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Windrose Chronicles #2
The Silicon Mage
It was impossible, Joanna knew. When she betrayed her lover Antryg Windrose to the Council, he had been sentenced to death. Then she had believed his brain was possessed by the Dark Mage Suraklin, though now she knew that Suraklin had chosen Gary Fairchild. But guilty or innocent, Antryg was separated from her by the awesome Void between the worlds, far from any hope of rescue.
Nevertheless, she had to save him. Suraklin was planning to gain immortality by placing his mind in a computer that would get its power by draining the life-force from all on both worlds, dooming everyone to eternal misery and hopelessness. And only Antryg was strong enough a wizard to challenge the Dark Mage.
Once again, Joanna dared the fearsome tunnel through the Void, praying desperately that Antryg still lived and that she could find help to free him. If not...But she refused to think of that.
Nevertheless, she had to save him. Suraklin was planning to gain immortality by placing his mind in a computer that would get its power by draining the life-force from all on both worlds, dooming everyone to eternal misery and hopelessness. And only Antryg was strong enough a wizard to challenge the Dark Mage.
Once again, Joanna dared the fearsome tunnel through the Void, praying desperately that Antryg still lived and that she could find help to free him. If not...But she refused to think of that.
338 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 12, 1988
About the author
Barbara Hambly
197 books1,501 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
May 28, 2018
This book is a sequel to The Silent Tower, starting shortly after the first book left off, and eventually resolving the cliffhanger from that book. I enjoyed it, but I was never engrossed by it, and there were times when I felt restless, particularly around the middle.
An additional character took part in this story who seemed pretty interesting, but she didn’t get a lot of page time. The recurring characters were about as likeable as before, which is to say that I liked them but was only moderately invested in them. There were some plot elements that were a bit of a stretch for me, and I never really bought into the main villain’s motivation, but the general story did hold my interest most of the time and I enjoyed the ending pretty well.
There are two more books in this series, but I’ve decided to stop here.
An additional character took part in this story who seemed pretty interesting, but she didn’t get a lot of page time. The recurring characters were about as likeable as before, which is to say that I liked them but was only moderately invested in them. There were some plot elements that were a bit of a stretch for me, and I never really bought into the main villain’s motivation, but the general story did hold my interest most of the time and I enjoyed the ending pretty well.
There are two more books in this series, but I’ve decided to stop here.
July 1, 2012
First of all, Goodreads has no idea what you’re talking about if you search for “Silicone Mage”.
Once you do find it, this book is a nice follow-up to The Silent Tower. I’m still not buying the magic computer stuff, but it was worth a extra little suspension of disbelief to spend more time with these characters. This story does not end in a cliffhanger, but there’s a third book which I’m looking forward to reading.
Antryg the wizard is still being described as a lunatic even though he appears perfectly sane - even remarkably sane, considering all the off-camera torture. At his wildest moments he exhibits mildly inappropriate cheerfulness and a preoccupation with breakfast.
The Kindle ebook I read is missing most of the paragraph breaks inside a chapter which are supposed to indicate a scene change. Or sometimes the break would be in the wrong place, off by a paragraph or two. This makes for some confusing transitions.
Once you do find it, this book is a nice follow-up to The Silent Tower. I’m still not buying the magic computer stuff, but it was worth a extra little suspension of disbelief to spend more time with these characters. This story does not end in a cliffhanger, but there’s a third book which I’m looking forward to reading.
Antryg the wizard is still being described as a lunatic even though he appears perfectly sane - even remarkably sane, considering all the off-camera torture. At his wildest moments he exhibits mildly inappropriate cheerfulness and a preoccupation with breakfast.
The Kindle ebook I read is missing most of the paragraph breaks inside a chapter which are supposed to indicate a scene change. Or sometimes the break would be in the wrong place, off by a paragraph or two. This makes for some confusing transitions.
December 30, 2012
Hambly really is a good writer. Her plotting and inner dialogue are excellent. This story was good, but not outstanding. It had a satisfying ending, which makes me wonder about there being another book in the series. I certainly don't feel impelled to read it.
Someday . . . maybe.
Somewhere between this book and the previous, The Silent Tower, Joanna's car morphed from a Pinto into a Mustang. Other memorable quotes, "...outbound lanes stopped in both directions" and "buzzing like B-52s." (B-52 do lots of things, but they don't buzz.)
A good read.
Someday . . . maybe.
