The Magician’s Apprentice
Prequel to the Black Magicians trilogy
by Trudi Canavan
This is the prequel to the bestselling Black Magicians trilogy, which is set several hundred years
before the events described in The
Magicians’ Guild (also reviewed for Myshelf.com), The Novice (Amazon
US ||
UK) and The High Lord
(Amazon US ||
UK). Young Tessia dreams
of being a healer like her father, but women are not allowed to do this, and despite her training, her
parents are now urging her to marry. When an incident at the house of the local magician, Lord Dakon,
causes her to defend herself, Tessia’s latent magic reveals itself for the first time. By law, Dakon
must take her on as an apprentice and train her, but he already has one apprentice who is none too keen
on the newcomer. But soon, larger events change everything, and the land of Kyralia is at war.
I’m always keen to read a fantasy novel contained within one volume, and found this to
be—although on the wordy side (no surprises there)—a good page-turner. It is easy to get
involved with compassionate Tessia and her desire to heal and find a place in society, just as it is
to sympathize with the life of sequestered Stara. Aimed at female rather than male readers, this is
very much a novel dealing with women’s lot and how to make the best of it. The parts dealing with the
individuals are more engrossing than the series of skirmishes that make up the war. Do not expect
dazzling set pieces of military literature but instead enjoy the more skilfully handled portraits of
the characters and their lives. Despite its well-worn plot of villager making good in a magical world
there are surprises in this book, such as who the true heroes and villains are. There is also the
message that war is not just about winners and losers, and the people it brings out the worst in are
not necessarily the enemy. This is not an Atom title, but I suspect that it will probably also be
released by this Little, Brown imprint for teens soon, as, like the Black Magicians’ series, it is suitable
for young adults. |
The Book |
Orbit (Little, Brown) |
5 February 2009 |
Hardback |
1841495972 / 9781841495972 |
YA and Adult Fantasy / Fantastic Location |
More at Amazon.com
US ||
UK |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewed 2009 |
NOTE: |
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