Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Ravirn is not your average computer geek. A child of the Fates—literally—he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can zero in on the fatal flaw in any program. Now that twenty-first-century magic has gone digital that makes him a very talented sorcerer. But a world of problems is about to be downloaded on Ravirn—who’s just trying to pass his college midterms.
Great Aunt Atropos, one of the three Fates, decides that humans having free will is really overrated and plans to rid herself of the annoyance—by coding a spell into the Fate Core, the server that rules destiny. As a hacker, Ravirn is a big believer in free will, and when he not only refuses to debug her spell but actively opposes her, all hell breaks loose.
Even with the help of his familiar Melchior, a sexy sorceress (who’s also a mean programmer), and the webgoblin underground, it’s going to be a close call...
Synopsis
Magic is about to get an upgrade
Ravirn is not your average computer geek. A child of the Fates -- literally -- he s a hacker extraordinaire who can zero in on the fatal flaw in any program. Now that twenty-first-century magic has gone digital that makes him a very talented sorcerer. But a world of problems is about to be downloaded on Ravirn -- who s just trying to pass his college midterms.
Great Aunt Atropos, one of the three Fates, decides that humans having free will is really overrated and plans to rid herself of the annoyance -- by coding a spell into the Fate Core, the server that rules destiny. As a hacker, Ravirn is a big believer in free will, and when he not only refuses to debug her spell but actively opposes her, all hell breaks loose.
Even with the help of his familiar Melchior, a sexy sorceress (who s also a mean programmer), and the webgoblin underground, it s going to be a close call...
Publishers Weekly
Remember the Fates, those ancient Greek spinners, weavers and snippers of life's threads? They're back in McCullough's original and outstanding debut, and still ruling destiny-but with their own digital web, based on a server called the Fate Core. Power-hungry as ever, they've coded a spell to eliminate human free will. Unluckily for them, one of their demigod descendants is a cheerfully rebellious hacker-sorcerer named Ravirn who, when not studying for college midterms, likes to mess around on their web with the help of his familiar, Melchior, who can change from a goblin to a laptop. Ravirn and Melchior, let loose in McCullough's delightfully skewed and fully formed world-much like our own, but with magic, paranormally advanced technology and Greek gods-set out to thwart Ravirn's "great-to-the-nth-degree aunt[s]," careening from one discovery to another, enlisting unlikely allies and narrowly evading destruction at the hands of both Fates and Furies. McCullough handles his plot with unfailing invention, orchestrating a mixture of humor, philosophy and programming insights that give new meaning to terms as commonplace as "spell checker" and esoteric as "programming in hex." Though a preponderance of techie-talk may put off some readers, this is the kind of title that could inspire an army of rabid fans; it's a good thing a sequel is planned for 2007. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewThe protagonist of Kelly McCullough's debut novel, WebMage -- a blend of Greek mythology, contemporary fantasy, and cyberpunk -- is equal parts sorcerer and hacker extraordinaire (Harry Potter meets Neo from The Matrix). Prince Ravirn is the grandson of Lachesis, one of the Fates: the three immortal crones who spin, measure, and eventually cut every person's life thread. While disguised as a goth computer geek named Ravi Latcher and majoring in classics and computer science at the University of Minnesota, Ravirn is learning all he can about network security to aid the Fates, who have upgraded their magical craft to the digital world. But after supposedly checking his great-aunt Atropos's security for flaws, Ravirn uncovers a nefarious plot to eliminate chance and free choice forever. With the help of a sarcastic webgoblin named Melchior and his distant -- and beautiful -- cousin Cerice, Ravirn must find a way to save the world from a terrible fate…
McCullough's WebMage is a solid first novel; and with a shocker of a conclusion that turns Ravirn's entire existence upside down and sets the stage for a plethora of story lines, it will have new fans of Kelly McCullough clamoring to see many more sequels. Paul Goat Allen
Publishers Weekly
Remember the Fates, those ancient Greek spinners, weavers and snippers of life's threads? They're back in McCullough's original and outstanding debut, and still ruling destiny-but with their own digital web, based on a server called the Fate Core. Power-hungry as ever, they've coded a spell to eliminate human free will. Unluckily for them, one of their demigod descendants is a cheerfully rebellious hacker-sorcerer named Ravirn who, when not studying for college midterms, likes to mess around on their web with the help of his familiar, Melchior, who can change from a goblin to a laptop. Ravirn and Melchior, let loose in McCullough's delightfully skewed and fully formed world-much like our own, but with magic, paranormally advanced technology and Greek gods-set out to thwart Ravirn's "great-to-the-nth-degree aunt[s]," careening from one discovery to another, enlisting unlikely allies and narrowly evading destruction at the hands of both Fates and Furies. McCullough handles his plot with unfailing invention, orchestrating a mixture of humor, philosophy and programming insights that give new meaning to terms as commonplace as "spell checker" and esoteric as "programming in hex." Though a preponderance of techie-talk may put off some readers, this is the kind of title that could inspire an army of rabid fans; it's a good thing a sequel is planned for 2007. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.VOYA
Ravirn is an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota where he is majoring in Classics, minoring in Computer Science, sharing a dorm room with a Toby Keith fan, and trying to study for midterms. He is also a first rate hacker with a knack for debugging any faulty computer program, or for that matter, any misfiring magical spell. It may also be worth mentioning that he is the umpteenth great-grandson of Lachesis, one of the three Fates of Greek mythology and a minor demigod in his own right. When his great-aunt, Atropos (she is the one who cuts the thread of human life) demands Ravirn's help with a spell that does not quite work the way it is supposed to, he discovers that the darkest of the three Fates is attempting to create magic that will completely do away with human free will. As an idealist, a hacker, and a general all-around smart-ass trickster, Ravirn is appalled by this plot and sets out to stop it, aided by his trusty combination Webgoblin and laptop, Melchior. Their quest evolves into a running battle with a variety of trolls, demigods, familiars, goddesses, Titans, and other supernatural entities. McCullough's first novel, written very much in the style of Roger Zelazny's classic Amber novels, is a rollicking combination of verbal humor, wild adventures, and just plain fun. The multitude of mythological allusions, however, as well as a modicum of sex mark the book as most appropriate for older readers. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2006, Ace Books, 320p., pb. Ages 15 to Adult.—Michael Levy