The Magician’s Apprentice

Trudi Canavan

Average Rating 9/10 ( Review)

In the remote village of Mandryn, Tessia serves as assistant to her father, the village Healer - much to the frustration of her mother, who would rather she found a husband. But her life is about to take a very unexpected turn. When treating a patient at the residence of the local magician, Lord Dakon, Tessia is forced to fight off the advances of a visiting Sachakan mage - and instinctively uses magic. She now finds herself facing an entirely different future as Lord Dakon's apprentice. But along with the excitement and privilege, Tessia is about to discover that her magical gifts bring with them a great deal of responsibility. Events are brewing that will lead nations into war, rival magicians into conflict, and spark an act of sorcery so brutal that its effects will be felt for centuries...

'A wonderfully and meticulously detailed world, and an edge-of-the-seat plot, this book is a must for lovers of good fantasy.'

Review by Paul Lappen (310710) Rating (9/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 9/10
First of a trilogy, this fantasy novel is about two enemies moving toward war, with a young apprentice stuck in the middle.

Tessia is a healer’s apprentice in the land of Kyralia. It is a place where the only ‘career’ for women is to become a wife and mother, so becoming a healer, on her own, is not an option. One day, in a moment of stress, Tessia shows an amazing natural talent for magic. She becomes a magician’s apprentice under Lord Dakon. She joins Jayan, an older male apprentice, with whom she has a difficult relationship. Before Tessia can get used to her new life, war comes to Kyralia.

Three centuries previously, Kyralia gained its independence from the land of Sachaka. A group of rogue Sachakan magicians vows to do something about that. When they attack a Kyralian village, they suck all the magic out of the residents, then brutally kill everyone, including Tessia’s parents.

Takado, the leader of the Sachakan magicians, is banking on the Sachakan emperor being forced into approving the invasion, now that it is already in process. When the two armies meet, there are major pitched battles, using magic only. Slowly but surely, the war starts to go Kyralia’s way. When the Sachakans are pushed back to the border, do the Kyralians stay there? On the other hand, do the Kyralians continue to the Sachakan capital, to wipe out Sachaka once and for all? If they don’t, they know that, one day, Sachaka will attack Kyralia, and finish it, once and for all.

This is a big book, but it’s a really good one. It’s a tale full of loyalty, conflict and finding your place in the world when your world has been turned upside down. It is well worth the reader’s time.
Paul Lappen (31st July 2010)