quest plot is pretty clever, with some great moments of tension even as you think you know how it will work out. But then you go on to the next book, and everything changes.
Secret of the Sixth Magic
In the first book of the series, the principles and laws of the "Five Magics" are explored through the device of sending our hero on a series of increasingly dangerous quests involving a whole array of credible minor characters and even a couple of quite good surprises, especially when the inevitable exposition scene arrives.
And the quest plot is pretty clever, with some great moments of tension even as you think you know how it will work out. But then you go on to the next book, and everything changes.
Secret of the Sixth Magic
December 11, 2008
I rail (if only to myself) when I see "extreme" reviews (1 or 5 stars) without any accompanying explanation, and I'm certainly no saint in this regard (in my defense, I've been pretty good about making some comment on books I've read since joining GR). So, where and when I can, I'll try to "justify" my more extreme ratings:
In re the volume in question - it's dreck, and boring dreck. Even after nearly 30 years, I remember this book with loathing. The idea of a "science of magic" is fine but the execution was awful.
In re the volume in question - it's dreck, and boring dreck. Even after nearly 30 years, I remember this book with loathing. The idea of a "science of magic" is fine but the execution was awful.
August 9, 2014
The writing leaves much to be desired. The dialogue is very bad, some descriptions are hard to follow, most characters are sketchy, the protagonist's thoughts are needlessly drawn out and his decisions over-explained. And also many minor grievances such as anachronisms or syntax inversions that sound weird instead of pompous.
However, this is a must read, a bold book that you need to read if you want to know what fantasy is and what it can be. All five types of magic invented by the author are explained in detail and are consistent. They are not obscured behind the faux-wise words of compulsively mysterious old masters, nor are they stretched to fill plot holes. The structure of the book is also innovative; each of its parts is like a novelette and has its own self-contained plot while also promoting the overarching plot. The arxs are tighter and this seems to have the potential for a more satisfying experience than the multi-volume epics that have become standard in fantasy.
If the execution is flawed, it is because of lack in skill, not because of lack of vision. I for one, wish there were more books in this mold.
However, this is a must read, a bold book that you need to read if you want to know what fantasy is and what it can be. All five types of magic invented by the author are explained in detail and are consistent. They are not obscured behind the faux-wise words of compulsively mysterious old masters, nor are they stretched to fill plot holes. The structure of the book is also innovative; each of its parts is like a novelette and has its own self-contained plot while also promoting the overarching plot. The arxs are tighter and this seems to have the potential for a more satisfying experience than the multi-volume epics that have become standard in fantasy.
If the execution is flawed, it is because of lack in skill, not because of lack of vision. I for one, wish there were more books in this mold.
September 6, 2015
This is the 1st book in an early 1980's epic fantasy series. Typical of the day, it is action and story driven with a protagonist easy to identify with. Characterization is sparse, but that doesn't really matter. It was the nature of mass market fantasy in 1980. It is an easy, smooth read. Its plus is an investigation of different types of Magic. I enjoyed it and a hero who never gives up.
6 of 10 stars
6 of 10 stars
January 10, 2025
This was a unique criminally, unknown, and under-appreciated fantasy book that is more in line with the Odyssey, than Lord of the Rings while also featuring a distinctive Arabian Nights flavor and utilizing one of the first examples of a hard magic system that I am aware of.
4.5/5
4.5/5
March 6, 2017
Maybe 2 1/2 stars, to be fair. Rounded down for disappointment!
The author's preface (or whatever one calls a preface when it shows up at the end of the book) was very illuminating. He admits spending the Vast Majority of his time on working out the details of his magic system, and comparatively little time on plot and characters, and it certainly shows.
The characters have no character whatsoever--the main character especially so. He's a bit of a Mary Sue, except that he's also awful several times throughout without any indication that anyone (other than mean, bad people) might think he's being awful. There's never a dark night of the soul where he comes to realize his horrible mistakes--no, turns out destiny's groomed him for even greater greatness. Very annoying.
The magical system is very specifically thought out, and I went along with the subpar book just to see how it would all transpire, but now I rather wish I'd cut and bailed early enough to just read a more enjoyable book.
