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jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
5.0
This volume contains ten short stories and a novel. Having first read most of them long ago, I don't usually read the whole thing straight through: I might reread one or a few stories, or I might reread the novel.
They all take place in the same world, with the same central characters, although other characters come and go. If you're reading about Lord Darcy for the first time, I think it makes sense to read through in order, as they come—the order in which they were written. However, there isn't a real need to do so, as the stories can all be read independently in any order. The stories in Part 3 are slightly connected, but the connection isn't vital.
Although I like the novel, it's very plot-driven. Oddly enough, the short stories seem slightly more relaxed, there seems a bit more room for the characters to breathe and the incidental details to be explored. And, of course, each of the stories can visit new places and show different aspects of this world: the alternative world of the flourishing Anglo-French Empire in the 1960s and 1970s, in which Lord Darcy is the Chief Investigator for the Duke of Normandy, accompanied by Master Sean O Lochlainn, his forensic sorcerer. There is always a crime to be investigated: usually murder, or at least homicide. Some of the crimes are committed by agents of the Polish Empire: the main opposing power that the Anglo-French Empire is concerned about.
Randall Garrett was an old-style sf writer, born in 1927; his writing style is adequate but not sophisticated. For readers of sf and fantasy in the 1960s, it was fine, but it don't expect it to be written like modern fiction.
They all take place in the same world, with the same central characters, although other characters come and go. If you're reading about Lord Darcy for the first time, I think it makes sense to read through in order, as they come—the order in which they were written. However, there isn't a real need to do so, as the stories can all be read independently in any order. The stories in Part 3 are slightly connected, but the connection isn't vital.
Although I like the novel, it's very plot-driven. Oddly enough, the short stories seem slightly more relaxed, there seems a bit more room for the characters to breathe and the incidental details to be explored. And, of course, each of the stories can visit new places and show different aspects of this world: the alternative world of the flourishing Anglo-French Empire in the 1960s and 1970s, in which Lord Darcy is the Chief Investigator for the Duke of Normandy, accompanied by Master Sean O Lochlainn, his forensic sorcerer. There is always a crime to be investigated: usually murder, or at least homicide. Some of the crimes are committed by agents of the Polish Empire: the main opposing power that the Anglo-French Empire is concerned about.
Randall Garrett was an old-style sf writer, born in 1927; his writing style is adequate but not sophisticated. For readers of sf and fantasy in the 1960s, it was fine, but it don't expect it to be written like modern fiction.
atomicookie's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kaboomcju's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining read. I guess Garrett was supposed to be a jokester, but a lot of the jokes in the book felt strained to me. While I enjoyed the character of Master Sean, Lord Darcy himself is still an enigma. I don't believe he was well-developed...especially for the main character! I just never felt like I really cared about the character or knew him at all. However, it's a fun read for those who enjoy the basic Sherlock Holmes-style mystery.
lesliefh's review against another edition
2.0
It was OK, but it completely failed to keep my interest and I stopped reading after the first 2 stories.
tbr_the_unconquered's review against another edition
3.0
The English royalty with all their pomp and splendor would have been quite a sight for the sore eyes in their days of glory. All that I have are faded photographs and a big bunch of written material about them. But then looking at some of the newspapers and tabloids having a field day when someone from the royal family is pregnant is enough indication of how it would have been in the old days. Randall Garrett envisages for his characters an England where monarchy never died. His world (even in the 1970’s) is ruled by a Plantagenet King – John IV and the Sun does not set over the empire. Let me pick up from the book what Garrett says about His Highness :
John IV, by the grace of God, King and Emperor of England, France, Scotland, Ireland, New England and New France, King of Romans and the Holy Roman Empire, Defender of the Faith et cetera.
The King reigns supreme with his only thorn in his side being the dastardly Poles led by His Slavonic Majesty – King Casimir IX. It is a game of who bests whom among the two of them while the general humanity lives on oblivious. One most interesting factor to note in the King’s lands are that magic is no longer seen as just hocus pocus. In a country where religion has the second best stranglehold on people, magic has now become a branch of science in itself. Interweaving fields of physics, chemistry, thaumaturgy and most importantly – mathematics, magic has evolved into yet another highly stable field of science. There are no wild card magicians around for they all need licenses ratified and approved by the Church before a sorcerer can do as much as raise a finger to perform a spell. It is into such a complicated yet highly interesting World that Garett sets forth his principal character of Lord Darcy.
