(urth) The Wizard

[Antonin Scriabin]

After taking a several month break after *The Knight*, I finally got around
to reading *The Wizard*.  I liked it better than the first installment
overall, but the shift to third-person narration for some of the Jotunland
scenes didn't work very well, in my opinion.  This duology was definitely
one of the more confusing and tricky Wolfe series that I have read, since
so little is known about the world Able finds himself in (at least, the
worlds other than Aelfrice, Mythgarthyr and Skai).  It was also confusing
because it is such a hodge-podge of mythologies (Arthurian legend, Norse
gods and goddess, Judeo-Christian, etc.).  Anyways, I was wondering if
anyone thought the universe in these books really is "cyclical"; i.e., The
Most High God and the most low god are indeed the same being, and that the
highest and lowest worlds are the same.  Reading that portion was one of
those Wolfe moments where I have to put the book down for an hour or so,
and come back later.  My first thought is that the most low god was simply
trying to deceive Able, and that the worlds are not the same.  I was also
wondering what happened to Mani ... he seemed to disappear about half-way
through the narrative and none of the characters seem to notice (unless I
missed it completely).  Finally, has anyone picked out connections between *The
Wizard Knight* and *Castleview*?  They both involve people from modern day
America getting entangled with a world that is a blend of Arthurian legend
and Norse mythology, and I would be very surprised if there wasn't some
subtle link between the two works.
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