Oh--and it also reads rather like one of those pre-novel novels, e.g. Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, or an Icelandic saga, etc., because it's so very plot-based and, as implied before, the lack of anything resembling psychological realism. Your emotional involvement will be similar to having a not-very-good RPG video game plotline explained to you.
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
The author's preface (or whatever one calls a preface when it shows up at the end of the book) was very illuminating. He admits spending the Vast Majority of his time on working out the details of his magic system, and comparatively little time on plot and characters, and it certainly shows.
The characters have no character whatsoever--the main character especially so. He's a bit of a Mary Sue, except that he's also awful several times throughout without any indication that anyone (other than mean, bad people) might think he's being awful. There's never a dark night of the soul where he comes to realize his horrible mistakes--no, turns out destiny's groomed him for even greater greatness. Very annoying.
The magical system is very specifically thought out, and I went along with the subpar book just to see how it would all transpire, but now I rather wish I'd cut and bailed early enough to just read a more enjoyable book.
Oh--and it also reads rather like one of those pre-novel novels, e.g. Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, or an Icelandic saga, etc., because it's so very plot-based and, as implied before, the lack of anything resembling psychological realism. Your emotional involvement will be similar to having a not-very-good RPG video game plotline explained to you.
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
July 28, 2018
I approached this book not knowing whether I would enjoy it on this re-read as I first read it years ago. I did still enjoy it but not as much as I recall; however, that was a positive as I was doubtful at first. The beginning seemed far more muddled and difficult to envisage re what the protagonist was doing - this apparently was the author's first published novel and he certainly had taken onboard the advice to plunge straight into action. Alodar is trying to raise a gondola into the air to take a soldier across to a vantage point from which he can fire a projectile weapon onto encircling invaders of the Iron Fist fort. Gradually, it is revealed that he is a journeyman thaumaturge and that there are five magical disciplines.
Alodar seeks the black robe of a master but for him it is only a means to an end: that of recovering his family's lost social position. The Queen is present in the fortress and the attack was unexpected; led by a local lord who, it is rumoured, is demon-possessed. To win favour, Alodar decides to become a suitor to the Queen but has a rival - the son of a powerful lord. Alodar works hard and his insights are pivotal in saving the Queen, but the credit is given to his rival.
This becomes a repeating pattern throughout the novel as Alodar moves from one magical discipline to another, each time using something he has acquired in the service of the previous one to try to secure his sought-after position as a suitor. Along the way he is brought to acknowledge that he has feelings for Aeriel, the Queen's closest advisor who returns them - but she, too, has to put aside her personal feelings in favour of ensuring that the best possible suitor wins the Queen's hand, and so far that is Alodar. Meanwhile, the initial revolt grows in scope and becomes more and more menacing until the entire kingdom is in peril.
The way magical disciplines are worked out in this book is probably the most complete attempt I can recall reading in any fantasy. Each has its own rules and procedures. There is also quite a lot of action and suspense regarding Alodar's progress each time and his continual frustration by someone else who steals the credit. The weakness of the story, however, is in the characterisation: Alodar is driven, determined and rather too lacking in actual convincing emotion although we are led to believe he is struggling against having feelings for Aeriel, and she, too, is rather thinly sketched whereas other characters are thinner still to the point of sometimes being caricature as in the case of the Queen. But it is a good adventure tale with the added spice of the magical systems so I rate it at a 3-star read overall.
Alodar seeks the black robe of a master but for him it is only a means to an end: that of recovering his family's lost social position. The Queen is present in the fortress and the attack was unexpected; led by a local lord who, it is rumoured, is demon-possessed. To win favour, Alodar decides to become a suitor to the Queen but has a rival - the son of a powerful lord. Alodar works hard and his insights are pivotal in saving the Queen, but the credit is given to his rival.
This becomes a repeating pattern throughout the novel as Alodar moves from one magical discipline to another, each time using something he has acquired in the service of the previous one to try to secure his sought-after position as a suitor. Along the way he is brought to acknowledge that he has feelings for Aeriel, the Queen's closest advisor who returns them - but she, too, has to put aside her personal feelings in favour of ensuring that the best possible suitor wins the Queen's hand, and so far that is Alodar. Meanwhile, the initial revolt grows in scope and becomes more and more menacing until the entire kingdom is in peril.
