A Wizard in War

The prolific Stasheff's third novel of 1995 (after A Wizard in Mind and A Wizard in Bedlam) finds Magnus Gallowglass, hero of those first two volumes in the Rogue Wizard series, returning to use his psi-based magic and his political savvy in order to help establish peace and impartial government on the planet Maltroit. Aiding Magnus is Dirk Dulaine, his second-in-command in this war against wars. Dirk and Gar (as Gallowglass is familiarly called) are joined by Coll, an escaped serf facing death for protecting his sister from a lusty knight. Much of the narrative features robust action, as the major characters are impressed into the king's army, hide out with a persecuted troupe of actors, are jailed and engage in various fights. For all the derring-do, however, each event furthers Gar's plans for a sustainable revolution. With some humor and a love interest salted into the mix, this proves to be another light and lively fantasy from an accomplished hand. (Nov.)