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Rogue Agent #3
Wizard Squared
1st Orbit edition paperback fine
531 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2010
33 people are currently reading
683 people want to read
About the author
K.E. Mills
9Ìýbooks231Ìýfollowers"K.E. Mills" is a pseudonym of "Karen Miller"
I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.
I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.
Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.
I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.
When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.
I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!
I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.
In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.
So that’s me. You can wake up now ...
I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.
I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.
Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.
I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.
When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.
I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!
I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.
In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.
So that’s me. You can wake up now ...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
September 2, 2023DNFing after about a quarter of the book. The thing is, this has been on my shelf for over a decade, and I'm trying to either read those books or DNF them. It's not bad, but I'm also not that invested in the characters. I might be, if I went back and reread the first two (which I read over a decade ago, and have only the haziest memories of). But I'm also not enjoying this enough to go back and read this one.
Look, I suspect this is an enjoyable enough book, and that I would have enjoyed it had I read it in a timely fashion after the first two in the series, but it's not gripping enough to make me test that theory.
Also, there are multiple typos in my edition.
Look, I suspect this is an enjoyable enough book, and that I would have enjoyed it had I read it in a timely fashion after the first two in the series, but it's not gripping enough to make me test that theory.
Also, there are multiple typos in my edition.
September 8, 2023
The third book in the Rogue Agent series pits our hero, Gerald, against himself� or at least another version of himself from a different trouser leg of time, as Pratchett might say. Wizard Squared is an enjoyable read but it has flaws. I feel it could have benefited from another round of editing and revision. The first 60 pages or so could have been cut entirely because they mirror events from the first book. It is at this point that the alternate Gerald makes a choice that the original Gerald did not and the two parallel worlds diverge. Then, there are about 80 more pages that could (and should) have been condensed. Actually, the first 144 pages could probably have been better told in a short prologue of a dozen pages, at most. We already know most of this part of the story because it was told near the end of the first book, and the events we don't know about would be better left a mystery until later. Another flaw I feel is that the witty humor pervasive throughout the book is carried too far, causing characters to be overly snarky with one another in situations where it feels inappropriate and unnatural. Despite these things, this is still a fun adventure and would recommend it for readers fond of comic fantasy.
January 23, 2023
Nooo Reg! I held off on this one, mainly because I forgot to check if there was a sequel, and because I didn't really enjoy the second book. Mel is a really strong and waspish character. The first book was still the best for me.
This one was alright, playing with parallel worlds. Two Geralds, Bibis, Monks, Regs and Mels. I thought the most heartbreaking was Monk having to watch himself die. Then there was Reg with her sacrifice. I'm glad he took the other one back, so at least he has someone, and she has a chance to heal from what her Gerald did.
I found myself liking Sir Alec, having to put up with Monk and the girls. I was momentarily gutted when it jumped to Gerald's whereabouts.
Mel is toning it down a bit and becoming softer. Or the other Bibi was just so annoying, Mel is tolerable now. Guess I'll find out in the next one.
I did like how evil Gerald was taken care of. He was so confident he was untouchable. It helps no one directly killed him, so they don't have that on their shoulders. It does look like Monk is going to need some life long therapy.
This one was alright, playing with parallel worlds. Two Geralds, Bibis, Monks, Regs and Mels. I thought the most heartbreaking was Monk having to watch himself die. Then there was Reg with her sacrifice. I'm glad he took the other one back, so at least he has someone, and she has a chance to heal from what her Gerald did.
I found myself liking Sir Alec, having to put up with Monk and the girls. I was momentarily gutted when it jumped to Gerald's whereabouts.
Mel is toning it down a bit and becoming softer. Or the other Bibi was just so annoying, Mel is tolerable now. Guess I'll find out in the next one.
I did like how evil Gerald was taken care of. He was so confident he was untouchable. It helps no one directly killed him, so they don't have that on their shoulders. It does look like Monk is going to need some life long therapy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2011
The storyline of this book concentrates on the idea of parallel universes and it’s so different from the previous books that I wondered if the author was in one. It was rather confusing at the beginning because it completely rehashed the ending of the first book to such an extent that I wondered if something had gone wrong somewhere. The first two chapters are pretty much copied from book 1 albeit with some minor differences towards the end which made for really boring reading. Not exactly the best way to start off a new book.
