The Novice

This was a spectacular continuation to the Black Magician series. After reading the first book in the series I wasn’t sure if I would continue it; but I am so glad I did. This book is much better than the first one and incredibly interesting and engaging.

I listened to this on audiobook and I really love the narrator of these books. He is a pleasure to listen to and does an awesome job with character voices and emotion. I would highly recommend listening to this series on audiobook.

There is so much tension throughout this book, it just about kills you. Sonea, Lord Robin, and the Administrator know a deadly secret about the High Lord Akkarin that they are desperately trying to keep secret. As if this isn’t enough stress Sonea’s show more fellow classmates have taken a strong dislike to her. Sonea remains admirable through the book; she is smart and resourceful but continues to get caught up in events that test her. I loved her character and my heart just broke for her throughout this book; there were a couple of times I just wanted to scream “Enough, give the girl a break and some happiness!”

Much of the story is also told from Dannyl’s perspective. I adored his parts of the book just as much as Sonea’s. Dannyl does a lot of traveling and ends up on a quest to trace Akkarin’s travels and find out more about the ancient history of magic. These parts of the book had a lot of adventure and history involved in them and I loved them. Both Sonea and Dannyl develope love interests in this book; much of that is in the background but it was nice for these characters to have some happiness in midst of all of their trials.

The only thing that really irked me throughout this book was everyone’s fear and assumption that The High Lord Akkarin was evil. Yes, Sonea saw him practicing black magic but did anyone ever try to figure out why Akkarin would do that? Throughout the book Akkarin remains alof, intimidating, and at times strict and even a bit cruel. However, he is never outright evil and I can’t help but believe he isn’t the problem in this book. It bothered me that all the magicians and novices that know his secret just assume that he is evil without finding out if maybe he has a greater ulterior motive. It made me disappointed in the intelligence of the surrounding characters and seemed short-sighted to me. I was especially disappointed in Robin and the Administrator.

The other thing I found frustrating was how all the magicians turned a blind eye to how Sonea was tormented by her classmates; at times this torment is so severe as to be torture. I found it disturbing that the adults in this book are okay with the students ganging up on and torturing one young girl.

Overall aside from the above two complaints I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The whole book is written in a fantasy style that feels a bit older to me (like 90’s epic fantasy) and I enjoyed it a lot. There is some excellent world-building in here along with a complex plot and characters that are easy to engage with and relate to. The book ends on a cliffhanger that will absolutely kill you; I want to read the third book immediately! I would recommend to fans of classic fantasy. show less

In "The Novice", Sonea, a girl from the slums, starts her studies at the university to become a proper magician. She is the only student who is not a member of a genteel family, and the other students as well as some of the teachers are giving her a hard time. So much of this novel feels like a high school novel, mainly revolving around bullying, pranks and exams. I must say that I did not enjoy these aspects very much, mainly because it was too repetitive, because it is not what I look for in a fantasy novel, and because it was just too frustrating. The other storylines - Dannyl becoming ambassador and traveling to other countries, and of course, the dramatic plot line about the High Lord - held my attention, though, and I enjoyed show more these chapters very much. There are a few new characters that bring new aspects to the novel, as well, and I just felt at home in this world and rooted for my favorites.
All in all, what I wrote about book 1 goes for the second installment of this series as well: There were several things I didn't like so much, but still this is a great read and I am looking forward to continuing this series! show less

La recensione si trova anche qui: http://thereadingpal.blogspot.it/2016/11/recensione-29-la-scuola-dei-maghi.html


Dai a quello stupido la
batosta peggiore che puoi, in pubblico. Se dopo ti tormenterà ancora,
sfidalo di nuovo. Non ti permetterà di fargli rivivere l'esperienza.
Rendi pubblica la sfida.