Somewhere between this book and the previous, The Silent Tower, Joanna's car morphed from a Pinto into a Mustang. Other memorable quotes, "...outbound lanes stopped in both directions" and "buzzing like B-52s." (B-52 do lots of things, but they don't buzz.)
A good read.
February 25, 2008
The novel starts with Joanna setting out to rectify the terrible mistake she made at the end of the first book, crossing back through the void alone to try to stop the Dark Mage from his plans that threaten both worlds. Darker than the first, and with a more affecting atmosphere of sadness and regret, a very taut plot, and a lot of uncertainty about if it's even capable to stop Suraklin. The final ending has a bid of an absurd turn, which even the characters recognize as absurd, but in all, it's a very satisfying book.
March 3, 2013
This is the immediate sequel to The Silent Tower, and as such should be read immediately after you have finished the first one. (If you've read it, you know what I mean.) The opening line is one of my absolute favorites in a fantasy book, though unfortunately I do not think I should reproduce it here as it spoils the hell out of The Silent Tower's ending.
Right. You may recall, at the end of the previous book, that Joanna was forced to make an agonizing decision that turned out to be utterly and completely wrong like a wrong wrong thing. So now she has to fix it. And then she, Antryg, and Caris have to go running back and forth across the empire of Ferryth to stop Suraklin for real this time.
I have the vague impression that a lot of people who like these books like this one better, plotwise. I think for me it's the other way around. Silent Tower spent a lot of time hitting my "these people must work together but don't know if they can trust each other and might be falling in love" kink. Hard. So there's that.
This one certainly has some lovely character development -- and, yes, of course I was pushing for Antryg/Joanna -- but the plot has always felt unbalanced to me. It's, what, a quarter of the way into the book before we even see Antryg again? And then they spend another, what, half of the book playing Hide and Seek looking for Suraklin because first they think he's here, but he's not, no, wait, he's over there, no, wait... and things like the fizzled-out search of the Citadel just seem to make the pacing... very, very weird.
The ending is, of course, kind of deus ex machina (and you know it's a problem when even the characters point this out!) but I feel I can't really hold it against them, because, you know.... wheeee.
Not that there's not things I like. Caris seems to have more depth to him this time, and I really, really liked Pella, because, yes, this book actually did need more than one female character in it, and she's pretty awesome. I really like the Dead God, but I think everyone does. And of course the Antryg/Joanna relationship is awesome, and I really have always liked that she rescues him. Because, yes. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives. And, oh God, the scene with the lightning elemental, all the angst, oh, Antryg. Maybe the book is worth it for that. That, and everyone being awesome together. That's definitely worth it.
Also there's that line about the hacksaw.
Overall, still one of my favorites. (Though I would like to mention to anyone picking up the e-books that the Open Road editions are currently lousy with typos. The first book was apparently missing a page (I am not sure if it still is; I didn't compare) and has a bugged TOC that only goes up to chapter 14. A lot of words are misspelled. In this book every use of the word "string" (I'm assuming) is instead "stringer," and in both books every scene break within chapters actually contains what should be the last paragraph of the ending scene as the beginning of the new scene. But they're still good books.)
Right. You may recall, at the end of the previous book, that Joanna was forced to make an agonizing decision that turned out to be utterly and completely wrong like a wrong wrong thing. So now she has to fix it. And then she, Antryg, and Caris have to go running back and forth across the empire of Ferryth to stop Suraklin for real this time.
I have the vague impression that a lot of people who like these books like this one better, plotwise. I think for me it's the other way around. Silent Tower spent a lot of time hitting my "these people must work together but don't know if they can trust each other and might be falling in love" kink. Hard. So there's that.
This one certainly has some lovely character development -- and, yes, of course I was pushing for Antryg/Joanna -- but the plot has always felt unbalanced to me. It's, what, a quarter of the way into the book before we even see Antryg again? And then they spend another, what, half of the book playing Hide and Seek looking for Suraklin because first they think he's here, but he's not, no, wait, he's over there, no, wait... and things like the fizzled-out search of the Citadel just seem to make the pacing... very, very weird.
The ending is, of course, kind of deus ex machina (and you know it's a problem when even the characters point this out!) but I feel I can't really hold it against them, because, you know.... wheeee.