As with the previous books, there were large chunks of dialogue that really didn’t move the story along that much. There wasn’t as much bickering between Reg and Mel which was a relief; actually Reg didn’t seem to have a large part in this book at all thankfully. There was still the same issue with dialogue as in the second book, where during a dualogue, one character is initially referred to as ‘he� and it’s never made clear who it actually is that’s speaking. This happened several times throughout the book and was quite annoying. It’s just sloppy writing and made me wonder if an editor had even seen the book. In addition to this, I also noticed a large number of typos that hadn’t been picked up at the editing stage which was a little irritating. There was also a sudden use of Americanisms, mainly the use of ‘ass� rather than ‘arse� which was very odd, especially as the previous books had had the British versions. The phrase ‘Saint Snodgrass preserve us� or something of that nature was seriously overused, to the point that it would make a great drinking game.
While the first book started off light and went suddenly dark halfway through, the second book was light all the way through. In comparison, this book is mostly dark and yet it’s supposed to be a comedy. It’s quite jarring and I don’t think the combination works very well from this author. Maybe if the writing had more proper laughs it would be better.
All in all, it was quite disappointing. Even though the previous two books weren’t brilliant, this one was such a departure from their style that it felt like it was done by a different author. I believe the initial trilogy has now been extended to a longer series - as seems to have happened to several of the series I’ve been reading recently! - but I don’t know if I will bother with the rest of it.
As with the previous books, there were large chunks of dialogue that really didn’t move the story along that much. There wasn’t as much bickering between Reg and Mel which was a relief; actually Reg didn’t seem to have a large part in this book at all thankfully. There was still the same issue with dialogue as in the second book, where during a dualogue, one character is initially referred to as ‘he� and it’s never made clear who it actually is that’s speaking. This happened several times throughout the book and was quite annoying. It’s just sloppy writing and made me wonder if an editor had even seen the book. In addition to this, I also noticed a large number of typos that hadn’t been picked up at the editing stage which was a little irritating. There was also a sudden use of Americanisms, mainly the use of ‘ass� rather than ‘arse� which was very odd, especially as the previous books had had the British versions. The phrase ‘Saint Snodgrass preserve us� or something of that nature was seriously overused, to the point that it would make a great drinking game.
While the first book started off light and went suddenly dark halfway through, the second book was light all the way through. In comparison, this book is mostly dark and yet it’s supposed to be a comedy. It’s quite jarring and I don’t think the combination works very well from this author. Maybe if the writing had more proper laughs it would be better.
All in all, it was quite disappointing. Even though the previous two books weren’t brilliant, this one was such a departure from their style that it felt like it was done by a different author. I believe the initial trilogy has now been extended to a longer series - as seems to have happened to several of the series I’ve been reading recently! - but I don’t know if I will bother with the rest of it.
September 19, 2010
Why do I keep giving these four stars? This is why!
The overall pacing of these three books has been very satisfying. We're still learning things abut the main characters, and it still feels just right. The affection the friend have for each other feels genuine, and so do the actions their friendship causes them to take.
I have no idea why I thought this was a trilogy, but it's not, and as annoyed as I am that there are open-ended questions I must wait to have answered, I'm really looking forward to reading more. (That despite how unsettled and a bit sad the ending of this one left me.)
Since a few pages in to book one, I have thought these would make some pretty good movies. Maybe made-for-the-sci-fi-channel movies, but fun movies nonetheless. I would like to see them. Unless Reg comes out like the owl from the old "Clash of the Titans".
Oh, I completely forgot to mention how much I love the way magic works in this universe, with all the smoking, burned-up machinery and Thomas-Edison-like experimentation.
The overall pacing of these three books has been very satisfying. We're still learning things abut the main characters, and it still feels just right. The affection the friend have for each other feels genuine, and so do the actions their friendship causes them to take.
I have no idea why I thought this was a trilogy, but it's not, and as annoyed as I am that there are open-ended questions I must wait to have answered, I'm really looking forward to reading more. (That despite how unsettled and a bit sad the ending of this one left me.)
Since a few pages in to book one, I have thought these would make some pretty good movies. Maybe made-for-the-sci-fi-channel movies, but fun movies nonetheless. I would like to see them. Unless Reg comes out like the owl from the old "Clash of the Titans".
Oh, I completely forgot to mention how much I love the way magic works in this universe, with all the smoking, burned-up machinery and Thomas-Edison-like experimentation.
September 15, 2018
Number three in this series goes very dark, with Things Going Bad For Our Heroes (and Heroines) pretty much every step of the way until the very end. Monk Markham and Gerald Dunwoody are drawn into a parallel dimension where the battle between Gerald and Lional turned out slightly differently - Lional is still dead, but Gerald has read Forbidden Grimoires, and their contents have pulled him to the dark side.
One day, another Monk appears and babbles about a demented Gerald trying to take over the world with magic before he dies. Meanwhile, Gerald is yanked from a portal by the other-dimensional Gerald so he can help the other Gerald with the other Gerald's plans.
