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Baldemar
In a Dying Earth of wizards and walled cities, a boy climbs out of poverty when he becomes an assistant to a moneylender’s debt collector, then enters a career as henchman to a young, ambitious thaumaturge. But Baldemar’s career as a wizard’s minion goes sideways after a powerful entity left over from the creation of the cosmos find him useful for its own ends.
Now he must tread a perilous path peopled by dukes and demons, spellslingers and secret agents, assassins and academics, plus a pair of vengeful wizards who want their stolen treasures returned.
His course will lead him through the Underworld and Overworld, and along shadowy paths in the tenebrous realm known as the Glooms, to a final confrontation that will test Baldemar’s hard-won knowledge to the utmost.
Now he must tread a perilous path peopled by dukes and demons, spellslingers and secret agents, assassins and academics, plus a pair of vengeful wizards who want their stolen treasures returned.
His course will lead him through the Underworld and Overworld, and along shadowy paths in the tenebrous realm known as the Glooms, to a final confrontation that will test Baldemar’s hard-won knowledge to the utmost.
- GenresFantasyDying Earth
Audiobook
Published September 12, 2022
18 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hughes
202 books282 followersBorn in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 31, 2022
Although I don't find Baldemar, wizard's henchman extraordinaire, quite as flavorful a character as some of the others in Hughes' impressive repertoire these were all thoroughly enjoyable fantasy stories told with Hughes' unmistakable wit and inventiveness, plus of course his penchant for embedding a mystery at the heart of his tales. There's a consistent arc throughout these stories, making for an excellent and cohesive collection.
March 3, 2022
Matthew Hughes is an underrated demi-god of an author.
Baldemar is a wizard's henchman and a clever fellow, in this series of short stories in the style of Jack Vance that have been threaded together into a single whole. Cleverness is indicative of all Hughes' protagonists, and many of his supporting characters. There is an elevated, even formal style to his dialogue that is not just Vancian - because I find it common across his books - that forces a reader to shift into a higher intellectual gear. It's not the usual format, and it's rather refreshing.
The landscape is an old school multi-planar fantasy world: grasping sociopathic wizards, noble thieves, demons, magical artifacts and entities, all the types of things that Hughes showcases in other works. If you're not new to his milieu, you get to find out a little more about the other planes and tools left behind by the demiurge who created the universe. If you are new, uh... welcome! Someone really needs to start a wiki.
Baldemar gets into various scrapes, mainly because he is employed by one of the aforementioned sociopathic wizards, but gets out of them because he is nimble-minded. Plus lucky. Plus good at making allies. He's a bit of a fairy tale hero, in fact: a good-hearted fellow who instinctively makes right choices, and is only ever in a fix due to circumstances beyond his control. It's the circumstances of the circumstances that are so devilishly fun and inventive, and where Mr. Hughes' genius really shines.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, then went straight out and bought another copy for a friend.
Baldemar is a wizard's henchman and a clever fellow, in this series of short stories in the style of Jack Vance that have been threaded together into a single whole. Cleverness is indicative of all Hughes' protagonists, and many of his supporting characters. There is an elevated, even formal style to his dialogue that is not just Vancian - because I find it common across his books - that forces a reader to shift into a higher intellectual gear. It's not the usual format, and it's rather refreshing.
The landscape is an old school multi-planar fantasy world: grasping sociopathic wizards, noble thieves, demons, magical artifacts and entities, all the types of things that Hughes showcases in other works. If you're not new to his milieu, you get to find out a little more about the other planes and tools left behind by the demiurge who created the universe. If you are new, uh... welcome! Someone really needs to start a wiki.
Baldemar gets into various scrapes, mainly because he is employed by one of the aforementioned sociopathic wizards, but gets out of them because he is nimble-minded. Plus lucky. Plus good at making allies. He's a bit of a fairy tale hero, in fact: a good-hearted fellow who instinctively makes right choices, and is only ever in a fix due to circumstances beyond his control. It's the circumstances of the circumstances that are so devilishly fun and inventive, and where Mr. Hughes' genius really shines.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, then went straight out and bought another copy for a friend.
November 18, 2022
Some writers spin tales of mages who stand in the breach and defeat the forces of evil with the aid of their nameless minions who tend to die in droves while the hero is being heroic. Not so, Matthew Hughes. Almost to a one, his thaumaturges are a grasping lot characterized by pride, avarice, and paranoia. They are not going to stand in the breach against anything, but are usually more than willing to fling their henchmen in the path of whatever danger is approaching and then bravely run away. As far as I can tell, the life-expectancy of both thaumaturge and henchman alike are not very good in Hughes Dying Earth universe.
