The Witch & the Cathedral

Daimbert #4

by C. Dale Brittain

Daimbert, the royal wizard of Yurt, is heartbroken when the woman he loves marries someone else, and abandons his kingdom for the hostile land of Caelrhon, where he discovers evil forces at work and meets a very intriguing witch. Original.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1995

Reviews

[Joel Flank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining Royal Wizard of Yurt novel. This time, Daimbert needs to deal with new types of magic, matters of the heart, and the passing of time...as well as dragons, wild magic, fanged gorgoi, and more. Brittain does a great job showing Daimbert's power growing, while still maintiaining the charming quality of being in over his head, despite being comfortable with his powers and having had 20 years of practice. My only dissapointment is that there are only a few books left in this series, and that Brittain doesn't have a more prolific output.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction of Theodora breathed some new excitement into Daimbert's adventures. I very much enjoyed this book. Daimbert's interactions with Joachim (now the Bishop) continue to develop both characters and I thought the plot was fun.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

We're getting to the point in this series where I'm no longer sure it's even worth it to write a review. I mean, this is book four. Either you've been reading the series in order - in which case I hardly think you need my help deciding whether to keep going - or you haven't, in which case you probably ought to head over to the page for book one and start there.

But, since I'm here...

A Bad Spell in Yurt, and to some extent, The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint (book two), are a bit like a skeleton. They started the framework for the series. Entertaining, if a bit superficial. In Mage Quest (book three) and now this one, it's like the author has taken her sketch and colored it in, and it's becoming clear that this lady is a real artist. The characters have deepened. The plots have started to feel more sinister. And I realize how much I've come to care about Yurt and its inhabitants.

So maybe it's good that I decided to write a review after all - it gives me the chance to speak to those who read book one, and maybe book two, and are skipping ahead to see whether the series is worth continuing. My opinion? It just keeps getting better and better.

[Izilen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite yet in this series. I loved the titular witch! I also loved Joachim's arc in this (much of 'the Cathedral').

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story of Daimbert moves the series in a new direction, moving almost 20 years in the future. The queen, who Daimbert has loved in silence since he first took up his position, is remarrying. Paul, the young prince, is about to be declared king. Daimbert has even just finished a sojourn at the wizard's school, teaching improvisational magic. Much is changing for him and he has to find a way to cope and to go forward. Into this uncertain time two things appear: a new love for him and a major threat to the nearby cathedral city which his old friend, the former chaplain of Yurt, Joachim, has asked him to investigate. Daimbert is a unique wizard, not as powerful as many but creative, improvisational, and able to think on his feet. As usual, our suspicions are thrown across a broad group of people and reasons for the many conspiracies that seem to be going on. I have to say that, even though I figured out one of the major players easily, I was very surprised by some of the twists, revelations, and reasons behind it all. I am left very excited to see where the series goes from here. It has moved beyond a young and bumbling figure of humor to a wizard with a greater influence and wisdom and moving on to a new cast of players and new vistas to explore.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful tale of a man filled with self-doubt, yet he manages to get things done successfully. Filled with magic, mystery, and the supernatural, this book will entertain any reader who enjoys fantasy stories.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice romp of a magical mystery to break my [unintentional] reading fast. I appreciate the epilogue but wish some of the ends had been tied up in the main text. This was a fun, quick read. Bursting with red Herrings, as always

[Megan Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent continuation of the wizard of Yurt series! Loving the progress in Daimbert's life. <3