Epic Fantasy: “The White Tower” by Michael Wisehart

It’s probably been a year since I finished The White Tower, an epic fantasy by Michael Wisehart, and I’m beyond past due in recommending this book. Commercially, the book has been very successful and racked up thousands of positive Amazon reviews. For readers who like sprawling fantasy novels with abundant magic and a small army of characters, this book is one you’ll likely enjoy.

In my mission to read the bestselling fantasy out there right now, picking up The White Tower was practically mandatory. The book was frequently on the Amazon bestseller lists for several fantasy genres. So I was curious to dive in and see what all the hype was about.

Set in a European-style medieval fantasy world, The White Tower’s premise is straightforward: Magic is forbidden in the land, and the enforcement of this prohibition lies with the White Tower. Acting much like the Spanish Inquisition, the Tower’s servants search for and torture those with magical abilities; however, the Tower’s true hypocrisy quickly reveals itself. The Tower’s  Archchancellor is secretly a user of magic himself, as is his clandestine counsel of sorcerers. They don’t aim to rid the world of magic — they want to get rid of any opposition they may face.

This takes us to the cast of characters, which is considerable. The story is told from at least eighteen different viewpoint characters, many of whom could have been the story’s hero and most of whom have their own subplot. The sheer number of plotlines in the book made it difficult at times to figure out which one was the main story. But that became clearer by the end of the novel.

Those born with magical gifts in this world usually possess a single type of magic. Some can control vegetation, while others are able to manipulate water, fire, or metal. There are also those whose magical abilities relate to combat, such as a swordsman who is always able to predict the next strike, and an archer who never misses his target. This reminded me a bit of a medieval version of Marvel’s X-Men, with their varied and particular mutant abilities. But these X-Men masquerade as bakers, botanists, tavernkeepers, and other types of village merchants, all of whom operate secretly to avoid attracting the White Tower’s attention.

Many of these wielders have organized into a secret guild in the village of Easthaven, where much of the story takes place. The scenes involving the guild have a J.K. Rowling-esque quality to them, which is endearing to anyone fond of the Harry Potter novels. But the book is filled with disturbing scenes, too, including a good amount of torture that takes place in the White Tower, which can be graphic and a bit difficult to read at times. That said, Whisehart does a good job of raising the stakes and placing his characters in difficult situations, which creates plenty of conflict that drives the story forward.

In addition to the drama involving the Easthaven wielders, there is also – among many other subplots – a story of palace intrigue. Despite the White Tower’s wickedness, the land’s king and queen seem like good-natured people. But their son is an arrogant brat, and even worse, he’s allied himself with the Tower’s Archchancellor. All of this sets up a conflict that will likely play out over the course of the series, but it was one of my favorite subplots here.

Finally, there is Ty, the character who “may” become the central hero before all is said and done. During an exciting prologue, a Merlin-like wizard protects a child from sorcerers sent by the White Tower to capture the boy. We learn the child, Ty, is a faeling, which means he’s “magic-born” and quite dangerous to the White Tower’s interests. This gives him a “chosen one” quality that I suspect will play out as the series progresses.

Overall, there is a lot going on in The White Tower – a little something for every fantasy reader, but maybe too much for some. However, Wisehart has created a rich fantasy world with an abundance of likable characters and enough storylines to keep the series going for several books, at least. Also, after nearly a year, the story has stuck with me, which is always a good sign. I’m glad I read it, and if it sounds like your cup of mead, you may be too.