A Bad Spell in Yurt
Daimbert
Fantasy
Baen Books
August 1, 1991
314
The tiny kingdom of Yurt is the perfect place--or so it seems--for someone who barely managed to graduate from the wizards' school, especially after all that embarrassment with the frogs. But Daimbert, newly hired Royal Wizard of Yurt, senses an evil spell at work. But who could be responsible?
This book was exactly what I was in the mood for. Sometimes, I feel as though a guy can overdo it with the Epic Fantasy and word-wracking events. A Bad Spell in Yurt was well-written, had great characters, some nice drama, a good plot, fun, and pleasantly and decidedly non-epic.
The story follows Daimbert, the new Wizard in a small-and-cozy country called Yurt. He has just graduated from the Wizard school in the City, and he thinks of himself as a pretty bad Wizard. He seems to do alright, but once he is thrown into the thick of things he tries to learn a bunch about magic that he should have payed attention to in school. The results are hilarious, and we get a good idea about his character.
The story is essentially a mystery, and Daimbert spends the book trying to solve it. Much of the book is character-driven, but it also has a great plot. I have already acquired the second book, as I enjoyed this one so much.