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War Surplus #2
The Wizard and the War Machine
At the end of The Cyborg and the Sorcerers, Sam Turner was making a life for himself on the planet Dest. He thought he had left the long-lost interstellar war between Earth and its rebellious colonies behind him forever.
"Forever" turned out to be eleven years. That was how long it took for another Independent Reconnaissance Unit to respond to the distress call his ship had sent before it was destroyed.
And this one made his own berserk killer computer look sane.
"Forever" turned out to be eleven years. That was how long it took for another Independent Reconnaissance Unit to respond to the distress call his ship had sent before it was destroyed.
And this one made his own berserk killer computer look sane.
291 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 12, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 27, 2021
This was my first book by Watt-Evans, and while a fun read, it was pretty close to a meh. The main protagonist, Sam, is a cyborg and a wizard; let me unpack that a bit. In the preceding book (there are so many info dumps regarding it you do not need to read it before this), Sam was 'Slant', a cyborg aboard an intersteller scout ship from Earth. When Slant first set off, Earth was at war with her colonies and ended up being obliterated. Slant's mission, however, went on as only mission control could abort it (and mission control went up with Earth). Slant finally found his way to planet Dest, managed to scuttle the ship and free himself from a thermite bomb in his head (planted so he could not give up).
10 years later or so, Sam (formerly Slant) is now a wizard on Dest with a family. It seems becoming a wizard is not that difficult, for while it was originally a mutation associated with the radiation still plaguing Dest from a nuclear bombardment three centuries ago, it can be 'manually' passed along via other wizards. Wizards and levitate, communicate telepathically, along a wide range of other abilities.
When Sam escaped his ship and mission, however, a distress signal was put out by his ship; at the start of this novel, another intersteller ship from Old Earth arrived to check it out. This ship, and its cyborg (AKA Flame), have seen a lot of action and are both at least mildly insane. Flame is dying to drop some nukes on Dest and the only way to stop her is if Sam can convince her and her ship that Dest is loyal to Old Earth...
Sam is rather annoying, however. He constantly second guesses himself and otherwise obsesses over self-reflection to a degree that almost made me grind my teeth. Flame is basically a homicidal maniac who 'knows' Sam is a traitor and she is itching to kill him. The book devolves into a something of a cat and mouse game between the two.
This probably would have made a good short story or a novella, but Watt-Evans manages to stretch it out via Sam's endless mental gymnastics. Watt-Evan's prose flows nicely and the story chugs along at a serviceable pace, but it is something of a slow burn nonetheless. 2.5 stars, rounding up.
10 years later or so, Sam (formerly Slant) is now a wizard on Dest with a family. It seems becoming a wizard is not that difficult, for while it was originally a mutation associated with the radiation still plaguing Dest from a nuclear bombardment three centuries ago, it can be 'manually' passed along via other wizards. Wizards and levitate, communicate telepathically, along a wide range of other abilities.
When Sam escaped his ship and mission, however, a distress signal was put out by his ship; at the start of this novel, another intersteller ship from Old Earth arrived to check it out. This ship, and its cyborg (AKA Flame), have seen a lot of action and are both at least mildly insane. Flame is dying to drop some nukes on Dest and the only way to stop her is if Sam can convince her and her ship that Dest is loyal to Old Earth...
Sam is rather annoying, however. He constantly second guesses himself and otherwise obsesses over self-reflection to a degree that almost made me grind my teeth. Flame is basically a homicidal maniac who 'knows' Sam is a traitor and she is itching to kill him. The book devolves into a something of a cat and mouse game between the two.
This probably would have made a good short story or a novella, but Watt-Evans manages to stretch it out via Sam's endless mental gymnastics. Watt-Evan's prose flows nicely and the story chugs along at a serviceable pace, but it is something of a slow burn nonetheless. 2.5 stars, rounding up.
May 24, 2016
A very good SiFi story. Nice quick read by one of my top SiFi/fantasy writers. Very recommended
February 18, 2019
This was a very interesting tale with space travel, alternate worlds, galactic warfare, robots and cyborgs. Unfortunately, the characters were not as real as I would like, and seemed incomplete,.including heroes and villains. Because of the rough edges I had difficulty finishing, but am glad I did, as the ending was very well done! An unexpected resolution to the main problems presented itself and was used to good effect!
July 15, 2019
A perfect sequel to the original. I hope someday he writes a third.
April 28, 2024
Easy read. And again a bit different to anything I've previously read.
Like the prequel - the main character is the only one with any real characterisation, all others are just there for the story.
Like the prequel - the main character is the only one with any real characterisation, all others are just there for the story.
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December 16, 2024the first book is better but this is a nice addition, touches some things that the first didn't and conclude the arc once for all.
