Call number
Genres
Publication
Corgi (1987), Paperback
Pages
254
Description
The fifth book in the Megan Lindholm (Robin Hobb) backlist. Seattle: a place as magical as the Emerald City. Subtle magic seeps through the cracks in the paving stones of the sprawling metropolis. But only the inhabitants who possess special gifts are open to the city's consciousness; finding portents in the graffiti, reading messages in the rubbish or listening to warnings in the skipping-rope chants of children. Wizard is bound to Seattle and her magic. His gift is the Knowing - a powerful enchantment allowing him to know the truth of things; to hear the life-stories of ancient mummies locked behind glass cabinets, to receive true fortunes from the carnival machines, to reveal to ordinary people the answers to their troubles and to safeguard the city's equilibrium. The magic has its price; Wizard must never have more than a dollar in his pocket, must remain celibate, and he must feed and protect the pigeons. But a threat to Seattle has begun to emerge in the portents. A malevolent force born of Wizard's forgotten past has returned to prey upon his power and taunt him with images of his obscure history; and he is the only wizard in Seattle who can face the evil and save the city, his friends and himself.… (more)
Awards
Prix Imaginales (2004)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986-01-28
Physical description
254 p.; 6.9 inches
ISBN
0552130141 / 9780552130141
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User reviews
LibraryThing member orangejulia
I adore this book and if you find it, but it immediately. It took me years to obtain a copy after re-reading my library's copy obsessively. At any rate, this is an early work of urban fantasy that has withstood the test of time. The book focuses on a series of magic workers who live in Seattle.
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Wizard, the main character who is among other things obliged to look after the pigeons, has cobbled together a relatively plesant and comfortable existance living on the margins of life in Seattle. Eventually, a malevolent force comes to Seattle and disrupts Wizard's life and grasp on reality. The way the story plays out is interesting and things don't happen the way you might expect. Show Less
LibraryThing member ScoLgo
As I was reading this book I was reminded time and again of Jo Walton's Among Others. The parallels are quite pronounced in that both books feature a damaged protagonist and a narrative that might be real or might just be the unreliable world-view of the main character. Additionally, both books
If you have read and enjoyed either of these books, I heartily recommend checking out the other one as well.
(Incidentally, Megan Lindholm also writes under the pseudonym of Robin Hobb)
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feature some truly wonderful writing. The details of each story are quite different but the underlying exploration of reality juxtaposed with fantasy is where we find many similarities.If you have read and enjoyed either of these books, I heartily recommend checking out the other one as well.
(Incidentally, Megan Lindholm also writes under the pseudonym of Robin Hobb)
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LibraryThing member Maaike15274
Beautiful and poetic, yet difficult to read. The story reads slowly and because I did not have much time to read on the train it was difficult to get into the story. Probably not a good choice for public transport reading...
Still, the story and the characters stay with you and I still have all
Still, the story and the characters stay with you and I still have all
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kinds of question. Who is Wizard really? Is he Wizard, or a a confused veteran with PTSS and a psychosis? Was Lindholm inspired by the homeless men on the streets of American big cities, or the story of one unfortunate soul? Urban fantasy, yes, but not the typical one! And a story that leaves a deep sadness within you. Which remembers me of Cloven Hooves, which also left me a little sad but also moved.. Show Less
LibraryThing member LemurKat
I picked up this book because not only was it cheap, but I am a HUGE Robin Hobb fan and it sounded intriguing. Whilst an enjoyable, and often entertaining, read, it did pale in comparison to her other works. It just lacked in something, although I cannot say what that "something" might have been.
It is the story of Wizard - a young(ish) man living on the streets of the emerald city, Seattle. A young man with strange and mysterious powers provided, of course, he takes care of the pigeons. Living on the streets is not easy, but Wizard knows all the tricks - all the ways to blend in and get himself a moderately decent meal. That is until the ill-fated day he enters a particular diner, and helps himself to the remnants of another man's meal. Now, suddenly, he's got a waitress on his tail, clamouring for his attention and doing her very best to twist him away from his Wizardry vows. If that wasn't bad enough, there's a dark shadow stalking him - the mysterious, and deadly, Mir. In the face of his crumbling resolve, is he strong enough to fight? Or will he lose it all, and become nothing more then a bum lying in the gutter?
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Still, if you like Urban Wizardry and stories about street people, this makes for an appealing read, interjected with enough dry humour to keep even the more discerning reader content.It is the story of Wizard - a young(ish) man living on the streets of the emerald city, Seattle. A young man with strange and mysterious powers provided, of course, he takes care of the pigeons. Living on the streets is not easy, but Wizard knows all the tricks - all the ways to blend in and get himself a moderately decent meal. That is until the ill-fated day he enters a particular diner, and helps himself to the remnants of another man's meal. Now, suddenly, he's got a waitress on his tail, clamouring for his attention and doing her very best to twist him away from his Wizardry vows. If that wasn't bad enough, there's a dark shadow stalking him - the mysterious, and deadly, Mir. In the face of his crumbling resolve, is he strong enough to fight? Or will he lose it all, and become nothing more then a bum lying in the gutter?
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LibraryThing member zjakkelien
I actually didn't finish this book. I was all excited about it after reading Alien earth. I really loved that one, and the blurb of Wizard of the pigeons sounded good. However, I didn't like the writing: way too long descriptions of street scenes in Seattle and of rooms and so on. I suppose it is
By this time, I was getting enough and was wondering whether to continue. So I came here and read a few reviews, and I came upon one with spoilers, explaining what the story was about. Apparently,this is not really fantasy, but a guy gone crazy. What a disappointment! I hate that type of storyline. So that was that. I'm definitely not finishing this book.
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meant as a way to create atmosphere, but it didn't work for me. On top of that, the story is vague. I don't mind if not everything is clear straight away, but I don't like it if I can't get a grip on the story. For instance, Guy Gavriel Kay usually doesn't reveal everything immediately, but at least you know what it is you don't know. In the case of Wizard of the pigeons, the whole thing is vague. Every now and then there was a nice page, for instance when Wizard helps someone, but then there were whole pages that I couldn't but read diagonally. Then the evil comes into view. And it is... a vague greyness. Great, more vagueness and an unexplained evil. By this time, I was getting enough and was wondering whether to continue. So I came here and read a few reviews, and I came upon one with spoilers, explaining what the story was about. Apparently,
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LibraryThing member pussreboots
While the bulk of the story is a captivating way of experiencing the magic of Seattle and harsh realities of being a homeless vet the novel is bookended with a slow opening and a confusing ending. In both cases I found myself rereading passages just to figure out what was happening. The slow start
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nearly kept me from reading the rest of the book but I am glad I had continued reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
That jump rope song scared the shit out of you. You knew it didn't mean anything good when kids in the city start singing stuff like that. So you brought it to me to hear me say how bad it was. Well, it's bad.'
'Just one little jump rope song!'
'Omens and portents, my dear Rasputin. I have seen the
Wizard is a homeless man living in Seattle, just about managing to keep his appearance on the right side of the line between respectable citizen and homeless bum. His magical powers are linked to a strict set of rules that he must follow and seem to be linked to protecting the city.
To begin with, the Wizard reminded me of the London sorcerors in A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin, whose power comes from the city itself, but it gradually becomes clear that there is something quite different happening.
Some days he flowed with his power. Today the current of the magic roared against him, and he was hard pressed to cling to a rock in the rapids. But he would survive, like a one-legged pigeon, by keeping a new balance.
A much sadder book than I had expected, as I managed to avoid spoilers before reading it, but one that gives you plenty to think about afterwards.
'Just one little jump rope song!'
'Omens and portents, my dear Rasputin. I have seen the
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warnings written in the graffiti on the overpasses and carved on the bodies of the young punkers. There are signs in the entrails of the gutted fish on the docks, and ill favours waft over the city.'Wizard is a homeless man living in Seattle, just about managing to keep his appearance on the right side of the line between respectable citizen and homeless bum. His magical powers are linked to a strict set of rules that he must follow and seem to be linked to protecting the city.
To begin with, the Wizard reminded me of the London sorcerors in A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin, whose power comes from the city itself, but it gradually becomes clear that there is something quite different happening.
Some days he flowed with his power. Today the current of the magic roared against him, and he was hard pressed to cling to a rock in the rapids. But he would survive, like a one-legged pigeon, by keeping a new balance.
A much sadder book than I had expected, as I managed to avoid spoilers before reading it, but one that gives you plenty to think about afterwards.
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LibraryThing member quiBee
And unusual urban fantasy set in modern day Seattle. A homeless man with a lot of personal problems has magic powers which depend on him always keeping within set boundaries. Something nasty is heading his way and he needs to be even more careful. Except that part way through the story we start to
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wonder if his powers are real or part of a created reality meant to protect him from his real problems. Moves slowly and builds up to a satisfying climax. Good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
On the one hand, I love low-profile wizards in love with their city: Hellblazer's Constantine or Kate Griffin's Matthew Swift are some of my very favorite characters. On the other hand, the first few pages available on Amazon feature clunky&unnatural dialog and a wizard who doesn't seem all that
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likable. So I dunno. If I find this book before Think Galactic meets and discusses it, I'll read it; if not, I'll drop this. Show Less
LibraryThing member SESchend
Wish more urban fantasy were like this instead of the headless-washboard-abs brigade you see at the local bookshops.....
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Disturbing. It's not comforting reading, and nothing at all like how an urban fantasy has come to be these days. Technically it's not bad, but it's not what I was expecting to read, and not what I'm likely to re-read. I was particularly un-impressed with the direction of the end ending that Megan
Mitch is known by his acquaintances in Seattle only as 'Wizard' and refuses to acknowledge any other name. His ability seems to be an affinity for pigeons whom he can summon to be feed in some of Seattle's parks. He's also a homeless refugee of the streets and survives by luck, personal charm, and a mental dedication to 'the rules' assigned to him by ones of his 'friends', and this is shown through a series of ancedotes around his life, from a squat in an abandoned warehouse, through to finding food, and chatting with others on the streets, rarely indeed does he need to perform any magic. A chance encounter with a exuberant waitress breaks one of his rules, and we quickly get shown another view of the same life. Wizard must choose between them, were he capable of such a thing, whilst fighting the ghosts of MIR.
It is well written, the showing rather than telling, of Mitch's life, without judgement. But it's not happy, and it seems almost to be poking fun, although I'm sure it's meant to be sympathetic. Troubling reading.
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choose to take, a little more compassion from anywhere in the system would have been a better example.Mitch is known by his acquaintances in Seattle only as 'Wizard' and refuses to acknowledge any other name. His ability seems to be an affinity for pigeons whom he can summon to be feed in some of Seattle's parks. He's also a homeless refugee of the streets and survives by luck, personal charm, and a mental dedication to 'the rules' assigned to him by ones of his 'friends', and this is shown through a series of ancedotes around his life, from a squat in an abandoned warehouse, through to finding food, and chatting with others on the streets, rarely indeed does he need to perform any magic. A chance encounter with a exuberant waitress breaks one of his rules, and we quickly get shown another view of the same life. Wizard must choose between them, were he capable of such a thing, whilst fighting the ghosts of MIR.
It is well written, the showing rather than telling, of Mitch's life, without judgement. But it's not happy, and it seems almost to be poking fun, although I'm sure it's meant to be sympathetic. Troubling reading.
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LibraryThing member ritaer
different twist on crazy Nam vet theme and magic battle theme, he battles own dark side
LibraryThing member elenaj
This is an odd book, in a lot of ways, but a good one.
It has some of the strangeness (in not such a good way) about gender and sexuality that Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice series had. On the other hand, one of the best things about this book is the deep groundedness in its early 1980s Seattle
It has some of the strangeness (in not such a good way) about gender and sexuality that Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice series had. On the other hand, one of the best things about this book is the deep groundedness in its early 1980s Seattle
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setting. Show Less
LibraryThing member Narilka
I have mixed feelings for this book. I am not a big fan of magical realism and Wizard of the Pigeons toes the line. Written by Megan Lindholm (aka Robin Hobb), the writing itself is beautiful and engaging. I was kept guessing about what was real and what wasn't, what was just in Wizard's head and
Wizard's story has a fairy tale feel while the setting is a very gritty and real 1980s Seattle. It's a combination that shouldn't work well together yet it does. Technically this means it can be classified as Urban Fantasy though it is nothing like what the genre has become today.
Is this a story about real magic in Seattle or just a man coping with PTSD by believing himself to be a wizard? Perhaps it is both. I think I might need to reread this one again in the future.
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what was actually happening. Even now, weeks after finishing the book and thinking it through, I'm not entirely sure I have it sorted. In that respect, this is a thought provoking book as it forced me to examine my views of homelessness, poverty and mental illness from a completely different perspective. This makes for an uncomfortable read at times.Wizard's story has a fairy tale feel while the setting is a very gritty and real 1980s Seattle. It's a combination that shouldn't work well together yet it does. Technically this means it can be classified as Urban Fantasy though it is nothing like what the genre has become today.
Is this a story about real magic in Seattle or just a man coping with PTSD by believing himself to be a wizard? Perhaps it is both. I think I might need to reread this one again in the future.
Show Less