Much angst and several deaths later, events come to somewhat of a conclusion. For now.
The narration changes from one dimension to the other, but the author makes it clear which one the reader is in at any time.
One day, another Monk appears and babbles about a demented Gerald trying to take over the world with magic before he dies. Meanwhile, Gerald is yanked from a portal by the other-dimensional Gerald so he can help the other Gerald with the other Gerald's plans.
Much angst and several deaths later, events come to somewhat of a conclusion. For now.
The narration changes from one dimension to the other, but the author makes it clear which one the reader is in at any time.
May 12, 2023
Wizard Squared � Rogue Agent Book Three � Published 2010 - - Rogue agent, Gerald, has to fight himself in this third book of the series. All the familiar characters are here carrying on with their familiar back and forth with Reg sniping at everyone. As some of the reviews have pointed out, the first one hundred plus pages are a re-hash of how the group got to this point. Yes, it is a little slow and repetitive until things start popping. But after the long set up, Mills delivers a smashing long build up to the climax that kept me interested and reading into the night. Very enjoyable and entertaining fantasy ride. Just what I want out of a book. Excellent work, Mills.
July 31, 2017
It's my second time reading this - I'm excited to (finally) read the fourth book in the series. While I like the whole premise of the book Parallel universe and the story overall was great it kind of feels a bit like emotional deception as nearly everything that happens in the parallel universe doesn't actually matter or is in fact even real or has any real consequence in the original universe, so things happen and you're emotionally invested, and all of that is sort of "disregarded" the moment they arrive back.
June 22, 2019
These books are an endlessly fun ride
This book pits Gerald against.... himself. One different decision led to an entirely different world and an entirely different Gerald. It was amazing watching Gerald try and reason with himself and sad watching as events unfolded. The pacing of these books is wild once I pick one up I don't want to put it down again
This book pits Gerald against.... himself. One different decision led to an entirely different world and an entirely different Gerald. It was amazing watching Gerald try and reason with himself and sad watching as events unfolded. The pacing of these books is wild once I pick one up I don't want to put it down again
December 28, 2020
An interesting story, though despite it's length of 580 pages, the book felt too fast-paced, like you were done before you really dove into the story, granted I'm a speed reader, so it just maybe me. Although it took me a while to finally get through, due to my anxiety. Despite the outcome of this book which left me a bit down, I would love to continue this series.
June 20, 2019
Oh gosh. Gerald! Loved this telling of what could have been! One choice, but instead of choosing the first route and making another dragon, this alternate dimension sees Gerald absorb those nasty grimoires and how they affect him. Or rather re-make him.
November 27, 2020
2.5 stars, as the beginning was repetitive - almost identical to the same events told in the first novel. It could have been shortened or told briefly as flashbacks. Darker and more adult novel that the previous two.
April 1, 2021
10 Stars
review to follow
review to follow
June 11, 2021
What a predicament they got into and out of but not without a cost.
December 25, 2022
Nasty. Desperate. Not easy to read.
May 27, 2023
Couldn’t read any more. Just awful. I never give up on a book but this just wasn’t worth my time.
January 19, 2014
This review forms part of my contribution to theÌý. All my 2013 AWWC reviews can be foundÌý.
is the third book in the Rogue Agent series by . You can read my review of the first book in the series,Ìý,ÌýÌýand my review of the second book,Ìý, . Those reviews cover a lot of my general thoughts on the world building and general background, so I'll keep this review shorter and focused on the plot of this third book.
Wizard Squared is essentially a parallel reality story. InÌýThe Accidental Sorcerer, the protagonist (Gerald) makes certain noble decisions to resolve the plot. InÌýWizard Squared, the author postulates an alternate world where Gerald made other, less noble decisions and as a result warped himself into an evil sorcerer.
I thought this plot had a lot of possibilities, and was looking forward to reading the book. However, I wasn't taken with the direction it went in. In some ways I am guilty of wanting a different book than the one the author wrote, which isn't really fair.
The first section of the book retells the ending ofÌýThe Accidental Sorcerer, but with the alternate ending. This went on for quite a long time - it almost lost me to be honest. I did wonder whether this kind of backstory might have been woven into the plot a little more seamlessly (and briefly).
Perhaps as a result of the extensive introduction, the rest of the story felt rushed and didn't broaden the readers view of the world Mills has created as much as the previous two books. This was disappointing.
Evil Gerald was a little too "moustache twirling" for my tastes. He had gone completely and utterly bonkers, and because the conversion to cartoon evil was so complete, it was hard to summon the "there but for the grace of god" type feeling I think the reader was supposed to have. I think there was an opportunity to portray a more subtly evil Gerald, which would have made some of good Gerald's decisions more complex and morally ambiguous.
I mentioned this in the review ofÌýWitches Incorporated, but the use of Gerald's wild and unpredictable powers to resolve plot issues irked me particularly in this book. None of the character's actions have much impact - Gerald's power did most of the work. And his powers were not particularly under his control. So really, things worked out via luck more than anything else. I found this slightly unsatisfying.
As a stand alone book, I'd have trouble recommending this one. If you are enjoying the series overall (which I am), there is enough character progression to warrant reading, but don't be afraid to skip a few pages whereÌýnecessary.
Fortunately (spoilers) I enjoyed the fourth book in the series (Wizard Undercover) a lot more.
I also reviewed this book on .
is the third book in the Rogue Agent series by . You can read my review of the first book in the series,Ìý,ÌýÌýand my review of the second book,Ìý, . Those reviews cover a lot of my general thoughts on the world building and general background, so I'll keep this review shorter and focused on the plot of this third book.
Wizard Squared is essentially a parallel reality story. InÌýThe Accidental Sorcerer, the protagonist (Gerald) makes certain noble decisions to resolve the plot. InÌýWizard Squared, the author postulates an alternate world where Gerald made other, less noble decisions and as a result warped himself into an evil sorcerer.
I thought this plot had a lot of possibilities, and was looking forward to reading the book. However, I wasn't taken with the direction it went in. In some ways I am guilty of wanting a different book than the one the author wrote, which isn't really fair.
The first section of the book retells the ending ofÌýThe Accidental Sorcerer, but with the alternate ending. This went on for quite a long time - it almost lost me to be honest. I did wonder whether this kind of backstory might have been woven into the plot a little more seamlessly (and briefly).
Perhaps as a result of the extensive introduction, the rest of the story felt rushed and didn't broaden the readers view of the world Mills has created as much as the previous two books. This was disappointing.
Evil Gerald was a little too "moustache twirling" for my tastes. He had gone completely and utterly bonkers, and because the conversion to cartoon evil was so complete, it was hard to summon the "there but for the grace of god" type feeling I think the reader was supposed to have. I think there was an opportunity to portray a more subtly evil Gerald, which would have made some of good Gerald's decisions more complex and morally ambiguous.
I mentioned this in the review ofÌýWitches Incorporated, but the use of Gerald's wild and unpredictable powers to resolve plot issues irked me particularly in this book. None of the character's actions have much impact - Gerald's power did most of the work. And his powers were not particularly under his control. So really, things worked out via luck more than anything else. I found this slightly unsatisfying.
As a stand alone book, I'd have trouble recommending this one. If you are enjoying the series overall (which I am), there is enough character progression to warrant reading, but don't be afraid to skip a few pages whereÌýnecessary.
Fortunately (spoilers) I enjoyed the fourth book in the series (Wizard Undercover) a lot more.
I also reviewed this book on .
October 7, 2011
After loving the previous two books in this series, I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed, as this book was ultimately more irritating than entertaining. As with The Accidental Sorcerer and Witches Incorporated, the story took forever to get into its stride, which was surprising considering that Karen Miller has amassed some considerable writing experience up to now. There were a great many dialogue-heavy scenes between the main characters that contained so much pointless bickering that I found myself crying out for Gerald and co. to just get to the point. Certain phrases (such as 'ass over teakettle', 'ass over elbows' and 'Saint Snodgrass preserve us') were repeated far too often, and the sudden replacement of the British/Aussie words used in the previous books with their American counterparts, such as 'ass', was also baffling. Why suddenly turn the characters into Americans part way through the series? The storyline also left a lot to be desired in my opinion. Considering that New Ottosland was the focus of book 1 and was constantly referred to in book 2, I was really hoping that this time around we would get to hear something completely new. Unfortunately, we're back in New Ottosland with Lionel and the dragon. In fact, the whole of the first two chapters is basically a repeat of the final events of book 1, albeit with a few changes towards the end. It felt to me that the author may have been struggling for ideas with this book, which may explain the heavy reliance on book 1, the unfocused dialogue scenes and the repetition of phrases. This isn't helped by the ridiculous number of typos in the book, which gives it a sloppy, rushed feel. All this is really a shame because the characters are very likeable and could be used in a much more entertaining way. Once the plot started to move along a bit in places, the story was quite entertaining and the idea of alternate universes was interesting, but such parts were surrounded by boring, humourless, long-winded sections that were a chore to read. There's the promise of another Rogue Agent book and I really hope that in the next one we see a return to the humour of books 1 & 2 and a few fresh ideas, because it would be a real shame to let Gerald and the gang fizzle out like this.
