Title: Wizards of the Mound
Author: Ray Clifford Martinez II
Publisher: Hynotoad Books
ISBN: 979-8990334106
eBook ISBN: 979-8990334113
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Adventure
Availability: Paperback or eBook
Language: English
Paperback: 256 pages
Item Weight: 13.5 ounces
Dimensions: 6 x 0.58 x 9 inches
Review:
Audre Lord once said, “Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one’s own actions or lack of action.” In Ray Clifford Martinez II’s Wizards of the Mound, no one knows this better than the protagonist, Lazlo Redthorn.
During his life, Lazlo was many things. A soldier, a mentee, a scholar, a powerful mage, and most importantly, a Judge. However, his promising career is thrown off the beaten path when he makes a wrong call that leads to disastrous consequences, the guilt-ridden man exiles himself from the Academy he dutifully served to live out the remainder of his days teaching wayward students in his castle, Bacre Stronghold.
However, his self-imposed exile from the Academy ends when he receives the word that the Academy’s Headmaster, and his mentor, Master Ebus Nordau, passed into the veil. Unable to make sense of his mentor’s passing, Lazlo returns to Wizards of the Mound Academy with his mentee, the Academy’s previous rising star, Kazren Drita, and his old friend and druid, Tansya, to uncover the mystery of his mentor’s death.
One thing that surprised me going into reading Wizards of the Mound was that this felt more like a police procedural, with Lazlo and Tansya acting as the lead detectives trying to unravel the mystery of Master Ebus’ demise, versus the standard fantasy affair, which is refreshing to read.
The character interactions were great and managed to show various facets of Lazlo depending on who he was interacting with. From his mentor/mentee relationship with Kazren along with himself as the mentee and Master Ebus as the mentor, his friendship with his faerie dragon companion, Alisa, and his evolving relationship with Tansya, just to name a few.
The worldbuilding that author Ray Clifford Martinez crafted was superb. I was impressed with how seamlessly integrated magic felt in this world. It’s always a challenge to make anything magical fit in a world and have it make sense and feel natural but the author does a magnificent job in this aspect. The action scenes were done very well. They were engaging, easy to follow, and didn’t get over-descriptive.
Another aspect that I enjoyed was Lazlo dealing with his guilt over the events that led to his self-imposed exile, but also his grief, not only due to the past events but also the death of his beloved mentor. Everything, from his actions, and his emotions, to how he reconciled with them felt like a very realistic response.
From the outset, Wizards of the Mound impresses with its strong writing, likable characters, well-thought-out magic system, and engaging plot. It gains a magical recommendation from me. ★★★★★ – Elijah B. (Explore Authors Magazine)