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Lord Darcy #2
Too Many Magicians
Garrett's detective, Lord Darcy, investigates a classic locked-room murder in an unconventional setting--a sorcerer's convention held in barely recognizable London. Gambling, espionage, and mind reading enter the solution.
238 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
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961 people want to read
About the author
Randall Garrett
438 books85 followersRandall Garrett's full name was Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett. For more information about him see https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?239
He was married to Vicki Ann Heydron
His pseudonyms include: Gordon Randall Garrett, Gordon Aghill, Grandal Barretton, Alexander Blade, Ralph Burke, Gordon Garrett, David Gordon, Richard Greer, Ivar Jorgenson, Darrel T. Langart, Blake MacKenzie, Jonathan Blake MacKenzie, Seaton Mckettrig, Clyde (T.) Mitchell, Mark Phillips (with Laurence Janifer), Robert Randall, Leonard G. Spencer, S.M. Tenneshaw, Gerald Vance.
He was married to Vicki Ann Heydron
His pseudonyms include: Gordon Randall Garrett, Gordon Aghill, Grandal Barretton, Alexander Blade, Ralph Burke, Gordon Garrett, David Gordon, Richard Greer, Ivar Jorgenson, Darrel T. Langart, Blake MacKenzie, Jonathan Blake MacKenzie, Seaton Mckettrig, Clyde (T.) Mitchell, Mark Phillips (with Laurence Janifer), Robert Randall, Leonard G. Spencer, S.M. Tenneshaw, Gerald Vance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
August 12, 2024
Too Many Magicians was the only full-length Lord Darcy novel that Garrett wrote, the other two books featuring him being comprised of four novelettes each. It was serialized across four issues of John W. Campbell's Analog magazine from August through November of 1966 before Doubleday published it in hardback. It was nominated for a Hugo Award for the best novel of the year, but lost to Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. (That was quite a year! The other nominees were Delany's Babel-17, Swann's Day of the Minotaur, Schmitz's The Witches of Karres, and Keyes's Flowers for Algernon!) It's a fascinating locked-room murder mystery set at a convention of sorcerers, and I'm sure that Garrett drew from some of his humorous exploits at science fiction conventions as a background. The Lord Darcy stories are set in an alternate world where magic has ascended over science, and Richard the Lion-Hearted had a very different fate than he did in our world, setting a very different world altogether on a very different path. Lord Darcy is a detective very much like Holmes who is aided by Master Sean, an Irish magician, in the tradition of Watson. It's a terrific series and paved the way for many of the supernatural do-gooders who followed in later years.
May 17, 2020
I had fond memories of this one, but it may have been visited by the Suck Fairy in the intervening years. The book feels padded in the extreme. The author seldom uses one word where he can use 7 or 8 -- here's an example, which is pretty typical: "Lord John Quetzal." I said. The name had struck a bell. "You are the fourth son of His Excellency the Duke of Mechicoe, I think?"
He bowed. "The same, my Lord."
Well, this was in the days when authors were paid by the word. But I can't say I feel the need to re-read all this folderol. So it may go back on the (virtual) shelf....
Here's a pertinent 2-star review by Geir Skårland, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Too much detail, unnecessary conversation and very superficial character descriptions, so little that the surrounding characters are difficult to separate from each other.
Read something else."
Ayup. Back it goes!
He bowed. "The same, my Lord."
Well, this was in the days when authors were paid by the word. But I can't say I feel the need to re-read all this folderol. So it may go back on the (virtual) shelf....
Here's a pertinent 2-star review by Geir Skårland, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Too much detail, unnecessary conversation and very superficial character descriptions, so little that the surrounding characters are difficult to separate from each other.
Read something else."
Ayup. Back it goes!
January 28, 2010
4.0 to 4.5 stars. Great alternative history novel in which magic is real (and in large part takes the place of science). Good writing, great characters and a fun read.
Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1967)
Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1967)
May 21, 2020
Very nice entertaining and quick read. Great world concept. if you like your detective work and CSI investigations mixed with some magic then give this trilogy a try. Recommended
February 20, 2020
3,5'tan 3.
July 17, 2012
Commonly categorized as science fiction, this reads every bit as well as a mystery, and should satisfy the mystery itch nicely. In fact, the book is in considerable part a worthy tribute to Rex Stout and Nero Wolfe. The title itself alludes to a couple of the Wolfe titles. And there are well-drawn Wolfe and Goodwin characters in the book. The Wolfe character, in fact, maneuvers Garrett's detective, Lord Darcy, into taking the case, which would normally have fallen to himself--characteristic of Wolfe's "economy of effort".
The plot, detection, and color are excellent. The book was nominated for a Hugo award in 1967.
Too Many Magicians is, you might say, an alternate-historical mystery: a 20th century in which magic, rather than science, forms the basis for civilization. Garrett is one of those writers, like John Dickson Carr, Avram Davidson, and L. Sprague De Camp, who can take supernatural (or apparently supernatural) themes and make them intellectually and damatically satisfying to people (such as myself) who normally wouldn't touch the stuff. (Chesterton's Father Brown stories are too supernatural for me.)
In addition to Too Many Magicians, there are two anthologies of short stories featuring Darcy, both excellent: Murder and Magic, and Lord Darcy Investigates. All three books are included in the omnibus edition simply entitled Lord Darcy (originally published in 1983; an "expanded edition" appeared in 2002).
The plot, detection, and color are excellent. The book was nominated for a Hugo award in 1967.
Too Many Magicians is, you might say, an alternate-historical mystery: a 20th century in which magic, rather than science, forms the basis for civilization. Garrett is one of those writers, like John Dickson Carr, Avram Davidson, and L. Sprague De Camp, who can take supernatural (or apparently supernatural) themes and make them intellectually and damatically satisfying to people (such as myself) who normally wouldn't touch the stuff. (Chesterton's Father Brown stories are too supernatural for me.)
