The Warlock Wandering

Warlock #5

by Christopher Stasheff

Living happily on the magical planet of Gramarye with the their children, Ron Gallowglass and his witch wife Gwen are suddenly thrust into an intense struggle for survival when they are held captive in a world of the distant past

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Medieval, Humor

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

The late Christopher Stasheff was an American science fiction and fantasy author. When teaching proved too real, he gave it up in favor of writing full-time. Stasheff was noted for his blending of science fiction and fantasy, as seen in his Warlock series. He spent his early childhood in Mount Vernon, New York, but spent the rest of his formative years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Stasheff taught at the University of Eastern New Mexico in Portales, before retiring to Champaign, Illinois, in 2009. He had a wife and four children.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad entry in the Gallowglass saga, but it is one of the weaker entries. Rod and Gwen are taken captive and transported to a different time. There's something of a rushed feel to the story, and some of the side-stories feel like filler. There are some neat aspects to the story, however, and it contributes to the overall arc of the series. Even when Stasheff wasn't art his best, he was a master at blending fantasy and science fiction tropes, and was unsurpassed at telling stories about families rather than peopling his work with individual heroes.

[Equal Opportunity Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Egads, this was a terrible book. I found and enjoyed the first four books in this series in the library my late teens, just before the last four were released...so I somehow missed all the interim books. If they're all like this no wonder.

The half-fantasy, half sci-fi premise works when it's in a pseudo-medieval setting, but the space stations and planetary colonies that Stasheff imagines are pretty lame in closeup, and the fact that he over explains every little thing doesn't help. Seriously--half of this book could disappear and it would STILL be too wordy and boring.

The new characters are one dimensional, the characters we know are boorish, uninteresting and inconsistent by turns and I miss the presence of the Gallowglass kids.

There's a plot and a very labored set up for all of this, but I'll skip explaining it here because if you've gotten far enough into the series to be on this book, you already know it. And if you haven't--then don't read this book! Go back and start with The Warlock In Spite of Himself, which is interesting and far better written than this.

[Al "Tank" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good "read" from Stasheff. This time Ron Gallowglass and his wife are kidnapped to another time.

Although a fairly good story, Stasheff seems to be struggling to come up with enough plot material to fill out the story so it will be large enough to publish. Parts of the book frankly -- drag as he drags the reader through scenes that are not necessary to the plot.

Still, it's worth reading and is necessary to understand the next book in the series, The Warlock is Missing (I peeked at the first page).

[Stuart Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment was not as good as the last two in this series. How does Rod fall for that simple trick in the first few pages?!!! Way too transparent for me as the starting point to the trouble they encounter. I did love the return to Wolmar, as this planet was worth going back to and I wanted the author to his that planet again since Escape Velocity. The move through the pleasure planet and later Terra were interesting, but I absolutely did not appreciate the “Dream Park” like shared story that they were forced to reenact. It was boring and irrelevant to go through such lengths on what was a boring story imo. This part of the novel as well as the beginning brought this down to 3 1/2 stars. Also, the front cover picture has nothing to do with this novel and that always bugs me when they don’t mesh. Onwards!

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun Warlock adventure primarily taking place off of Gramarye. First we in up on the prison planet Wolmar where we were first introduced to Dar (in Escape Velocity) who so happened to be Rod Gallowglass's ancestor. After being accused of murder they flee to Otranto(sp?) where they meet up with Whitey the Wino (who we also met from Escape Velocity). They soon end up on Earth. It was a fun Warlock adventure leaving the family behind and having Rod and Gwen travel with Yorick the Neanderthal (from King Kobold Revived), and the overly offended feminist Chornoi that they meet on the prison planet.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was disappointing. It was more a book about politics than a fantasy novel. i'm not going to be reading any more in this series and feel i wasted my time. I was also annoyed with the overuse of acronyms for all the political groups in the story line, PEST, VETO, GRIPE... Futurians... FML.

[James]

On the magical planet Gramarye, 500 years from their own time, Rod and Gwen Gallowglass are held captive in an alternative universe--a world where purple-skinned, fur-kilted men challenge them in primitive battle. Lost within time and space, and unable to communicate with the combative natives, Rod and Gwen must fight for their freedom and survival. Reissue.

[Helene Falkinburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this part of the Wizard series. It was very good as well.

[Eddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reasonably entertaining but I could live without the high school physics explained in pseudo-medieval language.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best one in the series. Rod is smarter than he acts in this book.

[Đenis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rod a Gwen padnú opäť do pasce a PAST ich presúva na "indiánsko - vojenskú" planétu - bývalú trestaneckú kolóniu 500 rokov do minulosti. Tam ich rovno pokúšajú zabiť miestni domorodci a následne obvinenie z vraždy ich tiež nenechá v kľude. Po úniku na zábavnú planétu sa dozvedajú podrobnosti a ako inak, putujú domov. Gwen získava obrie vedomosti o technike a svojou mágiou ich využíva.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warlock Roderick Gallowglass and his wife and witch Gwendylon need to go out on a date. Having 4 talented children cramps you a bit at home. It's supposed to be a romantic ride through to a magical pool in the woods, but when they get there, they get caught in a time vortex and wind up on another planet and can't get home. At least they are together, but it's not going to be so easy to get home.

I'm glad I read this one after Escape Velocity, as you meet up with many of the same characters and worlds. I would suggest if you are reading this series, to save that one to read before or after this. It is a prequel, but it makes more sense to read it around the same time as this one. Otherwise it will just confuse you.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the "Warlock" series . . . read my previous reviews to get a sense of the series . . . but this one was kind of different. The Warlock and his wife end up being pulled back in time and to a distant planet by their time-traveling foes, and have to make their way back home through time and space while fighting the enemies of interstellar democracy . . .

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was slow to get through because Rod and Gwen were far away and you dealt with the actions of the kids. So, the changes between viewpoints got dull when you really wanted to know what was going on in the place you left last.

[Bidesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Příběh skvělý, do knížky jsem se začetla bez problémů. Jen mi tam tak trochu chyběl ten kouzelný svět Gramarye.

[Vader · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish