THE WITCH DOCTOR

Sequel to The Oathbound Wizard (1992), about a medieval fantasy world of jousting and pageantry, where poetry holds the power of magic. Saul Bremener—poet, philosopher, and martial arts expert—falls into this world while investigating the mysterious disappearance of his friend Matt Mantell. Saul's knowledge of verse makes him a powerful wizard, but in his search for Matt he falls afoul of the evil Queen Suettray, and the usual complications ensue. Stasheff's work is well crafted and narrated, with lots of literary insertions and a balancing sense of humor; it's independently intelligible and complete in itself: these are the pluses. Otherwise, it lacks originality; furthermore, strangely, it reminds you of other writers whose names you somehow can't quite recall.