Any unmarried, energetic and slightly eccentric criminal investigator who focuses almost exclusively on deductive reasoning and logic is bound to draw comparisons with Sherlock Holmes. That weighing of scales needs to be dispelled at the onset for Holmes and Darcy are plainly different. Darcy does not focus on solving problems alone and relies on the magical skills of his companion and master sorcerer Sean O Lachlainn and sometimes with the aid of a chirurgeon (for the uninitiated, that is a forensic surgeon) Dr. Pateley. The two others furnish the data and his lordship ties the ends together and presto ! Mystery solved. Almost all of the stories in the book are the closed room mystery kind and it does get a slight shade repetitive in terms of the setting but not in terms of the mystery itself.
At the onset of the book, WP book reviewer Michael Dirda calls the story ‘Too many magicians’ as a brilliant one worth re-reading. It is by no means an exaggerated claim for it is the longest and the best story of them all. The plot is quite a convoluted one with no clue as to the nature of the perpetrator. The other stories are not really all that first class but not one of them is boring. Beyond the peripheral understanding in the tales, there is not much indication of the lives of the characters and the puzzle always seems to hold sway over the author more than developing his characters. I did not know even an inch more about Darcy by the last tale that I knew from the beginning.
A clever set of little tales. Worth a read.
John IV, by the grace of God, King and Emperor of England, France, Scotland, Ireland, New England and New France, King of Romans and the Holy Roman Empire, Defender of the Faith et cetera.
The King reigns supreme with his only thorn in his side being the dastardly Poles led by His Slavonic Majesty – King Casimir IX. It is a game of who bests whom among the two of them while the general humanity lives on oblivious. One most interesting factor to note in the King’s lands are that magic is no longer seen as just hocus pocus. In a country where religion has the second best stranglehold on people, magic has now become a branch of science in itself. Interweaving fields of physics, chemistry, thaumaturgy and most importantly – mathematics, magic has evolved into yet another highly stable field of science. There are no wild card magicians around for they all need licenses ratified and approved by the Church before a sorcerer can do as much as raise a finger to perform a spell. It is into such a complicated yet highly interesting World that Garett sets forth his principal character of Lord Darcy.
Any unmarried, energetic and slightly eccentric criminal investigator who focuses almost exclusively on deductive reasoning and logic is bound to draw comparisons with Sherlock Holmes. That weighing of scales needs to be dispelled at the onset for Holmes and Darcy are plainly different. Darcy does not focus on solving problems alone and relies on the magical skills of his companion and master sorcerer Sean O Lachlainn and sometimes with the aid of a chirurgeon (for the uninitiated, that is a forensic surgeon) Dr. Pateley. The two others furnish the data and his lordship ties the ends together and presto ! Mystery solved. Almost all of the stories in the book are the closed room mystery kind and it does get a slight shade repetitive in terms of the setting but not in terms of the mystery itself.
At the onset of the book, WP book reviewer Michael Dirda calls the story ‘Too many magicians’ as a brilliant one worth re-reading. It is by no means an exaggerated claim for it is the longest and the best story of them all. The plot is quite a convoluted one with no clue as to the nature of the perpetrator. The other stories are not really all that first class but not one of them is boring. Beyond the peripheral understanding in the tales, there is not much indication of the lives of the characters and the puzzle always seems to hold sway over the author more than developing his characters. I did not know even an inch more about Darcy by the last tale that I knew from the beginning.
A clever set of little tales. Worth a read.
xeni's review
4.0
This first part contains: The Eyes Have It, A Case of Identity, The Muddle of the Woad, and Too Many Magicians.
The second part contains: A Stretch of the Imagination, A Matter of Gravity, and The Bitter End.
The third part contains: The Ipswhich Phial, The Sixteen Keys, The Napoli Express, and The Spell of War.
Overall: this was a fun collection of tales. At times they got very repetitive, a bit tedious. However I really dig this alternate-Europe, and Lord Darcy is pretty cool. I wish it was more personal and you could really dive into their characters more, however I imagine that's a clear product of its time.
