Reviews

With a Single Spell by Lawrence Watt-Evans

krush77's review against another edition

4.0

Sometimes you dont want something epic . You don't want end of the world stakes but something more intimate then this is the perfect read for you. It focuses on the adventures of tobias , a down on his luck 'wizard' when his master dies and he cannot finish his apprentiship, leaving with a single spell to make it in the world. It does just enough to build the world but also keep it small and cozy and fun. Some danger but could be described as cozy in its approach to the adventure but again still fantasy.

medusasrockgarden's review against another edition

4.0

Super easy to read and quick to get through. It's good, light, fun reading, nothing too serious, nothing world shattering, nice small scale fantasy with a touch of humour thrown in, and a bit of obligatory romance of course. Not quite as good as The Misenchanted Sword, but still pretty great. Perfect palate cleanser or reading slump preventer.

dazmoriarty's review

4.0

'With a Single Spell' was maybe the third ever Lawrence Watt-Evans novel I have read. As a teenager, I read his excellent Misenchanted Sword (when everything was fresh and exciting to me) and maybe 20 years later The Cyborg And The Sorcerer, also pretty decent.

So to this one. As with my previous experience of his writing, it is uncomplicated and easily read. This doesn't mean bad, just that you can read it quickly enough. Some aspects of it I found pedestrian, some of it was extremely clever - the tapestry portals for example.

So it was fun, but not as good as I had hoped. Going back to read Misenchanted Sword now.

phalgun's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

thopolok's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mrjspancakehouse's review against another edition

3.0

Slow to start quick to end describes the tale With A Single Spell written by Lawrence. An enchanting story of Tobas a young apprentice who's master dies before teaching him anything worth while. Tobas wonders about for a large portion of the story, not only struggling to find his purpose but struggling to advance an interesting plot. When Tobas reluctantly signs his life away to become a Dragon slayer he stumbles upon a surprising enchanting story. Glad I was, when Tobas found mystical artifacts that teleported him to a new "world" with flying castles and more spells Tobas could dream of.

A compelling book that took a while to present any real hook, however the hook came and when it did, it ended in a positively charming way. Although I felt the first couple hundred pages where dull and slow, the next hundred was exciting and at times had lots of potential to branch off into a deeper more epic ending then was presented. The ending felt rushed and showed no real interest in taking Tobas on an epic life ending journey which instead just dropped him and his two wives on a magic carpet.

scheu's review against another edition

4.0

Clever and refreshing. A lot better than most of the heroic fantasy out there.

nart's review against another edition

3.0

This was pretty interesting and enjoyable but the ending was a little disappointing.

daveruff's review

adventurous slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I read this as a lark as a continuation of the Misenchanted Sword, itself a mediocre book, but its "Ethshar" universe seemed a bit intriguing. Sadly, this is a very poor entry where the main character has almost no agency. There is no growth, no real character arc, and things just happen, mostly to the protagonist's favor, to an almost farcical conclusion. Almost an author self-insert, wish fulfillment levels, which vaguely echoes the first book in the series.

jvilches's review

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75