I really enjoyed Kill All Wizards, by Jedediah Berry, even though it’s not quite the sword-and-sorcery/comedy/fantasy of manners that I was expecting. Yes, there are epic confrontations between a barbarian and several magic-users, and there are many comical moments, and occasional discussions of manners; however, Berry also plays a lot with framing, story structure, and style. His variations on some recognizable S&S tropes are very fresh and fun.
I also adored Berry’s 2024 novel, The Naming Song, which I reviewed here. Kill All Wizards is very different, though, in tone, subject, and plot. For me, it worked as a great little break after some really challenging works.
From the publisher’s description: The barbarian traveled far to consult the wizards of the empire. Instead of lending their aid, they ensorcelled him, exploited his strength, and stole his sword. They should not have done that.
Now the barbarian plans to kill every wizard who wronged him, even if that means blending in with their vile society: dressing in finery, taking tea in exclusive clubs, and reserving the best box at the theater.
From that writeup, I had assumed that a strong comp for the blending-into-society part of this book would be Georgette Heyer’s Powder and Patch, a frothy Regency romance/comedy in which a country bumpkin, rejected by his lady-love for not being sophisticated enough (although really because he was taking her for granted), goes to Paris to learn how to be a leading light of society. However, although Gotchimus does learn to appreciate quality clothing, and he does take tea and attend the theater, all of that is barely relevant to the plot (except for a duel that starts in said theater). His high-society training is elided, and in fact the reader first encounters the barbarian after he’s learned social graces.
But don’t worry, he’s still a barbarian in his heart, and we hear plenty about his barbarian past. That’s because his friend Hecksley, a thief-turned-fence, demands to hear why Gotchimus is on his revenge quest, and it’s a long story. (It could have been much longer, but Berry keeps interrupting his perilous descents into would-be purple prose with ironic asides.)
The style employed in this short book — novella? it’s 144 pages — is just great. I enjoy a bit of linguistic flourishing now and then, and the word choices are really evocative, but it’s still fast-paced for the most part. Even during a convalescence, there’s a lot happening under the surface, including suspicions about a certain healer.
As a barbarian among wizards and urbanites, Gotchimus has a lot of well-justified trust issues. It’s really fun watching some of the heel turns and reverse heel turns, and how people are used and use each other.
Gotchimus is a barbarian, but he’s not at all stupid. He’s capable of learning to deal with bureaucracy, and even patient until he figures out that it’s all just a way of insulating the ruling mages from having to deal with people like him. His occasional allies, including Theo and Dora and a maybe-okay wizard named Gray, are also interesting and characters.
(Note that my spelling of minor character names may be off, since I heard this in audio form instead of reading text. Either way of reading should be fine, depending on your preference.)
I don’t want to say a lot more than I have already about the plot, but the way things turn out is quite satisfying. I really enjoyed watching Gotchimus go up against various opponents, with lots of creativity in their different approaches and ends, and seeing him gradually figure out what was going on behind the scenes. But I also appreciate very much that although he’s definitely the star here, it’s not just lone-wolf Gotchimus against the world; his allies, and the information that some of them provide, turn out to be invaluable.
I see that Kill All Wizards is being listed as The Barbaric Ledgers (Volume 1), and a Gotchimus sequel, Devouring Gods, is coming already in March. I will definitely be taking a look at his further adventures, but fear not: Kill All Wizards stands alone on its own mighty thews as a complete story.
Happy Book Birthday today to Kill All Wizards by Jedediah Berry! (144 pages.) You can buy it here.
Content warnings: Decapitations, mutilations, and other graphic violence; murders/killings; references to a sort of magical zombification; memory issues; long, agonizing death via a sort of toxic spell dump; revenge quest; lies and betrayals.
Disclaimer: I received a free audiobook from the publisher for review, via NetGalley.
