The Griffin or the Agate

Fantasy texts, more often than not, are centered around a quest to save the world from looming evil/invasion/enslavement/etc. It's a trait natural to the genre, the idea of a small band of noble, intrepid, and oft mismatched heroes searching for the Magical Whoosis that is the only thing that can put an end to the Big Bad. The pillars of (insert appropriate home of the Gods here) will be shaken, the intrepid adventurers will discover internal resolve and a couple of them will fall in love. Fantasy is often epic. It's the nature of the beast.
     The above is why the off-beat, narrowly focused books of Lawrence Watt-Evans Ethshar are such a welcome change of pace. While a few of the books deal with large events, the majority center around the everyday life of people out of the spotlight. Ithanalin's Restoration has a simple premise. The wizard's apprentice Kilisha arrives home from an errand to find her master Ithanalin frozen in an awkward position. In a matter of moments she discovers that something has gone awry during the casting of a spell. In addition to his being rendered immobile Kilisha learns that her master's spirit has fragmented into various aspects and been deposited in the parlor's furniture. And since the interrupted spell was one to animate a non-living thing, the pieces of furniture are not only imbued with bits of a wizard's personality, they also have the ability to move. And move they have.
     Thus the onus falls on the untested Kilisha to learn how to harness her mind as well as her limited magical skills as she must track down the missing pieces and keep her master's family calm in the face of disaster. Help from other wizards proves unavailable due to a disaster in another city (the events from The Spell of the Black Dagger, in usual Watt-Evans linking style) as Kilisha proves Ithanalin's only hope.
     Watt-Evans presents a well-told and engrossing story, detailing Kilisha's nervous attempts at new spells with enaging humor and flair. As she warms to her task both her eyes and her mind seem to open, and her world does as well. Need to escape the threat of rampaging hordes and ancient evil? Spend a few days with a would-be wizard as she strives to save her master. Enjoy a clever and well-presented tale.   §

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