Pinball Wizardry

Black Ocean #8.5

by J.S. Morin

For Esper Theresa Richelieu, it’s time to graduate from apprentice to wizard. But the final exam isn’t exactly what she had in mind.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Adventure, Magic, Space Opera

Kindle Edition

About the author

I am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer--there is some overlap in the last two.

Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.

I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.

My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.

Reviews

[David Firmage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but way too short.

[Dale Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esper Richelieu had been growing and progressing with her magic. It may have only been a year and a half in real time, but in Mortania time, it had been 200...more or less...you tend to lose track of time when you're in the head of a prime wizard. Now though, it's time for her to put aside the role of apprentice and become a real wizard of the Convocation. With that in mind, her mentor and master, Mort, takes her to face her final test...facing the ultimate test in the battle scarred arena of...Wait!!!...What???...The Merry Mayhem Arcade???

And so it begins...!!!

Another wonderful side journey in the short STOWAWAY adventures Jeff Morin has created to shine a spotlight on those untold moments that helped make the characters that we have grown to love and cherish in the universe of the BLACK OCEAN what they ultimately became.

More to come...

[Frank Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

J S Morin loves to give his books titles which are puns or allusions to music, so it was almost a foregone conclusion that he would be keen to use a name based on The Who song Pinball Wizard. Before Esper Richelieu had her own series, starting with Wayward Saint, she learned all she knew about magic from powerful but grumpy wizard Mort. There came a time, however, when she needed to graduate from his training, and this is the story of how she did it. And, yes, it has pinball.

I have read several of J S Morin’s Black Ocean series, and on the whole I have enjoyed them a lot. His particular choice of space opera tropes and high fantasy always blends together in an intriguing and fun mixture. Alongside the full-length books he has also written a bunch of shorter stories which sit alongside the main series books which are offered for free to subscribers of Morin’s newsletter.

Esper has spent many subjective years learning magic in Mort’s imaginary world of Mortania, and he has had enough of babysitting her. It’s time for her final exam to prove that she has the magical skill and finesse to overcome a seemingly impossible magical task. Mort leads her to a noisy replica of 20th Century Atlantic City, dumps a heap of quarters and leaves her to achieve a legendary high score on a classic pinball machine. Trickier than you would think for a wizard!

It seems to always be the case with Mort that you never get quite what you are expecting, and this story is no exception. Esper needs to learn about herself as well as the magic.

I really enjoyed this short story, it was well structured and hit all the right notes for a pleasant interlude between the drama of the main stories.

[Adam K · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down to 2

This short story focuses on the final stages of Esper's wizard training. We learn a bit about what sort of dark magic Mort has allowed her to learn and see that she has yet to learn to be responsible with it. It's a very brief aside, and could have even probably been an epilogue to another story, but it's not bad.

[Derek Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A test, but also a huge transition for Esper as her wizard knowledge has improved. Still no real showing of how this goes, but this was interesting - would have been more upset but things did not go as far as it seemed they would and I'm glad for that.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's time for Esper to take her final exam as Mort's apprentice, before becoming a full-fledged wizard. The exam isn't exactly what she expected, but Mort is always full of surprises. I really like Esper and I'm glad to see her come into her own as a wizard.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Quick story about Esper taking her final test to be a full wizard. That part was entertaining but Esper's actions afterward seemed out of character for her. Interesting to see how she continues to grow in the future.

[Brian Layman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part of this book was the explanation of a 20th century pinball machine to wizards hundreds of years in the future.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

A too-short story where Epser finally becomes a full fledged wizard by...playing pinball. Over before it began so as with most of these x.5 stories, it's hard to pass judgement, good or bad.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story as Esper finally completes her training and graduates.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to see Esper progress. She is becoming one of my favorite characters in the series.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10 (Good)

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Kind of a downer, but probably significant in the long run.