In addition to Too Many Magicians, there are two anthologies of short stories featuring Darcy, both excellent: Murder and Magic, and Lord Darcy Investigates. All three books are included in the omnibus edition simply entitled Lord Darcy (originally published in 1983; an "expanded edition" appeared in 2002).
May 23, 2016
Too Many Repetitions
Although I absolutely adore the setting of this book, in a brilliantly constructed alternative universe where the Plantagenet dynasty has continued to reign and other royal lines rule all over the world, the rather pedestrian nature of the writing and above all the endless repetitions --every time, almost, that a certain sorcerer is mentioned he is described as a "tubby Irish sorcerer"--bring it all down.. Still, even though I guessed the murderer correctly almost as soon as he appeared, the book held my interest and I would recommend it.
Although I absolutely adore the setting of this book, in a brilliantly constructed alternative universe where the Plantagenet dynasty has continued to reign and other royal lines rule all over the world, the rather pedestrian nature of the writing and above all the endless repetitions --every time, almost, that a certain sorcerer is mentioned he is described as a "tubby Irish sorcerer"--bring it all down.. Still, even though I guessed the murderer correctly almost as soon as he appeared, the book held my interest and I would recommend it.
April 29, 2015
The title, “Too Many Magicians”, and the discovery of a dead body in a sealed and locked room, inside a hotel full of magicians, suggest that what we are about to read is a magical variation on a classic English Golden Age mystery, but this turns out not to be the case. Our Great Detective, Lord Darcy, is more Sherlock Holmes than Hercule Poirot, and the mystery itself is more like a Holmes short story: a dead body is found, Holmes/Darcy does some detecting, makes amazing deductions from a handful of clues, and solves the mystery. And Garrett does a good job with this part of the book: the mystery leaves you baffled until the end, the use of “forensic magic” to discover clues is interesting, and the solution is brilliant (I also appreciated the way that magic was used to commit the crime, which was quite clever). The problem is that there is basically a short story’s worth of material here, leaving about 200 pages for Garrett to fill, which he largely does with a mediocre Cold War-esque spy story (does the slimy, dislikable guy turn out to the villain? Why yes, yes he does, how did you guess?). And Darcy and his associate Sean O Lochlainn turn out to be mediocre Holmes and Watson ripoffs who might get you through a short story but lack sufficient interest for a novel (none of the secondary characters have more than one note to play, either). In particular, having your obvious Holmes homage character give not-quite-as-good versions of some of Holmes' best-known lines doesn't so much make for a better homage as suggest that you yourself have a shortage of ideas. A pleasantly breezy style unfortunately fails to compensate for these shortcomings.
And yet the biggest problem with the novel is the fact that it has its hero say “Anyone who is power in the Empire today . . . is trusted by the little man who has no power, precisely because he knows that we do our best to uncover the occasional [name withheld to avoid spoilers] and remove his power . . .” In other words, the authorities are always good and just and anything bad that happens is the work of a few bad apples, probably assisted (as in this case) by enemies from abroad. This general idea is an important if unstated belief behind most classic English mysteries (Conan Doyle, Christie, Sayers, etc.) as well as many epic fantasy novels, so it almost makes sense that a mystery/fantasy hybrid might come straight out and say it, but there’s a reason that it usually remains unstated: it sounds, quite frankly, either ridiculous or pseudo-totalitarian. And indeed, much about the setting of this book is such that it’s hard to tell whether what you’re reading is a reactionary wet dream or just a gigantic joke. Basically, Garrett creates the magical alternate history that "Too Many Magicians" is set in by going back to the 12th century and eliminating the Magna Carta. This is accomplished by having Richard the Lionhearted a) survive the siege of Chalus-Chabrol and b) not be a terrible king who was only interested in foreign wars (plus, Arthur of Brittany, his nephew and heir in this version of history, is invested with amazing kingly qualities that he almost certainly didn’t have). The result is that England and France remain one country, the Anglo-French empire, which by the mid-20th century dominates the world (annoyingly, they speak “Anglo-French”, rather than simply French, as would almost certainly have been the case: Richard himself spoke almost no English), ruled by the latest of 800 uninterrupted years of Plantagenets, all of whom were wonderful kings. Oh, and every single political development since roughly 1200 didn’t happen, even as the world evolved to look like that of the late Victorians. Plus, magic! It says quite a lot that the magic may actually be the most plausible part of this scenario. However, most of this is just background that doesn't impinge on the book: instead, the aspect of this society that stands out the most to the reader is its extraordinary formality. Every other sentence (at least!) contains somebody’s title: if they have multiple titles, so much the better. First names are hardly ever used: Darcy will refer to his old friend the Duchess of Cumberland as Mary and his Watson stand-in as Sean (though often enough it’s “Master Sean”, since Sean is a master sorcerer), but neither of them ever call him anything other than “my lord”. When Darcy discusses his cousin the Marquis of London with Sean, one of his oldest and closest friends, he never refers to him as anything other than “My Lord Marquis”. Even during the narration, the formality never pauses: in the first few pages, we meet Commander Lord Ashley, Navel Intelligence operative, who is searching a room with a dead body in it. He is referred to -- again, by the author, not by any character -- as “Commander Lord Ashley”, “Lord Ashley”, “his lordship”, “My Lord Commander”, and “My lord the Commander”: apparently it would be an inexcusable breach of protocol to call him simply “Ashley”. This makes, as you might imagine, for an occasionally ludicrous reading experience. Assuming that the explanation isn't simply that Garrett was being paid by the word, I’m inclined to think that this is deliberate, part of the joke: according to the introduction, practically every character is actually a takeoff of another literary character (the above-mentioned Marquis of London is Nero Wolfe, the head of the Sorcerer’s Guild Sir Lyon Gandolphus Gray is obviously Gandalf) or, even worse, of an SF or fantasy writer (e.g. one character is Sir Thomas Leseaux, that is to say Thomas the Waters, which apparently refers to SF writer Thomas Waters: no, I've never heard of him either). It seems, then, that this novel is basically one big inside joke: unfortunately, for those who are not prepared to play "spot the American speculative writer of the '50s and '60s", there’s not enough else to make it worth reading.