Not that there's not things I like. Caris seems to have more depth to him this time, and I really, really liked Pella, because, yes, this book actually did need more than one female character in it, and she's pretty awesome. I really like the Dead God, but I think everyone does. And of course the Antryg/Joanna relationship is awesome, and I really have always liked that she rescues him. Because, yes. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives. And, oh God, the scene with the lightning elemental, all the angst, oh, Antryg. Maybe the book is worth it for that. That, and everyone being awesome together. That's definitely worth it.
Also there's that line about the hacksaw.
Overall, still one of my favorites. (Though I would like to mention to anyone picking up the e-books that the Open Road editions are currently lousy with typos. The first book was apparently missing a page (I am not sure if it still is; I didn't compare) and has a bugged TOC that only goes up to chapter 14. A lot of words are misspelled. In this book every use of the word "string" (I'm assuming) is instead "stringer," and in both books every scene break within chapters actually contains what should be the last paragraph of the ending scene as the beginning of the new scene. But they're still good books.)
October 20, 2012
Premise: Sequel to The Silent Tower. Joanna is back home in California, but she might be the only one who knows that the periods of formless depression that seem to strike the entire world are not her imagination, but the machinations of a wizard from another dimension. With an explanation like that who could she tell? Horrified by her part in the events at the end of The Silent Tower and sick with worry, she plans to try to get back across the worlds, to find someone to help her, and try to rescue her love.
I liked this book quite a bit. It was full of complicated characters, all both abrasive and likable, who are trying to do their best, but sometimes screw up. And there's two sweet subtle romances, one of two young people both trapped by their choices and their oaths, one of two adults who care about each other beyond all logic, but know they can't promise more than right now. All of that is dealt with such a light touch alongside the plotting, action and danger that I just adored it.
It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, but I was absorbed back into this world almost before I realized it. Joanna and Caris and Antryg came back to me very quickly.
A few quibbles: I really liked Pella, an ally Joanna finds unexpectedly, but she was introduced so quickly that she felt a bit shoved in to the narrative. And then she disappeared again just as abruptly, which was odd.
Also the formatting on my Kindle copy had some serious issues. Occasionally there's a typo, but more annoying is that mid-chapter breaks often appear a paragraph before or after the break is clearly supposed to go. Sometimes this crashed the flow of reading and was very confusing, because a change of scene, character or time should be indicated by the break.
Despite this, I am glad I returned to this story and these characters. The blend between technology and magic is still well handled. The relationship between math, magic, logic and intuition works beautifully. Joanna is still a wonderfully unlikely heroine; I love the way she approaches her problems with her stubborn determination and her logical mind.
I liked this book quite a bit. It was full of complicated characters, all both abrasive and likable, who are trying to do their best, but sometimes screw up. And there's two sweet subtle romances, one of two young people both trapped by their choices and their oaths, one of two adults who care about each other beyond all logic, but know they can't promise more than right now. All of that is dealt with such a light touch alongside the plotting, action and danger that I just adored it.
It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, but I was absorbed back into this world almost before I realized it. Joanna and Caris and Antryg came back to me very quickly.
A few quibbles: I really liked Pella, an ally Joanna finds unexpectedly, but she was introduced so quickly that she felt a bit shoved in to the narrative. And then she disappeared again just as abruptly, which was odd.
Also the formatting on my Kindle copy had some serious issues. Occasionally there's a typo, but more annoying is that mid-chapter breaks often appear a paragraph before or after the break is clearly supposed to go. Sometimes this crashed the flow of reading and was very confusing, because a change of scene, character or time should be indicated by the break.
Despite this, I am glad I returned to this story and these characters. The blend between technology and magic is still well handled. The relationship between math, magic, logic and intuition works beautifully. Joanna is still a wonderfully unlikely heroine; I love the way she approaches her problems with her stubborn determination and her logical mind.
December 29, 2013
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
It was impossible, Joanna knew. When she betrayed her lover Antryg Windrose to the Council, he had been sentenced to death. Then she had believed his brain was possessed by the Dark Mage Suraklin, though now she knew that Suraklin had chosen Gary Fairchild. But guilty or innocent, Antryg was separated from her by the awesome Void between the worlds, far from any hope of rescue.
Nevertheless, she had to save him. Suraklin was planning to gain immortality by placing his mind in a computer that would get its power by draining the life-force from all on both worlds, dooming everyone to eternal misery and hopelessness. And only Antryg was strong enough a wizard to challenge the Dark Mage.
Once again, Joanna dared the fearsome tunnel through the Void, praying desperately that Antryg still lived and that she could find help to free him. If not...But she refused to think of that.
