Book review: The Novice by Trudi Canavan

‘The most important attribute of a magician is knowledge . . . Without it his strength is useless.’ The magician’s eyes flickered to Sonea, ‘Even if his powers surface of their own accord, he will soon be dead if he does not gain the knowledge of how to control them.’
Sonea knows the other novices in the Magicians’ Guild all come from powerful families, but she also knows she can turn to Rothen and Dannyl for help when she needs it. That is, until someone starts spreading malicious rumours about her - and Akkarin, the High Lord, steps in.
Promoted to Guild Ambassador, Lord Dannyl leaves for the Elyne court. His first order from Administrator Lorlen is to resume, in secret, High Lord Akkarin’s long-abandoned research into ancient magical knowledge. Not knowing the true reason for his journey, Dannyl is soon facing unexpected dangers.
Meanwhile, Sonea has almost forgotten the High Lord’s dark secret, but keeping the truth hidden may be a grave mistake...

My review(may contain SPOILERS!):

The Novice is the second book in Trudi Canavans Black Magician Trilogy, and it is definteily better than, The Magicians' Guild[my review]. The Novice on the other hand I didn't want to turn of(audio book) and when it ended it left me really annoyed with myself for not getting the last book.

It's not easy being the only one in the university from a poor background and Sonea has to deal with harassment from an ever increasing group of novices and with no friends to support her. It was almost a bit too much at times, I started getting annoyed that teachers could let this going on, knowingly, to such an extent.

I would have wanted Ceryn's role to have a larger part in this book, because I liked him as a character in the first book. All through this book I kept wondering what Cery was up to. But, yes, there is a big BUT here, there will be a challenger for his role in this book and it's quite an enjoyable character if I may say so. There will be some romance in this book, but only a little bit, and that is a good thing because I wouldn't want this book to change into a love story.

This book made me wonder what it is about The High Lord and the practicing of black magic, it is almost like there is something more to it then using it for evil.

Canavan addresses a, still, difficult matter in this book(mentioned in the first book as well), the subject I must say took me by surprise. It wasn't something I expected in a book about magicians, but why not?! It shows us of how difficult it can be to come forth as a homosexual, both in admitting it to oneself and the rest of the world. Canavan sheds light over the difficulties one can face being gay in different countries and cultures, some countries and cultures are much more excepting than others.

It's awful having to wait to read the last book! I want to know what happens now!

My rating of this book:
4/5


Book details:
• Reading level: Young adult
• Genre: Fantasy
• UK edition: 592 pages
• Publisher: Orbit Books (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841493147
• ISBN-13: 978-1841493145

For more information about the author or about her books visit:

Trudi Canavan's homepage
Trudi Canavan's blog

Book review: The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan

So the book begins.... :

It is said, in Imardin, that the wind has a soul, and that it wails through the narrow city streets because it is grieved by what it finds there.

The Magician's Guild is the first book in the Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan, this is the first book I have ever read by the author. I've just finished the audio book version so I thought it would be nice to write a few words about this book.

Book description:

"We should expect this young woman to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician."

This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants who despise them and their work—until one enraged girl, barely more than a child, hurls a stone at the hated invaders . . . and effortlessly penetrates their magical shield.
What the Magicians' Guild has long dreaded has finally come to pass. There is someone outside their ranks who possesses a raw power beyond imagining, an untrained mage who must be found and schooled before she destroys herself and her city with a force she cannot yet control.

My thoughts:
The Magicians' Guild book is kind of like an introductionus to the trilogy's characters and the magical kingdom they live in, Kyralia; we meet the magicians, the thieves and the dwellers. The narrator switches back and forth between some of the books main characters point of view, I think it is a nice way to let the reader get to know a little at at time about each of the characters. In the book there's an enigma, in the end of this first book it is still undecided how the matter is going to be solved. I'm really eager to find out how they are going about it in the sequel The Novice.

There is some made up slang in this book and I find that slightly annoying, especially since the glossary is the very last thing on the audio book version, at least in the book one can look it up. It disturbes a bit of the experience of the book when one has to stop to look up words.

All in all Canavan has written an entertaining book and there's no doubt that I'll read the sequels.

My review: 3.75 out of 5.


Book details:
• Reading level: Young adult
• UK edition: 469 pages
• Publisher: Orbit Books (2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006057528X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060575281

Short about the author, Trudi Canavan:

Trudi Canavan was born i Australia in 1969. While Trudi was working on establishing her career as an author she worked as a graphic designer.

Trudi is best know for her Black Magic Trilogy and The Age of Five trilogy.

For more information about the author or about her books visit:

Trudi Canavan's homepage
Trudi Canavan's blog