October 4, 2010
Genre: Fantasy
I vacillated between giving this 4 and 5 stars: this was an incredibly well written book � but I found it an extremely difficult read. The characters suffer a lot, and there’s no sense that things are going to get better for them � the world just keeps throwing awful situations at them where there is no option that lets the characters still like themselves at the end of the day. The point-of-view characters feel soiled by the choices they’ve had to make, and as a reader I feel completely wrung out by the necessity that they do so.
The story itself takes a well known RPG trope (that of the characters having to fight evil versions of themselves) and makes it harrowingly real. The book starts by repeating the climax of The Accidental Sorcerer in a parallel universe where instead of the heroic outcome we’re familiar with, the Gerald in that universe makes choices that turn him into a super-villain, rather then a hero. Once the Gerald we followed in the previous books becomes aware of his parallel self he has to deal with the fact that he could’ve become that person, no matter how vile he finds the evil version. Monk’s nose is also rubbed in the fact that he has a breaking point � there is pressure that can make him do things that are atrocious. Gerald and Monk have different ways of handling the cognitive dissonance; in some ways it’s even harder for them seeing how their friends can come to embrace the dark side.
One of the things I love about this book is how very human the interactions between the characters are. In an aside Monk (the inventor-genius extraordinaire) admits that there are projects he has needed Gerald’s help with in the past, that he simply stopped working on because he was too proud to admit he needed help. This isn’t a plot point; it’s just gives depth to both Monk’s character and the relationship between Gerald and Monk. There are many such details that make the world and the characters very real, which is why it’s so very difficult to read about the awful choices they’re forced into.
I vacillated between giving this 4 and 5 stars: this was an incredibly well written book � but I found it an extremely difficult read. The characters suffer a lot, and there’s no sense that things are going to get better for them � the world just keeps throwing awful situations at them where there is no option that lets the characters still like themselves at the end of the day. The point-of-view characters feel soiled by the choices they’ve had to make, and as a reader I feel completely wrung out by the necessity that they do so.
The story itself takes a well known RPG trope (that of the characters having to fight evil versions of themselves) and makes it harrowingly real. The book starts by repeating the climax of The Accidental Sorcerer in a parallel universe where instead of the heroic outcome we’re familiar with, the Gerald in that universe makes choices that turn him into a super-villain, rather then a hero. Once the Gerald we followed in the previous books becomes aware of his parallel self he has to deal with the fact that he could’ve become that person, no matter how vile he finds the evil version. Monk’s nose is also rubbed in the fact that he has a breaking point � there is pressure that can make him do things that are atrocious. Gerald and Monk have different ways of handling the cognitive dissonance; in some ways it’s even harder for them seeing how their friends can come to embrace the dark side.
One of the things I love about this book is how very human the interactions between the characters are. In an aside Monk (the inventor-genius extraordinaire) admits that there are projects he has needed Gerald’s help with in the past, that he simply stopped working on because he was too proud to admit he needed help. This isn’t a plot point; it’s just gives depth to both Monk’s character and the relationship between Gerald and Monk. There are many such details that make the world and the characters very real, which is why it’s so very difficult to read about the awful choices they’re forced into.
April 10, 2012
THis was not what I hoped for after plowing through two previous books.
I suppose I should not have been surprised that right after Our Hero discovers he's The Most Powerful Wizard There Ever Was, we get an "... except for THIS guy."
There's a good 150-page novella here. All Mills had to do was cut out:
* everything that involves the incredibly annoying Reg speaking
* all the scenes where the young Incs are squabbling (half the time it's Go Faster, other half Go Slower)
* all the sighing and moaning of "I love him/her but I dare not say so"
OK, maybe that would leave 100 pages. And to be fair, I was able to skim over the useless bits quite quickly.
Including a large dose of "well, the bad guy will have thought of that, won't he?" that is a tad annoying given the ending, which also includes something that was foreshadowed twice with big, fat, unsubtle hints that fell just short of "PAY ATTENTION THIS IS IMPORTANT."
All in all, I get the familiar feeling that this is another author who is churning them out rather than crafting them. That's her choice, but it produces books I don't like.
I'm also left thinking that this book is written for a teen-YA audience, which is fine, but at 60+ I've read and enjoyed many such without feeling that the book missed me. And yes, I did identify a tad with Sir Alec.
Speaking of whom ... we learn in this volume that he's Sir Alec Oldman. As in Gary Oldman, who played Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a character not at all unlike Sir Alec.
I'll look for some reviews of #4 before committing.
I suppose I should not have been surprised that right after Our Hero discovers he's The Most Powerful Wizard There Ever Was, we get an "... except for THIS guy."