MY TAKE
This is a great continuation of the first book, The Silent Tower. Joanna takes control of her circumstances and sneaks across the Void herself this time, following Gary/Suraklin. She might not have been there to see what the church witch finders do to Antryg after she drugged him and turned him over to them, but she dreamed it. Ack! She has to get to him to free him before he is executed.
In the first book, you really don't get to see Antryg magic that everyone's always raving about because using it would be like placing a pointer on his location. Both the Mage Guild and the church's witch finders were after him. Antryg is brilliant though and managed to get using cleverness.
Caris, their warrior accomplice, does pose the question in this book. What would Antryg do if he was faced with capture. Well, we find out.
I love Antryg. His childlike interest in anything and everything is a delight. His compassion and concern for others, in spite of spending nearly a decade of his formative years being Suraklin's student, makes me want to hug him. I admire anyone who becomes more than their horrible circumstances.
I enjoyed the resolution of the story, especially with the unexpected ending--not unexpected in how it ended but the manner in which it was accomplished.
It was impossible, Joanna knew. When she betrayed her lover Antryg Windrose to the Council, he had been sentenced to death. Then she had believed his brain was possessed by the Dark Mage Suraklin, though now she knew that Suraklin had chosen Gary Fairchild. But guilty or innocent, Antryg was separated from her by the awesome Void between the worlds, far from any hope of rescue.
Nevertheless, she had to save him. Suraklin was planning to gain immortality by placing his mind in a computer that would get its power by draining the life-force from all on both worlds, dooming everyone to eternal misery and hopelessness. And only Antryg was strong enough a wizard to challenge the Dark Mage.
Once again, Joanna dared the fearsome tunnel through the Void, praying desperately that Antryg still lived and that she could find help to free him. If not...But she refused to think of that.
MY TAKE
This is a great continuation of the first book, The Silent Tower. Joanna takes control of her circumstances and sneaks across the Void herself this time, following Gary/Suraklin. She might not have been there to see what the church witch finders do to Antryg after she drugged him and turned him over to them, but she dreamed it. Ack! She has to get to him to free him before he is executed.
In the first book, you really don't get to see Antryg magic that everyone's always raving about because using it would be like placing a pointer on his location. Both the Mage Guild and the church's witch finders were after him. Antryg is brilliant though and managed to get using cleverness.
Caris, their warrior accomplice, does pose the question in this book. What would Antryg do if he was faced with capture. Well, we find out.
I love Antryg. His childlike interest in anything and everything is a delight. His compassion and concern for others, in spite of spending nearly a decade of his formative years being Suraklin's student, makes me want to hug him. I admire anyone who becomes more than their horrible circumstances.
I enjoyed the resolution of the story, especially with the unexpected ending--not unexpected in how it ended but the manner in which it was accomplished.
November 17, 2013
Something I forgot to mention in my review of the first book in this trilogy is that the Kindle ebooks are positively rife with errors; you might as well be reading something from project Gutenberg. Most of them are spacing errors, and while the simple squished together words are easy to pick apart, the paragraphs that should have a gap between them are jarring because they mark complete changes in scene.
There are also a few errors of the kind that Spellcheck won't find, such as "me" instead of "the" etc. Either someone was typing too fast, or there was a change of font and it didn't convert. It was obvious no human went back through and read this afterward, or they would have corrected these painfully obvious mistakes.
As for the story, it's fully of Hambly's characteristic mix of heroism and dogged determinism in the face of overwhelming odds and nameless dread. Shades of walking into Mordor abound. Once again, I gave the original story four stars on the first run through, now I feel more compelled to give it only three, especially in the light of all of those wretched formatting errors, but in the end this one barely held on to its original rating. It's probably due to my Tolkien fervor, but if there were a 3.5 star rating it would certainly lose a half-star just for the trouble all the deciphering costs.
There are also a few errors of the kind that Spellcheck won't find, such as "me" instead of "the" etc. Either someone was typing too fast, or there was a change of font and it didn't convert. It was obvious no human went back through and read this afterward, or they would have corrected these painfully obvious mistakes.
As for the story, it's fully of Hambly's characteristic mix of heroism and dogged determinism in the face of overwhelming odds and nameless dread. Shades of walking into Mordor abound. Once again, I gave the original story four stars on the first run through, now I feel more compelled to give it only three, especially in the light of all of those wretched formatting errors, but in the end this one barely held on to its original rating. It's probably due to my Tolkien fervor, but if there were a 3.5 star rating it would certainly lose a half-star just for the trouble all the deciphering costs.
