Books: The Inadequate Adept By Simon Hawke (1993)

“Brewster accidentally transports himself to a parallel universe that suspiciously resembles the setting of a fantasy novel…a strange, medieval world where magic really works, unicorns hate virgins and smell terrible, elves drink human blood and play guitars, dwarves wear dreadlocks and flannel plaids, talking dragons dream our universe, and sorcerers are powerful enough to detect the presence of the narrator and attempt to take over the plot. Trapped without his time machine, which has mysteriously disappeared, Brewster enlists the aid of the residents of Brigand's Roost to help him find it, in exchange for bringing some progress to their village in the form of solar power, showers, prescription lenses, a wondrous, alchemical concoction he calls "soap," and a strange, lightweight metal called "aluminum." However, any science that is sufficiently advanced would seem like magic to those who didn't understand it, and the Sorcerers and Adepts Guild takes a dim view of anyone who practices magic without paying their dues.

Much like The Reluctant Sorcerer, the second book in this trilogy remains a bit disorganized, with pages of rumination that seem to slow the story down –even if they’re sometimes funny. Once again, Hawke, via the “narrator” of the novel, becomes part of the plot. This is a device I don’t think I’ve ever encountered before in any genre, but it’s an interesting technique to keep the reader involved in the story. We do get more characters, a bit more action, and bit more stuff from the “real world”, as it were. Those pieces sometimes distract from the narrative, as well. I’m not sure how all of this will dovetail together in the next book, but I rather invested in the series now, and feel the need to finish it off before going onto the many other books I have. I would also hope we get more Warwick, the evil wizard and his assistant Teddy –they sort of get short-shifted here. But the plot line –while not deep- is enjoyable and humor remains strong (with a few whiffs of social commentary that might’ve gone unnoticed back in 1993, but seem prescient in 2023.