And yet the biggest problem with the novel is the fact that it has its hero say “Anyone who is power in the Empire today . . . is trusted by the little man who has no power, precisely because he knows that we do our best to uncover the occasional [name withheld to avoid spoilers] and remove his power . . .” In other words, the authorities are always good and just and anything bad that happens is the work of a few bad apples, probably assisted (as in this case) by enemies from abroad. This general idea is an important if unstated belief behind most classic English mysteries (Conan Doyle, Christie, Sayers, etc.) as well as many epic fantasy novels, so it almost makes sense that a mystery/fantasy hybrid might come straight out and say it, but there’s a reason that it usually remains unstated: it sounds, quite frankly, either ridiculous or pseudo-totalitarian. And indeed, much about the setting of this book is such that it’s hard to tell whether what you’re reading is a reactionary wet dream or just a gigantic joke. Basically, Garrett creates the magical alternate history that "Too Many Magicians" is set in by going back to the 12th century and eliminating the Magna Carta. This is accomplished by having Richard the Lionhearted a) survive the siege of Chalus-Chabrol and b) not be a terrible king who was only interested in foreign wars (plus, Arthur of Brittany, his nephew and heir in this version of history, is invested with amazing kingly qualities that he almost certainly didn’t have). The result is that England and France remain one country, the Anglo-French empire, which by the mid-20th century dominates the world (annoyingly, they speak “Anglo-French”, rather than simply French, as would almost certainly have been the case: Richard himself spoke almost no English), ruled by the latest of 800 uninterrupted years of Plantagenets, all of whom were wonderful kings. Oh, and every single political development since roughly 1200 didn’t happen, even as the world evolved to look like that of the late Victorians. Plus, magic! It says quite a lot that the magic may actually be the most plausible part of this scenario. However, most of this is just background that doesn't impinge on the book: instead, the aspect of this society that stands out the most to the reader is its extraordinary formality. Every other sentence (at least!) contains somebody’s title: if they have multiple titles, so much the better. First names are hardly ever used: Darcy will refer to his old friend the Duchess of Cumberland as Mary and his Watson stand-in as Sean (though often enough it’s “Master Sean”, since Sean is a master sorcerer), but neither of them ever call him anything other than “my lord”. When Darcy discusses his cousin the Marquis of London with Sean, one of his oldest and closest friends, he never refers to him as anything other than “My Lord Marquis”. Even during the narration, the formality never pauses: in the first few pages, we meet Commander Lord Ashley, Navel Intelligence operative, who is searching a room with a dead body in it. He is referred to -- again, by the author, not by any character -- as “Commander Lord Ashley”, “Lord Ashley”, “his lordship”, “My Lord Commander”, and “My lord the Commander”: apparently it would be an inexcusable breach of protocol to call him simply “Ashley”. This makes, as you might imagine, for an occasionally ludicrous reading experience. Assuming that the explanation isn't simply that Garrett was being paid by the word, I’m inclined to think that this is deliberate, part of the joke: according to the introduction, practically every character is actually a takeoff of another literary character (the above-mentioned Marquis of London is Nero Wolfe, the head of the Sorcerer’s Guild Sir Lyon Gandolphus Gray is obviously Gandalf) or, even worse, of an SF or fantasy writer (e.g. one character is Sir Thomas Leseaux, that is to say Thomas the Waters, which apparently refers to SF writer Thomas Waters: no, I've never heard of him either). It seems, then, that this novel is basically one big inside joke: unfortunately, for those who are not prepared to play "spot the American speculative writer of the '50s and '60s", there’s not enough else to make it worth reading.
May 31, 2023
In this novel, Lord Darcy, chief investigator for the Duke of Normandy, is forced to find the murderer at a magician's convention in London. His chief aide is one of the suspects, but even he cannot kill a man in a locked room without leaving some traces. There are a number of nods to science fiction and mystery fans, including the machinations of Darcy's cousin, a brilliant but lazy and obese detective who would like Darcy to do his work for him.
January 7, 2020
2.5 stars!
The setting is unique, an alternative universe where magic is as normal as science. In fact, it functioned as science in that universe. From medical to forensic, magic played as instruments/tools in each respective field. And of course, that means that the investigation of the crime scene (i.e. determining the time of death, cause of death, and whether someone was inside the room when the victim was killed) relied heavily on magic, instead of using methods such as fingerprinting, checking the victim's temperature, etc.
The mystery presented was the murder of a high ranking sorcerer in a hotel room where a magic convention was being held. The victim cried out for help from inside his locked room and seconds later found alone in his room, dead from a stab wound to the chest. A preliminary investigation (using magic) found that no other person was inside the room during the murder, it was also found that the victim was not killed by the means of black magic (magic with evil intent). So, in short, this is a locked-room mystery conducted in the world of magic. A very interesting premise indeed, if not for the pacing of the story.
The story is.. dragged down... a lot. It is extremely slow-paced, IMO. I think I started reading this book one and a half years ago and each time I picked it up, I only managed to read 1-3 chapter before putting the book down again to collect dust. The story only got interesting about a quarter away from the ending. We get a decent action scene, magic duel, and refocusing on the central mystery.
And back to the mystery itself, the solution was... okay... I guess. The idea behind the locked-room murder was not bad, the idea was borrowed from another locked-room novel. It was clever enough, quite ingenious given the context, but it didn't leave that much of an impression on me. The (cleverness of the) solution didn't make up for the novel's way too long, too dragged out, almost bored-me-to-death of a plot. I think this was better suited in a short-story format, but IDK.
Soo.. yeah, 2.5 stars.
The setting is unique, an alternative universe where magic is as normal as science. In fact, it functioned as science in that universe. From medical to forensic, magic played as instruments/tools in each respective field. And of course, that means that the investigation of the crime scene (i.e. determining the time of death, cause of death, and whether someone was inside the room when the victim was killed) relied heavily on magic, instead of using methods such as fingerprinting, checking the victim's temperature, etc.
