A Wizard in the Way — Christopher Stasheff

Under the nom de guerre of Gar Pike, renegade psychic wizard Magnus D'Armand travels the stars fighting injustice and oppression, like his father, Rod Gallowglass, the Warlock in Spite of Himself. But unlike his famous father, Magnus refuses to play by the rules, sowing the seeds of freedom and revolution throughout the galaxy.

A Wizard in the Way

When his longtime traveling companion settled down and got married, Gar Pike--the Rogue Wizard--had thought it would be even better to work alone: no distractions, no disagreements, no one to care about but himself. But he wasn't alone for long. He recently managed to saddle himself with a new companion: Alea, a young woman with a certain amount of psychic ability and a heavy dose of attitude to boot. The funny thing is, he's beginning to like having her around--particularly when they land on the planet of Oldeira.

The problems Gar and Alea encounter on Oldeira include not only the tyrannical Wizard Lords who rule the provinces, but also the attitude that has been beaten and bred into their serfs. To complicate matters, Gar and Alea adopt two desperate peasants who are perfect examples of the mind-set of the entire lower class. How to raise morale and shape these people into a force that will overcome their oppressors while not getting caught or killed themselves--these are all questions that Gar and Alea must answer fast. And the only way to do it is: The Way.