New Book Alert: WIFI: Wizarding Information For Invoking by James Huntington; A Cleverly Funny Satirical Fractured Fairy Tale

 

New Book Alert: WIFI: Wizarding Information For Invoking by James Huntington; A Cleverly Funny Satirical Fractured Fairy Tale

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Question what do you get when you cross the 21st Century Internet and Social Media environment with the trappings of a classic fairy tale with goblins,  princes, wizards, witches, and magical kingdoms? Answer: You would probably get something like James 

Huntington's WIFI: Wizarding Information For Invoking, a clever funny novel which is one half a satire of Internet culture and technological addiction and one half a fractured fairy tale. Somehow, it works.

Ellery is a young peasant girl who dreams of a better life. One day, she receives a message on her Witch-Pad through the WIFI (Wizarding Information For Invoking) to locate a witch for a spell. Yes, in this Medieval-esque fairy tale setting, people use 21st century technology for magical purposes. Just go with it.

Anyway, Ellery contacts the witch, Grundy which will allow her to travel to distant places and have adventures but she must sacrifice her beauty. No refunds and no takesies backsies. Well, the spell works and Ellery magically travels far away and finds that she has transformed into a goblin.

Meanwhile, Derrick the Prince of Glass City, has reached his majority. He is to be instructed in the Field of Law and to make one decree which will benefit the people of his kingdom. While contemplating his new role, a strange goblin intruder appears in the castle claiming to be a human peasant girl who made a bad spell (guess who?). Now, Derrick and Ellery are on a quest to reverse her spell and travel to the Base of Glass City to see other magic victims and visit Porto, the Goblins Rights Activist.

The book is filled with brilliant plays on concepts that combine magic and technology. Such terms like SSH (Supreme Sorcery Headquarters) and Ordinet (old school TVs that provide free entertainment and WIFI but we're clunkier than the newer sleek designs) are a delight. Passages such as when the WIFI's magic causes viewers to become addicted to viewing their Witch-Pads instead of looking around at nature or a museum's works become all too realistic and understandable in our modern world.

The fantasy magical aspects are just as skewered as the technology. Of course Ellery and Derrick are the obligatory couple who go on the quest to learn something along the way. We also get the famous rich vs. poor conflict as Ellery is more experienced with life outside the palace walks and Derrick is more experienced in studying the history of people and places and using social nuances. They are the type of couple you can see the romance beginning a mile away. But they are such a delight that it's fun to read about them reaching that inevitable conclusion.

There are some really interesting supporting characters and subplots which play right into this strange mixture of fairy tale and modern life. Porto is a wise advisor but also plays the part of activist as well especially when he sets his list of demands that he wants the king to follow to protect those who have been cursed by magic. The head of the Supreme Sorcery Headquarters is somewhere between Disney fantasy villain and Tech CEO. Sure they may sing about their evil deeds but not before giving a presentation about their latest app and gadget that renders the last one completely obsolete. Then there is the Chosen One story arc that is so omnipresent in fantasy. That is even sent up for some suspense, twists, and even a few laughs.

WIFI is a fun mix of modern and myth. It takes a fantastic concept, brilliantly satirizes the world around us, and does so with a burst of hilarity and a nod of recognition.