---
First part review: I really love these stories. They are long enough to be read in multiple settings, but not so long that you lose the thread or can't hold all the clues in your mind. For the most part I feel I am not familiar enough with this modern world of magic and reconceptualized countries / empires, but learning about that while also trying to solve the mysteries works.
Lord Darcy is a more affluent and somehow more interesting Sherlock Holmes. He still shows a lot of that Holmesian aloofness, but I also feel that could be explained away by his aristocratic background, which Lord Darcy does not distance himself from. My favorite bit was how he pulled all the players of a murder case into the same room (very typical of the 'reveal' stage of murder mystery stories) and everyone started asking why the hell they were all gathered together. That bit of self-awareness makes for a much funnier story.
Instead of a (forensic) doctor, Darcy's trusted sidekick is a licensed forensic sorcerer, which, lets admit it, is way cooler. I dislike how Sean O'Lachlan is always referred to (even after multiple times in the same story, again and again) as 'the tubby sorcerer'. We get it, Randall Garrett, he's overweight in a society that generally isn't.
Too Many Magicians also contained my most favorite bit of spellwork I've come across in any fantasy book to date: the spell Sean puts on his carpetbag to always find its way back to his side without anyone really noticing. People realize 'this doesn't belong here' and take it just as far as their normal duties would have them carry it - unaware that they are moving it about, or even remembering it.
Specifically to Too Many Magicians: this story was quite a bit longer than the others so far, but I didn't mind it at all. It was a perfect locked-room murder mystery, with a lot of other convoluted players. One of the better murder mysteries I've read!
I can't wait to read more of these stories and learn more about this world, Lord Darcy, and most of all solve more mysterious murders!
----
Second Part Review: A Stretch of the Imagination, A Matter of Gravity, and The Bitter End
These stories were more mellow. I felt Lord Darcy's genius was not as showcased (and isn't that why we read these Sherlock Holmes-lite tales?) Essentially the first two are locked-room murder mysteries. The last one was more interesting because 1. the room was always open, full of people, and the victim was always visible and 2. Lord Darcy wasn't present for most of it. I was really hoping Sean would have a chance to show off some deductive skills, or some other characters would have a chance to shine (similar to how Lord John Quetzal seemed he could), but I guess this is not that kind of story.
Right now these are more like a bit of popcorn between the longer novels I'm reading - fun, interesting, but not very satisfying.
The second-to-last story (Murder on the Napoli Express) has been my favorite so far. If only because we get to see Lord Darcy take a more back-seat role, it harkens back to the [b:Murder on the Orient Express|853510|Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10)|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486131451l/853510._SY75_.jpg|2285570], but still subverts what happens there. This story wasn't too short or too long.
The very last story was a return to Darcy and O'Lachlan's youth, as soldiers in the war. It was pretty great to see their beginnings, honestly. I almost wished the book had started with these two, however it did end on a high note for me.
The second part contains: A Stretch of the Imagination, A Matter of Gravity, and The Bitter End.
The third part contains: The Ipswhich Phial, The Sixteen Keys, The Napoli Express, and The Spell of War.
Overall: this was a fun collection of tales. At times they got very repetitive, a bit tedious. However I really dig this alternate-Europe, and Lord Darcy is pretty cool. I wish it was more personal and you could really dive into their characters more, however I imagine that's a clear product of its time.
---
First part review: I really love these stories. They are long enough to be read in multiple settings, but not so long that you lose the thread or can't hold all the clues in your mind. For the most part I feel I am not familiar enough with this modern world of magic and reconceptualized countries / empires, but learning about that while also trying to solve the mysteries works.
Lord Darcy is a more affluent and somehow more interesting Sherlock Holmes. He still shows a lot of that Holmesian aloofness, but I also feel that could be explained away by his aristocratic background, which Lord Darcy does not distance himself from. My favorite bit was how he pulled all the players of a murder case into the same room (very typical of the 'reveal' stage of murder mystery stories) and everyone started asking why the hell they were all gathered together. That bit of self-awareness makes for a much funnier story.
Instead of a (forensic) doctor, Darcy's trusted sidekick is a licensed forensic sorcerer, which, lets admit it, is way cooler. I dislike how Sean O'Lachlan is always referred to (even after multiple times in the same story, again and again) as 'the tubby sorcerer'. We get it, Randall Garrett, he's overweight in a society that generally isn't.