There's a good 150-page novella here. All Mills had to do was cut out:
* everything that involves the incredibly annoying Reg speaking
* all the scenes where the young Incs are squabbling (half the time it's Go Faster, other half Go Slower)
* all the sighing and moaning of "I love him/her but I dare not say so"
OK, maybe that would leave 100 pages. And to be fair, I was able to skim over the useless bits quite quickly.
Including a large dose of "well, the bad guy will have thought of that, won't he?" that is a tad annoying given the ending, which also includes something that was foreshadowed twice with big, fat, unsubtle hints that fell just short of "PAY ATTENTION THIS IS IMPORTANT."
All in all, I get the familiar feeling that this is another author who is churning them out rather than crafting them. That's her choice, but it produces books I don't like.
I'm also left thinking that this book is written for a teen-YA audience, which is fine, but at 60+ I've read and enjoyed many such without feeling that the book missed me. And yes, I did identify a tad with Sir Alec.
Speaking of whom ... we learn in this volume that he's Sir Alec Oldman. As in Gary Oldman, who played Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a character not at all unlike Sir Alec.
I'll look for some reviews of #4 before committing.
September 4, 2012
K.E. Mills� Wizard Squared is the third of The Rogue Agent series, preceded by The Accidental Sorcerer and Witches Incorporated and follows the adventures of Gerald Dunwoody, Monk Markham, Reg, Princess Melissande, and Bibbie Markham. I picked this particular book because after reading The Accidental Sorcerer, the main character Gerald stole my heart with his uncertain and well-meaning ways, and he was a somewhat unique hero in all the books I’d been reading at the time. The sequel Witches Incorporated was okay but I was far less interested in Melissande and Bibbie, so when I saw that the third book was about Gerald, I was thrilled!
Wizard Squared
Unfortunately, while the concept of the book was sound and I truly did enjoy the final couple chapters, this book took me forever to finish, by which I mean that it took me a good year to finally buckle down and finish it. The book itself isn’t that hefty at 529 pages and it shouldn’t have taken me nearly that long to finish it, especially considering the speed in which I tend to finish books (commutes on public transit make my reading materials disappear).
In the end what I didn’t like was the beginning of the book in which the first seven, yes seven, chapters recount the conclusion to the first book, The Accidental Sorcerer, with tiny, miniscule, yet important changes which I felt could have been otherwise address in the later chapters—but maybe that’s just me.
Complete review:
Wizard Squared
Unfortunately, while the concept of the book was sound and I truly did enjoy the final couple chapters, this book took me forever to finish, by which I mean that it took me a good year to finally buckle down and finish it. The book itself isn’t that hefty at 529 pages and it shouldn’t have taken me nearly that long to finish it, especially considering the speed in which I tend to finish books (commutes on public transit make my reading materials disappear).
In the end what I didn’t like was the beginning of the book in which the first seven, yes seven, chapters recount the conclusion to the first book, The Accidental Sorcerer, with tiny, miniscule, yet important changes which I felt could have been otherwise address in the later chapters—but maybe that’s just me.
Complete review:
September 13, 2011
This is the third book in an immensely enjoyable fantasy series that is both funny and serious.
If you are going to use the parallel world trope where a virtuous character is evil in another universe it takes some effort to not make it seem trite. Thankfully this trope is not only done right, but done with flair.
In the parallels world Gerald makes a decision that puts him on the road to evil and corruption. It rehashes the battle in the first book between Gerald and the villain King, yet this time Gerald's decision to use some dark magic to do good sets him on the wrong path.
This takes a serious issue of doing evil to do good and shows the consequences. Once such a decision is made most often it is justified again and again in such as way as to mute the conscience and then to accept it as a good in itself to do good. There is something seemingly more evil about a virtuous person going bad than the standard villains we see. In this case the evil Gerald seems so much worse than the villain King ever was. Showing the point in which these worlds divided makes it work much better than the famous Bearded Spock episode in Star Trek.
The last part of the book was especially harrowing and while you always know the hero will win out, things don't go as perfectly as planned and certainly sets up the next book in the series to be released next year. I really enjoyed the serious treatment of evil and the effects on the soul.
If you are going to use the parallel world trope where a virtuous character is evil in another universe it takes some effort to not make it seem trite. Thankfully this trope is not only done right, but done with flair.
In the parallels world Gerald makes a decision that puts him on the road to evil and corruption. It rehashes the battle in the first book between Gerald and the villain King, yet this time Gerald's decision to use some dark magic to do good sets him on the wrong path.