June 14, 2015
10 years (or 11 years local time) after being freed of his existence as a cyborg saboteur for Earth, Slant (now using his given name Sam) is living a happy life on his adopted home planet of Dest. He no longer has a bomb in his head, nor a suicidal computer linked to him, threatening to detonate it or take control of his body if he fails to continue to fight a war that ended 300 years ago (relativity sucks). He's got a wife, kids, and a job as a wizard, having been given the local mutation via psychic surgery and now can use psionics like the natives who have been apprenticed as wizards. Live is good.
Then he receives a transmission on his cyborg communication circuits from another cyborg/ship duo from Old Earth, come to answer the distress call his ship sent, unbeknownst to Sam. As the only person on the planet with any experience with Old Earth or modern technology, Sam takes it upon himself to deal with the visitors, to let them know that he's okay, thanks for checking, and they can move on now. At least that's the plan. Sam didn't count on the newly arrived cyborg being psychotic and looking for any excuse to kill every living person on Dest in a rain of nuclear fire. He also didn't count on her computer being damaged and letting her have an almost free reign to act as she pleases. Fortunately for Sam, the newcomers don't know about psionics, and his quick thinking stops them from immediately destroying his home and planet. But how can he convince them the Dest is inhabited by friendly civilians when they want to believe that everyone's actually a traitor to Old Earth and therefore a rebel who should be killed?
Watt-Evans does another wonderful job of telling a gripping story, with characters who use a combination of logic, trickery and gumption to achieve their goals.
Then he receives a transmission on his cyborg communication circuits from another cyborg/ship duo from Old Earth, come to answer the distress call his ship sent, unbeknownst to Sam. As the only person on the planet with any experience with Old Earth or modern technology, Sam takes it upon himself to deal with the visitors, to let them know that he's okay, thanks for checking, and they can move on now. At least that's the plan. Sam didn't count on the newly arrived cyborg being psychotic and looking for any excuse to kill every living person on Dest in a rain of nuclear fire. He also didn't count on her computer being damaged and letting her have an almost free reign to act as she pleases. Fortunately for Sam, the newcomers don't know about psionics, and his quick thinking stops them from immediately destroying his home and planet. But how can he convince them the Dest is inhabited by friendly civilians when they want to believe that everyone's actually a traitor to Old Earth and therefore a rebel who should be killed?
Watt-Evans does another wonderful job of telling a gripping story, with characters who use a combination of logic, trickery and gumption to achieve their goals.
December 10, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It is not an earth-shattering science fiction novel, but it is a fun follow-up to the The Cyborg and the Sorcerers. The first book was more innovative and interesting. I think that book would make a fun science fiction movie and here is to hope it one day will see that type of transformation. But back to the The Wizard and the War Machine. I wonder if Watt-Evans was a fan of Andre Norton. She wrote this book Daybreak – 2250 A.D.. It was a post-apocalyptic novel from 1965 that I enjoyed when I was about 14 (now I have another book I need to read again for the first time in a few decades). Norton was best known for her Witch World series. But Watt-Evens’ novel has that same language feel. In this second book of the series (of two books), a new scout ship arrives. This time the pilot/Cyborg on the ship is crazy, and the ship fears for its life but is tied by its programing. Slant has to stop the new Cyborg from destroying the world he has come to love while keeping the ship out of the hands of the new power moguls of the world. Like I said, it is a fun little book. It is worth a weekend read – after you read the first book. It is appropriate for all ages.
June 30, 2016
This story illustrates one of the things I love about Lawrence Watt-Evans' work. He looks at a story from every angle. I loved the first book in this set and we have in the second addition a completely different take on an amazing concept. Read them both and see why this author continues to amaze. But know that you be will be hooked.
December 31, 2014
What a masterful combination of sword-sorcery and hard science fiction. Lawrence Watt-Evans presents well rounded and interesting character you want to get to know in spite of their too-human faults. This book can stand alone without reading the Cyborg and The Sorcerers. How facinating that a super sophistcated high-tech machine collides wiuth something that does not compute like natural magic?
February 12, 2011
This was a very unnecessary sequel to 'The Cyborg and the Sorcerers' It does not add anything, and just rehashes the first story from a different view-point, using a second scout-ship with a mental cyborg.. Sigh, a waste of my time TBH.
November 13, 2025
A Great Sequel
This is the second of the Cyborg novels taking place three centuries after an interstellar war that crashed civilization on Earth and her colony planets. Post apocalyptic fiction at its finest!
This is the second of the Cyborg novels taking place three centuries after an interstellar war that crashed civilization on Earth and her colony planets. Post apocalyptic fiction at its finest!
February 23, 2011
Pretty good, but the very casual tone works better for fantasy.
July 27, 2015
A short take:
This sequel is largely unnecessary and dull. I got the feeling that Watt-Evans had a short story idea and dragged it out to novel length. I do not recommend this book to anyone.
This sequel is largely unnecessary and dull. I got the feeling that Watt-Evans had a short story idea and dragged it out to novel length. I do not recommend this book to anyone.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews