Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz by Garth Nix

Garth Nix is a favourite fantasy author of mine – I especially loved Sabriel, the first of the wonderful Old Kingdom series, and The left-handed booksellers of London   and I was thrilled to find that there was a collection of short stories that I had not read. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz comprises of eight stories gathered for the first time, plus one new story “The Field of Fallen Foe,” to whet the appetites of those who are familiar with those previously published. Featuring Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz, readers will be drawn into their world, where they function as agents of the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World. The pair are tasked with finding and removing gods who have been listed as dangerous. Sir Hereward is the son of witches, a knight, skilful at swordplay and artillery, while Mister Fitz is a sorcerous puppet, who wields magic needles. And what a combination they are! Travelling from place to place they encounter adventure and danger in a magical land.

It was very easy to fall into these short stories and grow to like the main characters. Each one saw the pair face a different sorcerous god, and both had to draw on their skills to overcome the danger. There are scenes of derring-do, with the pair facing pirates, using gunpowder, and riding strange creatures across difficult terrains. By the end of the collection, the reader is familiar with some of Sir Hereward’s background and the family of witches he is related to, and how Sir Fitz was created.

This is a must have collection for Nix’s fans, easy to read and enjoyable, and is likely to appeal more to adults and older teens. George R.R. Martin mentions on the back cover that Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz “are the best partnership in the world of fantasy since Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser’’ by Fritz Leiber, and readers may want to check out that collection too.

Themes: Fantasy, Sorcery.

Pat Pledger