The Magicians’ Guild
Author: Trudi Canavan
Publisher: Orbit Books
Price: £7.99
Harry Potter meets Raymond Feist’s Magician is how this book was recommended to me and well, it’s just about right.
Sonea is a young woman who like everyone else in the run down slums on the outskirts of the city hates the yearly purge. Every winter the robed magicians go through the city and throw out the more unsavoury or unlucky inhabitants. Sonea joins some of the other young folks in defying the purge against her Aunt and Uncles wishes. A stone thrown was all it took to set the slums into chaos.
With the magicians searching the slums Sonea is forced to join with the Thieves to hide. Only they can’t hide her forever. Her own newly discovered powers are working against her and without help just might kill her and everyone within a few city blocks.
Rothen and Dannyl are magicians trying desperately to help the young girl who caused so much chaos. Going as far as to attempt a deal with the Thieves defying every thing the magicians’ guild teaches. Once they catch the unwilling Sonea, Rothan is in for a difficult challenge, getting this young woman to trust him enough to help control her magic.
Trudi Canavan weaves a story that you can’t stop reading, with a page turning pace and characters that you really feel for. It’s no wonder these books have become so popular.
With the trilogy already out and a prequel soon to be in shops this isn’t a read that anyone should pass up. And those who’ve read Raymond E Feist’s books will enjoy a certain thief as Cery will seem very familiar.
The Novice
Author: Trudi Canavan
Publisher: Orbit Books
Price: £7.99
The second book in the Black Magician trilogy starts off as Sonea is inducted in to the University of Magicians to start her 5 year long training. Ahead of her class due to Rothen’s teachings she’s more of an outcast then just being from the slums. As her classmates come from rich families they are prone to tormenting Sonea attempts to work further ahead of her class and join the next class who will hopefully be more mature and not spread unpleasant rumours that cause her and Rothen trouble.
Elsewhere Dannyl is now second Ambassador from the Guild in a far away land with a secret mission; to follow the footsteps of their guild leader. In his journey Dannyl discovers more about himself than he’s ever allowed which could get him kicked out of the Magicians guild if they were to find out his secret.
Sonea, however, has more problems. Not only have her classmates taken to ambushing her and using their newly controlled powers against her but a secret that could tear the guild apart is discovered and has made her unable to confide in anyone - even a new found love.
If you’ve read the Harry Potter books some of the University chapters will remind you very much of Hogwarts, the difference is these books were written for adults and not children. Sonea’s classmates are cruel to her in a way that JK Rowling has never written.
This time around Trudi expands a bit more on the other characters so you just don’t see them from Sonea’s point of view. These changes don’t take place every other chapter which is nice, it makes the flow of the story interesting and you can barely put the book down as you’ll want to see what happens next. Sadly, our thief isn’t around much in this novel, but he will appear again.
High Lord
Author: Trudi Canavan
Publisher: Orbit Books
Price: £7.99
The last installment of the Black Magicians’ Trilogy is fast paced and completely engrossing. Our beloved Sonea faces tests of loyalty, love and the choice of what is easy and what is right. The previous books were extremely enjoyable but it leaves a thought that Trudi Canavan saved the best for last.
Previously Sonea, Rothen and Loren discover that the guilds High Lord is using black magic. In this book we discover why and it tears the guild and friends apart. Sonea is exiled along with the High Lord due to learning what is forbidden. The city is invaded by rogue magicians and the Guild isn’t strong enough to fight them. Not without the two people they have sent into exile.
To overcome the invaders not only must the guild join forces with the exiles but also with the people who live in the slums. With the help of a high placed thief Ceryni and his lover, they just might survive.
Dannyl meanwhile is fighting his own internal battle in coming to terms with his lover which is prohibited by the guild as it is considered unnatural by the folks in Imardin.
Rothen watches as his previous charge becomes more secretive and his heart breaks when he discovers what she is up to, although he has other worries - as do the rest of the guild - with a coming invasion of magicians from a distant land.
So much takes place in this book and Trudi manages to keep the pace perfectly you don’t feel that anything is rushed and that she took as much care as the previous books. My only complaint is that this is the end, I would love more books on Sonea but her story is finished. Although Trudi will revisit the folks of Imardin again, in a recent press release from Orbit Books the following was announced:
”Trudi Canavan has recently signed a seven-figure deal with Orbit, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of the Little, Brown Book Group to launch a sequel trilogy and a stand-alone prequel to The Black Magicians’ Trilogy.”
These books are very enjoyable and should be recommended to anyone who enjoys Harry Potter or Raymond E Feist books. If you want to read more of Trudi Canavan then there is her other series of books beginning with the Priestess of White, if you are like myself and cannot wait for the new books which return to Imardin.
Sabrina Peyton- Newly migrated to the UK to be with her husband. After working for Diamond Comics for a short time she ended up immersed in a few comic book forums and ended up moderating two of the largest, the Warren Ellis Forum (WEF) and Mark Millar’s forum Millarworld).
She’s written for Sequential Tart, The Vampirella Magazine, and is Editor in Chief of Fractal Matter.