The mystery presented was the murder of a high ranking sorcerer in a hotel room where a magic convention was being held. The victim cried out for help from inside his locked room and seconds later found alone in his room, dead from a stab wound to the chest. A preliminary investigation (using magic) found that no other person was inside the room during the murder, it was also found that the victim was not killed by the means of black magic (magic with evil intent). So, in short, this is a locked-room mystery conducted in the world of magic. A very interesting premise indeed, if not for the pacing of the story.
The story is.. dragged down... a lot. It is extremely slow-paced, IMO. I think I started reading this book one and a half years ago and each time I picked it up, I only managed to read 1-3 chapter before putting the book down again to collect dust. The story only got interesting about a quarter away from the ending. We get a decent action scene, magic duel, and refocusing on the central mystery.
And back to the mystery itself, the solution was... okay... I guess. The idea behind the locked-room murder was not bad, the idea was borrowed from another locked-room novel. It was clever enough, quite ingenious given the context, but it didn't leave that much of an impression on me. The (cleverness of the) solution didn't make up for the novel's way too long, too dragged out, almost bored-me-to-death of a plot. I think this was better suited in a short-story format, but IDK.
Soo.. yeah, 2.5 stars.
February 6, 2017
Storyline: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 3/5
Though originally serialized in a 1960s-era science fiction magazine, this was a novel rather than a short story collection. I thought that Garrett had managed the magazine novella handily, and I was unsure whether or not he could make the transition to a full novel. This was every bit as good as the short form work in Murder and Magic. In some ways, I enjoyed it more because I like longer, more developed works. In other ways, I tired of this a little because it was so similar to the previous collection.
All of the positive qualities of Murder and Magic are on display here, most especially the integrated magical realism and alternate history background. I was able to enjoy experiencing the much expanded imperial English world without feeling that I was being led on a tour by a boisterous showman. An Anglophile would get more out of this though I think. I was unfamiliar with the different state titles and roles within the Church of England, and I'm sure I overlooked a lot of thoughtful detail. I read this in the Lord Darcy omnibus right after finishing the works collected in Murder and Magic. If you are a big Lord Darcy fan or delight in murder mysteries, perhaps you will enjoy the concentrated dose, but I think they're best experienced in small portions. I'm leaving the Lord Darcy universe without having read the final collection, Lord Darcy Investigates. I might return to the remaining works some day, but I think that they all would have been more enjoyable had I read them spread out over installments as they were originally published.
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 3/5
Though originally serialized in a 1960s-era science fiction magazine, this was a novel rather than a short story collection. I thought that Garrett had managed the magazine novella handily, and I was unsure whether or not he could make the transition to a full novel. This was every bit as good as the short form work in Murder and Magic. In some ways, I enjoyed it more because I like longer, more developed works. In other ways, I tired of this a little because it was so similar to the previous collection.
All of the positive qualities of Murder and Magic are on display here, most especially the integrated magical realism and alternate history background. I was able to enjoy experiencing the much expanded imperial English world without feeling that I was being led on a tour by a boisterous showman. An Anglophile would get more out of this though I think. I was unfamiliar with the different state titles and roles within the Church of England, and I'm sure I overlooked a lot of thoughtful detail. I read this in the Lord Darcy omnibus right after finishing the works collected in Murder and Magic. If you are a big Lord Darcy fan or delight in murder mysteries, perhaps you will enjoy the concentrated dose, but I think they're best experienced in small portions. I'm leaving the Lord Darcy universe without having read the final collection, Lord Darcy Investigates. I might return to the remaining works some day, but I think that they all would have been more enjoyable had I read them spread out over installments as they were originally published.
May 20, 2015
A very skillfully woven whodunnit. While set in an alternate Europe with formalised 'rules' of magic (like the laws of science), this also sticks closely to the conventions and unwritten rules of the traditional whodunnit genre. The solution to the mystery may seem a little far-fetched (at least, it would if set in the real world) but it follows clearly and logically from all the clues. Furthermore, there are no hidden clues, things that the detective knows that the reader does not.
Indeed, when the detective lays out all the clues, end to end, the solution is obvious. Yet I could not figure it out until that point
(admittedly, I'm not very good at doing that anyway). The characterisation may be a little thin at times, but the atmosphere and world-building are great, and the mystery and action very satisfying.
Indeed, when the detective lays out all the clues, end to end, the solution is obvious. Yet I could not figure it out until that point
(admittedly, I'm not very good at doing that anyway). The characterisation may be a little thin at times, but the atmosphere and world-building are great, and the mystery and action very satisfying.
January 27, 2023
It’s Earth in 1966, but it’s an alternate Universe where magic instead of science has become the natural philosophy, and Lord Darcy is the chief Investigator for His Majesty King John. His assistant, Master Sorcerer Sean O’Lochlainn, is his forensics investigator, using magic and logic to determine facts after the event, and the two form a formidable partnership. Darcy plays Sherlock in this fabulous fantasy, where two murders are discovered to be linked: the first, a double agent ostensibly Polish but actually British, and the second the head of British espionage, in a locked room during a convention of sorcerers! Randall Garrett riffs on the very best of Agatha Christie as we follow Darcy and Sean and the local constabulary through the maze of spells and clues where a variety of tempting suspects are examined and discarded, leaving only one remaining choice. However, when that choice proves a red herring it is up to Darcy and company to unravel the tangled threads of this great mystery. A cracking good read! RECOMMENDED.
December 27, 2023
2023 bk 317. The first Lord Darcy I read was this - the alternate universe was one of the first I was exposed to, the magical techniques seemed amazing and fresh, and I fell in love with the main character. This universe and character have held up well to time and I enjoyed this story this time as much as the previous times I have read it.