This takes a serious issue of doing evil to do good and shows the consequences. Once such a decision is made most often it is justified again and again in such as way as to mute the conscience and then to accept it as a good in itself to do good. There is something seemingly more evil about a virtuous person going bad than the standard villains we see. In this case the evil Gerald seems so much worse than the villain King ever was. Showing the point in which these worlds divided makes it work much better than the famous Bearded Spock episode in Star Trek.
The last part of the book was especially harrowing and while you always know the hero will win out, things don't go as perfectly as planned and certainly sets up the next book in the series to be released next year. I really enjoyed the serious treatment of evil and the effects on the soul.
May 26, 2015
So creepy and well done. I was quite scared of the other Gerald, and quite fearful of that other place. I have to say I didn't care to read such a detailed summary of the same happenings in that other place, even if they were mostly from new characters.
Monk! I like him, and was so devastated when (semi-spoiler) he died. I am glad there was more of him in this book, although I think I still like Gerald's pov best. I have to say I liked Sir Alec a lot more in this book, and his fears about Gerald made a lot more sense.
I can't say whether I like Bibbie or not. She seems so childish and whiny. Willing to help out friends, but immature all the same. The other Bibbie reinforced that notion.
The end felt too rushed. It was like "They have a chance!" "Oh, no, they're gonna lose!" "They're all gonna die!" "It's all ruined!" "Catastrophe!" and then they skedaddled and "Everything's fine."
In some ways I like how KM makes the characters change and face a bit of dark reality, but they seem too melancholy. Too morose. They may not be too lighthearted to begin with, but after this book they were quite depressed and darkened. Kind of like Gerald after book one. I want more happiness. I wish the characters could still enjoy life, have hope in humanity, trust in the goodness of people, see the glass half full. If possible. But I like happy endings and happy characters. While this wasn't a disappointing ending, it wasn't tidy and happy.
Monk! I like him, and was so devastated when (semi-spoiler) he died. I am glad there was more of him in this book, although I think I still like Gerald's pov best. I have to say I liked Sir Alec a lot more in this book, and his fears about Gerald made a lot more sense.
I can't say whether I like Bibbie or not. She seems so childish and whiny. Willing to help out friends, but immature all the same. The other Bibbie reinforced that notion.
The end felt too rushed. It was like "They have a chance!" "Oh, no, they're gonna lose!" "They're all gonna die!" "It's all ruined!" "Catastrophe!" and then they skedaddled and "Everything's fine."
In some ways I like how KM makes the characters change and face a bit of dark reality, but they seem too melancholy. Too morose. They may not be too lighthearted to begin with, but after this book they were quite depressed and darkened. Kind of like Gerald after book one. I want more happiness. I wish the characters could still enjoy life, have hope in humanity, trust in the goodness of people, see the glass half full. If possible. But I like happy endings and happy characters. While this wasn't a disappointing ending, it wasn't tidy and happy.
January 29, 2012
I've been looking forward to reading this book for some time, as I greatly enjoyed and , the first two books in this series. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the first two.
The premise is, of course, one that has been used many times before, but it is used very well in this book. The way the main characters work together is something I have enjoyed since the beginning, and that, too, is done well.
However, the book moved a bit too slowly for my taste - I felt that the characters spent too much time talking (albeit in very wittily-written dialogue), and this meant that the action was a bit too slow.
Speaking of dialogue, as with the Kingmaker/Kingbreaker books (written as ), Ms Mills writes in a way that draws much from the Australian idiom, which makes her books recognisable and enjoyable for me in a way that other books in this genre often are not.
The premise is, of course, one that has been used many times before, but it is used very well in this book. The way the main characters work together is something I have enjoyed since the beginning, and that, too, is done well.
However, the book moved a bit too slowly for my taste - I felt that the characters spent too much time talking (albeit in very wittily-written dialogue), and this meant that the action was a bit too slow.
Speaking of dialogue, as with the Kingmaker/Kingbreaker books (written as ), Ms Mills writes in a way that draws much from the Australian idiom, which makes her books recognisable and enjoyable for me in a way that other books in this genre often are not.
September 9, 2010
With this book, the series graduates from a rueful and guilty pleasure to something that's actually pretty good. Part of it is that things go horribly wrong and people have to live with the consequences. Part of it is that Black Hat Gerald actually kicks butt, which I've been wanting White Hat Gerald to do since book one, so that's kind of satisfying. The "instant evil" nature of the black magic books was a little strange, but once I started imagining that the books were written by Nietzche and Schopenhauer, that made fine sense as well. Even the editing was better, though there are still some lapses. An example could be: is in a tense, life or death situation where time is of the essence, yet while they sweat bullets they also carry on a jovial verbal sparing with , discuss the weather with and muse upon their until clears their throat at which point they solve the problem. This happens at least twice.
