The Evil Wizard Smallbone, Delia Sherman
The Evil Wizard Smallbone, Delia Sherman
List: $23.00 | Sale: $16.10
Club: $11.50

The Evil Wizard Smallbone

Author: Delia Sherman

Narrator: Jesse Bernstein

Unabridged: 8 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/10/2017


Synopsis

In a hilarious tale reminiscent of T. H. White, a lost boy finds himself an unlikely apprentice to the very old, vaguely evil, mostly just grumpy Wizard Smallbone.

When twelve-year-old Nick runs away from his uncle’s in the middle of a blizzard, he stumbles onto a very opinionated bookstore. He also meets its guardian, the self-proclaimed Evil Wizard Smallbone, who calls Nick his apprentice and won’t let him leave, but won’t teach him magic, either. It’s a good thing the bookstore takes Nick’s magical education in hand, because Smallbone’s nemesis—the Evil Wizard Fidelou—and his pack of shape-shifting bikers are howling at the borders. Smallbone might call himself evil, but compared to Fidelou, he’s practically a puppy. And he can’t handle Fidelou alone. 

Wildly funny and cozily heartfelt, Delia Sherman’s latest is an eccentric fantasy adventure featuring dueling wizards, enchanted animals, and one stray boy.

About The Author

DELIA SHERMAN is the author of numerous books and short stories for adults and children, including The Freedom Maze, available on audio from Listening Library, and “The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor” in Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories. She enjoys teaching writing and has given workshops at the Hollins University master’s degree program in children’s literature and the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop. Delia Sherman lives in New York City with her wife, fellow author Ellen Kushner.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Hannah

The glimmer of illusion, the crackle of magic, and the crunch of snow are forefront in this whimsical tale that is, sadly, brimming with unmet potential. Spotlight (Andre Norton audio-enhanced) video review forthcoming.......more

4.5 stars. $1.99 Kindle sale, August 28, 2017. What a delightful, fun middle grade fantasy! It's not really much like Harry Potter plotwise, other than being about a boy who's discovering the magic powers in himself, who has some awful relatives, but it carries the same kind of vibe for me as the fi......more

Goodreads review by Justine

An excellent middle grade modern fantasy with generous doses of humour. This book definitely earned it's place on the Andre Norton Award shortlist. It is well written, nicely paced and much funnier than I thought it would be. The tone of the storytelling reminded me a bit of the Percy Jackson books, a......more

3 STARS!! I really enjoyed this one but I do have to say that it was 200 pages TOO long. I found myself getting bored and feeling like it was a chore to read and that's not a good thing. However I loved the characters and how cozy and fun this book felt. But again it felt too long and was really slo......more