Magnus lands on a planet reminiscent of renaissance Italy and works to set up the independent merchant cities to cast off the shackles of the aristocracy. But he gets bumped on the head one time too many and winds up playing the fool in more ways than one.

Unlike the Warlock series, this one just doesn't have the sense of fun to it. Magnus is going out among the stars helping wayward planets because he's bored and it's the job he's decided to take on. And the writing seems to echo that. It's a job. Even though the book was short and it was a relatively quick read, I never got hooked by it the way Rod got me hooked. It may be that Magnus is SUCH a superman (telepath, telekinetic, 7' tall, warrior, scholar, rich beyond imagining, able to tap into modern technology) that I almost find myself rooting for the bad guys to find some way to take him out. ( )