Rivirn signs his own death warrant when he decides to stop his aunt from unleashing the program. She knows the instant that he turns her down that he’s going to tell his grandmother and other great-aunt. So Atropos binds Rivirn with a spell.

Blocked by the Cassandra spell (no one will believe anything he says, especially against Atropos), Ravirn tries desperately to locate and shut down the magical program known as Puppeteer. Aided by the few friends he has (including a laptop/demon he created/programmed named Melchior), Ravirn speeds through shadowy side-worlds both magical and cybernetic in nature - usually with fierce foes nipping at his heels.

The action kept me reading way past my bedtime. Every time I thought I had Rivirn safely tucked away for the night, something else would happen and I’d end up reading a few more pages. I finished the book before I’d known it, completely pulled into the story.

Gripping and imaginative, rooted carefully in the real world, WebMage is an exciting chase novel filled with techno jargon the cyber-crowd will enjoy as well as Greek mythology for the fantasy enthusiasts. The first-person narrative rings especially true and drives the tale.

Dialogue between Ravirn and Melchior is sharp and cutting, and sounds like two old friends who constantly pick at each other. The add-on features to the real world are consistent (always a plus in fantasy) and well thought-out. Thankfully a second book is already on the way and will be out sometime next year.

Intentional or not, WebMage reminded me most of Roger Zelazny’s Princes of Amber books about Corwin. I loved those books when I was growing up, and it’s nice to find someone who can deliver that same sort of magic and characterization. I think McCullough and Raven (as the character becomes known) are in for a nice long run. After all, he’s got a really big, really powerful immortal family, and vengeance lasts forever.