Too Many Magicians also contained my most favorite bit of spellwork I've come across in any fantasy book to date: the spell Sean puts on his carpetbag to always find its way back to his side without anyone really noticing. People realize 'this doesn't belong here' and take it just as far as their normal duties would have them carry it - unaware that they are moving it about, or even remembering it.
Specifically to Too Many Magicians: this story was quite a bit longer than the others so far, but I didn't mind it at all. It was a perfect locked-room murder mystery, with a lot of other convoluted players. One of the better murder mysteries I've read!
I can't wait to read more of these stories and learn more about this world, Lord Darcy, and most of all solve more mysterious murders!
----
Second Part Review: A Stretch of the Imagination, A Matter of Gravity, and The Bitter End
These stories were more mellow. I felt Lord Darcy's genius was not as showcased (and isn't that why we read these Sherlock Holmes-lite tales?) Essentially the first two are locked-room murder mysteries. The last one was more interesting because 1. the room was always open, full of people, and the victim was always visible and 2. Lord Darcy wasn't present for most of it. I was really hoping Sean would have a chance to show off some deductive skills, or some other characters would have a chance to shine (similar to how Lord John Quetzal seemed he could), but I guess this is not that kind of story.
Right now these are more like a bit of popcorn between the longer novels I'm reading - fun, interesting, but not very satisfying.
The second-to-last story (Murder on the Napoli Express) has been my favorite so far. If only because we get to see Lord Darcy take a more back-seat role, it harkens back to the [b:Murder on the Orient Express|853510|Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10)|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486131451l/853510._SY75_.jpg|2285570], but still subverts what happens there. This story wasn't too short or too long.
The very last story was a return to Darcy and O'Lachlan's youth, as soldiers in the war. It was pretty great to see their beginnings, honestly. I almost wished the book had started with these two, however it did end on a high note for me.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
4.0
A wonderful occult version of Shelock Holmes. The only weak story is the last one.
barbarahowe's review
4.0
The time: the 1960’s. The place: the bustling port of Cherbourg. A nobleman in the Anglo-French Empire, engaged in a sensitive international inquiry, is missing. Lord Darcy, detective, and Master Sean O Lochlainn, forensic sorcerer, have been summoned to investigate.
This is the setup at the start of A Case of Identity, one of Randall Garrett’s classic Lord Darcy stories. In this alternate world, history diverged with Richard the Lionheart’s return to England. The Plantagenets still rule an undivided empire. The Americas are still colonies. And in the 13th century, the laws of magic were discovered, and the foundation laid for an academic discipline as sophisticated as our physics. Science and engineering, as we know them, are not well-developed in this world, since attention is instead focused on understanding and applying the laws of magic.
The eleven stories in this omnibus volume are interesting enough as Holmesian mysteries, but to me the most entertaining aspect is the magic, and the ways in which it both parallels and diverges from the technological marvels of our world. Long distance communication devices are magically-powered telesons, not telephones. Preservator chests keep food fresh. There are no automobiles, but there are steam trains. (This world feels more 19th-century, plus magic, than 20th-century.) And in the forensic sciences, the laws of magical relevancy can be used to determine if a bullet was fired from a particular gun, or to separate dye, deliberately spread, from the accidentally spilled ink it was intended to cover.
The stories aren’t entirely successful. The characterisations are shallow and the dialog often rather wooden. They are repetitious, and suffer from back-to-back readings. Too Many Magicians is too long, and has too little focus on the magic. And the whole premise of the alternate history is preposterous. An unbroken succession of benevolent and wise kings maintaining social cohesion and smoothing out all serious problems for more than 700 years? Yeah, right.
Some readers will be put off by the world’s political implausibility and excessive formality—all references to a person include their titles, the more the better. For other readers, like me, it’s possible to dip into them occasionally, accept their limitations, and enjoy a light, fun read about a world where magic is as real and essential as science.
This review was first published on This Need to Read
This is the setup at the start of A Case of Identity, one of Randall Garrett’s classic Lord Darcy stories. In this alternate world, history diverged with Richard the Lionheart’s return to England. The Plantagenets still rule an undivided empire. The Americas are still colonies. And in the 13th century, the laws of magic were discovered, and the foundation laid for an academic discipline as sophisticated as our physics. Science and engineering, as we know them, are not well-developed in this world, since attention is instead focused on understanding and applying the laws of magic.
