BOOKS | Review: The High Lord by Trudi Canavan

Name: The High Lord (The Black Magician trilogy #3)

Author: Trudi Canavan 

Publisher: Orbit

Date published: Originally 2004, Illumicrate edition 2023

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, adventure

Pages: 647

Rating: 3/5

This review contains moderate spoilers.

In the city of Imardin, where those who wield magic wield power, a young street-girl, adopted by the Magician's Guild, finds herself at the centre of a terrible plot that may destroy the entire world...
Sonea has learned much at the magicians' guild and the other novices now treat her with a grudging respect. But she cannot forget what she witnessed in the High Lord's underground room - or his warning that the realm's ancient enemy is growing in power once more. As Sonea learns more, she begins to doubt her guildmaster's word. Could the truth really be as terrifying as Akkarin claims, or is he trying to trick her into assisting in some unspeakably dark scheme?

- From Goodreads.

The story was very exciting, I was not sure what was going to happen and just had to keep reading, I couldn't predict anything!

The scenes where they were hunting the enemy in the city and had to make their way through all the different areas, using the tunnels and hidden passageways was very fun and thrilling to read.

I was happy that we got more of Tayend and Dannyl together, but it was a little disappointing we did not get to see more of their developing relationship, or more moments of them together, to see their romantic moments.

I was left feeling dissatisfied by the ending, although the final showdown did have great drama to it, it could have felt a little more epic and I was not happy about the deaths at the end. Of course with it being fantasy and everyone in such danger, I did expect some death, and there were some deaths I could accept (although sadly of course since I was attached to and invested in a lot of the characters), there was one in particular I don't think was the right choice. It did not give a satisfying conclusion to the character's story arc and I felt like there had not been enough leading up to it. I also felt it was not a very satisfying ending for Sonya, who I really loved, I wanted more of how she was feeling and what she was going through at the end, and it felt strangely distanced from her in the last couple of chapters, given that she had been such an important main character throughout the series and we had seen a lot of the story through her thoughts and feelings previously. I am glad she got her wish of things becoming more equal in the city by the end and better treatment for the poorer classes, and a less elitist guild and university, but I think there could have been better ways to reach that ending.

I was excited and thrilled the whole time I was reading, there was some great action, and development in characters (I enjoyed learning more about Akkarin and his backstory and seeing how his and Sonea's relationship changed over time) but the end unfortunately didn't really have the impact and closure I was hoping for.

BOOKS | Review: The Novice by Trudi Canavan

Name: The Novice (The Black Magician trilogy #2)

Author: Trudi Canavan 

Publisher: Orbit

Date published: Originally 2004, Illumicrate edition 2023

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, adventure

Pages: 581

Rating: 5/5

This review contains minor spoilers.

Imardin is a city of dark intrigues and deadly politics, where those who wield magic wield power. Into this established order has blundered a young street-girl with extraordinary magical gifts. Adopted by the Magicians' Guild, her life is changed forever - but for better or for worse?
Sonea knew that she'd face a tough time training within the Magicians' Guild but she little realised the level of animosity she would face from her fellow novices. The sons and daughters of the most powerful families in the realm, her classmates seem determined to see her fail - at whatever cost. But in accepting the protection of the guild's high lord, Sonea may have embraced an even bleaker fate. For High Lord Akkarin harbours a secret that is far darker than his magician's robes.

- Goodreads.

This book had a very exciting storyline, I got more and more invested as the story went on as the mysteries were all very intriguing and I found the last few chapters especially thrilling! I can't wait to read the next book and find out what happens.

The descriptions were all very well written, I could always picture each scene easily and what was happening in each one was clear. The descriptions of the scenery were always lovely, and especially interesting as we got to travel to different countries in this book through one of the perspectives and it was fun to see what the other places in the world were like and how they differed from the setting of the first book.

I was not sure I would enjoy both perspectives but I found both really compelling. Dannyl's travels and discoveries were fascinating to read about and I thought the way he discovered new things about himself and realised the effects of what had happened to him at the Guild in the past was all very well done and I really felt the emotions he was going through. I also really loved Tayend who he travelled with, he was such a sweet character and the relationship that slowly began to develop between them was wonderful. I hope we will seem more of them together in the next book.

Sonea's perspective was also interestig to read as she figured out how to navigate life in the guild and deal with the judgement from everone there, especially Regin who was well written to be absolutely awful! I definitely admired Sonea for taking everything that was done to her and learning to be stronger and not giving up. I am looking forward to seeing more of her journey in the third book.

The mysterious High Lord was also very compelling in this book and it was exciting to see more of him and learn a little bit more about him, and to see the mystery deepen as even more questions about him were raised. I will also be curious to see what the dynamic between him and Sonea is like in the next book and how it changes.

Obviously I really enjoyed this book and am very excited to continue onto the next one! I was nervous it might not live up to the first one and I might not love it as much, but it did not let me down and it was definitely just as good!

Review: The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan

Name: The Magicians' Guild
Author: Trudi Canavan
Publisher: Atom
Date published: 2005
Rating: 5/5

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.

- From Goodreads.

The Magicians' Guild was definitely an exciting adventure that had me gripped! Whenever I had to stop reading I really had to force myself to put it down. Towards the end it was so exciting I could feel my heart beating! I was so taken in by this book that I read it all - all 469 pages - in only two days.
I really liked the characters, especially Sonea, I thought she made a great main character. If anything, I wanted to know more about some of the characters, but since it is quite a long book already, and there are books that come after it, I felt that this book probably had the right amount of focus on the characters. It was just enough to keep you intrigued to know more.
I liked the third person perspective which focalised on different people at different times, and I especially liked it when it came to Rothen and Sonea, because it was interesting to see their different perspectives on their experiences with each other.
I love reading fantasy because I love learning about the new worlds that the writers create, and Trudi Canavan definitely created a fascinating world for her story that I was eager to learn about. One of my friends has said she might get the other two books in the series for me for my birthday or Christmas, and I am very much looking forward to reading them in the future to continue to follow the adventures that take place in Canavan's world!

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