August 10, 2012
Loved it all over again and was delighted to discover that several favourite book quotes that I couldn't remember the source of, came from here.
This book stands up to the passing of time even better than The Silent Tower, mostly because it doesn't include out of date computer hardware specifics in the same way the previous book did (and needed to do).
Part of me wants to jump straight into Dog Wizard just for more time with Joanna and Antryg, but I'm going to let this one finish digesting, try to catch up with a few things I need to get read and hope it won't take me months (or even a year) to make it to the next book this time.
This book stands up to the passing of time even better than The Silent Tower, mostly because it doesn't include out of date computer hardware specifics in the same way the previous book did (and needed to do).
Part of me wants to jump straight into Dog Wizard just for more time with Joanna and Antryg, but I'm going to let this one finish digesting, try to catch up with a few things I need to get read and hope it won't take me months (or even a year) to make it to the next book this time.
April 1, 2011
After reading the first in the series, I had to immediately drop everything and go get this one. They are really two halves to the same book. They must be read together. Travel to a book store, do not pass go, forget the $200, just get them. Brilliant book. It confirmed for me that she is a kick-ass author and I had to go and get everything by her that I could. The ending fit the characters. The culture was amazing. It left possibilities open for further playing in the worlds without promising anything. I would have been happy had she stopped there. It was a good wrap-up. I am also happy she continued, lol. Definitely two of my favorite books ever.
April 8, 2023
Okay, if I read about Antryg's mad, daft eyes one more time, I'm going to bite someone. Everyone in this book can have an entire conversation with their mad, daft, lying, gentle, spark-filled eyes. Grr.
***
On re-read, while people do communicate way too much with their eyeballs, and "mad" should be stricken from Hambly's vocabulary for a while, this is a good read, with lots of unexpected turns while still hitting the beats I wanted it to hit.
***
On re-read, while people do communicate way too much with their eyeballs, and "mad" should be stricken from Hambly's vocabulary for a while, this is a good read, with lots of unexpected turns while still hitting the beats I wanted it to hit.
January 30, 2015
Volume two and I'm still with it's okay. We'll see if volume three wraps up better for me. I think one of the problems with the series is how the TPTB still don't accept the truth of who has been causing the real problems and still blame the heroes. I'm not expecting any grand oh you were right let's work together as much as most of the plot get a bit redundant for repeating the cycle each volume.
August 28, 2007
1) The ending is a total cop out.
2) Sometimes the characters are too good to be true for me. I generally like their relationships, but I didn't feel like I was reading anything new.
Full review (SPOILERS): http://oyceter.livejournal.com/637278...
2) Sometimes the characters are too good to be true for me. I generally like their relationships, but I didn't feel like I was reading anything new.
Full review (SPOILERS): http://oyceter.livejournal.com/637278...
September 22, 2015
A dissapointing continuation of a promising series. Still, I enjoyed the characters which was just enough to get me through a long boring slog in the middle and out the other side to a fairly enjoyable epilogue. Will read the next in series to see if I'll be continuing past that.
May 8, 2024
If I could give this six stars, I would. The ending made me cry. Again. Always.
May 6, 2018
3.5 The plot of this one was a bit meandering in the middle, but I really liked the character stuff, Joanna and Antryg (I still don't understand why people call him insane btw) and Caris and Pella.
May 10, 2024
"are all computers insane?"
"i know that the good are often happy as well"
CARIS IN THIS BOOK...!!!!
Do you ever just suddenly feel wild affection for a character you were only fairly middling caring about before after one specific scene? because my WORD Caris and his arc in this book. Yeowch!! The baby delivering scene...
so, yeah I mean these books aren't necessarily going to be that important to me in the long run but in a way they were fun. The magic/technology conversation went absolutely off the rails in this book and that was truly fun in so many ways, especially with the bit with the Dead God (using pi and the Planck constant to remind it of itself... crazy). And something about the whole idea of magic being such a loose concept with so many possibilities in the sigils and the self (Antryg teaching Caris? cool! once again, Caris arc go brr. & Antryg is pretty darn cool. oh and the ELECTRICITY! and the spells working against each other like mad in the end - ig the appeal of the magic is that it's pretty unexplainable) vs/plus the hard rules of computer science is very neat (and Joanna relating magic to subroutines). I liked that.
