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A Bookkeeper's Guide to Practical Sorcery
Henry Noble carries a heavy load. For the two years since the disappearance of his father he has toiled as the family’s chief breadwinner. Protector of his mother and two obnoxious younger brothers he finds himself trapped in the drudgery of a boring job counting the King’s gold, all the while dreaming of a life of magic and wizardry. When a glimmer of light appears, he snatches at it only to stumble into treachery and deceit. Henry and his timid friend Peter are forced to embark upon the scariest journey of their lives. Secretly wishing their fearless friend D.C. was with them, their dread is overshadowed only by the sticky ending they know lurks around every corner. An epic fantasy about courage and passion, friendship and ingenuity, a Bookkeeper’s Guide to Practical Sorcery delivers such a no-nonsense description of the mechanics of magic you'll wonder why you weren’t taught it at school …
364 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2013
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 27, 2022
Kate’s story is aimed at children but written in a style many adults will find appealing. Adventure, some burgeoning teen romance with all its attendant uncertainty and embarrassment, the injustices routinely visited on many workers by employers, treachery, greed, hope, courage, threat, and ultimate justice, weave spells throughout this entertaining work. There are also monsters and, bearing in mind the title, not a little magic. In fact, the art and craft of magic are at the heart of the book.
I found the descriptions of spell generation engaging and persuasive. But it’s the humour that most tickled me; a mix of magical accidents and social faux pars, young adult humour, and simple observations about relationships, expectations, consequences, and coincidences.
A wizarding tale in the ‘tradition’ of the Harry Potter series, though this tale was originally written before Harry was in print! Makes one wonder if there was something ‘magical’ in the air at the time.
An enjoyable read, especially for young readers and those parents still willing to read to their children. Great stuff!
I found the descriptions of spell generation engaging and persuasive. But it’s the humour that most tickled me; a mix of magical accidents and social faux pars, young adult humour, and simple observations about relationships, expectations, consequences, and coincidences.
A wizarding tale in the ‘tradition’ of the Harry Potter series, though this tale was originally written before Harry was in print! Makes one wonder if there was something ‘magical’ in the air at the time.
An enjoyable read, especially for young readers and those parents still willing to read to their children. Great stuff!
April 28, 2017
The title of this fun fantasy adventure for younger adults spells out the troubles faced by Henry Noble, an ambitious, talented youth of sixteen who dreams of becoming a wizard. Unfortunately, following the disappearance of his father on a trading mission two years earlier, Henry is the sole breadwinner for his mother and two thuggish younger twin brothers. He works in the accounts department at the castle, Terratonia being a loosely feudal society with a number of modern overtones.
At first, the dismal day job is a problem, not least because loathsome Chief Accountant Mr Colloid keeps deducting groats from Henry’s wages for lateness. Henry would rather spend his time chatting to Halcyon, the old Sorcerer Royal, who also lives at the castle and indeed never goes out following a traumatic heckling incident some years earlier.
Frustrated by Halcyon’s refusal to teach him about magic, Henry enrols at a night school for wizardry run by Gorman Dizing Enterprises, an organisation with suspiciously generous entry requirements and access to a line of credit for those unable to afford the hefty fees. There he meets the interestingly named D.C., a girl roughly his own age with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the magical arts but little in the way of either practical application or indeed practicality. However, the classes seem ill-informed, aimed at producing third-rate children’s entertainers and frauds; Halcyon is horrified at his young friend’s involvement in such nonsense, which prompts the old wizard into finally agreeing to train Henry in his spare time. The young man quickly learns the basics of a robustly-devised magical system, which ensures that the discipline he has learned as a bookkeeper has not gone to waste.
However, when Halcyon disappears and the castle guards start chasing Henry, the young man has to use every one of his new found skills. Forced to go on the same journey to the coast that claimed his father, Henry, accompanied by timid fellow bookkeeper Peter, travels into the dark forest to confront the evil forces at work.
As you would expect from a novel written by a keen gamer who is also a technical journalist, the magic system that lies behind the narrative is very well put together. Henry’s abilities are limited; he is not superhuman and spends a lot of time believably working through spells and occasionally getting them wrong. D.C., whose enthusiasm borders on insanity, provides useful knowledge and even characterisation of this unusual world. Peter, meanwhile, is the voice of reason whose reactions, although often inconveniently rational (eg running away or at least trying to), are entirely in keeping with how a normal person would react to, say, creatures more revolting than trolls who are loathsome jobsworths to boot.