Questo secondo libro della Trilogia del Mago Nero mi ha praticamente tenuta incollata alle sue pagine. L'ho ritenuto più interessante del precedente, anche perché Sonea ha finalmente iniziato le lezioni!
Il libro è diviso in due parti: una in cui Sonea è novizia di Rothen, e una in cui, dopo aver scoperto le ricerche segrete su di lui, Akkarin la prende come propria novizia.
E, se da un certo punto di vista si segue Sonea, da un altro si show more segue particolarmente anche Dannyl, che se prima mi piaceva, ora molto di più! E' infatti uno dei personaggi che nel libro viene esplorato di più, tanto che i suoi viaggi e le sue scoperte (sia sui luoghi visitati dal Sommo Lord sia su se stesso) hanno tanto spazio quanto quelle di Sonea.
Regin è odioso e piuttosto inutile come essere in sé, a dirla tutta, ma ammetto che serva a Sonea per accrescere le sue capacità di maga, visto i vari scontri tra i due.
E poi c'è Dorrien, che con Sonea fa la mia nuova OTP, e giuro che se non si mettono insieme... Non ci voglio pensare!
Akkarin è un personaggio particolare. Pur essendo sempre collegato al nero e visto come malvagio, io penso sia piuttosto in un'area grigia, e ambigua. Ancora non si conoscono le sue vere intenzioni, e spero di scoprirlo nell'ultimo libro della trilogia. show less

This is volume 2 of Canavan's first fantasy trilogy, and a much more enjoyable read than volume 1 (which had very little plot). By contrast, in 'The Novice', a great deal happens and a lot of the subplots weave into the main plot, of Sonea's experiences and progress as a magician's novice. Due to her origins in the slums, she meets a great deal of bigotry from other novices and even magicians, and is bullied by a classmate, Regin, who manages to get the rest of the pupils on his side, and later to recruit older pupils too. Each day becomes a battle for survival as Sonea is stalked in the corridors after lessons and repeatedly attacked with magic by larger and larger groups organised by this malicious novice.

Alongside this, a subplot show more deals with the discovery at the end of book 1, that the leader of the magicians, the High Lord Akkarin, appears to be (illegally) using black magic. At first, Lorlen the administrator involves Sonea's guardian Rothen in keeping the secret, as Akkarin is so strong that an accusation could lead to a pitched battle between him and the Guild magicians, which he is likely to win. Eventually Akkarin learns that his secret is out and shared with Sonea and her guardian, and this leads him to forcibly read their minds in order to find out if they have told anyone else. He then takes over Sonea's guardianship and ensures she can never talk to Rothen or even Lorlen.

A third thread to the story is that Dannyl, friend and former ward of Rothen, is appointed Second Ambassador to the neighbouring land of Elyne. This has been arranged by Lorlen, who recruits Dannyl in investigating libraries and other sources, for information about ancient magic. He doesn't reveal to Dannyl the real reason for this interest, but it is actually to retrace the steps of Akkarin who ten years ago returned from a similar mission, and find out if he learned his black magic somewhere on the trip. All Dannyl knows is that it is inadvisable to let Akkarin know as it might look like prying into his private business, and Dannyl has always been intimidated by the High Lord so is happy to keep the research lowkey. He makes a friend, a scholar at the Great Library in his new land, and as the story goes on, it becomes clear that this friend is gay. In Elyne, this is frowned upon but tolerated whereas in Dannyl's own country it would result in disgrace and in being barred from high office etc. In other countries, it incurs the death penalty.

In a changed premise from book 1, the reason Rothen took on Dannyl's guardianship (most novices don't have guardians) is that rumours were threatening to spoil his chances, following a friendship with another novice who was suspected to be gay. In book 1, there was no mention of this - the reason being that Dannyl was lazy and neglecting his studies, and also spending too much time in a running feud with another novice (who became the villain in book 1). As Dannyl spends more time with his new friend he eventually undergoes an experience where he realises that he is actually gay and has been using his magic to suppress it.

A minor subplot is that strange murders are happening in the city which point to a rogue magician. Lorlen starts to believe that Akkarin could be responsible.

