A few disclaimers before I dive in to the review …
I like Blake Charlton. I’ve never met him in person, never spoken to him on the phone, but we’ve become online friends through Twitter and Facebook (yes, it is possible) and an occasional email or two, and I just like the guy. We also share an agent, the incomparable Matt Bialer, and Matt thinks highly of him, and I think highly of Matt, ergo …
Regardless, Spellwright is a blast.
Spellwright takes place in a world where words actually can kill you. The magical languages of spells are physically removed from a wizard’s body and take on physical forms — “constructs,” as they’re referred to in the book. Constructs can be edited by wizards with the proper knowledge of language and grammar.
They can also be used to heal, or kill.
Nicodemus Weal is an apprenticed spellwright, but one with a peculiar disability: he misspells magical text.
This is a big problem, since with magic of this kind a misspelled word can kill you, or someone you care about.
Doubly crushing to Nicodemus is the fact that before his disability was discovered he was thought to be the Halcyon, a prophesied savior who will lead mankind against the coming War of Disjunction. The War will be brought about by the demonic Pandemonium, which desires to censor all magical human language.
Nicodemus trains in the spellwright academy of Starhaven. It has been his home most of his life. But it is no longer safe.
Murders are happening within Starhaven’s walls, committed by a creature that can seemingly come and go at will. Each death brings Nicodemus closer to danger, as well as closer to uncovering a secret that will change his life forever.
Spellwright is an unabashedly old fashioned novel. I mean that in a good way. Charlton doesn’t go for the ultra-gritty style of storytelling currently in fashion in much of fantasy. His characters refer to the mysterious murderer as the “villain” and “fiend” in a completely unironic way, which helps to lend it an old fashioned charm and atmosphere. The novel has much of an ’80s feel to me, a worthy heir to the likes of David Eddings and perhaps Terry Brooks.
It’s a great read, a fun, rousing adventure in a unique world with a very unique system of magic. Highly recommended.
– written on my iPad
