A Malady of Magicks

By: Craig Shaw Gardner

Narrated by: Fred Goya

Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

"Guxx Unfufadoo is my name. And killing wizards is my game!" Thus spoke the dreaded rhyming demon, come from the Netherhells, to munch a bunch of the great Ebenezum.

Only it didn't quite work out that way. Ebenezum lived, cursed by Guxx with a mighty curse that he should henceforth be allergic to magic.

So Ebenezum and his hapless apprentice Wuntvor must journey to the City of Forbidden Delights to seek a cure. They find the road fraught with peril and dark magic, from tap-dancing dragons to enchanted chickens, slobbering trolls, winsome witches and sinister shrubbery.

It's up to Wunt to see them through, to utter the sounds of power and speak the spells that will insure their health, wealth and continued life. If only he could remember the words...

©2001 Craig Shaw Gardner (P)2014 David N. Wilson

Great for younger fantasy fans

I read this and loved it as a kid. As an adult, it seemed too juvenile. The concepts are still funny, and I would highly recommend this to parents getting something for the kids. I had a hard time nailing down what I didn't like about A Malady of Magicks this time around. I don't think that I was particularly a fan of the narration. Definitely listen to the sample prior to spending the credit.

2 people found this helpful

How a bad read can kill a great book

I can still remember the first time I read this series after getting it from an old book club that I belonged to. I found it hilarious then, and still do, and I went on to get all 6 books of this wonderful series.

The problem with this purchase is frankly, the reading. The only voice Goya sounds believable in is that of Ebenezum. Unfortunately, its not Ebenezum telling the story. Many times, the voice inflection did not match the emotion, and plain and simple voice inflection as to if a statement was a question or not, was out of match. Goya was simply out of touch with the characters true identity and mannerisms from on the onset.

This is simply a case where a great book cannot be enjoyed for the lack of effort in its story telling.

1 person found this helpful

love the book, fun and light hearted.

Narrator is ok but uses too many accents and poorly matches them to the characters

quite charming!

a fun story of how getting so many things wrong can turn out good in the end!

Amazingly wide range of voice...Reader excellent!

Read this book so often years ago. The reader made it worth listening to again!