The Magician of Hoad [Hardcover]

Margaret Mahy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2009

Heriot Tarbas was born with a gift. Visions wake him in the middle of the night, and others' thoughts invade his head. Heriot's mind already feels torn apart when the King of Hoad decides to tear him away from his family.

Heriot quickly discovers that life in the royal court is much more difficult and complex than life on the farm. Being at the beck and call of a King who expects him to read friends' and foes' minds alike is no small challenge, but neither is being caught in a power struggle among three princes and an intimidating Hero of Hoad.

As Heriot hones his skills and grows into the role of the Magician of Hoad, the number of people he can trust becomes smaller. Loneliness threatens to engulf him until a chance encounter brings a street urchin named Cayley into his life. Heriot feels inexplicably drawn to Cayley, someone he sees so much of himself in, yet at times feels like he does not understand at all. But even amidst the turmoil, Heriot is certain that his ever-developing power is the key to his destiny...if only he could figure out exactly what that destiny is supposed to be.

Award-winning author Margaret Mahy conjures a faraway, majestic land where truth is an illusion, freedom is a battle, and pure magic may be the only saving grace.

Editorial Reviews

Review

* “Mahy’s reputation for writing compelling fantasy is evident in this intricately woven tale . . . once begun, there may be no stopping until the reader has closed the book with a satisfied sigh.”—Library Media Connection, starred review

“Mahy has created a unique bildungsroman, complex and challenging, yet richly rewarding. This novel should prove deeply satisfying . . . Another excellent work from the masterful storyteller.”—School Library Journal

“[An] epic quest for identity . . . wrapped up in terror, romance, surprise, and suspense” --Horn Book

“A highly successful fantasy. . . . Heriot’s magic owes as much to the logic of dreams and surrealism as it does to the traditions of Tolkien and genre fantasy.” – Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Margaret Mahy has lived in New Zealand her entire life.  A former children’s librarian, she decided to become a full-time writer in 1980. From picture books to YA novels, the age groups for which she writes vary as much as the characters in her stories. She won the British Library Association’s Carnegie medal for The Haunting and The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance. She has also written such books as Alchemy and Maddigan’s Fantasia. An author whose books have received many accolades and praise around the world, Mahy was awarded the Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen of that country can receive, and in 2006 she was announced the winner of the International Board on Books for Young People’s Hans Christian Andersen Award, given to a living author whose works have made a lasting contribution to children’s literature.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (November 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416978070
• ISBN-13: 978-1416978077
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Mahy lives in New Zealand and is internationally acknowledged as one of the most outstanding children's writers today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children of all ages, two of which have received England's Carnegie Medal and others of which have garnered numerous citations from the American Library Association. She is also the recipient of An Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen can receive. In 2006 she received the Hans Christian Andersen award for her contributions to international children's literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unconventional Fairy Tale, November 11, 2009

By 

Jonathan L. Kirsch (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magician of Hoad (Hardcover)

Although targeted for young adults, this is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. We enter the world of Heriot Tarbas, a strange boy working on a farm near the ruins of an old castle. He has been suffering from strange ailments since childhood, and when he sees a horrible vision in his village he realizes that there is something deep inside him that has been awakened and won't go away. Heriot Tarbas thinks that he is cursed, and later he sees himself as a monster. But eventually he realizes that all the unusual changes he is undergoing amount to a rare gift, and that he must find himself if he is to find any true happiness. The author's themes of identity are rich with depth. The land of Hoad seems to be a kingdom out of a fairy tale, replete with a wise King, a mighty Hero, and Magicians with unusual powers. Yet as the story unfolds we find that many of these conventional aspects are different beneath the surface. Even a wise King can make grave errors in judgment when love for a son unfit to rule supersedes his reason. Meanwhile a mighty hero, who all seem to look up, hides a dark and twisted past. Magicians whose powers seem unlimited discover that to wield magic is to harness a fickle power, neither limitless nor omniscient.

The story becomes fascinating with the level of complexity Mahy imbues in her four main characters, and how she illustrates their fates intertwining. Her characters easily shrug out of any conventional mold. Her characters are incredibly human and drawn with a level of nuance that you won't find in many fantasy books. Mahy's descriptions are often poetic, and her imagery is powerful even as it sometimes stretches credulity. Some readers may find the imagery and dialogue of the main characters a little confusing early on. Readers will be rewarded for their persistence, however, because as the story continues Mahy's imagery becomes more and more comprehensible, like a special language all its own. Mysterious words and events have a way of being fully revealed so that by the end of the book the reader is left feeling not only satisfied, but fulfilled.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Magician of Hoad, January 10, 2011

By 

Jasmyn A. Dieck "Jasmyn" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Magician of Hoad (Hardcover)

The Magician of Hoad is the story of a boy, Heriot, a boy that is discontent with his place in the world, has always seemed to not fit in. Then one day he finds out that he is actually so much more than he expected. He is a magician, but not just any magician. He is to become the official Magician of Hoad.

But the boy, realizes quickly that he does not want his destiny to be determined by his new title. He wants to be the man he decides he wants to be. He realizes that his powers can be a dangerous thing and that some people would stop at nothing to control them, and if they can't, they would destroy them.

Ultimately this seems to be a coming of age story. Heriot spends his life trying to find out who he really is and what he is really supposed to do. He realizes that neither of these have answers that anyone can give him but himself.

3/5