Joanna & Antryg are obviously the centerpiece of these books which is fine and I enjoy them enough (once again whatever the heck trope Antryg is goes HARD I genuinely love that character archetype LMAOO the half mad wizard is so very cool guys) but also some of the side characters were really fascinating (Pella!! The Prince!). There was an odd sort of disconnect between those two and everyone else in a sense, even Caris, because they were clearly on different missions and letting each other take of themselves so I was never really invested in any of the characters in general it was a very odd sort of balance and I wasn't a huge fan of it but also I get it, I guess. In general I think it's harder to care about these characters tho it was so very detached To Me
anyway idk it was pretty fun in a sense and also I was also kind of uninvested at the same time. things were certainly happening Question Mark. I do like the world, though, the dynamics of state and church tryign to quash magic for their own reasons and the sasenna as sworn to their masters and the dog wizards. Don't think I will read the third book. This is good enough of an ending for me goodbye
"i know that the good are often happy as well"
CARIS IN THIS BOOK...!!!!
Do you ever just suddenly feel wild affection for a character you were only fairly middling caring about before after one specific scene? because my WORD Caris and his arc in this book. Yeowch!! The baby delivering scene...
so, yeah I mean these books aren't necessarily going to be that important to me in the long run but in a way they were fun. The magic/technology conversation went absolutely off the rails in this book and that was truly fun in so many ways, especially with the bit with the Dead God (using pi and the Planck constant to remind it of itself... crazy). And something about the whole idea of magic being such a loose concept with so many possibilities in the sigils and the self (Antryg teaching Caris? cool! once again, Caris arc go brr. & Antryg is pretty darn cool. oh and the ELECTRICITY! and the spells working against each other like mad in the end - ig the appeal of the magic is that it's pretty unexplainable) vs/plus the hard rules of computer science is very neat (and Joanna relating magic to subroutines). I liked that.
Joanna & Antryg are obviously the centerpiece of these books which is fine and I enjoy them enough (once again whatever the heck trope Antryg is goes HARD I genuinely love that character archetype LMAOO the half mad wizard is so very cool guys) but also some of the side characters were really fascinating (Pella!! The Prince!). There was an odd sort of disconnect between those two and everyone else in a sense, even Caris, because they were clearly on different missions and letting each other take of themselves so I was never really invested in any of the characters in general it was a very odd sort of balance and I wasn't a huge fan of it but also I get it, I guess. In general I think it's harder to care about these characters tho it was so very detached To Me
anyway idk it was pretty fun in a sense and also I was also kind of uninvested at the same time. things were certainly happening Question Mark. I do like the world, though, the dynamics of state and church tryign to quash magic for their own reasons and the sasenna as sworn to their masters and the dog wizards. Don't think I will read the third book. This is good enough of an ending for me goodbye
July 23, 2018
The Silicon Mage, book 2 in the Windrose Chronicles, was one of that kind of books you have to put down once and a while to take a breath. Though I have to say, it was written beautifully, it's nonstop action with a rip-roaring speed that it is hard to keep up. It's not a ” beat ’me up” cowboy, or wizards flinging magic everywhere story. It’a Catch me if you can book.
The characters are well established since the Silent Tower, there are now some new ones and each are so individually different, each voice you can tell from one another. Ms. Hambly knows how to create characters her readers will care about.
It’a hard to think of Antryg as the protagonist in this story because of who is a mentor to him, or rather who WAS a mentor to him. I always expect Antryg to do something to betray Joanna and Caris because that was how he was trained and that's what he knows best.
The pacing was fast but not brutal. I had to take breaks and that's okay. The writing is exceptional and the descriptions are beyond words. She brings the worlds to life as if you, as the reader, are there.
I would recommend this or any of Barbara Hambly’ books to people because they are a sheer treat.
The characters are well established since the Silent Tower, there are now some new ones and each are so individually different, each voice you can tell from one another. Ms. Hambly knows how to create characters her readers will care about.
It’a hard to think of Antryg as the protagonist in this story because of who is a mentor to him, or rather who WAS a mentor to him. I always expect Antryg to do something to betray Joanna and Caris because that was how he was trained and that's what he knows best.
The pacing was fast but not brutal. I had to take breaks and that's okay. The writing is exceptional and the descriptions are beyond words. She brings the worlds to life as if you, as the reader, are there.
I would recommend this or any of Barbara Hambly’ books to people because they are a sheer treat.
