WIJFR: The Wizardry Consulted

closeHey, just so you know ... this post is now about 13 years and 10 months old. Please keep that in mind as it very well may contain broken links and/or outdated information.

After rescuing the world from the creatures of darkness and chaos by applying a few computer logistics, Programmer and Systems Analyst Extraordinaire Wiz Zumwalt finds himself in another fix when he is kidnapped by dragons.

The Wizardry Consulted” by Rick Cook is my latest iPhone/Stanza read. Resuming the story three years after “The Wizardry Cursed,” this next installment finds Wiz stranded in a provincial town far to the lands of the North, having been kidnapped by Wurm the dragon. He is there, ostensibly, to help the townsfolk solve their “dragon problem” but ends up mired in council politics. Luckily, Wiz’s former life as a computer programmer and consultant lets him fast-talk around the council, baffling them with confusing presentations, graphic slides, project plans, and buzzwords.

As with the other books, a heathly dose of technology-meets-magic is mixed in: the internet, IRC chat, e-mail, packet routing, and the FBI all play a part. There was even a mention of the Cleveland Freenet, which was one of my first experiences with the internet back in the day (my user ID was ag154). Much like the second book, the narrative is split: Wiz and his dealings with the council, townspeople, and dragons; and then the rest of the folks back at the Wizard’s Keep (Jerry, Danny, Moira, etc.) who are trying to track Wiz down and rescue him from his kidnappers.

Unfortunately, it looks like the fifth book, “The Wizardry Quested,” was never published as an e-book and the paperback is out-of-print ($300 for a new copy on Amazon!?). Additionally, Rick Cook never finished the sixth (and final?) “The Wizardry Capitalized” but has put the unfinished manuscript online. So it looks like I’m done with this series unless I get motivated to read the partial manuscript. Overall, though, it was very enjoyable series to read. Fare thee well, Sparrow!

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