The stories in this book follow the course of one henchman in particular, Baldemar, from boyhood through retirement. Baldemar is possessed of a quick mind, and a determination to not come out second best when he finds himself in a life and death situation. Throughout the book, I enjoyed his analytical approach to the problems he faced. I especially enjoy that he is not driven by greed or self-importance.
Hughes presents ten stories that focus on the adventures of Baldemar.
1. Ten Half-Pennies
2. The Prognosticant
3. Jewel Of The Heart
4. Argent And Sable
5. The Plot Against Fantucco’s Armor
6. A Geas Of The Purple School
7. Air Of The Overworld
8. The Sword Of Destiny
9. The Glooms
10. The Cat And The Merrythought
The stories, most of which appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, follow his life in chronological order making the collection read like a novel. I found it very enjoyable to listen to the narration of Harry Frost who read the collection in the Audible audiobook.
I have mentioned in other reviews of Hughes’ stories that I really appreciate how he focuses on characters whose roles are generally not in the spotlight in other fantasy fiction. He seems to prefer telling us the story of the roadie rather than that of the rock star. I have always been drawn to characters who are part of the “support staff” to the main characters in novels. They tend to have traits that I strive to emulate. They are reliable, faithful, dependable, and other such words that mean more or less the same thing, that is, you can count on them.
Baldemar is one such character. He gets results. He unravels the knot of the problem. He also makes for a good friend. He is very good to the two men who mentor him over the course of the tales. I like that he takes care of his friends. Above all else, I greatly admire his humility. When offered the ability to write his own future, anything he might imagine or desire, he takes a simple, obscure life away from the doings of the (not so) great and powerful. Thank you, Matthew Hughes, for the final story, wherein we get to see a slice of that simple(?) life. It was a delightful end to a delightful collection.
The stories in this book follow the course of one henchman in particular, Baldemar, from boyhood through retirement. Baldemar is possessed of a quick mind, and a determination to not come out second best when he finds himself in a life and death situation. Throughout the book, I enjoyed his analytical approach to the problems he faced. I especially enjoy that he is not driven by greed or self-importance.
Hughes presents ten stories that focus on the adventures of Baldemar.
1. Ten Half-Pennies
2. The Prognosticant
3. Jewel Of The Heart
4. Argent And Sable
5. The Plot Against Fantucco’s Armor
6. A Geas Of The Purple School
7. Air Of The Overworld
8. The Sword Of Destiny
9. The Glooms
10. The Cat And The Merrythought
The stories, most of which appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, follow his life in chronological order making the collection read like a novel. I found it very enjoyable to listen to the narration of Harry Frost who read the collection in the Audible audiobook.
I have mentioned in other reviews of Hughes’ stories that I really appreciate how he focuses on characters whose roles are generally not in the spotlight in other fantasy fiction. He seems to prefer telling us the story of the roadie rather than that of the rock star. I have always been drawn to characters who are part of the “support staff” to the main characters in novels. They tend to have traits that I strive to emulate. They are reliable, faithful, dependable, and other such words that mean more or less the same thing, that is, you can count on them.
Baldemar is one such character. He gets results. He unravels the knot of the problem. He also makes for a good friend. He is very good to the two men who mentor him over the course of the tales. I like that he takes care of his friends. Above all else, I greatly admire his humility. When offered the ability to write his own future, anything he might imagine or desire, he takes a simple, obscure life away from the doings of the (not so) great and powerful. Thank you, Matthew Hughes, for the final story, wherein we get to see a slice of that simple(?) life. It was a delightful end to a delightful collection.
July 26, 2023
Average Guy just wants to get the job done right
My friend and fellow narrator Harry Frost and I were chatting a few months ago he gave me a free code for this gem. Listening through Baldemar, I completely understand why he enjoyed it. Baldemar is a fantasy novel, written very tongue in cheek in the manner of Terry Pratchett. The novel's unique form is more of a memoir of the title character's life, with each chapter acting as a short story (shorter at least – frankly they’re very LONG for chapters). We first meet Baldemar when he is a runt of a boy who has the wisdom to hire a thug so that he can keep his lunch money at school. In this way, Baldemar falls into what will be his chosen profession.
Baldemar is a very laid back kind of character, as are several of his mentors and companions through the years. Partially it’s the writing, but the narration expertly done by Harry Frost is the icing on the cake (or maybe it should be Frosting?) Harry captures lackadaisical perfectly. Baldemar and Vundt in particular are all about understatement. Baldemar is the epitome of average. He has no ambition other than to do the job he’s hired for until its completion. Exceedingly mild spoiler: Baldemar doesn’t even get the girl. The fact that he has no interest in getting the girl is part of what I love about this book. He’s just a guy. He’s seen his boss(es) do stupid things in pursuit of power, glory, etc. It’s just not for him. If he can chill and go fishing a bit at the end of the day, he’s good.
