Review: Wizard for Hire by Obert Skey

Title: Wizard For Hire

Author: Obert Skye
Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Publishing Date: March 6th 2018

Pages:  416
Genre: Modern Fantasy

Series: Wizard For Hire
Source: Hardcover

Fourteen-year-old Ozzy lives near Portland, Oregon, and is desperate for help. His scientist parents have been kidnapped after discovering a formula that enables mind control. Their work was so top secret Ozzy is afraid to go to the police, but without help, he fears he'll never find his parents. Then he stumbles across a classified ad in the local newspaper that says "Wizard for Hire. Call 555-SPEL." Ozzy has read about wizards in books like Harry Potter, but wizards couldn't actually exist today, could they? After Ozzy meets the wizard Labyrinth--aka Rin--he's even more skeptical.Sure, Rin dresses like a wizard, but the short robe and high-top tennis shoes seem unorthodox, as does Rin's habit of writing notes on his shoes and eating breakfast for every meal. Plus, Rin doesn't even cast any magic spells, which means that the unexplained coincidences that start happening around Ozzy are just that--coincidences.With the help of a robotic-talking raven invented by Ozzy's father, a kind and curious girl at school who decides to help Ozzy, and, of course, a self-proclaimed wizard who may or may not have a magical wand, Ozzy begins an unforgettable quest that will lead him closer to the answers he desperately seeks about his missing parents.

Wouldn't you like to hire a wizard? Need an A on that exam coming up this week? How about a clean house? Or perhaps you need sleep or wake up faster to get to work on time. In a pickle and need magic to help you out? I know there are many times I could have used a wizard there to help me through something difficult situation or the knowledge to use magic. But would you like to be abandoned at 7 years old in a thick, forest in a small cabin on huge land all alone with no human interaction at all.

  

That is exactly what Ozzy is faced with as his parents are taken from him. Luckily his parents came to the area with lots of canned food so he can eat food. While exploring the house he discovers Clark the mechanical bird that is solar powered that can fly and also talk to Ozzy. Clark was invented by Ozzy's dad, and he has a crush on other birds and also all metal things. Ozzy eventually decides to explore the forest and beyond the creek nearby. He comes to discover a beach and a young attractive girl named Sigi. With limited communication skills due to his isolation, he doesn't really say much to her.

This discovery leads Ozzy to seek out more ways to interact with other kids his own age. He then discovers that there is a place called school where there are other kids his own age. So then he tries to find a way to get to school. Once he gets to school he finds that Sigi who also goes to school there. 

Ozzy still wants to find his parents and from reading mystery books he knows that the police should be able to help him. So he goes to the police to see if they can help, but he is not fully honest because he is afraid if they find out he has no parents that he will not be able to go back to the cabin in the woods. Or cloaked house as he likes to call it. But as the police start asking questions Ozzy does not want to answer he runs out of the police station.

Ozzy then finds a paper that has an ad for a wizard. He believes that the wizard who has magic will be able to help him on his quest to find his parents. The wizard's name is Rin and at once Ozzy and his bird Clark are unsure of his methods or if he really is a wizard. Maybe he is just a crazy old man. He wears a felt hat like a wizard but also wears a short bath robe and he seems to really love breakfast.

As the story progresses the interactions between Ozzy, Clark, and Rin become more intertwined. With some funny humor and  a very interesting cast of characters the story whizzes by. And as Ozzy gets closer to the truth about his parents things become rather dangerous. It seems Ozzy's parents had a major breakthrough with a science experiment and hid to escape the consequences of what their experiment could bring about.

"Sorry- Clark sort of gets a crush on anything bird-related or made of metal."

"Sort of?" Clark said with disgust. "This could be a grown-up relationship."

"It's a trash can."

"Don't tell me who to love."

A fun fantasy novel that has some interesting and well developed characters. The story takes the reader on a journey of mystery, adventure, and danger. I recommend this book to fans of Harry Potter and those who like adventure/fantasy novels. I think boys might like it better than girls, but I think there is stuff girls might enjoy as well.

Obert Skye read his first book at age two. He wrote his first story at age four. And he was nearly trampled by a herd of water buffalo at age six. For a short time, he lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where he spent time as a candy-taster. Several years ago, Obert Skye says, he discovered the existence of Foo. Publishing his story as a fictional series was not Obert’s first choice. Nevertheless he is content that the “history” is being told. Hobbies and other interests: Collecting old maps, water polo, roller coasters.