The Magician of Tiger Castle

I found this book charming. I liked the framing, with the protagonist bouncing back and forth between the present day and the past. It was fun to reread the first chapter immediately after finishing the book and note all the foreshadowing. I liked the protagonist, he might've been arrogant and bumbling, but he was also kindhearted, scholarly and meticulous. I liked story, it was a fairy tale romance gone very wrong and then maybe, just maybe, going right in a sweet, more modern way. I liked the historical asides, the pedantry was cute and informative. The ending felt a bit rushed, in comparison, but because it's got an overall cozy quality to it, I think glossing over the unpleasantness near the end was a strategic choice not to drag show more down the book with excessive grimness. I might've picked up this book for old time's sake, but I didn't know what to expect, and what I got was fun romp through a 16th century Italy-adjacent nation-state that had me smiling most of the time. show less

What an odd book. It reads like a long hallucination of the past meets fairy tale more than anything else -- and that's interesting in its own right, but not intoxicating. On the one hand, Anatole becomes more and more compelling as a character over time, and I love this presentation of magical medieval medicine and how sometimes things that sound like nonsense are still relevant today. On the other hand, the characters are interesting, but rather flat and it's hard to care about them. Also there's a line about how parchment is so much more durable than paper that just annoys the snot out of me. Parchment is more durable than Modern paper. Paper before the Industrial Revolution is very stable and just as durable unless you are talking show more about setting it on fire or immersing it in water -- and see, that seems like a petty thing to get annoyed over, but if I can't trust that little fact that Anatole rattles off, how can I trust the rest of his tidbits?

but I digress. It's a fine book. It did not delight me the way that Holes delighted me, but it was worth the read and I wanted to finish it and I think it will stick with me for a while.

Advanced Readers' Copy provided by Edelweiss. show less

As a fan of Sachar's childrens books, I was drawn to read this adult fantasy, which in fact could also be considered a young adult novel. The story is told in contemporary times by a magician who has lived since after the Dark Ages and before the Renaissance, in the country of Esquavita. As the king's magician. he is tasked with developing potions that will enable a wedding to happen against all odds. The princess, who is like a daughter to him, must marry a despicable prince from a neighboring country, but she is in love with a lowly scribe. Anatole must accomplish the impossible, always with the threat of being fed to a tiger if he doesn't succeed. This is a fast-moving and enjoyable story.

Review #7 is an audio book: The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar. This is his first novel for adults although it would also be appropriate for younger reads with its tale of magic and adventure. The magician in the title relates the story from his perch in the future, across from the Tiger Castle, now a tourist attraction. A princess falls in love with a servant even as she is betrothed to the prince from a nearby kingdom. Anatole, the magician, uses his skills with potions to interfere, sometimes with hilarious and unintended consequences. It was wonderful: snarky, funny, suspenseful. The narrator was excellent. I checked it out via Libby.

At first I didn't think it was going to be something that I'd like because I really don't enjoy 'cozy'. I ended up liking Anatole and wanted him to have some bit of success. I also liked Tullia and Pito. There isn't a lot of adventure or action, so go into it expecting that.

The little asides and quips got old immediately and never stopped. The whole bit about handshakes is a great example, made me sigh every time it got rehashed.

This was a letdown. I had such high hopes because Holes is such an excellent book; even though it’s classified as a kids’ book, it holds up rereading it as an adult.

Sachar’s adult debut, on the other hand, feels super juvenile. The characters are one dimensional, the descriptions are stale, and the writing is mostly telling, not showing. The plot plods along and by the end, I just wanted it to be over. I kept thinking to myself, “This seems like it would be so tedious to write.”

There are moments in the story that hold whimsy and humor reminiscent of The Princess Bride, but not enough such moments.