The way magical disciplines are worked out in this book is probably the most complete attempt I can recall reading in any fantasy. Each has its own rules and procedures. There is also quite a lot of action and suspense regarding Alodar's progress each time and his continual frustration by someone else who steals the credit. The weakness of the story, however, is in the characterisation: Alodar is driven, determined and rather too lacking in actual convincing emotion although we are led to believe he is struggling against having feelings for Aeriel, and she, too, is rather thinly sketched whereas other characters are thinner still to the point of sometimes being caricature as in the case of the Queen. But it is a good adventure tale with the added spice of the magical systems so I rate it at a 3-star read overall.
February 27, 2017
This is your standard fantasy where average so-and-so rises to be the greatest in the land (think Aladdin). However, that did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. One is immediately thrust into the plot, and the book shows rather than tells. Like Aladdin, the main character makes mistakes and rises more because of his determination to keep trying than because of some lucky breaks. In fact, every time he seems to be about to achieve his goal he discovers there are things that can go wrong. The book did a good job of explaining the differences between the five magics, and even had a workable explanation as to why the hero is conveniently able to spend less practice on each magic ability. Last, I really liked the decision our hero makes at the end of the book. Give it a try!
August 13, 2020
Ah, '70s sci-fi/fantasy. This one is cheesy at times—mostly the romance subplot—but it works. Some boring stretches, but it's a clever idea and a unique story.
- This is proto-Brandon Sanderson: set up the rules of magic, find some clever ways for the characters to use it.
- If this was written today, it would 100% be a 5+ book series.
- IIRC this has been on my to-read list since high school. Not sure if there are many of those left.
EDIT: He wrote 4 sequels years later, so it is a 5-book series LOL
- This is proto-Brandon Sanderson: set up the rules of magic, find some clever ways for the characters to use it.
- If this was written today, it would 100% be a 5+ book series.
- IIRC this has been on my to-read list since high school. Not sure if there are many of those left.
EDIT: He wrote 4 sequels years later, so it is a 5-book series LOL
March 31, 2009
Its been a long time since I read this series, but my recollection was that the first book was excellent, and the other two were just ok. The first one in particular has some very creative ideas that I haven't seen elsewhere, and was a very well written and engaging story.
Update: I just reread the book. In retrospect the book had some really elegant ideas, but there were also some pretty serious plot holes. Still, a fun read and a pleasant way to pass an afternoon.
Update: I just reread the book. In retrospect the book had some really elegant ideas, but there were also some pretty serious plot holes. Still, a fun read and a pleasant way to pass an afternoon.
May 6, 2014
This is probably one of my favorite books of all time. No, it's not high literature, but it was a huge influence on my thinking and how I look at magic. In the 80's I probably read it about a dozen times, I loved it so much. To be honest I don't recall more than the overall plot line at the moment, but what I do remember is the sheer joy I felt in reading it.
February 7, 2016
Excellent fantasy story. Very interesting take on magic and it's uses and the cause and effect of things, looking forward to reading the next 2 books in the trilogy. Very recommended
January 21, 2022
Well, here we are, everyone. My long-awaited review for Master of the Five Magics is finally here. I mean, it’s taken me well over a month to read.
It’s a loooong ass book! I know, I wanted a nice meaty epic fantasy again for a change, and I knew what I was getting myself into. I guess I’m just not “reading fit” anymore.
I enjoyed the story, though. In the beginning, the copy-editing was dodgy, and I noticed quite a few quotation marks that weren’t closed (not caused by multi-paragraph talks that are so common in fantasy), but that got better as the story progressed. And the language was stiff, even by epic fantasy standards, but I got used to that.
And it dragged on a bit, to where, by the last part, I was wishing it would just wrap up already. But I think that’s mostly because it took me so long to read it and I was getting tired.
But I enjoyed it. I liked the glossary at the end, and the author’s afterword was very insightful. The struggles that traditionally published authors go through. Those lead times to get responses to submissions are insane! I’m so glad indies don’t have to go through that. I’d have given up long ago.
