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Mancer #1
Pyromancer
A firemaster wizard's young apprentice must quickly learn the ways of pyromancy before the dreaded Ice King turns the world into a wasteland as cold as his wicked soul...
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1992
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240 people want to read
About the author
Don Callander
20 books16 followersDonald Bruce Callander (1930–2008) was an American fantasy novel author, photographer, editor and graphic artist. He authored Pyromancer, a tale of young wizard-in-training Douglas Brightglade, and nine other published novels.
Born in Minnesota, Callander joined the U.S. Navy after high school, serving four years of active duty during the Korean War, and then 20 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In 1952, Callander married Mary Lee Omohundro and moved to Washington, D.C., where he began a 30-year career as a writer, photographer, editor and graphic artist with the American Automobile Association.
Following his retirement, Callander settled with his second wife, Margaret, in Orange City, Florida, where he died on Friday, July 25, 2008.[1]
Born in Minnesota, Callander joined the U.S. Navy after high school, serving four years of active duty during the Korean War, and then 20 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In 1952, Callander married Mary Lee Omohundro and moved to Washington, D.C., where he began a 30-year career as a writer, photographer, editor and graphic artist with the American Automobile Association.
Following his retirement, Callander settled with his second wife, Margaret, in Orange City, Florida, where he died on Friday, July 25, 2008.[1]
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 4, 2016
Fun young-adult fantasy. A little confusing due to the fast pace, but descriptions and characters really make the world pop out of the page.
June 8, 2021
My six-year-old son found this for me in a little free library, and was proud of himself for identifying a book that seemed like one Papa would like, which it does. So I gave it a good try.
Unfortunately, it's not very good. There is no tension, since the bad guys are incompetent and incapable of accomplishing anything, while the good guys are skillful and succeed at everything they do. It's lucky that they're never in danger or at risk of failing, since their actions don't actually make any sense (Douglas travels to Dwelmland for no discernable reason, for example.)
I'm fine with this type of book being derivative of Lord of the Rings; it's more or less expected. But here it was a bit excessive (spoilers: the allies stage a big battle to distract the bad guy while our heroes sneak into the heart of his lair, the only place the jewelry in which he imbued his essential self can be destroyed). Also Mrs. Potts and the enchanted kitchenware from Disney's Beauty and the Beast (which came out the previous year) are lifted wholesale and put in here (as "Blue Teakettle" and company.)
The big bad, Frigeon, the Ice King, definitely had potential; the "Dead Winter" is appropriately chilling. But the book demonstrates that having your Ice King come out and wallow ineffectively around the tropics really isn't effective storytelling. I think Ice-King types should crouch in the deep North like a spider in a web, so heroes have to make a dangerous, difficult, and cold quest to face him; like Andersen's Snow Queen, or Vinge's Snow Queen for that matter.
Unfortunately, it's not very good. There is no tension, since the bad guys are incompetent and incapable of accomplishing anything, while the good guys are skillful and succeed at everything they do. It's lucky that they're never in danger or at risk of failing, since their actions don't actually make any sense (Douglas travels to Dwelmland for no discernable reason, for example.)
I'm fine with this type of book being derivative of Lord of the Rings; it's more or less expected. But here it was a bit excessive (spoilers: the allies stage a big battle to distract the bad guy while our heroes sneak into the heart of his lair, the only place the jewelry in which he imbued his essential self can be destroyed). Also Mrs. Potts and the enchanted kitchenware from Disney's Beauty and the Beast (which came out the previous year) are lifted wholesale and put in here (as "Blue Teakettle" and company.)
The big bad, Frigeon, the Ice King, definitely had potential; the "Dead Winter" is appropriately chilling. But the book demonstrates that having your Ice King come out and wallow ineffectively around the tropics really isn't effective storytelling. I think Ice-King types should crouch in the deep North like a spider in a web, so heroes have to make a dangerous, difficult, and cold quest to face him; like Andersen's Snow Queen, or Vinge's Snow Queen for that matter.
November 13, 2019
A firemaster wizard's young apprentice must quickly learn the ways of pyromancy before the dreaded Ice King turns the world into a wasteland as cold as his wicked soul...
September 28, 2021
Сладка атмосфера, но посредствено откъм динамика и тръпка. Чел съм като тийн.
January 16, 2022
A feel good read
Most enjoyable feel good book
Most enjoyable feel good book
March 9, 2023
I like this author, and I have this book several times.
May 18, 2025
fun light-hearted story.
October 14, 2025
Fairly juvenile fantasy, fun and light hearted in a picaresque style.
If this was written today it would be classified as YA fantasy.
If this was written today it would be classified as YA fantasy.
August 4, 2014
I started re-reading Pyromancer and Aquamancer, after recently picking up Geomancer and Aeromancer.
These stories are geared for teens (or perhaps tweens? Is that really a thing?), so I tried to avoid reading this with a critical eye on social and political overtones. Unfortunately, I wasn't very successful. In Aquamancer in particular, the gender issues drove me nuts. I'm trying to find a way to summarize them, but they're too extensive.
My recommendation: If you want fluff that is not self-aware, and are ok with a world with no diversity and no variety in gender roles, with minor depth of character, and don't mind that there is no sacrifice for having magic powers, and reading "Sea" and "World" instead of "the sea" and "the world" doesn't break your absorption in the story, this very well could be the series for you!
What I actually like: The world (sorry, just World) itself is kind of cool. Some nostalgic teen part of me still likes it for the simple demarcation of good and bad (clean good, dirty bad! Typical American Republican values good, anything else, bad!). The magic has no price, so my early teen Mary Sue digs that part!
