Thaumaturge

Let’s be candid about this. Thaumaturge is Book 11 in the Spellmonger series. This series is quickly becoming one of the deepest and most easily understood fantasy universes I have ever come across, but with that said, we are still 11 books in. To get anywhere with this book you need to know the existing characters and situation of the world because there simply isn’t time to explain 10 books worth of very detailed content in any realistic manner. So, this is not a book that can be just picked up and read. Now with that out of the way, let me explain why I absolutely loved Thaumaturge.

If you have read my series review of the Spellmonger books (Books 1-10), then you will know one thing. This is (currently) my favourite book series ever. It may not be everyone’s favourite, but it ticks every one of those nerdy idiosyncrasies that I have been busily growing over the past 28 years. Some may find the content of this book boring, with nothing particularly active occurring until the second half, and even then, the stakes aren’t very high. This is not a high-octane adventure. This book covers the foundation of Vanador by Minalan and the rest of his cohort of high mages and the struggles they go through in establishing an entirely new form of rule in their newly acquired Magelore lands. It can be a little dry at time, and it often goes so deep down the universe building rabbit hole that it gets a little claustrophobic, but by all that is good and holy, that’s exactly the kind of shit that I love.

I’m a history nerd, and as I’ve gotten older I found that, yes, while the battles and wars are interesting and all, I’m genuinely enthralled in the manners in which different cultures have developed their societies, how those have differed from place to place, and how they each would react to novel challenges. That is exactly what this book is. Given the Spellmonger series’s unparalleled explanations for the implementation of the use of new magical abilities into practical and everyday life, watching as Mancour explains how these new powers are implemented in the creation of an entirely new semi-city-state and the country within which it stands is a joy to listen to. He spent a chapter—an entire bloody chapter!—on one small fiefdom’s novel approach to taxation and workers rights. It had no bearing on the main characters, no real effect on the storyline beyond that chapter, and it was absolutely wonderful. I loved it. I loved every second of it.    

This book takes characters who we are already very familiar with, throws then into this novel situation, and lets us watch as they sink or swim under the new responsibilities of the Magelore, and on top of this, we get a goodly sized battle. Now my one issue with this book (aside from the fact that some people who aren’t massive geeks like me are likely to just get bored with a lot of the content) is that the outcome of the battle is never in questions. Due to the way the book has been written—with excerpts from a future account of Vanador’s founding starting every new chapter—we know how the battle is going to end up. There are no real stakes. No suspense. It’s more like watching a really detailed documentary—which once again, I have absolutely no problem with in this context—seeing as by now I know most of the characters better than some of the members of my own family.

In short, if you’ve gotten this far in the Spellmonger series then you already know you like the way Terry Mancour writes. This entire book is one big pile of fan service with just a little prodding along of the main story, and I (as one of said fans) couldn’t be happier about it.

As for narration, well, after 10 books John Lee’s portrayals of our heroes and villains has never been in question, with this latest addition merely piping yet more frosting onto the delicious cake that is the world of the Spellmonger. Fantastic, as ever.  

Personal score: 4.5 stars

Professional score: 3.5 stars