At first glance, a boy wizard, his learned female companion and everyman best mate sounds a bit familiar but trust me, it isn’t. For a start, the ‘Harry Potter’ books are all ‘going to school’ stories and we meet the characters when they are eleven. Henry Noble is actually a young man rather than a boy and he doesn’t get to go to school - indeed, the school he does go to is useless and he quits after one lesson. ‘Practical Sorcery’ also lacks the horror of the Potter stories; it does not, for example, start with the slaughterer of a child’s parents. In terms of tone and narrative, this difference need not be a bad thing; elements of the later Potter books became so dark as to be almost impenetrable. ‘Practical Sorcery’ is a lighter piece and has more in common with ‘The Hobbit’, particularly in the journey under the mountain, or the Discworld novels, with their blend of the contemporary, humorous and fantastical. If there are to be future Henry Noble books, and I hope there will be, then I’d like to see these elements refined, with perhaps less authorial voice. I would also have liked to see Gorman Dizing Enterprises come after Henry for unpaid tuition fees even though he never attended, especially since you can do that sort of thing in the so-called real world and then become US President.
These are minor cavils, however. ‘A Bookkeeper’s Guide to Practical Sorcery’ is an enjoyable read in an accessible world that works just as well read out loud to children. There is also a brilliant twist involving a dragon, while the climax cleverly uses a whole set of ideas that have been layered in over the course of the story. Finally, I have accepted that we do not yet have teleports or a moon base but will settle for a desk that shrinks and fits in my pocket. Make it so.
At first, the dismal day job is a problem, not least because loathsome Chief Accountant Mr Colloid keeps deducting groats from Henry’s wages for lateness. Henry would rather spend his time chatting to Halcyon, the old Sorcerer Royal, who also lives at the castle and indeed never goes out following a traumatic heckling incident some years earlier.
Frustrated by Halcyon’s refusal to teach him about magic, Henry enrols at a night school for wizardry run by Gorman Dizing Enterprises, an organisation with suspiciously generous entry requirements and access to a line of credit for those unable to afford the hefty fees. There he meets the interestingly named D.C., a girl roughly his own age with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the magical arts but little in the way of either practical application or indeed practicality. However, the classes seem ill-informed, aimed at producing third-rate children’s entertainers and frauds; Halcyon is horrified at his young friend’s involvement in such nonsense, which prompts the old wizard into finally agreeing to train Henry in his spare time. The young man quickly learns the basics of a robustly-devised magical system, which ensures that the discipline he has learned as a bookkeeper has not gone to waste.
However, when Halcyon disappears and the castle guards start chasing Henry, the young man has to use every one of his new found skills. Forced to go on the same journey to the coast that claimed his father, Henry, accompanied by timid fellow bookkeeper Peter, travels into the dark forest to confront the evil forces at work.
As you would expect from a novel written by a keen gamer who is also a technical journalist, the magic system that lies behind the narrative is very well put together. Henry’s abilities are limited; he is not superhuman and spends a lot of time believably working through spells and occasionally getting them wrong. D.C., whose enthusiasm borders on insanity, provides useful knowledge and even characterisation of this unusual world. Peter, meanwhile, is the voice of reason whose reactions, although often inconveniently rational (eg running away or at least trying to), are entirely in keeping with how a normal person would react to, say, creatures more revolting than trolls who are loathsome jobsworths to boot.
At first glance, a boy wizard, his learned female companion and everyman best mate sounds a bit familiar but trust me, it isn’t. For a start, the ‘Harry Potter’ books are all ‘going to school’ stories and we meet the characters when they are eleven. Henry Noble is actually a young man rather than a boy and he doesn’t get to go to school - indeed, the school he does go to is useless and he quits after one lesson. ‘Practical Sorcery’ also lacks the horror of the Potter stories; it does not, for example, start with the slaughterer of a child’s parents. In terms of tone and narrative, this difference need not be a bad thing; elements of the later Potter books became so dark as to be almost impenetrable. ‘Practical Sorcery’ is a lighter piece and has more in common with ‘The Hobbit’, particularly in the journey under the mountain, or the Discworld novels, with their blend of the contemporary, humorous and fantastical. If there are to be future Henry Noble books, and I hope there will be, then I’d like to see these elements refined, with perhaps less authorial voice. I would also have liked to see Gorman Dizing Enterprises come after Henry for unpaid tuition fees even though he never attended, especially since you can do that sort of thing in the so-called real world and then become US President.
These are minor cavils, however. ‘A Bookkeeper’s Guide to Practical Sorcery’ is an enjoyable read in an accessible world that works just as well read out loud to children. There is also a brilliant twist involving a dragon, while the climax cleverly uses a whole set of ideas that have been layered in over the course of the story. Finally, I have accepted that we do not yet have teleports or a moon base but will settle for a desk that shrinks and fits in my pocket. Make it so.
January 7, 2014
...a rollicking, pacy, action thriller... a great read...
