A Wizard in Rhyme is a series of fantasy novels by American writer Christopher Stasheff. The series follows the character of Matthew Mantrell, an English literature Ph.D. student, who is transported to a magical world where poetry is used to cast spells. There his knowledge of poetry, gained through his literature studies, establishes him as a powerful wizard and positions him as "lord wizard of the realm". [1] [2] The series consists of eight novels, [3] and is said to have hints of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt. [4]
A Wizard in Rhyme takes place in an alternate history of medieval Europe, featuring several geographical differences (most notably a land-bridge connecting Britain to the mainland) and two major supernatural differences: the existence of magic, which can be influenced by the speaking of rhymed verse; and the established and real presence of the Christian God and Devil, leading to a prevalence of Christian thought and morality.
The following are domains of the realms covered in the novel, with the approximate geographical counterparts in the real world.
Note: There are some inconsistencies with the actual name of Britain and Ireland in the series. In book 4, Matthew mentions that the countries England, Scotland and Ireland are respectfully named Angland, Scotia and Erie, yet in Book 6 Britain is called "Bretanglia," and Ireland, "Erin." However, this may be Stasheff making reference to England and Scotland when referring to Angland and Scotia respectively, while Bretanglia refers to Great Britain as a whole.
A Wizard in Rhyme is a series of fantasy novels by American writer Christopher Stasheff. The series follows the character of Matthew Mantrell, an English literature Ph.D. student, who is transported to a magical world where poetry is used to cast spells. There his knowledge of poetry, gained through his literature studies, establishes him as a powerful wizard and positions him as "lord wizard of the realm". [1] [2] The series consists of eight novels, [3] and is said to have hints of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt. [4]
A Wizard in Rhyme takes place in an alternate history of medieval Europe, featuring several geographical differences (most notably a land-bridge connecting Britain to the mainland) and two major supernatural differences: the existence of magic, which can be influenced by the speaking of rhymed verse; and the established and real presence of the Christian God and Devil, leading to a prevalence of Christian thought and morality.
The following are domains of the realms covered in the novel, with the approximate geographical counterparts in the real world.
Note: There are some inconsistencies with the actual name of Britain and Ireland in the series. In book 4, Matthew mentions that the countries England, Scotland and Ireland are respectfully named Angland, Scotia and Erie, yet in Book 6 Britain is called "Bretanglia," and Ireland, "Erin." However, this may be Stasheff making reference to England and Scotland when referring to Angland and Scotia respectively, while Bretanglia refers to Great Britain as a whole.