March 21, 2021
This is both a science fiction novel and a mystery. The background to the novel is that rather than dying from his crossbow wound at Chalus he recovered, returned to England and became a much better king. As a result the Plantagenets still rule what is now the Angevin Empire in the 1960's, an empire that covers This includes the UK, France and the Americas, as well as some other places. Thus the setting can be seen as being alternative history. Some critics also maintain the series can be considered as Fantasy as instead of the science of our time magic is used. However this magic has been codified and follows various laws. In fact at times it is referred to as science in the book.
The novel concerns two murders, one of a commoner in a town in Normandy, the other of a prominent magician in a London hotel. The murder is of the locked room type and would seem to be the product of black magic. The problem is the hotel is hosting the annual Wizard's convention, so it is filled with sorcerers, most of whom could probably have pulled the murder off.
Add to this the fact that the murdered magician was also the secret head of Naval Intelligence and that said organization is worried that the Empire's main enemy, Poland, may be after a secret "weapon" the Navy has developed and you can see that our protagonist, Lord Darcy has his hands full. Oh yes, Darcy's counterpart in London, The Marquis de London, has had Darcy's forensic sorcerer arrested for the magician's murder. though this is not as much as a problem as it seems.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The situation was interesting, especially as it seems that the two murders could not be connected. The characters are also interesting. I was already familiar with Lord Darcy when I first read this novel and of course Master Sean as well. However there were new characters introduced. Most noticeable of these being the Marquis of London who never leaves his home and his assistant Lord Bontriomphe. Two other characters are introduced who would appear or be mentioned in other Lord Darcy stories. One is Lord John Quetzal of Mehicoe, who in fact has the talent of witch smelling. Also introduced is Mary, Dowager Duchess of Cumberland, who it would seem is a romantic interest for Lord Darcy, though she only appears in two stories I believe.
As too the story itself it was very well presented. It follows the guidelines for a mystery, in that all the evidence is presented to the reader and nothing is pulled out of a hat at the end to produce a solution. There are also enough red herrings to make it interesting. I admit I had no idea who committed either murder when I first read this novel, but all the information was there in plain sight. All in all a good story.
The novel concerns two murders, one of a commoner in a town in Normandy, the other of a prominent magician in a London hotel. The murder is of the locked room type and would seem to be the product of black magic. The problem is the hotel is hosting the annual Wizard's convention, so it is filled with sorcerers, most of whom could probably have pulled the murder off.
Add to this the fact that the murdered magician was also the secret head of Naval Intelligence and that said organization is worried that the Empire's main enemy, Poland, may be after a secret "weapon" the Navy has developed and you can see that our protagonist, Lord Darcy has his hands full. Oh yes, Darcy's counterpart in London, The Marquis de London, has had Darcy's forensic sorcerer arrested for the magician's murder. though this is not as much as a problem as it seems.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The situation was interesting, especially as it seems that the two murders could not be connected. The characters are also interesting. I was already familiar with Lord Darcy when I first read this novel and of course Master Sean as well. However there were new characters introduced. Most noticeable of these being the Marquis of London who never leaves his home and his assistant Lord Bontriomphe. Two other characters are introduced who would appear or be mentioned in other Lord Darcy stories. One is Lord John Quetzal of Mehicoe, who in fact has the talent of witch smelling. Also introduced is Mary, Dowager Duchess of Cumberland, who it would seem is a romantic interest for Lord Darcy, though she only appears in two stories I believe.
As too the story itself it was very well presented. It follows the guidelines for a mystery, in that all the evidence is presented to the reader and nothing is pulled out of a hat at the end to produce a solution. There are also enough red herrings to make it interesting. I admit I had no idea who committed either murder when I first read this novel, but all the information was there in plain sight. All in all a good story.
February 2, 2019
Regular readers of my reviews (all 5 of you) may recall (probably not) that I DNF'd a collection of mystery/sci-fi novellas entitled Murder and Magic. It featured an ellery queen-ish sleuth navigating murder mysteries in a world where magic works and is studied academically. Problem was, the mysteries themselves did not seem sufficiently fair play. I felt I was nearer to reading Doyle than Queen despite the affectations of the detective.
However, Too Many Magicians, book two in the series, is a full novel that gives both the mystery and the alternate-history world surrounding it more room to breathe. Not for nothing was it nominated for the Hugo. Suffice it to say that I both finished this one and enjoyed it a fair deal more. In chief, it has two factors in its favor- reductively speaking, the mystery and the sci-fi.
On the one hand, this is a locked room murder mystery. Strip away all of the magic and you're still left with that fact. By the inevitable gather the suspects and give a speech ending, I was pretty sure I'd nailed the who- and was right. However, I was far from any notion of the how, which fit together pretty tightly. All in all, not the subtlest of misdirection, but still a mystery that left me guessing much of the way. Probably 3.5 for the mystery alone.
But then, on top of that, you have an interesting world that combines fantasy and alternate history. The pitch is this: Richard the 2nd never died, the Plantagenets continued on, and that lead to a world where Britain A) conquered France and B) discovered magic. It's a legitimately fun set-up leading to a different geopolitical balance of power and plenty of time for the author to let characters info-dump over how the magic works. For some people, no doubt this is dull. But for the fair-play mystery crew, it's part of the appeal. So, to me, it's the world-building that bumps this up into solid 4 star territory.
I'm not sure whether I'll continue on to the third entry- another novella collection. I certainly feel that the world is better grounded now, which might make further stories more enjoyable- perhaps even going back to finish the DNF. I'll probably leave it to chance encounters at used book store sales :) - it was just such a happy accident that put this one in my hands!
P.S. for any Golden Age Detection folks reading this- there is a bit of a Nero Wolfe pastiche going on here. You may find it amusing on that level alone.
However, Too Many Magicians, book two in the series, is a full novel that gives both the mystery and the alternate-history world surrounding it more room to breathe. Not for nothing was it nominated for the Hugo. Suffice it to say that I both finished this one and enjoyed it a fair deal more. In chief, it has two factors in its favor- reductively speaking, the mystery and the sci-fi.