The storytelling itself seems a little better this time though Canavan hasn't entirely got rid of the superfluous adverbs whenever anyone speaks, and also there is far too much nodding, chuckling, smiling etc, again in character dialogue. People smile and chuckle in situations where things are quite serious and it jars. However, there is a bit more tension in this book, and a definite improvement on volume 1. One blooper is that at one point Canavan forgets to use her invented terms and refers to the network of hidden tunnels outside the University as a "spider's web" instead of the invented term she usually uses for arachnids. As with book 1, I don't know why she bothered to go through inventing new names for things that sound from context and the back-at-book glossary to be mice, rats, coffee, spiders and other everyday items.

This volume didn't make 5 stars for me because it was difficult to believe that a supposedly tough slum girl would have been so timid in facing down her tormentors. Also, she seems very naive, for example, when she first has a meal with the other novices, she answers their nosy questions frankly, admitting that she stole when a child, and when asked if she ever killed someone, that she might have because she defended herself with a knife from sexual assault once. A character who has grown up with such experiences would surely be more shrewd in her responses to the questioning by what turns out to be a bunch of spoiled brats - she could, for example, have said that she helped her aunt and uncle make clothes for a living (true) and that not everyone in the slums steals, using a suitably offended tone. And just said 'no' about the killing. As it is, the other novices immediately turn against her and follow Regin because she has put them all off. I found it hard to believe that she wouldn't have learned to be ecconomical with the truth if not an outright liar on occasion, when she had spent quite a few childhood years in a gang, where surely such skills would have been lifesaving on occasion. Possibly the truth could subsequently have been discovered and put round about Regin, given his obsession with getting her expelled, but it seemed ridiculous that she handed over this ammunition against herself.

The bullying sessions also go on for a very long time: she initially tries to escape by extra tuition that allows her to rise to the previous class who at least are not bullies, but Regin does the same and follows, and he then recruits more and more novices to join in his attacks. The magicians do absolutely nothing, even though this is a definite breakdown of discipline on a large scale which they might be expected to frown on for its own sake despite any personal feelings about having a 'slum girl' in the University. And although she acquires a coach to help her with warrior skills (that is, being able to defend against and make her own attacks), she doesn't go to him for help (she can't ask Rothen or Lorlan due to the situation with the High Lord) which would seem the obvious thing to do - she wouldn't even have to explain why, just that she needs to improve those skills, which is one of the threads in the story. In fact, at one point, the tutor is discussing the situation with Akkarin (who knows about the bullying but allows it to go on, to help develop Sonea's powers) and says her problem is that she is 'too nice'. This seems very odd for a girl who is meant to be a tough city kid, rebellious, and defiant of the magicians in book 1, a girl who is handy with a knife on occasion - almost as if she has turned into a sheltered rich kid herself. There is also a slight element of 'Mary Sue', in that Sonea is already stronger than a novice of her age would normally be and showing signs of developing into a magician powerful enough to eventually oppose Akkarin, though I suppose being the protagonist, she couldn't just be an average magician. But the character change isn't very convincing, and therefore I can only give the book 4 stars although I enjoyed other aspects of it. show less

The Novice follows immediately from The Magician’s Guild with Sonea’s acceptance into the ranks of the Guild. She struggles to find her place among the other novices who are sourced from the influential Houses of Imardin. One student in particular, Regin, takes exception to Sonea’s skills in magic and attempts to have her expelled. The level of bullying in the book was surprising but realistic in nature - it was shielded from teachers and encouraged by other novices. I felt Sonea’s pain keenly and understand her desire to remain anonymous and unwillingness to seek the help of teachers who also judge her on her background.

The promotion of Lord Dannyl to Second Guild Ambassador to Elyne allows the reader to experience other show more cultures in Canavan’s world. The people Dannyl meets are many and varied, and I found the depiction of other cities very interesting. I looked forward to the chapters narrated by him because of the insight he had into the politics of the Guild, and his musings helped me understand Sonea’s experiences even though Dannyl wasn’t physically with her. The Ambassador’s personal journey and realisation of self was also a wonderful addition to the plot that I enjoyed reading.

