Harry Potter Withdrawals?

Mike, a long-time friend of almost twenty-five years, has a handful of remedies for treating those nasty Harry Potter withdrawals.

Like many of you, I waited anxiously for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Now that it's out and I've read it, I know it'll be another 2 years (or 3? 4? even more?) until we get another installment. In other words, I'm having Harry Potter withdrawals.

If you are having similar issues, let me recommend two fantasy book series that you may enjoy.

The first is the "Mancer" series by Don Callander. I've had these books for several years and read them several times. The first book, "Pyromancer", tells the story of young Douglas Brightglade, a lad who becomes apprenticed to a wizard and studies pyromancy (the magic of fire). He becomes involved in a battle to save World from the power of the evil ice wizard Frigeon. Along the way he meets other interesting characters, human and otherwise. Further adventures of Douglas and his friends are told in the other three books of the series, namely "Aquamancer", "Geomancer", and "Aeromancer".

These books are simple and light-hearted with, in the words of one reviewer, aspects of a fairy tale. The characters are likeable, even if some of the dialogue is a little contrived at times. The plots have occasional interesting twists, though there is never really any doubt that the good guys are going to win. In fact, the surprise is more in how they win than in the fact that they do. There are some interesting concepts here too, like the idea of defeating the bad guy by turning him back to good. All in all, it's a fun series to read but lacks the depth--and especially the angst, thank heavens!--of the Harry Potter books.

Second and more highly recommended is a series by Philip Pullman called "His Dark Materials". I first became aware of this series at a University of Utah bookstore display intended to offer, you guessed it, help for those suffering from Harry Potter withdrawal. Incidentally, this display also recommended "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia", both of which I heartily endorse. Unfortunately, it also recommended the "Artemis Fowl" and the "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books. Although I have never read these series, I am assured by my wife (among other people) that they can be safely ignored. One review I read on the former series seems to sum it up: "If you read the Harry Potter books thinking that Draco Malfoy should have been the hero, you'll love Artemis Fowl."

The three books in "His Dark Materials" are "The Golden Compass", "The Subtle Knife", and "The Amber Spyglass". This story, spread over all three books, tells of the adventures of two young people, Lyra Silvertongue and Will Parry, who come together from two different worlds to help each other accomplish a mission that neither one fully understands. The two young people are almost continually in danger, and though there are several memorable supporting characters, they have to rely mostly on themselves and on each other. As they face nigh-impossible odds, the fate of countless worlds hangs in the balance.

I thought the author did a good job developing the characters in this series, especially Lyra and Will. Lyra is adventurous, curious, headstrong, and imaginative (and occasionally prone to making up stories). Will is quiet, determined, introspective, responsible, and practical. Both are caring, loyal, and exceptionally brave. Better yet, they inspire goodness and bravery in those who come to know and love them. Even two of the significant villains of the piece are moved to self-sacrifice by their feelings for Will and (more importantly) Lyra. True, these two have their shortcomings, but they learn from their mistakes--are you listening, Harry?--and become better people for their experiences. In short, they are good, likeable characters, and easy to cheer for. (Unlike, for example, the above-mentioned Artemis Fowl.) The supporting cast are also complex and well thought out. Of particular interest here are such characters as Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby, a bear named Iorek Byrnison, witch queen Serafina Pekkala, university researcher Dr. Mary Malone, society lady Mrs. Coulter, and Lyra's Uncle, Lord Asriel.

"His Dark Materials" is a deep and very complex story. It involves all sorts of things that science fiction and fantasy fans will love: magic talismans, enchanted weapons, windows between worlds, theoretical physics, Victorian-era technology ("The Golden Compass" especially has an Imperial London feel to it), theological mysteries, parallel universes, witch clans, armored bears, non-human civilizations, arctic exploration, adventures at sea, heroic rescues, unexpected betrayal, devious villains who appear to be good guys, loyal friends, and heroes who put themselves in harm's way so that the right can prevail. Above all there is the quest (a central element of almost any good fantasy story) that draws in Lyra and Will for seemingly different reasons. The plot is intricately woven and hard to follow at times, but the resolution is satisfactory and leaves the reader (okay, me) wishing there could be another book in the series.

So there you have it. I give the "Mancer" series by Don Callander a B and "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman a solid A. And if you haven't read "The Chronicles of Narnia", what's wrong with you? Read it! Yes, I admit it's a little slow sometimes, but C.S. Lewis was a Brit, so what do you expect?

Anyway, I wish you all happy reading. And if any of you have read anything good in this vein lately, let me know. I'll be needing something new to read...in twelve weeks or so.

--M