What’s also nice is that, from the looks of it, we can read the books in this series in any order. Which is rare these days, so I’m looking forward to reading the next one.
Click here to find out where you can get your hands on a copy: https://books2read.com/u/b6MlwW
* Note: That's an affiliate link, so if you click through to a store and end up buying anything, I might earn a commission from your purchase.
It’s a loooong ass book! I know, I wanted a nice meaty epic fantasy again for a change, and I knew what I was getting myself into. I guess I’m just not “reading fit” anymore.
I enjoyed the story, though. In the beginning, the copy-editing was dodgy, and I noticed quite a few quotation marks that weren’t closed (not caused by multi-paragraph talks that are so common in fantasy), but that got better as the story progressed. And the language was stiff, even by epic fantasy standards, but I got used to that.
And it dragged on a bit, to where, by the last part, I was wishing it would just wrap up already. But I think that’s mostly because it took me so long to read it and I was getting tired.
But I enjoyed it. I liked the glossary at the end, and the author’s afterword was very insightful. The struggles that traditionally published authors go through. Those lead times to get responses to submissions are insane! I’m so glad indies don’t have to go through that. I’d have given up long ago.
What’s also nice is that, from the looks of it, we can read the books in this series in any order. Which is rare these days, so I’m looking forward to reading the next one.
Click here to find out where you can get your hands on a copy: https://books2read.com/u/b6MlwW
* Note: That's an affiliate link, so if you click through to a store and end up buying anything, I might earn a commission from your purchase.
June 20, 2023
An entertaining and light fantasy adventure that slightly overstays its welcome. A forerunner of hard-magic systems the magic in this novel doesn't feel like the rpg/videogame magic rules that some novels tout today. Instead it features a thoughtful and imaginative application of classical concepts of magic sourced from history. While there are broadly established rules, there's a lot open for creative applications. This was a first novel, and I may pick up the second in hopes of finding a tighter plot and more satisfying charater arcs.
July 5, 2020
Probably earns a star for the nostalgia factor. I fell in love with this book back when I was in middle school and continue to pull it out every now and then. It’s a simple plot, really. Alodar, training to become a thaumaturge, isn’t satisfied with how he’s treated. During a siege, he discovers a way to save the queen (and others) when their fortress is overrun, but doesn’t get the credit. Hedecides that in order to earn the respect he deserves, he must marry the queen. That’s his quest and everything else, including his attraction to Aeriel, the queen’s advisor, is left behind.
After using thaumaturgy to save the queen, he discovers and ancient grimoire that leads him to alchemy. That creates a formula that allows him to go deep into a mine in search of jewels but instead he finds a chest with two magic spheres. He goes to study with magicians to learn what the spheres can do. One is a sorcerer’s eye, so he seeks out a sorcerer to learn how to use it. While under its power, he sees a vision of a wizard asleep in a mountain, and seeks him out for knowledge. Each step of his quest takes him through to another magical craft.
I think it’s all cleverly done. There are missteps along the way, people get hurt or killed, but Alodar’s quest keeps moving him forward. But the dialogue is a bit hokey at times. There’s always a point where someone has to say “the main principle of X is, simply stated...” It’s the author’s way of letting us know the rules for a particular craft, but it’s pretty awful how he manages to slip it into conversation. I think the worst example is in the magic chapters, when one master magician tries to explain how magic works to another master magician.
Good idea, well executed, and stilted, robotic dialogue at times. And the overlying concept of trying to marry a woman not for love or even politics, but just to get the respect you feel has been denied. Ignoring, of course, the respect of a woman who is genuinely interested in you, and you in her.
After using thaumaturgy to save the queen, he discovers and ancient grimoire that leads him to alchemy. That creates a formula that allows him to go deep into a mine in search of jewels but instead he finds a chest with two magic spheres. He goes to study with magicians to learn what the spheres can do. One is a sorcerer’s eye, so he seeks out a sorcerer to learn how to use it. While under its power, he sees a vision of a wizard asleep in a mountain, and seeks him out for knowledge. Each step of his quest takes him through to another magical craft.
