With A Single Spell discussion thread

[G.Cube]

Just finished "With A Single Spell" by Lawerence Watt-Evans, any playgrounders also read it and care to discuss it?

[GoblinArchmage]

The title of this particular book in the thread title kind of makes the thread sound like a spam post, just so you know.

[tomandtish]

It's not quite as good as The Misenchanted Sword, but still enjoyable. Watts-Evans does a decent job with "mostly" light-hearted enjoyable fiction.

[endoperez]

I agree with Tomandtish. I liked Misenchanted Sword more, but Wiith A Single Spell wasn't bad at all. I was expecting him to actually master his single spell instead of randomly using it and always lucking out that way, but it was still fine this way. The magic was suitably unfamiliar, the world had a life of its own, it was a fun romp.

I've heard there's a sequel, but haven't been able to locate it yet.

If you're looking at someone getting inventive while trying to cope with less-than-perfect circumstances and with limited mastery over his magic, Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy is another fine choice.

[G.Cube]

It's not quite as good as The Misenchanted Sword, but still enjoyable. Watts-Evans does a decent job with "mostly" light-hearted enjoyable fiction.

Bolded for emphasis and agreement.


I agree with Tomandtish. I liked Misenchanted Sword more, but Wiith A Single Spell wasn't bad at all. I was expecting him to actually master his single spell instead of randomly using it and always lucking out that way, but it was still fine this way. The magic was suitably unfamiliar, the world had a life of its own, it was a fun romp.

I've heard there's a sequel, but haven't been able to locate it yet.

If you're looking at someone getting inventive while trying to cope with less-than-perfect circumstances and with limited mastery over his magic, Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy is another fine choice.

This. It kept me entertained, but I felt like Tobas was just some lucky Joe Anybody, and never really felt anything for him. As much as I don't care for mellow drama, I felt not enough happened to him, even the two times he encountered the dragon were very quick to end and involved no one doing much of anything. Hopefully the next book I pick up will be a drastically more complex and deep read.

That said, it was an easy, feel good sort of adventure, and admittedly, how I would hope my life would end up if magic were real. :smallbiggrin:

[Kd7sov]

I've heard there's a sequel, but haven't been able to locate it yet.

I'm not sure that there's a specific sequel, but it's part of a rather sprawling narrative mythos thing, my favorite of which is...

...hang on, checking his Wikipedia entry, I may be mistaken. If I remember correctly the main protag also features in Spell of the Black Dagger and Spriggan Mirror. So there's those.

Anyway. My favorite is probably Ithanalin's Restoration. Not really sure why, any more; it's been a long time since I've had opportunity to read anything of Watt-Evans' except the Annals of the Chosen trilogy.