The Reign of Wizardry
#8003.20 adjusted 3.89 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1940 Reading commitment Low Jack Williamson Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
Jack Williamson's The Reign of Wizardry is a standalone fantasy first published as a three-part serial in the magazine Unknown, beginning in March 1940, and issued as a book by Lancer in 1964. It retells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur with a twist: Theseus is a pirate captain, Captain Firebrand, who sets out to overthrow the wizards who rule Crete and its tributary states. He is helped by Snish, a minor shape-changing wizard, and faces King Minos, his daughter Ariadne, the robot guardian Talos and the wizard Daedalus. There are no sequels, and the story is complete in one volume.
Mythic fantasy, Sword & sorcery · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Reign of Wizardry Jack Williamson
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Reign of Wizardry; Serialised in Unknown from March 1940; first published as a book by Lancer in 1964, then revised for a 1979 Phantasia Press edition. | 1940 | 1 | core | 3.20 (79 ratings) |
A standalone retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur in a Crete ruled by wizards.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Reign of Wizardry? The Reign of Wizardry's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Reign of Wizardry finished? Complete (1940).
- How much reading does The Reign of Wizardry take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Reign of Wizardry ranked? #800 in this site's official ranking, based on 79 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #800?
Ranked #800 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.20 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (79 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.69 behind #799, Darkover.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 79 ratings · Ranks #800 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.20 across 79 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 29 universes; Inda widened to Sartorias-deles; 5 candidates ruled out accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Black Gate, Rich Horton review Tier 2
- Rich Horton blog Tier 2
- Worlds Without End Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Jack Williamson Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = The Reign of Wizardry (1940).