The Haunted Wizards - Christopher Stasheff

A Wizard in Rhyme book 6.

Synopsis:

There is trouble in the land of Bretanglia. Persons who claim to be Druids are calling for the Old Gods to return.

Meanwhile, King Drustan the crafty, Queen Petronella and there three sons, Gaheris, Brion and John are visiting the Merovencian court of Queen Alisande.

The visiting King and Queen are being rather obnoxious and there sons appear to be feuding amongst themselves. Prince Gaheris manages to get himself killed in a tavern brawl whilst out wenching in the town of Bordestang. Sorcery appears to be involved but King Drustan will have none of it and declares war. He would appear to have been looking for an excuse anyway, and somebody in his own party may have had a hand in the deed.

Matt and his parents must go undercover into the land of Bretandlia to search for true Druids to counter the false druids and to uncover the murder.

Once again we venture into the fantasy world created by Christopher Stasheff. This is the Romantic fantasy rather than a heroic type fantasy.
We have true and false Druids. What knowledge we have of the Druids comes from Julius Caesar and can hardly be called unbiased. Searching through the old Celtic beliefs of Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the continent will provide enough for a good story of what their beliefs may have been.
As they left no written record, we have no direct evidence of worship or rites. The modern so called Druids are a Victorian invention.

This story can be regarded as a murder investigation with a strong fantasy element. The story is plausible enough to be a good read. The story is written again in the third party style. Characters are well constructed and believable. The internal logic of the story is again plausible. The mythic creatures encountered are very entertaining being based on established myth.

Our hero is Matthew Mantrell and his parents. They are transplanted Americans able to work magic in this land due to their scholorship with words and rhyme. It is a magical land where God and the Devil are seen in every event and action. Belief is what is important.

If you look far enough into the myths you can find some really nasty spirits and "Things" As this is a Romantic fiction, the worst of the "Things" are fortunately absent.

We have a story where Good triumphs and Evil is defeated. The true King is crowned and his Lady Love is with him. This is a swords and sorcery book not a love story bodice ripper type. There is Love as it is a quality of the Good. These books do not end with a "They all lived happily ever after" ending as these do not happen in real life. There is enough of a happy ending for now. Tomorrow is another day after all.

Like previous books it could be read on its own, but you would miss some of the references and would then have to get the earlier books to find what it was all about.

copies can be obtained:

Paperback 375 pages (January 2000)
Publisher: Ballantine
ISBN: 0345392485 new from £3.73 usual price £6.99 Amazon.co.uk

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Del Rey (January 2000)
ISBN: 0345392485
Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces. New from $6.29 Amazon.com

Christopher Stasheff is an American author, Born in 1944.
He has written many stories including the Warlock series and the follow on Rogue wizard and Warlock's heirs series of some 27 volumes not including omnibus editions.There have been other novels including colaborations.