...this story has all the ingredients needed for a great thriller... a morally decent central character, dragged across the lines of society's rules of propriety, reverting to his special forces skills to combat the harsh criminality that seeps throughout the narrative... a bevy of corrupt politicians and business leaders, spanning Europe and the United States... enough twists and turns and thrill-a-minute episodes usually only found on outrageously dangerous roller coasters... credible threads that makes the reader wonder, 'how much of this stuff is really happening right now in the real world?'...Sam Duncan, the former forces man, and his sister Eilidh, are woven with great skill through the novel, supported by a well-defined set of supporting characters, many of whom stand in their own right as formidable players, both good and bad guys (and women)... Mac Logan's droll wit underpinning all of it is a masterly counterpoint to the heavy-duty drama unfolding page by page... you don't have to have read the precursor, The Angels' Cut, but I can guarantee once you read Dark Art, you'll want to read all of this man's work... a great read...
...this story has all the ingredients needed for a great thriller... a morally decent central character, dragged across the lines of society's rules of propriety, reverting to his special forces skills to combat the harsh criminality that seeps throughout the narrative... a bevy of corrupt politicians and business leaders, spanning Europe and the United States... enough twists and turns and thrill-a-minute episodes usually only found on outrageously dangerous roller coasters... credible threads that makes the reader wonder, 'how much of this stuff is really happening right now in the real world?'...Sam Duncan, the former forces man, and his sister Eilidh, are woven with great skill through the novel, supported by a well-defined set of supporting characters, many of whom stand in their own right as formidable players, both good and bad guys (and women)... Mac Logan's droll wit underpinning all of it is a masterly counterpoint to the heavy-duty drama unfolding page by page... you don't have to have read the precursor, The Angels' Cut, but I can guarantee once you read Dark Art, you'll want to read all of this man's work... a great read...
June 28, 2022
I've just had fun reading Kate Russell's The Bookkeeper's Guide to Practical Sorcery. The title tells you it's a comic fantasy book, but gives no clue to it richness and sheer entertainment value. The story is - more or less - as follows:
Since the disappearance of his father on a trading mission, teenager Henry Noble has become the breadwinner for his mother and younger brothers – terrible twins if ever there were. He works as a bookkeeper in the King’s castle under the supervision of a horrible boss, Mr Colloid. Henry is a quick learner but his friend Halcyon, the elderly Sorcerer Royal, is reluctant to help him achieve his aspiration: to become a wizard. Halcyon relents when he learns that Henry has started to attend classes run by the Gorman Dizing Enterprises, for which the word “rip-off” was invented, and our teenage protagonist starts to receive worthwhile lessons. Then Halcyon disappears and Henry eludes the pursuing Castle guards to seek out the Evil in the Dark Forest.
He has two companions: DC, a woman about his own age, whose friendship is the only good thing to have emerged from his contact with Gorman Dizing Enterprises; and Peter, another of Mr Colloid’s minions. DC is borderline crazy, much more knowledgeable than Henry but hopelessly impractical. Peter is rational but scared of everything.
There are so many things to love about this novel. It’s fun and it holds the attention, though the first two or three chapters are quite challenging until we’ve fully entered the world of the story. The author has used her journalistic experience and her knowledge of gaming to great effect. Her names and situations are often hilarious and there are oblique references to contemporary society and politics (think Terry Pratchett, though Kate Russell’s writing style is quite different from the late Sir Terry’s). There are twists and double-twists. The way in which Ms Russell offers us “scientific explanations” for magic made me laugh out loud. Henry and his companions are steadfast and determined but their inexperience shows and they make blunders. Nevertheless, the one and only Nasty Baddie meets a suitably satisfying fate.
What a great read!
Since the disappearance of his father on a trading mission, teenager Henry Noble has become the breadwinner for his mother and younger brothers – terrible twins if ever there were. He works as a bookkeeper in the King’s castle under the supervision of a horrible boss, Mr Colloid. Henry is a quick learner but his friend Halcyon, the elderly Sorcerer Royal, is reluctant to help him achieve his aspiration: to become a wizard. Halcyon relents when he learns that Henry has started to attend classes run by the Gorman Dizing Enterprises, for which the word “rip-off” was invented, and our teenage protagonist starts to receive worthwhile lessons. Then Halcyon disappears and Henry eludes the pursuing Castle guards to seek out the Evil in the Dark Forest.
He has two companions: DC, a woman about his own age, whose friendship is the only good thing to have emerged from his contact with Gorman Dizing Enterprises; and Peter, another of Mr Colloid’s minions. DC is borderline crazy, much more knowledgeable than Henry but hopelessly impractical. Peter is rational but scared of everything.
There are so many things to love about this novel. It’s fun and it holds the attention, though the first two or three chapters are quite challenging until we’ve fully entered the world of the story. The author has used her journalistic experience and her knowledge of gaming to great effect. Her names and situations are often hilarious and there are oblique references to contemporary society and politics (think Terry Pratchett, though Kate Russell’s writing style is quite different from the late Sir Terry’s). There are twists and double-twists. The way in which Ms Russell offers us “scientific explanations” for magic made me laugh out loud. Henry and his companions are steadfast and determined but their inexperience shows and they make blunders. Nevertheless, the one and only Nasty Baddie meets a suitably satisfying fate.
What a great read!
December 15, 2018
A very funny and well-written story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews