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The Way of Wizards
Those who believe wizards began with Merlin and ended with Oz will be astounded and delighted by the journey that lies before them. In The Way of Wizards, author/illustrator Tom Cross throws open the portal to a land of enchantment that we mere mortals have scarcely glimpsed. Cross's incomparable illustrations, aided by the narrative of his inimitable wizard guide, Penelo, transport readers back to the Crossroad of the Realms-the moment of creation itself-and forward into eternity, revealing the presence throughout time of wizardly magic and might. Who are these beings? Where are they? How and why do they work their wonders? This brilliantly conceived and lavishly illustrated book seeks the answers to these questions in history, myth, lore, and legend, and in the process illuminates the traces of wizardry to be found in the sparkle of yesterday's frost and the green-gold of tomorrow's sunset. Cross's recreation of the world of wizards is an act of singular imaginative power. His breathtaking images and rich text will transport and captivate readers young and old-especially those already devoted to the SciFi/Fanatasy genre. The Way of Wizards is spellbinding from cover to cover
176 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2001
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 17, 2012
If you love fantasy and wizardry, this is a MUST HAVE for your collection. Every time I read this book I feel as if I've been swept to another realm filled with magic, whimsy, and beauty. One of the reasons that I love this book is because not only is it very intersting to read, but it has just as much....if not more, illustrations-artwork, as it does literature. The artwork in the book has so much detail that I notice something new everytime I read it. This book breaks down every aspect of a "wizard". Anything that you every wondered about, or wanted to know about a wizard is in this book!
The book it's self is a piece of artwork, and I highly recommend it.
The book it's self is a piece of artwork, and I highly recommend it.
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July 3, 2015The only good thing about this book was the pictures.
The writing was too hard to read because it was in fancy scroll like italics.
The so called 'humor' was not funny (Sad attempts at being funny when nothing was funny)
And it told me absolutely nothing about Wizards that I can't learn from watching LOTR.
The writing was too hard to read because it was in fancy scroll like italics.
The so called 'humor' was not funny (Sad attempts at being funny when nothing was funny)
And it told me absolutely nothing about Wizards that I can't learn from watching LOTR.
March 7, 2010
I really loved this whimsical wizard book! It combined art and photography. It was just beautiful! I used it while doing research for the books that I write and truly enjoyed reading it. Children and adults will enjoy reading and looking at the beautiful illustrations. It is very magical and would make a lovely gift for anyone who loves fantasy art.
July 14, 2017
In reading this book I kept on waiting for the other shoe to drop. What game was this book referencing? What fictional world was the author trying to appropriate or encourage the reader to become more familiar with? To be sure, there is a larger ethos of which this story is a part, but it feels very small. I kept on waiting for there to be a larger and more detailed world in which the author would be opening a glimpse towards, but instead there was an exceptionally small cast of characters involved and an apparent ignorance of the larger world in which the book itself and its story were set. Perhaps there is some sort of novel or, better yet, series of novels, that this book is connected to, because it is not clear how an author could conceive of himself as a wizard weaving a tale of expansive intrigue while simultaneously providing a very small and constricted world that lacks the sense of wonder that one would expect if one reads about magical worlds of the imagination to the extent that I do [1].
The contents of this book are pretty mundane, to be honest, heathen but mundane. The author begins rather sensibly by discussing what wizards are and how they weave their power through words and magical artifacts. The author then discusses the narrow geography of the wizards' domain, the WoN and realm wizards with their power based on one of the four humours. The author then turns to the tools of the trade, learned society--how wizards are educated, and the magical aspect of nature. The book then closes with a look at an unimpressive wizarding war and the permeable connection between the magical and mundane worlds. The book is filled with the whimsical and colorful drawings of the author, who perceives the world of faerie in particularly bright and colorful ways, and likely considers it a good excuse to draw half-naked sprites and mermaids. One can hardly blame him, for from time immemorial the world of magic has been closely connected with rampant and unrestrained sexuality.
There are, of course, a great deal of moral criticisms that can be labeled at this book. For one, the book is a puzzling example of a companion book to an unknown series of stories, with its own threadbare plot and its obvious inspiration from other books and games about magic. On the level of the material itself, the fact that the author glorifies the way of wizardry and is of the vain belief that those who would hold such power through their words and equipment and familiars and innate magical abilities can obtain a balance between the various forces in tension and avoid using their power to change nature when it inconveniences them suggests a high degree of self-deception and delusion. This book is to be praised for its elegant artwork, but the prose lets the reader down, and this is a book that promises more than it delivers, like many people who falsely present themselves as being magical people with powers that they do not possess. Even writing can be seen as such a power, as is the case in this book, and it is highly ironic to say the least that the unreliability and lack of excellence of this book as a written work demonstrate that the author does not have the power over words that he seems to think he does. As a result, this is a pretty book to look at, and one that deserves a fair bit of scrutiny, but is not a book that can form any part of one's construction of a worldview.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
The contents of this book are pretty mundane, to be honest, heathen but mundane. The author begins rather sensibly by discussing what wizards are and how they weave their power through words and magical artifacts. The author then discusses the narrow geography of the wizards' domain, the WoN and realm wizards with their power based on one of the four humours. The author then turns to the tools of the trade, learned society--how wizards are educated, and the magical aspect of nature. The book then closes with a look at an unimpressive wizarding war and the permeable connection between the magical and mundane worlds. The book is filled with the whimsical and colorful drawings of the author, who perceives the world of faerie in particularly bright and colorful ways, and likely considers it a good excuse to draw half-naked sprites and mermaids. One can hardly blame him, for from time immemorial the world of magic has been closely connected with rampant and unrestrained sexuality.
There are, of course, a great deal of moral criticisms that can be labeled at this book. For one, the book is a puzzling example of a companion book to an unknown series of stories, with its own threadbare plot and its obvious inspiration from other books and games about magic. On the level of the material itself, the fact that the author glorifies the way of wizardry and is of the vain belief that those who would hold such power through their words and equipment and familiars and innate magical abilities can obtain a balance between the various forces in tension and avoid using their power to change nature when it inconveniences them suggests a high degree of self-deception and delusion. This book is to be praised for its elegant artwork, but the prose lets the reader down, and this is a book that promises more than it delivers, like many people who falsely present themselves as being magical people with powers that they do not possess. Even writing can be seen as such a power, as is the case in this book, and it is highly ironic to say the least that the unreliability and lack of excellence of this book as a written work demonstrate that the author does not have the power over words that he seems to think he does. As a result, this is a pretty book to look at, and one that deserves a fair bit of scrutiny, but is not a book that can form any part of one's construction of a worldview.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
January 2, 2022
Gorgeous (dare I say magical) illustrations!
September 28, 2025
Such a beautiful and unique style and imagination, and so reminiscent of the kinds of fantasy books I grew up with ♥️ I loved reading through this book. It is inspiring and fun, and I’m so glad I found it!
January 19, 2008
Wizards!
April 10, 2013
isbn 9780740719653
August 9, 2008
Dazzling artwork. Good fun for everyone.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews