Wizard Undercover is the latest novel in K. E. Mills’ excellent fantasy series, Rogue Agent, about wizard Gerald Dunwoody, and his friends Reg the bird, Monk Markam, Emerabiblia (Bibie) Markam and Melissande. In the first three novels, The Accidental Sorcerer, Witches Incorporated and Wizard Squared, Gerald changes from semi-talented to very powerful and very unpredictable, a rogue wizard, conscripted into his country’s service.
Gerald’s boss, Sir Alec in this world’s version of the CIA/NSA/etc., sees potential in having a very powerful wizard chock full of unorthodox spells, and prevents Gerald from removing the dark magic he consumed in the prior novels. This leaves Gerald on his own, terrified of the grimoire spells, desperate to control himself, to not follow his alter ego in a parallel universe who reveled in evil and killed anyone who got in his way.
Wizard Undercover picks up right after book three ends, with Gerald heartsick at what happened and frightened of hia magic. He grieves for Reg – his Reg – wants to get to know the new Reg, wants to love Bibbie but fears he will hurt her.
The main conflict in the novel is Gerald’s internal struggle. Can he control his magic, can he use it without contaminating himself? Can he and Bibbie find each other? The external conflicts set the backdrop and secondary action: Can Gerald prevent an international disaster and can Princess Melisande and Bibbie jump into the heretofore all male world of international espionage. Author Mills deftly braids all three plots into a solid novel.
Wizard Undercover is not as compelling a read as the earlier three books in the series. Good as the story is, interesting as the characters are, I find my attention drifting, reading 50-100 pages at a time. The espionage backdrop is the weakest part of the story and Wizard Undercover needs a strong plot to hold all the emotional tensions. In the prior novels Gerald and friends fought for their lives; the threat in Wizard Undercover is more diffuse, impersonal for most of the story. I think the interpersonal tensions work best with a stronger plot and existential threat.
Author K. E. Mills has written a good book, one I recommend. Like the other novels in the Rogue Agents series Wizard Undercover has a true ending, no cliff hangers. Read the books in sequence because the characters continue and the plots reference previous events. I look forward to a fifth book with Gerald, Reg and the rest.
4+ Stars
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