These stories are geared for teens (or perhaps tweens? Is that really a thing?), so I tried to avoid reading this with a critical eye on social and political overtones. Unfortunately, I wasn't very successful. In Aquamancer in particular, the gender issues drove me nuts. I'm trying to find a way to summarize them, but they're too extensive.
My recommendation: If you want fluff that is not self-aware, and are ok with a world with no diversity and no variety in gender roles, with minor depth of character, and don't mind that there is no sacrifice for having magic powers, and reading "Sea" and "World" instead of "the sea" and "the world" doesn't break your absorption in the story, this very well could be the series for you!
What I actually like: The world (sorry, just World) itself is kind of cool. Some nostalgic teen part of me still likes it for the simple demarcation of good and bad (clean good, dirty bad! Typical American Republican values good, anything else, bad!). The magic has no price, so my early teen Mary Sue digs that part!
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January 19, 2016The book pyromancer by don callander is based in an ancient time with kingdoms and empires everywhere It laces the main character douglas brightglade in this place he leaves home to find work and be free as he’s walking he finds a sign that says apprentice pyromancer wanted. He walks down a path to a worn mansion looking place and knocks on the door. It was answered by flarman flowerstalk a legendary pyromancer. He takes douglas as his apprentice. In his teaching they find out about flarman’s worst enemy an aeromancer calling himself frigeon. Through the rest of this adventure douglas finds himself facing many challenges. EVen finding love along the way. I found it was a good book nothing really wrong with it.It had great text structure and plot. The story was rich and always changing never seeming slow and boring The characters are cool and each have fun and unique personalities in each one of them. The only thing i didn't like about this book was the villains or evil people in this book were really predictable and it was easy to tell what they were going to do next.
March 27, 2025
I read this book years ago, when I was about the right age for it. At the time I loved it, thought it was fun and silly and definitely one of the best books ever.
Well, it's been a fewyears decades, and my perspective has changed a bit. It's not bad, but man, is it not good. The writing style is weak and confused until about the last three chapters, and at no point in the book are you ever concerned for anyone's safety. It's all a little too easy, a little too nice.
That said, I'm going to read the rest of the series. I'm already in the second book, and the style is definitely better, although the heroes are still almost never in any danger that worries you even for a second.
Well, it's been a few
That said, I'm going to read the rest of the series. I'm already in the second book, and the style is definitely better, although the heroes are still almost never in any danger that worries you even for a second.
July 22, 2009
To my deep and abiding shame, I enjoyed this book. Don, thank you for writing a fairly well enjoyable sword and sorcery coming of age tale and curse you to the deepest depths of Hell for making me enjoy a book with the naming convention of a reading primer. The oceanic kingdom of islands is called Sea. The names don't get much better from there. For those willing to deal with occasionally feeling like they just slipped back way too far on the reading level scale, a still enjoyable sword and sorcery tale.
January 1, 2015
I was honestly let down by this book. Which is sad since I've been waiting years to get a hold of this series. I didn't realize the age group the author had written this book for. All characters are pretty one dimensional. Especially the villains. There wasn't any tension in the story really. Problems got solved easily, most of the characters befriended one another and some enemies became allies at the drop of a hat. Not sure I will read the rest of the series, maybe from the library but definitely won't buy them.
November 25, 2012
Pyromancer
by Don Callander
This book was interesting but moved a bit slow for my taste I had a hard time focusing and really getting into it. This book remained a read on my lunch break kinda book even though I brought it home many times there was always just something more interesting to me to take my time when I was at home. I liked the relationship between the wizard and the apprentice but I find myself getting more and more irritated with love at first sight kind of romances. I want to see relationships develop and be honest role models for the readers. Perhaps I want too much.
by Don Callander
This book was interesting but moved a bit slow for my taste I had a hard time focusing and really getting into it. This book remained a read on my lunch break kinda book even though I brought it home many times there was always just something more interesting to me to take my time when I was at home. I liked the relationship between the wizard and the apprentice but I find myself getting more and more irritated with love at first sight kind of romances. I want to see relationships develop and be honest role models for the readers. Perhaps I want too much.
January 7, 2013
This book is very light, but enjoyable fantasy
It contains all the elements of an epic adventure capable of spanning many more pages but instead the writing is simple and concise.
A good book to read between larger series :)
It contains all the elements of an epic adventure capable of spanning many more pages but instead the writing is simple and concise.
A good book to read between larger series :)
May 31, 2015
I love this series. Really.
It's a good entry-level fantasy series for preteen/early teen readers who are looking to move on to more adult books. Humor, fun, a magic system based on the elements, and talking animals
It's a good entry-level fantasy series for preteen/early teen readers who are looking to move on to more adult books. Humor, fun, a magic system based on the elements, and talking animals
November 3, 2007
I really enjoyed this book. It's about a young man who becomes an apprentise to an excentric wizard and soon becomes a great hero.
November 30, 2008
Not the greatest of stories, but it was well written. The characters are engaging, if not just a little too perfect. Still, it is a good clean read.
December 9, 2010
One of the first series I read and is very good for those just getting into fantasy but not intricate enough for an advanced reader. All-in-all not a bad book.
March 30, 2011
Probably my favorite set of fantasy books. Sorry, but I'm not a huge fantasy reader.
But this series is a ton of fun. Quick reads for lazy days.
But this series is a ton of fun. Quick reads for lazy days.
July 27, 2011
The first book I ever read. I was 12, I do'nt remember much aside from the joy.
May 28, 2013
This was so colossally bad. Got many many giggles out of making fun of it in the book club though.
December 31, 2011
This is one of my all time favorite series.
February 29, 2016
Good starter fantasy
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews