Canavan Trudi 01

Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron

Magician’s Guild – Trudi Canavan

This is the first book in a series by Trudi Canavan, an Australian author. Magicians’ Guild concerns Sonea, a girl from the slum quarter of the city of Imardin. The city is set in a land where magic works under strict rules that have to be learned at the Magicians’ University. Magicians are recruited from the children of the rich and powerful who exhibit magical potential. When Sonea accidentally knocks a magician unconscious, the Guild are keen to recruit her, despite her being from the wrong side of town.
As it says on the cover “After five hundred years of order, the Guilds’ worst fear has been realised – an untrained magician is loose on the streets. She must be found, and quickly, before her uncontrolled powers unleash forces that will destroy both her, and the city that is her home.” Unfortunately for them, Sonea believes that they want to punish her and she disappears, hidden by her friends among the thieves.
Essentially, this is a very simple book, with the one basic plot line. However don’t let that put you off. The story is well written, and there is a lot of rich characterisation which is used to good effect in the second novel The Novice, and the third The Black Magician.

Publisher: Atom (Time Warner)
Date: 2004
Pages: 469 Pages
Price: £7.99
ISBN: 1-904233-66-X
Format: Hardback
Reviewed by: Rod Cameron
Date Reviewed: January 2006

Magician’s Guild – Trudi Canavan
This is the first book in a series by Trudi Canavan, an Australian author. Magicians’ Guild concerns Sonea, a girl from the slum quarter of the city of Imardin. The city is set in a land where magic works under strict rules that have to be learned at the Magicians’ University. Magicians are recruited from the children of the rich and powerful who exhibit magical potential. When Sonea accidentally knocks a magician unconscious, the Guild are keen to recruit her, despite her being from the wrong side of town. As it says on the cover “After five hundred years of order, the Guilds’ worst fear has been realised – an untrained magician is loose on the streets. She must be found, and quickly, before her uncontrolled powers unleash forces that will destroy both her, and the city that is her home.” Unfortunately for them, Sonea believes that they want to punish her and she disappears, hidden by her friends among the thieves. Essentially, this is a very simple book, with the one basic plot line. However don’t let that put you off. The story is well written, and there is a lot of rich characterisation which is used to good effect in the second novel The Novice, and the third The Black Magician.
Publisher: Atom (Time Warner) Date: 2004 Pages: 469 Pages Price: £7.99 ISBN: 1-904233-66-X Format: Hardback Reviewed by: Rod Cameron Date Reviewed: January 2006