September 24, 2024
Joanna is stranded in our universe after betraying Antryg, but she was a way back - if she follows the dark mage Suraklin through the Void. This means risking her life (and life as we know it in at least two universes). But she must do it. And she must know if Antryg still lives. If he isn't... well, Joanna desperately needs him whole (if not sane) in order to defeat Suraklin once and for all.
Even better than the first book! And this time I did my best to skim over the problematic stuff (cue a Bluey quote - "it was the eighties!"), because I really wanted to absorb every word and enjoy every minute. Some fantasy novels feel like a chore due to rambling middle sections. Not so here. Sure, we did get that rambling middle section, but the world Hambly created here is so interesting that I never once grew bored. Joanna is obviously my favourite. Caris is a close second, though, and I love his character journey. I should probably like Antryg more... but his obvious Sherlockisms grate on me a bit.
Even better than the first book! And this time I did my best to skim over the problematic stuff (cue a Bluey quote - "it was the eighties!"), because I really wanted to absorb every word and enjoy every minute. Some fantasy novels feel like a chore due to rambling middle sections. Not so here. Sure, we did get that rambling middle section, but the world Hambly created here is so interesting that I never once grew bored. Joanna is obviously my favourite. Caris is a close second, though, and I love his character journey. I should probably like Antryg more... but his obvious Sherlockisms grate on me a bit.
February 23, 2022
While the first one had more of an open ending and not a super cliff hanger ending I still wanted to see where Joanna would go now that she had learned more about herself. I enjoyed this for the most part but it didn't quite have the same magic as the first because there was less mystery about the world and the players within it. My problems with the first were still present but I feel like the ending was a good one. IDEK what the next one will be and I don't have the same sense of urgency to hunt it down.
October 27, 2021
I just did not enjoy this; it is full of things I do not find interesting (people worrying, second-guessing themselves, making plans which come to nothing, etc) and not very full of any of the things I do find interesting. Nor does the cosmology, such as it is, make sense to me. I know there are people who love the Windrose books, and I am pretty fond of some other Hambly novels, but I think I am stopping these here.
October 19, 2022
tbh better than the first one i think. starts off a little weaker but once it gets rolling it gets rolling. the magic system gets a bit more flesh on its bones, which is cool. theres some nice ambient magic-ish concepts too, always a treat. also very very good and fun when the cover is actually a thing that happens in the book, i get to do a little rick dalton point. ends strong and with a decent sense of finality, i know theres another book but i don't have it yet so i get to pretend this is it, at least for a while.
October 2, 2022
I was kinda caught off guard. I figured something was amiss because my ereader said I had another 1.5 hrs to go. Turns out the ebook had three chapters from the next book in the series.
So my reaction to certain events was muted because I kept wondering what was going to happen next, what twist is coming?
Just the end of the book.
So my reaction to certain events was muted because I kept wondering what was going to happen next, what twist is coming?
Just the end of the book.
January 12, 2018
While these books are a bit formulaic (and wow is the programming conversation dated!) they're a fun read. Antryg is said to be mad, but he may be the most sane if anyone in the books. Definitely going to read the third!
March 17, 2019
The language in this one is a bit of a challenge so keep a dictionary on hand. First 250 pages are great but it does get mighty complicated and difficult to follow. Very realistic for a fantasy setting. You really need to be in the right frame of mind for this one.
June 6, 2021
Having read these books about twenty years ago, I recently stumbled on this series on Scribd and took the opportunity to re-read the whole series. Of course they've aged a bit - especially the bits with the computers, lol - but the characters are as fresh and unusual as ever.
August 17, 2022
this was an enjoyable enough continuation to the story that started in The Silent Tower and completes that story arc. I still rather like this blend of portal fantasy and computer science as it was in the 1980s. I can't say I was overly invested in it, but it does have some good moments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2023
Good but...
It seems odd for the plot to be resolved in the second book of a trilogy, but that's what happens here. The third book in the series is a new adventure with the same characters.
Not sure how Antryg manages to survive all the time. Especially without massive PTSD.
It seems odd for the plot to be resolved in the second book of a trilogy, but that's what happens here. The third book in the series is a new adventure with the same characters.
Not sure how Antryg manages to survive all the time. Especially without massive PTSD.
April 21, 2019
Finally done, but man that was a struggle.
August 18, 2020
What a book! What an author! The imagery, characters, storyline, worlds! Happy sigh.
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