From Publishers Weekly
Published posthumously, Tryon's contemporary version of The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a lifeless, tedious affair that never transcends the restrictions of its stock plot. NYC street magician Michael Hawke is performing his tricks in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art when a mysterious older man suddenly takes control of the show in a frightening manner. Instantly aware that the stranger is a master of the dark arts, Michael tracks him down, eager to perfect the mystical powers of which he's been given a taste. Once he finds Max Wurlitzer, Michael's life takes a sinister turn, until ultimately he must choose between following his mentor and returning to his girlfriend. Seeking to invoke a sense of evil and foreboding, Tryon succeeds only in making the forces of darkness seem ordinary. His prose is wordy and ponderous, with his cliched narrative leading to a leaden, anticlimactic ending. For compelling depictions of darkness and mystery, Tryon's fans will need to revisit his satisfyingly spooky Harvest Home and The Other. Movie rights to Paramount; audio to S&S Audio.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
"Finalized" by Valerie Martin and John Cullen, this last novel by the late Tryon (In the Fire of Spring, LJ 3/15/92) is a retelling of The Sorcerer's Apprentice set in contemporary Manhattan. While performing in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, magician/mime Michael Hawke innocently draws Max Wurlitzer into his act. Unbeknowst to Michael, Max is not only a magician of some renown but also a practitioner of "night magic," the dark arts. Adopted by Max as his protege, Michael soon finds that his overriding ambition may have dangerous consequences. Tryon's writing partly saves an otherwise weak and predictable story whose ending is something of a letdown, given the author's tantalizing glimpses into Max's history. Movie rights have been optioned, and Tryon's many fans will demand Night Magic. Still, like some magic, this book is mostly smoke and mirrors and is ultimately unsatisfying. For large popular collections.
--Eric W. Johnson, Teikyo Post Univ. Lib., Waterbury, Ct.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