The eleven stories in this omnibus volume are interesting enough as Holmesian mysteries, but to me the most entertaining aspect is the magic, and the ways in which it both parallels and diverges from the technological marvels of our world. Long distance communication devices are magically-powered telesons, not telephones. Preservator chests keep food fresh. There are no automobiles, but there are steam trains. (This world feels more 19th-century, plus magic, than 20th-century.) And in the forensic sciences, the laws of magical relevancy can be used to determine if a bullet was fired from a particular gun, or to separate dye, deliberately spread, from the accidentally spilled ink it was intended to cover.
The stories aren’t entirely successful. The characterisations are shallow and the dialog often rather wooden. They are repetitious, and suffer from back-to-back readings. Too Many Magicians is too long, and has too little focus on the magic. And the whole premise of the alternate history is preposterous. An unbroken succession of benevolent and wise kings maintaining social cohesion and smoothing out all serious problems for more than 700 years? Yeah, right.
Some readers will be put off by the world’s political implausibility and excessive formality—all references to a person include their titles, the more the better. For other readers, like me, it’s possible to dip into them occasionally, accept their limitations, and enjoy a light, fun read about a world where magic is as real and essential as science.
This review was first published on This Need to Read
chally's review
5.0
The Lord Darcy mysteries are comprised of 10 short stories (some longer than others) and one full-length novel. Most of them were written over the 1960s and 1970s. The really interesting part is that these are examples of alternate history; they’re set in the “real” world during those same 60s and 70s, but in this version of reality the Plantegenet dynasty has been ruling wisely and well for eight centuries and England still has a proper monarch even now. Additionally, there’s a form of magic – “forensic sorcery” – that’s regularly employed in criminal investigations.
Lord Darcy is chief investigator to this same king. His particular job is to investigate murders which are either a) insoluble to everyone else, or b) perpetrated against members of the aristocracy. Coming to his regular assistance is Sean O Lochlainn, an Irish master sorcerer with a didactic streak.
Darcy’s only fault is in being faultless; he’s ferociously intelligent, as you’d expect of a great detective; he can speak multiple languages; he’s trained in just about every known weapon; he’s glib, handsome, wealthy, titled and capable of being quite charming (though he frequently isn’t). These days we might expect a few more flaws in our heroes, but in this case, who cares? Darcy is a fabulous character and great fun to read about. Master Sean, meanwhile, is a terrific sidekick. Loyal, funny and very skilled, he makes a good foil to Darcy’s relentless perfection, but without being the sort of irritating, bumbling idiot that’s frequently served up.
The mysteries in each case are extremely clever, grippingly told and pleasantly challenging to follow. My only regret is that there are only eleven of these stories. I read them all through in two days and wanted a lot more. I particularly want more depth; seeing as these are mostly short tales, there isn’t that much room to explore the characters and background in as much detail as I would have liked. It’s sad that there will never be anymore of these. There are, however, some authorised sequels by another author, which I’ll be trying out some day. Here’s hoping they live up to the originals.
Lord Darcy is chief investigator to this same king. His particular job is to investigate murders which are either a) insoluble to everyone else, or b) perpetrated against members of the aristocracy. Coming to his regular assistance is Sean O Lochlainn, an Irish master sorcerer with a didactic streak.
Darcy’s only fault is in being faultless; he’s ferociously intelligent, as you’d expect of a great detective; he can speak multiple languages; he’s trained in just about every known weapon; he’s glib, handsome, wealthy, titled and capable of being quite charming (though he frequently isn’t). These days we might expect a few more flaws in our heroes, but in this case, who cares? Darcy is a fabulous character and great fun to read about. Master Sean, meanwhile, is a terrific sidekick. Loyal, funny and very skilled, he makes a good foil to Darcy’s relentless perfection, but without being the sort of irritating, bumbling idiot that’s frequently served up.
The mysteries in each case are extremely clever, grippingly told and pleasantly challenging to follow. My only regret is that there are only eleven of these stories. I read them all through in two days and wanted a lot more. I particularly want more depth; seeing as these are mostly short tales, there isn’t that much room to explore the characters and background in as much detail as I would have liked. It’s sad that there will never be anymore of these. There are, however, some authorised sequels by another author, which I’ll be trying out some day. Here’s hoping they live up to the originals.