On the one hand, this is a locked room murder mystery. Strip away all of the magic and you're still left with that fact. By the inevitable gather the suspects and give a speech ending, I was pretty sure I'd nailed the who- and was right. However, I was far from any notion of the how, which fit together pretty tightly. All in all, not the subtlest of misdirection, but still a mystery that left me guessing much of the way. Probably 3.5 for the mystery alone.
But then, on top of that, you have an interesting world that combines fantasy and alternate history. The pitch is this: Richard the 2nd never died, the Plantagenets continued on, and that lead to a world where Britain A) conquered France and B) discovered magic. It's a legitimately fun set-up leading to a different geopolitical balance of power and plenty of time for the author to let characters info-dump over how the magic works. For some people, no doubt this is dull. But for the fair-play mystery crew, it's part of the appeal. So, to me, it's the world-building that bumps this up into solid 4 star territory.
I'm not sure whether I'll continue on to the third entry- another novella collection. I certainly feel that the world is better grounded now, which might make further stories more enjoyable- perhaps even going back to finish the DNF. I'll probably leave it to chance encounters at used book store sales :) - it was just such a happy accident that put this one in my hands!
P.S. for any Golden Age Detection folks reading this- there is a bit of a Nero Wolfe pastiche going on here. You may find it amusing on that level alone.
March 30, 2021
The only full-length novel in Garrett's LORD DARCY series. While the actual mystery is well done and entertaining, much of the book seems to fall a bit flat, with the author repeating certain phrases and descriptions throughout the story ("Go on, mutherfucker. Say 'tubby little Irish sorcerer' one more time!"), which is forgivable in the books that contain a collection of short stories originally written over a period of several years for different publications, but less so in an almost 350-page novel. There are also a bit too many nods to classics in the mystery genre for my liking (including Darcy's cousin who is an rather heavy-handed Mycroft Holmes parody). As with most of the other stories in the series, all of the clues are there but in this case the complexity of the plot makes figuring it out a serious challenge. Although the world Garrett describes is still European Catholic, this book does acknowledge (briefly) some other cultures, including some Islamic states (not mentioned by name) and the Mechichan people of the New World, whose upper classes seem to have joined and intermarried with nobles from the Angevin Empire. The characterizations are more than slightly sexist and classist - not too a ridiculous extent considering some of the premises, but even the strongest women in the story are more spunky than strong, and EVERYONE in the story seems to have unquestioningly bought in on the aristocratic social system. I mean, seriously, not one of the lower classes seems to slightly challenge or question it. TOO MANY MAGICIANS does expand on the alternate history that Garrett created, especially in the areas of espionage and police/judicial procedure in a world where sorcery, not science, is the true power. 2.5 stars.
May 18, 2013
In some ways, Lord Darcy is kind of the prototype of Steampunk lit. Except that it isn't set in Victorian England (or other lands of this time period) it is still very similar to Steampunk. There is no electricity, there are trains, but they are steam powered. Otherwise you use horsepower (the REAL 4-legged type) to get around. Where Lord Darcy differs typical Steampunk in 2 main ways. The first, it was set in "modern" times (i.e. the 1960's and 70's) when it was written. The second way that it differs from Steampunk is that magic is very much alive and working. There is some "science" but not a great deal.
I fell madly in love with Lord Darcy when I first read this book, and to this day remain fascinated by him. Part of the appeal is that Darcy is an intelligent man. He's also thoughtful and kind. In many ways he's a much more appealing man than Sherlock Holmes, who I think he was modeled on.
I won't spoil the book by posting spoilers, but I will say--a convention of magicians, where magic works. What's not to love.
I fell madly in love with Lord Darcy when I first read this book, and to this day remain fascinated by him. Part of the appeal is that Darcy is an intelligent man. He's also thoughtful and kind. In many ways he's a much more appealing man than Sherlock Holmes, who I think he was modeled on.
I won't spoil the book by posting spoilers, but I will say--a convention of magicians, where magic works. What's not to love.
December 15, 2010
1966 looks very different in a world in which the Plantagenet kings have remained in perpetual power, and the discovery of the Laws of Magic obviated the need for the study of the physical sciences. Crime, however, looks about the same.
When a high-profile Master wizard is murdered in a physically and magically sealed room, it's deduction, not thaumaturgy, that can reveal the culprit. Enter Lord Darcy, a man with no magical abilities but a stunning analytical mind. Fans of Sherlock Holmes or Nero Wolfe will recognize this brusque yet brilliant character with unimpeachable integrity.
What begins as a classic locked-room mystery evolves with brilliant turns of plot, well-drawn characters, and a touch of magic that only serves to highlight the magnitude of Darcy's scientific genius. Highly recommended for all lovers of puzzles, and guaranteed to keep you guessing until the last moment.
When a high-profile Master wizard is murdered in a physically and magically sealed room, it's deduction, not thaumaturgy, that can reveal the culprit. Enter Lord Darcy, a man with no magical abilities but a stunning analytical mind. Fans of Sherlock Holmes or Nero Wolfe will recognize this brusque yet brilliant character with unimpeachable integrity.
What begins as a classic locked-room mystery evolves with brilliant turns of plot, well-drawn characters, and a touch of magic that only serves to highlight the magnitude of Darcy's scientific genius. Highly recommended for all lovers of puzzles, and guaranteed to keep you guessing until the last moment.
October 19, 2016
1967 Hugo nominee 'Too Many Magicians' is a solid little book. I'm working my way through the Hugo winners but didn't feel like I needed to read 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' (that year's winner) yet again (also I could not stomach the idea of trying to plow through Delany's 'Babel 17' again) . So... 'Magicians' is a wodunnit action adventure set in an alternate reality where the rules of magic were discovered and the present day (of the 1960s) sees magic in the place of science and the world dominated by an Anglo-French Empire standing in as the land of the enlightened. Despite my luke warm attitude toward the 'solve the crime' genre I must confess that the book is well written with strong character work and a very good job convincing you that the clever detective at the heart of the story really is a smart guy. Also a number of amusing shout outs to ficitive wizards and London sleuths. An amusing read.