Harry being a native Brit also gets to branch out a bit in one trippy section of the book where Baldemar is in a strange version of the wild west, then riding a Harley in some kind of biker gang. Thoroughly delicious.
The world building is simple, but also unique enough not to be boring. You have wizard tropes, henchmen tropes and some self-aware magical items. I don’t know if there is more in the works for this world by Matthew Hughes, but I’d love to listen to it if so. My only complaint is that I don’t get to narrate it. Intriguing and imaginative, I’d recommend it to anyone in search of a fun stand alone fantasy book.
My friend and fellow narrator Harry Frost and I were chatting a few months ago he gave me a free code for this gem. Listening through Baldemar, I completely understand why he enjoyed it. Baldemar is a fantasy novel, written very tongue in cheek in the manner of Terry Pratchett. The novel's unique form is more of a memoir of the title character's life, with each chapter acting as a short story (shorter at least – frankly they’re very LONG for chapters). We first meet Baldemar when he is a runt of a boy who has the wisdom to hire a thug so that he can keep his lunch money at school. In this way, Baldemar falls into what will be his chosen profession.
Baldemar is a very laid back kind of character, as are several of his mentors and companions through the years. Partially it’s the writing, but the narration expertly done by Harry Frost is the icing on the cake (or maybe it should be Frosting?) Harry captures lackadaisical perfectly. Baldemar and Vundt in particular are all about understatement. Baldemar is the epitome of average. He has no ambition other than to do the job he’s hired for until its completion. Exceedingly mild spoiler: Baldemar doesn’t even get the girl. The fact that he has no interest in getting the girl is part of what I love about this book. He’s just a guy. He’s seen his boss(es) do stupid things in pursuit of power, glory, etc. It’s just not for him. If he can chill and go fishing a bit at the end of the day, he’s good.
Harry being a native Brit also gets to branch out a bit in one trippy section of the book where Baldemar is in a strange version of the wild west, then riding a Harley in some kind of biker gang. Thoroughly delicious.
The world building is simple, but also unique enough not to be boring. You have wizard tropes, henchmen tropes and some self-aware magical items. I don’t know if there is more in the works for this world by Matthew Hughes, but I’d love to listen to it if so. My only complaint is that I don’t get to narrate it. Intriguing and imaginative, I’d recommend it to anyone in search of a fun stand alone fantasy book.
October 12, 2022
Baldemar is a street kid who grows up to become a thaumaturge’s henchman in Jack Vance’s world of the Dying Earth, a job in which he tangles with relics of the Demiurge that created the universe, his master’s rival wizards and the pettiness of his own thaumaturge as well. Fortunately he has good friends and teachers in Vunt and, later, Oldo, as well as the gratitude of demons and multi-planar magical beings, not to mention being granted a surfeit of luck - and he will need all of those attributes to survive…. “Baldemar” is essentially a gathering together of all the Baldemar stories previously published in F&SF, where Mr. Hughes’ work has long been very welcome, plus one story not previously published. I read and enjoyed all the earlier stories, as Baldemar is a thoroughly engaging character, and I’m very pleased to have them all collected in one place, at last! For those who love what might be termed gritty high fantasy, this collection (and Mr. Hughes’ Raffalon stories set in the same Dying Earth) is great fun; recommended!
November 5, 2022
I first read most of the stories collected here in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction where I found them to be best reads. This book adds to the set and puts them in chronological order from Baldemar's youth to his retirement. I received nothing but enjoyment from this read; however, I do feel a lack and that I would like, more. Specifically, I would like to see Matthew Hughes write a novel length piece in Baldemar's world--it doesn't have to feature Baldemar, it's the world I would like to see developed. For example, the thaumaturges of Baldemar's world are of Green, Red, Blue and Purple Schools and these can be of various degrees. These are merely mentioned in the stories (except Green is generally viewed as at the bottom and Purple is at the top). Of course, in short stories you just don't have depth and details like you would have in a novel--which is why I'd like to see a longer work!
Matthew Hughes, IMHO, has taken the Dying Earth concept of Jack Vance, run with it and made something superior. Long may Matthew Hughes write!
Matthew Hughes, IMHO, has taken the Dying Earth concept of Jack Vance, run with it and made something superior. Long may Matthew Hughes write!
March 18, 2022
Another great fantasy read from Matthew Hughes. Like the 9 Tales of Raffalon this is a series of short stories that together tell the whole tale of Baldemar. Although I had read three of the stories previously published in magazines, I re-read them again for the over-all effect and wasn't disappointed.
The characters and predicaments are all fresh and clever. I always enjoy when protagonists can think their way out of a problem, instead of just lucky their way out of things (and Baldemar is very lucky as you'll see). It's also nice that in the face of adversity (or a slavering demon) the the hero can be civil and polite.
