K.J. Parker

Second in the Eclipse series, a nicely told tale, told in a dry, deadpan manner by a failed wizard, who finds that he -is- able to make use of one of the few abilities he does have.

A lengthy story that had me engrossed to the point of almost missing my stop on the train, but a couple of days on, the fantastical elements of the story do not spring to mind.

Some wizardly goings-on for those of you missing Harry Potter. Admittedly somewhat darker, with adult scenes!