I think it’s all cleverly done. There are missteps along the way, people get hurt or killed, but Alodar’s quest keeps moving him forward. But the dialogue is a bit hokey at times. There’s always a point where someone has to say “the main principle of X is, simply stated...” It’s the author’s way of letting us know the rules for a particular craft, but it’s pretty awful how he manages to slip it into conversation. I think the worst example is in the magic chapters, when one master magician tries to explain how magic works to another master magician.
Good idea, well executed, and stilted, robotic dialogue at times. And the overlying concept of trying to marry a woman not for love or even politics, but just to get the respect you feel has been denied. Ignoring, of course, the respect of a woman who is genuinely interested in you, and you in her.
July 15, 2019
This is a quirky book which I both enjoyed and at points disliked and so tough to review. Added to this I thought I remembered having read and enjoyed it when I was much younger, but it isn't the book I remembered. Also I used to have the first edition in paperback around somewhere and can't find it now to compare first and second editions.
So with some confusion I read through this series of six connected novels published as a novel. The theme of a young man learning the various fantasy magical arts and having a logical system for those arts is fascinating. I empathized with our hero and often enjoyed following his quest. Sadly while Lydon Hardy seems like a nice fellow with lots to recommend him, he can struggle as a writer. The attempts at romance fell flat and some of the descriptions had me scratching my head. To be fair my favorite author is PG Wodehouse who is an absolute master with language and description so I may be too demanding, but often this book just didn't feel up to the standards of even pulp fiction.
If you are interested in fantasy and what drives the systems of magic then I think this is worth reading. If you are just looking for a nice fantasy read, there are likely better books out there.
So with some confusion I read through this series of six connected novels published as a novel. The theme of a young man learning the various fantasy magical arts and having a logical system for those arts is fascinating. I empathized with our hero and often enjoyed following his quest. Sadly while Lydon Hardy seems like a nice fellow with lots to recommend him, he can struggle as a writer. The attempts at romance fell flat and some of the descriptions had me scratching my head. To be fair my favorite author is PG Wodehouse who is an absolute master with language and description so I may be too demanding, but often this book just didn't feel up to the standards of even pulp fiction.
If you are interested in fantasy and what drives the systems of magic then I think this is worth reading. If you are just looking for a nice fantasy read, there are likely better books out there.
October 20, 2013
I'm a semi-lapsed fan of both Megadeth and epic fantasy, but I couldn't resist picking up this book when I saw it on sale at a bookstore near Candolim during my Goa holiday. I finished it in a day, at that, which is more a testament to how much it is fantasy junk food than any great merit it possesses. Hardy has expended a touching amount of effort in creating a detailed system of magic and indeed some of it is quite effectively depicted. The settings and characters are stock figures and the prose is effective, sometimes callow. Characters are really badly named and sometimes sound like cough syrups or proprietary drugs. The main fellow, Alador (or is it Alodar? Who knows? Who cares?) wants to win back his lost prestige by winning the favour of the queen. He's not a great warrior so he keeps mastering one form of magic after the other (one of which, confusingly, is called 'magic') until he is the promised Archimage who will liberate the kingdom from a demonic infestation. Pretty standard stuff, but Hardy's commitment to his story, his naive enthusiasm for his magic system, make it endearing if not impressive.
October 30, 2019
This was a reread of a book that I've remembered fondly for many years. I'm not sure I can tell how a first-time reader would like it nowadays, but it held up fairly well for me. It pushes a big button for me in that I really enjoy books about characters who have limited resources or are otherwise behind the eight ball, and how they manage to make those resources stretch to meet a larger challenge. This book is alllll about that, as the titular "master" is actually in a jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none situation where he's learning just enough of each magic to get the job done, but the solutions to the main crises are more in the ingenuity he uses to combine his small skills into a greater whole.
It was an enjoyable read. I'll be interested to revisit the other books of the series. I had remembered the basic plot of this book fairly well, but don't remember much about the other ones at all. Very curious to see if those work as well for me as this one did.
It was an enjoyable read. I'll be interested to revisit the other books of the series. I had remembered the basic plot of this book fairly well, but don't remember much about the other ones at all. Very curious to see if those work as well for me as this one did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2019
I was hovering between 3 and 4, and decided to bump it up to 4.