April 13, 2013
Before the current mashup of urban fantasy, Randall Garrett wrote a few books in an alternate universe in which magic (mostly) displaced our understanding of science. Rather than just drop that into our world, he did an alternate timeline, with the British monarchy still vibrant in the 20th century. Lord Sherlock Holmes -- I mean, Lord Darcy is one of the King's investigators. He happens to have no magical talent whatsoever (his Watson -- Sean O'Lachlain is a master wizard who assists in the arcane aspects of criminal investigations. There are plenty of magical rules set up and explained to give us a chance at a good mystery. In this case, a locked-room murder in a hotel full of magicians that has aspects of international intrigue.
A fine book.
A fine book.
April 23, 2014
Garrett's only novella for the Lord Darcy series goes beyond expectations into a complex, interesting and compelling set of murder mysteries that are all irretrievably interrelated. The only real flaw I find is his tendency towards repetition when compared with his other novels regarding certain elements of setting, and his extreme tendency towards detective novel staples (particularly the 'gather everyone in the parlour and accuse someone of the crime' trope) but nonetheless the narrative as a whole is exciting and there's some great expectations subversion at play.
November 22, 2016
What would the world be like if Richard the Lionheart had lived? Well probably not like this book, since it is unlikely that Magic would have sprung up just because of that one event. With that said, this is still a fun book. While it is set in a fantasy setting the book itself is a murder mystery in the Sherlock Holmes tradition. The author is nice enough to put all the clues in front of you, but does it in such a way that it still allows the main character to perform the reveal without to much effort. An interesting break away from the standard mystery.
March 30, 2020
In a world where Richard I cared about England and did not leave it rulerless to gallivant off on crusades but instead, invested in the study of magic, it is a different world where Lord D'arcy investigates a murder that took place in a locked room. It's a world where the world is divided between Poland and the Angevin Empire. As a detective story it's great, as SF or Fantasy it's passable, but as an alternate world story, it's the book that piqued my lifelong interest.
June 16, 2018
There’s just not enough at stake.
Potential, though - London, the existence of magic, an intricate mystery. But nothing or noone that really engages me. Too much detail, unnecessary conversation and very superficial character descriptions, so little that the surrounding characters are difficult to separate from each other.
Read something else.
Potential, though - London, the existence of magic, an intricate mystery. But nothing or noone that really engages me. Too much detail, unnecessary conversation and very superficial character descriptions, so little that the surrounding characters are difficult to separate from each other.
Read something else.
May 3, 2016
Classic fantasy, reread many times. While labeled as second in the series, the books can be read in any order. If Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey lived in an alternate universe where magic is fully understood but physics isn't, he would probably be Lord Darcy.
Read
January 4, 2025On the face of it, combining a whodunnit, especially a locked room mystery, with a world in which magic is an accepted reality, might seem tricky: how do we know the killing wasn't committed in any of countless possible sorcerous ways? Really, it's no different to writing a book with magic but no murder mystery: we have to trust that the author will play fair and not just eliminate all jeopardy by pulling things out of their arse as and when, that magic will be given defined limitations and abide by them. And indeed, even a mystery set in something approaching the real world can be guilty of much the same sort of cheating (though I tend to forgive Allingham and Mitchell, who are really more about the vibes anyway). More of an issue here is that the deaths intersect with matters of state and international espionage, which I naturally expect to add a moral murkiness to proceedings, but this is a Cold War tale where Poland is painted so black and the Angevin empire so pure as to give even Ian Fleming pause, never mind John le Carré. Oh, and the reason you don't recognise those particular rivals is because magic being a thing here is part of an entire alternate timeline which stretches back to the Lionheart living another 20 years and King John never getting chance to mess things up for the Plantagenets. Which has also worked out considerably better than you'd expect for everyone else, especially given the lack of things like democracy. Elsewhere, the ways in which magical society in the 1960s is ahead of our own world's technology in some aspects, behind in others, and elsewhere simply different, is nicely worked out; at times it felt a little like an Avram Davidson sort of setting, and if Garrett isn't quite operating at that level, well, who is? Similarly, if the dashing detective Lord Darcy sometimes comes across as Wimsey minus some of the fun and nuance, that still leaves him ahead of most. Other characters are more obvious homages – I've never read Nero Wolfe, so missed any specifics of the character apparently based on him, but was just about able to work out the reference intended by the name Sir Lyon Gandolphus Grey. The racy cover, incidentally, has nothing whatsoever to do with anything, but gods bless that era of paperbacks.
March 10, 2025
Lord Darcy is asked to investigate a murder in Cherbourg, but before he can get very far his assistant Master Magician Sean O'Lochlainn is arrested in London for murder of a very important master magician at a magician's conference. Sir James Zwinge, a Master Magician as well as spymaster for London's branch of intelligence for the Empire, has been killed behind a locked door. A door locked not just in the conventional sense, but with a level of magic that few could tamper with. But with a hotel full of magicians is a locked room ever really just a locked room? And since Master Sean was the last one near the room...and was known to have had a "loud discussion" with Sir James...he's the prime suspect.
The Marquis de London (and, incidentally, Lord Darcy's cousin) knows full well that Master Sean didn't do it, but he also knows the arrest will bring Darcy to London and he wants Darcy to investigate without having been asked directly. Because that would involve a fee and the Marquis is not only lazy (though brilliant), he hates spending money on anything other than himself...and his hobby, rare plants. As soon as we meet the Marquis, we recognize the detective Garrett has modeled this story after...Nero Wolfe. The Marquis is a hefty fellow, brilliant, lazy, and uses ten-dollar words. He says, "pfui" and "flummery." He has a side-kick who does his legwork and who appreciates the female form as much as Archie Goodwin. (The Marquis doesn't.) He has a red leather chair for important guests. Lord Bontriomphe (a lovely French nom de plume for the Archie character) doesn't quite have the smart-aleck commentary style down, but it's definitely there. And when Lord Darcy first enters Wol--er, the Marquis's rooms, he seems to have taken on a Cramer-liker attitude towards his cousin, though only briefly.
