The Witch Doctor (A Wizard in Rhyme)

AN ATHEIST IN A WORLD OF ANGELS AND DEMONS

Saul didn't have so many friends that he would give one up without a fight. So when Matt disappeared, Saul started a search that led through Matt's kitchen window -- straight into a world of magic and desperate danger!

Saul discovered that in this world, his love of verse made him a wizard. But his newfound magic earned him a dreadful foe: Queen Suettay, a false monarch without peer for wickedness and corruption. A fearsome sorceress herself, with armies steeped in evil ready to obey her every sinful command, she determined to break Saul's growing power -- or win his soul for Satan.

Fortunately, Saul earned some stalwart friends, as well: Gruesome the troll and young Squire Gilbert; Saul's own guardian angel, and the beautiful -- if unsubstantial -- Angelique. But he'd need the help of the mysterious Spider King to spin a web strong enough to trap this tyrant!

Christopher Stasheff was a teacher, thespian, techie, and author of science fiction & fantasy novels. One of the pioneers of "science fantasy," his career spaned four decades, 44 novels (including translations into Czech, German, Italian, Russian, and Japanese), 29 short stories, and seven 7 anthologies. His novels are famous for their humor (and bad puns), exploration of comparative political systems, and philosophical undertones. He has always had difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality and has tried to compensate by teaching college. When teaching proved too real, he gave it up in favor of writing full time. He tends to pre-script his life, but can't understand why other people never get their lines right. This causes a fair amount of misunderstanding with his wife and four children. He writes novels because it's the only way he can be the director, the designer, and all the actors too. Chris died in 2018 from Parkinson's Disease. He will be remembered by his friends, family, fans, and students for his kind and gentle nature, and for his witty sense of humor. His terrible puns, however, will be forgotten as soon as humanly possible.