The characterisation in this novel is much more engaging than in the previous book, with all the characters gaining depth and growing well throughout the story. I found it refreshing that there are no purely good or evil characters, but humans driven by political and personal motivations. Administrator Lorlen, with his complicated relationship with the ‘villain’ of the story, is one of the most interesting characters to read, and his unique views and captivating journey keep the reader hanging on until the end of the book.

This was a great book, and in some ways an improvement on the previous novel in the series. If you like fantasy, I suggest Trudi Canavan as her books are exquisitely detailed and thrilling to read. She makes it very hard to leave Sonea’s world, so I suggest you have the third book of the trilogy handy when you are reading The Novice.

Read the full review here. show less

I could not help but pick this book up immediately after finishing The Magician’s Guild.. Although I had convinced myself that the first novel in Canavan’s series was not very good, I was invested enough in the characters by the end of it that I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I’m glad I did, as I thought this next chapter in The Black Magician Trilogy was a much more enjoyable read.

After discovering a horrible secret about the Guild’s High Lord Akkarin, Sonea is more determined than ever to complete her training as a Guild magician and to help her mentor Rothen and Administrator Lorlen uncover the whole truth. But as Sonea’s power grows, the High Lord takes a greater interest in her training, and soon he is on show more to their plan to expose him. Sonea becomes the High Lord’s hostage in what turns into a very dangerous political game.

I found the narrative in this book far more engrossing than the first. Part of that may have been that all of the pieces are now set and we finally get to see the larger plot begin to unfold. Canavan’s account of the magical abilities of the Guild members leaves much unanswered, but the strength of the story is really in its level of suspense – I found it hard to concentrate on other things because I kept wanting to peak back at the book for just one more chapter to see what was going to happen. I finished this novel while traveling, and was stuck buying a non-series book at an airport bookstore to make it the rest of the way home. Getting home, though, I was eager enough to find out what happens to ditch the new book and pick up The High Lord right away. If you’ve already read The Magician’s Guild, you may as well complete the trilogy. The second and third books will definitely hold your attention. show less

Sonea is a good student, learning quick and much each week. Even if she misses her family and friends in the city outside the Academy, she's never felt more home in a strange place before. At least until she meets her new classmates. Most of them are fine, but there's one who sticks out of the crowd, one who seems to have decided to be the one to ruin her. Which is too much for Sonea to deal with, she's already trying to contain the secret about the High Lord – a secret that becomes even harder to bear as the High Lord decides to separate her from Rothen as he finds out they both know his secret. All alone in the High Lord's residence with him and his mysterious servant, trying to battle an rival student feels like the last thing she show more needs. Sadly, her rival refuses to give up...

At the same time, Dannyl is promoted to Guild Ambassador in Elyne which forces him to depart from the Academy. But during his travels, he is awarded the task of following in the High Lord's footsteps as he claims to have travelled around those parts before he became the High Lord back at the Guild. The further Dannyl digs, the more curious and worried does he get. What does the High Lord have to do with high magic?

It was exciting to finally get back to this world and Sonea. She's a brilliant character, she's complex with a personality that makes you smirk for yourself, and sometimes, sigh very deeply. It was nice to have her back, but it was especially nice to finally learn more about the Academy and its classes as it allows the reader to dwell deeper into the magic in this particular world. I honestly wish the class scenes had been longer; I quickly realised I wanted to know everything I possibly could about their magic as it's intriguing and exciting.

Returning to Dannyl was definitely another plus, travelling with a handsome gay man that he is so obviously crushing on without realising it himself. I like that. The first book definitely lacked gay-ness but this one almost made up for that.

But most of all, I'm wondering what the fuck is going on. Is the High Lord bad or not bad? I'm so confused and I feel as if my feelings and opinions about the evil vs good in this series has changed multiple times during my read through. What's going on, man? show less