Garrett gives us not only a very fine Nero Wolfe pastiche, while sneaking in some references to The Man from U.N.C.L.E., he also gives us a very clevery locked room mystery. It's evident throughout Garrett's magical detective works that he is well-steeped in both detective literature and popular media and he employs references to both in ways that will delight mystery connoisseurs of all types.
The Marquis de London (and, incidentally, Lord Darcy's cousin) knows full well that Master Sean didn't do it, but he also knows the arrest will bring Darcy to London and he wants Darcy to investigate without having been asked directly. Because that would involve a fee and the Marquis is not only lazy (though brilliant), he hates spending money on anything other than himself...and his hobby, rare plants. As soon as we meet the Marquis, we recognize the detective Garrett has modeled this story after...Nero Wolfe. The Marquis is a hefty fellow, brilliant, lazy, and uses ten-dollar words. He says, "pfui" and "flummery." He has a side-kick who does his legwork and who appreciates the female form as much as Archie Goodwin. (The Marquis doesn't.) He has a red leather chair for important guests. Lord Bontriomphe (a lovely French nom de plume for the Archie character) doesn't quite have the smart-aleck commentary style down, but it's definitely there. And when Lord Darcy first enters Wol--er, the Marquis's rooms, he seems to have taken on a Cramer-liker attitude towards his cousin, though only briefly.
Garrett gives us not only a very fine Nero Wolfe pastiche, while sneaking in some references to The Man from U.N.C.L.E., he also gives us a very clevery locked room mystery. It's evident throughout Garrett's magical detective works that he is well-steeped in both detective literature and popular media and he employs references to both in ways that will delight mystery connoisseurs of all types.
September 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this novel. (Technically, it's in the middle of an omnibus edition, but it's novel length, so I'm reacting to it on its own.) There's so much to like--an interesting setting, capable and engaging characters, a tricky mystery, and plenty of action.
Set in a sort-of England and France in the 1960s, the story takes place in a timeline where the Angevin kings never lost the throne and continued to control France as well as Great Britain. The technology lags about a century behind ours, but they excel at magic instead. This empire includes all of North and South America, though it seems to be less colonized than our world. In addition to his detective skills, Darcy--the Sherlock-like figure who is the main investigator here--is tough and good with weapons, making him a decent action hero, and although he cannot himself do magic, his partner--a good Dr. Watson stand-in--can and does. They are an effective team.
Throw in a few mysterious deaths, spies and double agents from the rival Polish Empire, and some practitioners of black magic, and you can't miss.
Something about the whole vibe of this novel and related short stories just really works for me, and I enjoy it. (As a result, I scored it quite a bit higher than the average. Not sure why some others didn't like it as well, but that's how it works.) I wish there were a bunch more novels, but we are not so lucky. I'll have to be satisfied with the chunky omnibus which still contains 6 more short stories I haven't read yet.)
This probably is best for those attracted to alternate timeline stories and/or steampunk novels, especially mysteries, though it straddles several categories.
Set in a sort-of England and France in the 1960s, the story takes place in a timeline where the Angevin kings never lost the throne and continued to control France as well as Great Britain. The technology lags about a century behind ours, but they excel at magic instead. This empire includes all of North and South America, though it seems to be less colonized than our world. In addition to his detective skills, Darcy--the Sherlock-like figure who is the main investigator here--is tough and good with weapons, making him a decent action hero, and although he cannot himself do magic, his partner--a good Dr. Watson stand-in--can and does. They are an effective team.
Throw in a few mysterious deaths, spies and double agents from the rival Polish Empire, and some practitioners of black magic, and you can't miss.
Something about the whole vibe of this novel and related short stories just really works for me, and I enjoy it. (As a result, I scored it quite a bit higher than the average. Not sure why some others didn't like it as well, but that's how it works.) I wish there were a bunch more novels, but we are not so lucky. I'll have to be satisfied with the chunky omnibus which still contains 6 more short stories I haven't read yet.)
This probably is best for those attracted to alternate timeline stories and/or steampunk novels, especially mysteries, though it straddles several categories.
October 23, 2021
decided to re-read our collected Lord Darcy books again for the first time in about 30 years.
The Lord Darcy stories are set in an alternate world whose history supposedly diverged from our own during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart, in which King John never reigned and most of western Europe and the Americas are united in an Angevin Empire whose continental possessions were never lost by that king.
Alongside the change to governments and politics, thanks to a monk from Glastonbury in the early part of this long Plantagenet monarchy, a magic-based technology has developed in place of the science of our own world, carefully monitored and licenced by the Catholic Church. So by the mid twentieth century, when the stories are set, some things simply have not been invented, whereas others have - it makes for an interesting world wherein there are some interesting murder cases for Lord Darcy, Chief investigator to the king's brother, the Duke of Normandy, to get his teeth into.
I think this is probably the only full length Lord Darcy novel and it is a shame that the author otherwise stuck to short stories and novellas set in this alternative world as, given the room to delvelop, this is a really good read.
The Lord Darcy stories are set in an alternate world whose history supposedly diverged from our own during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart, in which King John never reigned and most of western Europe and the Americas are united in an Angevin Empire whose continental possessions were never lost by that king.
Alongside the change to governments and politics, thanks to a monk from Glastonbury in the early part of this long Plantagenet monarchy, a magic-based technology has developed in place of the science of our own world, carefully monitored and licenced by the Catholic Church. So by the mid twentieth century, when the stories are set, some things simply have not been invented, whereas others have - it makes for an interesting world wherein there are some interesting murder cases for Lord Darcy, Chief investigator to the king's brother, the Duke of Normandy, to get his teeth into.
I think this is probably the only full length Lord Darcy novel and it is a shame that the author otherwise stuck to short stories and novellas set in this alternative world as, given the room to delvelop, this is a really good read.
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