Would I call it a masterpiece of worldbuilding, plot development, and characterization? No. Would I call it a couple hundred fun pages of someone power leveling on a well defined and logical magical system and then kicking someone's butt? Yes. If I'd read this when I was in my early teens, it would have been one of my favorites. A bit older, I have fun and put it down. I might buy the sequels one of these days - they've been in my auxiliary Amazon cart for awhile - and if they're fun too, I'll be satisfied. It's the fantasy equivalent of a pretzel at the park. You eat it, you enjoy it, you don't expect it to be a prime filet.
Would I call it a masterpiece of worldbuilding, plot development, and characterization? No. Would I call it a couple hundred fun pages of someone power leveling on a well defined and logical magical system and then kicking someone's butt? Yes. If I'd read this when I was in my early teens, it would have been one of my favorites. A bit older, I have fun and put it down. I might buy the sequels one of these days - they've been in my auxiliary Amazon cart for awhile - and if they're fun too, I'll be satisfied. It's the fantasy equivalent of a pretzel at the park. You eat it, you enjoy it, you don't expect it to be a prime filet.
August 11, 2017
Written in the great pulp tradition, Master of the Five Magics is a lot like a good summer blockbuster: entertaining if you don't think about it too deeply. Aimed squarely at a male sword-and-sorcery audience, the book is saved from being just another piece of fantasy dreg by a few characteristics, namely Hardy's approachable prose and his unique take on the "chosen one" trope. Also of note is Hardy's system of magic, which he takes pains to define and then stick to. Master of the Five Magics certainly won't win the Man Booker Prize, but it's a fun romp.
[Note: Mr. Hardy has recently reissued his books in new expanded editions. This review covers the 1980 Del Rey paperback.]
[Note: Mr. Hardy has recently reissued his books in new expanded editions. This review covers the 1980 Del Rey paperback.]
April 6, 2010
The excellent discussion of various magical systems makes for a fun read.
March 19, 2014
A bland tale more concerned with establishing (at length) the rules of not one, but five separate magic systems than with fleshing out characters or strengthening the plot.
January 8, 2022
Oldschool fantasy through and through, best enjoyed reading an old edition, with yellow and thin pages.
May 27, 2025
#20 - this one has been on my radar for probably a decade or more. i first heard of it through a comic con panel with patrick rothfuss and jim butcher (and others) as hugely influential in their systems of magic.
and boy, is it, at that! kingkiller almost feels like it stole as much from this as it created, and dresden's use of demons is straight out of this as well. so i can definitely see the impact it had.
in a debate about music earlier this year (with someone no longer on facebook) i was told that the greatest rock album of all time is velvet underground and nico. i don't agree (my pick would probably be led zeppelin 1), but a line about it stuck with me: Brian Eno quipped that while the album only sold approximately 30,000 copies in its first five years, "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band". (sources dispute this as way too low, but the point stands)
this book feels much the same way. it's not as ground breaking as what came before it, nor as well written as what came after, but it's still hugely important as a step along the way.
and yeah, it's a 1980s era book so typical "product of its time" caveats apply. women are a Thing To Be Quested For, and are barely fleshed out. honestly *most* of the characters are barely fleshed out aside from a general physical description at their introduction and very little depth afterwards.
is it worth reading? if you're a writer looking to build a magic system, sure. if you're a longtime fantasy fan? yeah maybe. everyone else? ehhhh...
but this was on my tbr for the longest time - and now i've finished. onto the sequels maybe?
ps, yes, this is where the megadeth song "five magics" comes from. and it's also why magic the gathering has five colors. as i said, HUGELY influential.
and boy, is it, at that! kingkiller almost feels like it stole as much from this as it created, and dresden's use of demons is straight out of this as well. so i can definitely see the impact it had.
in a debate about music earlier this year (with someone no longer on facebook) i was told that the greatest rock album of all time is velvet underground and nico. i don't agree (my pick would probably be led zeppelin 1), but a line about it stuck with me: Brian Eno quipped that while the album only sold approximately 30,000 copies in its first five years, "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band". (sources dispute this as way too low, but the point stands)
this book feels much the same way. it's not as ground breaking as what came before it, nor as well written as what came after, but it's still hugely important as a step along the way.