If there was anything missing, I think it was less of Hughes' humour. There were laughs to be had for sure, just maybe not as many as I was hoping for.
The characters and predicaments are all fresh and clever. I always enjoy when protagonists can think their way out of a problem, instead of just lucky their way out of things (and Baldemar is very lucky as you'll see). It's also nice that in the face of adversity (or a slavering demon) the the hero can be civil and polite.
If there was anything missing, I think it was less of Hughes' humour. There were laughs to be had for sure, just maybe not as many as I was hoping for.
July 11, 2023
Albuquerque's Mike Ehrmantraut (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) probably exists across the myriad worlds of the multiverse.
In the Matthew Hughes universe of the Dying Earth, wizards and walled cities, Ehrmantraut is known as Baldemar, henchman to thaumaturges and dukes. Intelligent and resourceful with loads of street smarts, Baldemar tries to keep his liege from self-destructing via magic, psychotic demi-gods, demons, or just plain-old baddies.
"Here is what you are going to do..."
Eight of the ten novellas, novelettes and short stories appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, while two were in anthologies. Taken together they are a chronology of Baldemar's life and times.
Each tale stands alone, making this an ideal bedtime book, full of adventure, spills, chills, and the occasional necromancer.
Highly recommended.
In the Matthew Hughes universe of the Dying Earth, wizards and walled cities, Ehrmantraut is known as Baldemar, henchman to thaumaturges and dukes. Intelligent and resourceful with loads of street smarts, Baldemar tries to keep his liege from self-destructing via magic, psychotic demi-gods, demons, or just plain-old baddies.
"Here is what you are going to do..."
Eight of the ten novellas, novelettes and short stories appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, while two were in anthologies. Taken together they are a chronology of Baldemar's life and times.
Each tale stands alone, making this an ideal bedtime book, full of adventure, spills, chills, and the occasional necromancer.
Highly recommended.
July 30, 2022
I very much enjoyed this. Hughes writes as a knowing successor to Vance (who is my favorite author) but with his own flavors. In this collection, a Rhialto the Marvelous type setting (No mention of a Dying Earth or impending doom ever happens even though the world is extremely old) is the setting and Baldemar in the main character. Baldemar is extremely good natured by the standards of this genre and appears to be playing life on easy mode (actually explained in the book).
I could not stop imagining Thelerion the boss-wizard as a man-bun and long beard having IPA microbrew guy and this made his presence inherently amusing to me.
I will be reading more of Hughes.
I could not stop imagining Thelerion the boss-wizard as a man-bun and long beard having IPA microbrew guy and this made his presence inherently amusing to me.
I will be reading more of Hughes.
April 20, 2022
Again, this was an enjoyable read in a familiar setting. We get to follow Baldemar from his youth until his retirement. I find it hard to compare Baldemar with Cugel and maybe I shouldn't. The stories of Baldemar are more like detectives. He is cunning and smart but also has his share of good luck. This gives him sometimes a lucky and easy escape.
I did not award five stars because sometimes the story is somewhat boring and too long stretched. Periods where basically nothing is happening. But still looking forward to more stories in this setting.
I did not award five stars because sometimes the story is somewhat boring and too long stretched. Periods where basically nothing is happening. But still looking forward to more stories in this setting.
April 28, 2024
Having the tales in chronological order is indispensable. I first encountered Baldemar in F&SF (A Geas of the Purple School, I think) and found it a bit hard to follow. I even remember grumbling to myself, "hmm, more like a tale stuffed with purple prose." But the talent of the author and the appeal of the characters soon won me over. I was sad when I came to the end that there weren't 10 more stories to read.
February 10, 2025
Thoroughly entertaining Vancian romp. Built from several short stories, it follows Baldemar throughout his entire career, depicting his comical and often deadly run-ins with brigands, devious dukes, capricious wizards, gods and demons. The author even throws in some references to his other Dying Earth-inspired works. Some great storytelling and a book I was always glad to return to.
I was disappointed by the last couple of Dying Earth pieces I'd read by the author but this one was great.
I was disappointed by the last couple of Dying Earth pieces I'd read by the author but this one was great.
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May 12, 2022Great stories
I have loved Baldemar since I first read the stories in Sf&f magazine. Thank you for this Matthew. Better than Raffalon and that's saying something
I have loved Baldemar since I first read the stories in Sf&f magazine. Thank you for this Matthew. Better than Raffalon and that's saying something
August 3, 2022
"Dying Earth" gets new life. Baldemar is great classic fantasy from a Canadian master that I truly enjoyed.
May 1, 2023
by far the best Matt Hughes book I have read : )
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews