Description
This is a physical paperback, and it comes with an exclusive “Wizard’s Tower” tarot card bookmark illustrated by Reyhane Hoseyni.
She has the worst wizard’s apprenticeship ever. And that was before the android showed up.
On a moon in the middle of nowhere, in a damp and crumbling tower, with a befuddled Master Wizard who forgets she exists, there’s no way that Ninienne Lightcaster’s year could get any worse.
But when an android arrives to take her place, Ninienne’s plans for the future are shattered. If she can’t be a magical creature healer, then who is she?
Not to mention the other mysteries hiding in the shadows. What happened to the previous apprentice? Does the delivery boy have a crush on her? What did her familiar eat this time?
And what’s that lurking in the woods?
Hilarious and heartfelt, this genre-bending debut novel will delight and surprise you with its imaginative world and memorable characters.
MaureenAstrid –
This was a really interesting and fun reading experience. Roeswood combines Fantasy story elements with Science Fiction and the result is a story with a refreshing twist in the fantasy genre. It is easy to read, fast paced with not too many characters and you just keep on want to go on to find out what the Ooops… is all about.
Kay-Kilbourn –
I listened to the audiobook. The author does great characters. I love the way creature care and nature are woven into the story. There is just the right amount of suspense for a fun adventure.
Kat Um –
This is a fun little romp. A whirlwind adventure of a young witch on her last year of formal wizarding education and her first time setting out by herself into the 12.000 worlds. Of course, I mean OF COURSE all is not as it seems at the rickety wizard’s tower in the dark forest. For starters, the resident wizard does not expect an apprentice. And the cooking is bad and the plumbing worse and the previous apprentice missing. You can look forward to a fast-paced adventure with high stake perils, emotional dilemmas, and a series of ever-growing challenges to overcome. I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. I like the mashing of magic and wizardry with sci fi elements like rocket travel, an internet analogue and robots. I enjoyed that the story plays out over a year (rather than a save-the-world-in-3-days) and does NOT feature a Chosen One or a Prophecy (yay).
Personally, I would have loved more world building. Expand on landmarks, rituals and customs on flora and fauna etc. Our heroine has a frogdog familiar. So what are the grooming routines? What quirk or fear does the familiar have? How is a familiar different from a pet? The book is short on these kinds of details. It relies on the reader being familiar with certain tropes like “the wizard’s tower” in the “dark woods” with the “resourceful” and “bright” young “heroine” to fill in the background details themselves. Meaning, as a mature reader I want more, but it may be argued that for young audiences the level of detail seems about right to avoid being overwhelmed or distracted from the main story.
Despite the “details light” feeling where the world building is concerned, we meet a cast of characters with distinct and sometimes opposing desires, motives and goals that create emotional conflicts and put the characters at odds with one another. That and the fact that there is no clear-cut villain, but only complex motives makes a compelling read. The emotional states and motivations of each character feel relatable, immediate, and thus ring true.
Worth mentioning is the very good relationship modeling throughout the book. It allows for a pluralism of views, mentions coping mechanisms, checking in with your needs, processing through talk and features apologies where owed. Likewise, there is an awareness around gender and the allowance for a character to know who they are and respecting their choice.
In addition to the customary “Acknowledgements” and “About the Author” sections, the book also features a “Statement of Tools”. This relatively new in publishing and I for one am here for it. I like it when makers reveal a bit of the process and tools, they employed to create the work of art that I just enjoyed. Among others, Tarot Cards, The Deck of Worlds (look it up) and various AI Tools structured and informed the creative creation process of this work. I expect that the fact that AI was used in the creation of the work will cause some controversy and I appreciate the author being transparent about that.
Disclaimer: The book is free of foul language. It does describe battles – though without any grisly details, and features another made-up god, witchcraft (I mean, it is in the title) and a hell, demons and devils, as well as demonic contracts in a fantasy setting, and the death of an animal. The age recommendation 12 – 18 is fitting. All in all, it is an enjoyable and satisfying, positive and safe reading experience.
I requested and received an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of the book prior to its publishing date. All the above statements reflect my personal opinions of the book.
Liz Roesch –
Surprisingly sweet and funny fantasy adventure novel. I enjoyed following Ninienne’s story as she finishes her magical training with her apprenticeship year. The many mysteries of the Shadow Moon made this a real page turner.
Pedro Plitek Schubert –
When I first received news about this book I’ve got super exited! I new Royce’s stories by his Youtube channel (@theragamancers), and if I could describe them with just one word it would be: Fun!
His stories have helped me on my personal journey of rediscovering the bizarre, the weird and the gonzo in me, and, by doing so, gave me permission to indulge on those liberties.
Sometimes we just have to give ourselves permission to feel the magic in our world, and Royce’s stories are a catalyst that aid this. I can say I’m a fan, so I was already onboard.
When Royce described his method for writing this particular book, using both Magic and Science, I knew it would be a point of controversy. However I trust Royce, and I believe the way his method was implemented can be a lesson on how to use this new technologies. It was transparent, and it was used as a tool to instigate human creativity, not as an end result. His video on the matter of his methodology is superb.
Royce’s voice and style is clear and present. The book is a step up from his videos, making it a wonderful time. It is an easy and engaging read. There were times I had to stop myself from reading it, or else I would have had an all-nighter.
I hope you all find Ninienne’s story on the Shadow Moon as engaging as I had.