and yeah, it's a 1980s era book so typical "product of its time" caveats apply. women are a Thing To Be Quested For, and are barely fleshed out. honestly *most* of the characters are barely fleshed out aside from a general physical description at their introduction and very little depth afterwards.
is it worth reading? if you're a writer looking to build a magic system, sure. if you're a longtime fantasy fan? yeah maybe. everyone else? ehhhh...
but this was on my tbr for the longest time - and now i've finished. onto the sequels maybe?
ps, yes, this is where the megadeth song "five magics" comes from. and it's also why magic the gathering has five colors. as i said, HUGELY influential.
December 25, 2018
One of the most interesting takes on a world with multiple magical systems, each painted in exquisite detail and well developed; in a world where it is believed you can not learn more than one type, the protagonist must learn them all, following a mysterious ancient legacy of clues designed to save the world from peril. Along the path, he must gradually combine what he learns, to both continue on his journey of ever-increasing peril and to overcome the large number of rather powerful antagonists that stand in his way in each magical discipline (and who usually rob him of everything but the clue to the next magic he must learn all in order to become suitors to the princess which the protagonist so desires to impress). The protagonist, Alodar, sees a lot so action, must learn how to fight, and acknowledge that he will never be brilliant at swordfighting, but must nonetheless practice, and this newly minted magician sees a lot of action. Alodar has to survive extreme tests of character, skill, ingenuity, and willpower, and is often barely capable of making it against all odds. Such scenes, though, are well crafted and believable, and you begin to feel for the character, if not for his obsession with a silly, pragmatic princess. In the end, he has to combine all he has learned to save the world and every little element in the story comes together nicely for a final resolution. This book has had a strong impact on countless other works through its use of different , well-defined magical systems and has thus become a staple for those who seek to better understand world building in the context of a magical world.
December 4, 2017
I had no idea it was the start of a series, and having never read the other books, I can only judge this one as a standalone. This book plays out like a bunch of short stories as the protagonist jumps from job to job, repeatedly doing everything right but never getting his due, but just like a well done Mary Sue story, his natural intelligence and cleverness results in him triumphing over everyone when it coincidently turns out that all his hard work might be important after all.
The characters are all one dimensional, but it makes rooting for the protagonist easier. Actually the most interesting part of the whole book is reading about how the different disciplines of magic work and what makes them unique. The actual events of the book and the final climax are themselves a bit dull, but the use of the "underdog serves a comeuppance to those snooty people" thread works really well and makes things feel satisfying.
The characters are all one dimensional, but it makes rooting for the protagonist easier. Actually the most interesting part of the whole book is reading about how the different disciplines of magic work and what makes them unique. The actual events of the book and the final climax are themselves a bit dull, but the use of the "underdog serves a comeuppance to those snooty people" thread works really well and makes things feel satisfying.
November 27, 2024
I first read this way back in the 80s. Reread it a few times back in the day but remembered very little about it now. Since I prefer e-reading I bided my time and got the second edition as an e-book at a good price knowing I would read it again someday.
I’m happy to report that I still enjoyed Alodar’s story. The book opens with him as a journeyman in the discipline of Thaumaturgy. As you might expect from the title four other disciplines will show up along way.
My understanding is that this was one of the first books to have developed rules for their magic system.
Anyhoo, it was a somewhat typical story well told. Good exploration of the other disciplines. There is a goal the hero strives for and along the way various adventures and setbacks occur, culminating in satisfying ending.
According the to the author the second edition didn’t change much from the first version published in the 80s. Mainly he added an afterword well worth reading.
I’m happy to report that I still enjoyed Alodar’s story. The book opens with him as a journeyman in the discipline of Thaumaturgy. As you might expect from the title four other disciplines will show up along way.
My understanding is that this was one of the first books to have developed rules for their magic system.
Anyhoo, it was a somewhat typical story well told. Good exploration of the other disciplines. There is a goal the hero strives for and along the way various adventures and setbacks occur, culminating in satisfying ending.
According the to the author the second edition didn’t change much from the first version published in the 80s. Mainly he added an afterword well worth reading.
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