The High Lord (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Trudi Canavan (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Black Magician Trilogy | Publication Date: August 31, 2004

"You want to know the truth."

Sonea has learned much since she was but a penniless urchin possessing an awesome untapped ability. She has earned the grudging respect of her fellow novices and a place in the Magicians' Guild. But there is much she wishes she had never learned—what she witnessed, for example, in the underground chamber of the mysterious High Lord Akkarin . . . and the knowledge that the Guild is being observed closely by an ancient fearsome enemy.

Still, she dares not ignore the terrifying truths the High Lord would share with her, even though she fears it may be base trickery, a scheme to use her astonishing powers to accomplish his dark aims. For Sonea knows her future is in his hands—and that only in the shadows will she achieve true greatness . . . if she survives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A wonderfully and meticulously detailed world, and an edge-of-the-seat plot, this book is a must for all lovers of good fantasy JENNIFER FALLON --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Trudi Canavan is the author of the bestselling Black Magician trilogy—The Magician's Guild, The Novice, and The High Lord—as well as Priestess of the White and Last of the Wilds, Books One and Two of her Age of the Five trilogy. She lives in a little house on a hillside, near a forest, in the Melbourne suburb of Ferntree Gully in Australia. She has been making up stories about things that don't exist for as long as she can remember, and was amazed when her first published story received an Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story in 1999. A freelance illustrator and designer, she also works as the designer and Art Director of Aurealis, a magazine of Australian Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 531 pages
• Publisher: Eos (August 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060575301
• ISBN-13: 978-0060575304
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Magic & Wizards

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A questionable ending for a great trilogy, February 8, 2005

By 

Alison - See all my reviews

This review is from: The High Lord (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

I think Ms. Canavan could have done better with the ending, although this book definitely blew the first 2 out of the water. Some things just didn't make sense. How come Akkarin never used Sonea's blood ring? Why didn't Akkarin and Sonea use the power of the Arena to win the battle? Dorrien and Rothen said they would be close by to use their healing powers during the final battle, but they didn't show up. And Savara's role in the novel contributed nothing to the plot, it merely provided Cery a reason not to be jealous of Sonea's relationship. The loose ends were tied up too quickly and rather sloppily in the final pages, and made for a sad, anti-climactic end to a great trilogy. And for me, happy endings are what make a trilogy worth reading...more than once.


*Don't read this part if you haven't read the book yet*

Another unexplained loose end is when the hero dies, but then it's supposed to be okay because Sonea's pregnant? And Akkarin was way too smart a character to do something stupid like give Sonea too much power (he taught her black magic to begin with!), especially when the Arena is a few steps away. He didn't need to be a martyr and sacrifice himself so Sonea could kill the Ichani, when the Arena was at their fingertips and they could have used its power, and not died in the process. I wish I could rewrite the ending.
As a side note, it is interesting to see how much Ms.Canavan's writing improves through these 3 novels. I might read her next novel.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A promising trilogy, December 14, 2004

By 

ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The High Lord (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Trudi Canavan culminates her stunning trilogy with `The High Lord', a book nearly twice as long as the opener and twice as impressive in writing style, plot and characterisation. The series has blasted Canavan onto the fantasy scene in a manner that is refreshingly exhilarating in its simple tenacity to adhere to well-oiled tenets that are the mark of a good fantasy novel. This is not to say that there is not room for future improvements, one striking example being Akkarin's and Sonea's own attempt to wander the wilderness which, quite frankly, is utterly pointless and a section in which I found that handy notion of speed-reading coming into effective play.
So, the end of the trilogy and extremely fluent to boot. We find Sonea in Year Three (and it still calls for a vision of Hogwarth) learning Black Magic (or Higher Magic, depending on your need to justify it), killing a female Ichani and promptly getting exiled with Akkarin by the Guild. In the meantime Canavan keeps us in touch with the thief-lord Cery who's having his own swashbuckling affair with Savara whilst cleaning up after Akkarin.
We finally expand on the plot as we learn of an attempt to invade Kyralia by the Ichani led by Kuriko who nurses a personal grudge against Akkardin and a fervent desire to avenge himself on a battle lost ages ago. A little thin, but never mind. Meanwhile the befuddled Rothen and the still undecided Dannyl leap around ineffectively after their star pupil and enigmatic ex-master in a vague attempt to prevent Akkarin's enormous `I told you so'. Battle after battle rages with the Guild on the losing end as Canavan culls her cast and the Ichani move through the ghost city like the Forsaken slowly being whittled down by less magical methods until the explosive finale at the Guild. It is post-scripted neatly with multiple loose ends tied off but allowing sufficient effort for the next generation.
Canavan's opening trilogy has been delightful. At times it is lacking substance, notably the action outside of Imarddin seems directionless at times and the author retreats frequently to the strong prose and plot of the city and there is the occasional loss of reality (even in a fantasy novel you need reality of action) such as the undiscussed evacuation of the city which conveniently happens instantly. Nevertheless, it bodes well for Canavan's future penship. I'd like more novels set in this world as it does offer immense scope and the main characters have a bigger story to tell. Whether or not Canavan returns to this world I will certainly look for her next effort to hit the shelves.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand Action Packed Conclusion!, August 31, 2004

By 

J. Stinson "dragonflykelly" (Klamath Falls, OR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The High Lord (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Trudi does it for me with this final book in the trilogy. There is tons of action, further character development (when you thought you knew everything) and so much going on you thought you couldn't keep track of it, but because it flows so well you do. Sonea is fully "there" as a character in this book. We get to know Akkarin, The High Lord, much better - where we just glimpsed him before. Akkarin actually turned out to be my favorite character. He is very complex, not unlike most humans. Cery, has a much larger role. I missed him in book 2. The story of Dannyl and Tayend, which was a little tedious in book 2 for me, is very enjoyable in The High Lord. All the way around I feel like Trudi did a fantastic job of keeping you guessing. If you want an author that will always surprise you Trudi Canavan is the one for you.....and me.