Still, these books are getting to be pretty good.
Still, these books are getting to be pretty good.
February 10, 2014
I admit I kinda OD'd on this series - three books in short order is a lot, and it's easy to get tired of something when you have a lot of it in a short period of time. (Like, say, Dulce de Leche ice cream. I mean, hypothetically.)
Anyway. I generally enjoyed this book when I was actually reading it, but I also had very little urge to pick it up. (I actually started it before , which I finished first even though I didn't really like it.)
More Gerald and Monk and Bibbie, plus evil twins. Maybe that's what I didn't like; that's a pretty tired trope. But maybe I just don't like evil; seems like there's enough of that in the world without having to deal with good characters gone wrong in fiction.
Overall, not bad, but I'm not rushing out to find out if there's another book in the series right away. Maybe in a year or two....
Anyway. I generally enjoyed this book when I was actually reading it, but I also had very little urge to pick it up. (I actually started it before , which I finished first even though I didn't really like it.)
More Gerald and Monk and Bibbie, plus evil twins. Maybe that's what I didn't like; that's a pretty tired trope. But maybe I just don't like evil; seems like there's enough of that in the world without having to deal with good characters gone wrong in fiction.
Overall, not bad, but I'm not rushing out to find out if there's another book in the series right away. Maybe in a year or two....
September 10, 2010
The third book in the Rogue Agent series keeps the energy of the previous two books going nicely. This books is an unique third book in a series -- instead of introducing a new storyline, the book revisits the story of the first book, when Gerald faces down the mad King Leonard. But in this world, Gerald takes a different path and becomes the rogue agent everyone has always feared.
And then he learns how to move back into their world.
The only problem this book faces is the dreaded "muddle in the middle" - the changes between the two worlds and the two Geralds is not quite as clear as it could be, and it takes the reader a few pages to understand the flips that are occurring in the narrative.
And then he learns how to move back into their world.
The only problem this book faces is the dreaded "muddle in the middle" - the changes between the two worlds and the two Geralds is not quite as clear as it could be, and it takes the reader a few pages to understand the flips that are occurring in the narrative.
September 2, 2010
I had high hopes for this book since I liked the first two in the Rogue Agent series so much, but this novel came as somewhat of a shock for me. While the previous two books were more about adventure and magic with a dab of depressing situations, Wizard Squared was from start to finish a completely dark and harrowing story, with very little to comfort the reader that "all will be well" or "there is some light within the darkness." Nope. Instead all we get is horrible situation after horrible situation until I was literally sick with dread and completely heartbroken.
Yeah... I think if I had to describe this book in a word, it would be "heartbreaking." Mine was aching the whole way through.
Yeah... I think if I had to describe this book in a word, it would be "heartbreaking." Mine was aching the whole way through.
November 7, 2010
First, I must say if you are looking for a light fantasy, look elsewhere. Despite its presentation this book is anything but light! There are a few moments that recall the fun of Witches Incorporated, but they fade quickly into a much darker, bleaker story. I *think* the author may have been attempting to make the evil Gerald into a over-the-top, scenery- chewing camp villain, but the 'real' characters are far too good for that to work. It becomes much too genuinely sad and dreary to find any humor in it.
Why four stars, then? The characters. The real versions of these characters are truly the best I've read in ages. Truly great characters are rare and these are wonderful. Even though I was relieved to end the book, I still missed the real Gerald, Reg and Monk.
Why four stars, then? The characters. The real versions of these characters are truly the best I've read in ages. Truly great characters are rare and these are wonderful. Even though I was relieved to end the book, I still missed the real Gerald, Reg and Monk.
April 22, 2016
Plot summary: What if Gerald had made different decisions in The Accidental Sorcerer? What if he was now a master of dark magic, unable to be defeated and with the wizarding world under his thumb? When Monk Markham finds himself confronted with a Monk from a parallel universe where exactly those things have happened, he must decide whether to help.
Thoughts: I spent the first chunk of the book horribly confused, because surely this was stuff I'd already read in The Accidental Sorcerer? And yes, it was. Up to a point. From that point, things got very interesting. Mills has done a fantastic job of illustrating the impact that major decisions can make on a person's character, and the dramatic changes this brought to Other Gerald led to several unexpected plot twists.
Thoughts: I spent the first chunk of the book horribly confused, because surely this was stuff I'd already read in The Accidental Sorcerer? And yes, it was. Up to a point. From that point, things got very interesting. Mills has done a fantastic job of illustrating the impact that major decisions can make on a person's character, and the dramatic changes this brought to Other Gerald led to several unexpected plot twists.
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