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The Years of the Wizard: The Strange, True History and Home-life of Renaissance Magicians
'Rachel Morris is one of the smartest storytellers I have ever met' James Rebanks, author of The Shepherd's Life
All things were believable back then – wizards, alchemy, fairies, angels. This is the story of those magical times.
A lyrical and highly atmospheric exploration of the lives of Renaissance magicians, men from Dee to Kepler to Bruno were also scientists, astrologers and alchemists. Their studies and ideas still permeate books and film from Philip Pullman to CS Lewis. But what of the rest of the household, the lovers, wives, mothers and daughters who supported their travelling households, packing up the libraries, growing herbs and noting the spells?
With fictional imaginings of the domestic lives that supported them Rachel Morris magically animates undocumented women and children lives in this era of discovery and wizardry.
All things were believable back then – wizards, alchemy, fairies, angels. This is the story of those magical times.
A lyrical and highly atmospheric exploration of the lives of Renaissance magicians, men from Dee to Kepler to Bruno were also scientists, astrologers and alchemists. Their studies and ideas still permeate books and film from Philip Pullman to CS Lewis. But what of the rest of the household, the lovers, wives, mothers and daughters who supported their travelling households, packing up the libraries, growing herbs and noting the spells?
With fictional imaginings of the domestic lives that supported them Rachel Morris magically animates undocumented women and children lives in this era of discovery and wizardry.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
368 pages, Hardcover
Published December 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 4, 2025
Having spent lots of time last year studying John Dee's mysticism for what I'm going to call "personal reasons", I enjoyed Morris' informative survey of Dee's life and involvement in the mystical and alchemical cultures of the Renaissance, including a discussion of the singularly bizarre incident of Edward Kelley convincing Dee that they should share their wives. While Dee is her focal point, Morris augments this story with studies of the cultural context behind Dee's ideas, and fictitious scenarios envisioning what it was like for people of this era to encounter mysticism and Neoplatonic ideas, a device that's apt for dealing with a period where science was rarely distinct from magic or historical scholarship from theology and faith.
That said, I was surprised that Morris, insofar that I recall, spends little time with Dee's longer writings, such as examining the complex symbolism of the Monas Hieroglyphica, or the justifications for founding a British Empire professed in his "General and Rare Memorials...". The connection of mysticism and imperialism is an intriguing one, not least because Dee's famous shew-stone was taken from an Aztec temple, and THE YEARS OF THE WIZARD could've pursued that thread to fascinating effect.
That said, I was surprised that Morris, insofar that I recall, spends little time with Dee's longer writings, such as examining the complex symbolism of the Monas Hieroglyphica, or the justifications for founding a British Empire professed in his "General and Rare Memorials...". The connection of mysticism and imperialism is an intriguing one, not least because Dee's famous shew-stone was taken from an Aztec temple, and THE YEARS OF THE WIZARD could've pursued that thread to fascinating effect.
October 10, 2025
4.5 stars!
It's fun, reads like a novel, on a very interesting subject. I enjoyed it.
It's fun, reads like a novel, on a very interesting subject. I enjoyed it.
January 15, 2026
3.5 This book is gorgeously written and magical in style. It weaves together the lives of the alchemists/scientists/magical thinkers of western history before science was science. It even attempts to show us the lives of women and the magic of the fairies and common folk in a time that believed in all those things and what the world looked like to them. I did love this book, for its gorgeous tone. It was however very meandering and taking off into tangents before finishing up other thoughts, and then not quite getting back to the previous thoughts. For that it was kind of frustrating for me, and didn't quite deep dive into subjects and ideas that I wanted it to. It felt like skimming the surface of a beautiful pond and then flying off somewhere else.
October 22, 2025
A magical re-telling of the strange history and home life of Renaissance magicians, particularly John Dee. Their history is brought to life through the imaginative stories interspersed throughout the book, often from a woman’s point of view. A wonderful journey.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews