The Warlock in Spite of Himself

I volunteer at a secondhand bookstore where we get a lot of volumes from this series, so I figured I'd see what it was all about. The set up, I thought, was very clever: we have a sci-fi setting (robot sidekick, space travel) blended with a lost colony of medieval enthusiasts (sounded basically like a Ren Faire, haha). So the inhabitants of the colony have now forgotten all about the advanced technology they left behind, and now the adventuring astronaut (our main character) and his knowledge come across as magical to them. Hence, warlock. :)

Overall, I liked the setting, which allows the author to play with lots of medieval references. The narration, too, was amusing, often tongue-in-cheek. The portrayal of the female characters doesn't hold up with what I would expect from a book written today; there are two active women in the story, and they fall into very distinct, rather pejorative roles. One's motivation is attributed simply to her unlikable arrogance, and the other's motivation is that she fell in love with the hero . . . for reasons that aren't entirely clear (to a female reader). Descriptions of all women are a bit single-minded. That said–it's a fantasy adventure written decades ago. So, grains of salt must be taken with character portrayals.

The plot is very active and political, and ends up with several character reveals, etc. It was intriguing, definitely, and came together satisfactorily–though occasionally our main character would hash out a new development with his robot just a little too repetitively (leaving me thinking, ‘Yes, but didn't we already know that?'). It ended up being pretty easy to follow, which is good because I don't have much of a head for drama. ;) A couple of explanations came rather suddenly at the end of the story, including one I particularly liked about witches and why everyone was interested in the colony in the first place. But, as a primarily mystery reader these days, perhaps I've become picky about my reveals. :)

Overall, I enjoyed the story and its twists, especially for the creative world-building. If you're into funny, clever fantasy–and especially if you're familiar with that sort of classic, swashbuckling hero adventure from decades past–you'll probably have fun reading it.

There were a number of things about this book which I enjoyed, but the overall reading experience was not pleasant enough to warrant continuing in the series. 

Pros: 
Sassy robot horse
Off planet visitor with foreign tech repeatedly mistaken for warlock, sci fi dude having to deal with actual magic, supernatural beings 
Discussion of forms of government, multiple parties attempting a strategic manipulation into the desired form amidst chaotic circumstances and the associated reveals
Gwendolyn the witch, knows her own worth, power not to be underestimated, willing to show vulnerability and fall in love
Big Tom, so much more than first appeared
An organization sending agents among the stars to prime planets for true democracy vs time traveling agents of pro-dictatorial regime that set themselves up as the Wormtongues to all the local noblemen of consequence to try and bring their own plan to fruition
Brom O'Berin - the Elf Prince of short stature who kicks everyone's ass 
Impressive consistency writing dialogue in an older form of speech in a way that didn't bog down the pace or hamper the conveyance of meaning. 

Cons: 
Catharine, impervious to personal growth, prideful, arrogant, unreasonable until the last second where she then capitulates, rather than show any inclination of becoming a better ruler (the lesson being what? Obviously the land needed a King and she needed an occasionally firm male hand? Yuck). 
Court intrigue, bleah! The sheer melodrama
It's very clear that the setting of this story is fantasy, the sci fi is sprinkled in for spice, and if it weren't medieval monarchy-focused fantasy I'd have less of an issue with that ratio. 
The language used to describe Brom
Tom's death
Physical punishment considered a valid solution for corrective action of a young woman by the men who don't appreciate her attitude
Main character is way too comfortable calling any woman with cunning or opposing views a bitch
The discussion of what makes a man a man happens more than once, factors into considerations of a fulfilling life - blame the toxic masculinity of the publishing period for that one
Perhaps a function of a society modeled on medieval times, but it's pretty off-putting that the Queen is referenced in equal amounts as a desirable, manipulative siren of a female and also a child. Her behaviour makes me think a) she has not been raised with a lot of sense or maturity but has ‘come of age' per the standards of her day b) she's younger than I first thought which just makes everything more creepy, especially the whiff of ‘the main character didn't sleep with her even though she attempts to seduce him, give this man a medal'  😑
I suppose a lot of cons stem from ‘this was written in 1969', but that bolsters my decision not to continue in the series, because it will be further work from the same mind in the same time period. 
Fascinating premise, decent character work, sprinkle of fun sci fi and fantasy elements, but I spent a little too much time pissed off while reading to want to sign up for what is likely to be a repeat experience. 

⚠️ Misogyny, corporal punishment