The Years of the Wizard by Rachel Morris

The Years of the Wizard by Rachel Morris* – The Strange, True History and Home-life of Renaissance Magicians – is a book published yesterday, which, very fortunately, I was asked to review. It’s been a while since I read Tudor history and the topic was so interesting, that I am very glad I was given the opportunity to review the book. It is a very good book and I rated it with 4.5 stars.

The book, non-fiction, is very well researched and written in a way that appeals to a general public. It is, thus quite a nice read for many. In fact, the reason I awarded it 4.5 stars instead of 5 was that there are stories, clearly marked as such, in the book. I am against having fiction in between chapters based on real facts and events. Those stories might make the book more appealing to a wider audience, depending on each person’s views.

October is just the month for a book like this, on Tudor and Renaissance magicians, filled with wizards, alchemy, fairies, angels. I like very much how she deals with the topic of beliefs in fairies and angels, contextualising those beliefs within their time. Science and alchemy were intertwined, for example.

The main subject is the life of John Dee, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, who has had an intriguing life and, luckily for us, some of his diaries, on which part of the research is based, survived. He has recorded views on his relationship with his third wife, Jane. That was really interesting to read about. It is a fun book.

The Years of the Wizard by Rachel Morris

Details about the picture: the mug looks a bit “wizardry”-ish in my view
My rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes
Published by: September Publishing
Year it was published: 2025
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Tudor history
Pages: 368

About the author: Rachel Morris is a former director and founder of the museum-making company Metaphor and was part of the creation, design and delivery of some of the most exciting displays, renovations and museums of the last few decades, from the new Cast Courts at the V&A and the Ashmolean, Oxford to the Terracotta Warriors at the British Museum and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
She is also the author of The Museum Makers and two novels.
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