Monday, October 15, 2018

THE WIZARD IN THE TREE


Reviewed by Rae C.


An orphaned girl made to live as a servant frees a Wizard who has been trapped in a tree for thousands of years.  His powers are all wonky from disuse, and he has aged so much while he was stuck in the tree, that he must leave the mortal world quickly or die.  But how can he travel to Vale Innis, the magical land, without his powers? And how can he escape the other villagers with various evil plots against him? Mallory, the orphan girl, loves fairy tales, and Arbican, the Wizard, spends a lot of time disavowing and disapproving of her mostly incorrect ideas about magic and magicians.  But she is determined to help him, despite the difficulties and dangers both to him and to herself.

I was given this book as a birthday present when it first came out in 1975.  I didn't appreciate it then, because I was too much like Mallory and wanted magical enchanters that granted wishes. I was a big fan of Ruth Chew, whose witches were also often wanting or awkward with their powers. But Arbican insisted too much on mortals being greedy for magic, and not relying on human powers to solve problems. I've been re-reading Alexander’s Prydain chronicles and decided to re-visit this.

When I was a child I didn't appreciate how strong the female character Mallory is, and how clever. She’s a true heroine! It's a clever and well-crafted story, with great plotting, and a very satisfying ending. The villain is a formidable opponent, and Arbican is a lovable curmudgeon.  I’m glad I re-read it! 

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