The Silent Tower is the place where criminal/renegade mages are kept in Barbara Hambly's book of the same name. Usually they are only kept there long enough for trial and execution, however one has been locked up there for the last seven years when the book opens. He is too meddlesome for the state and church to let go, but he has friends on the Wizard's council that do not want him dead. Now Antryg must be consulted, because he is the greatest expert about dimensional travel.
The book is the first of two, the second being The Silicon Mage. It is a mystery and fantasy set mostly in a fictional world on the verge of an industrial revolution. I recommend getting the second one checked out from the library at the same time because it is rather frustrating to have to stop in the middle of the tale. There is also a one-volume bookclub edition called Darkmage.
I like it mainly for the cast of characters so here is the cast:
- Caris- A warrior of a type called sasennan, they are supposed to be unemotional tools that do their leader's bidding without question. Though Caris is having a lot of trouble with this.
- Antryg Windrose- Scatterbrained mad mage locked in the tower, probably the most powerful mage in the world. He has a lot of the same personality as Dr. Who as played by Tom Baker.
- Joanna Sheraton- Computer programmer kidnapped for unknown purposes by an unknown mage. Figuring out why is critical to solving the mystery.
- Suraklin, The Darkmage- He never seen, but his presence is felt. Also there is suspicion that somehow he might have found a way to escape death and continue to manipulate the Empire of Ferryth.
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