Magician of Hoad [Paperback]

Margaret Mahy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

A hero, an ageing magician, a farm boy, a noble daughter and a mad prince meet on the edge of a city of tents. So begins an intricate tale of a boy with a troublesome eye, who is capable of extraordinary things. Forced from home, twelve-year-old Heriot's unwilling steps lead to Diamond, first city of the Hoadara, who conquered his people generations before. By tradition, King and Hero share power in an uneasy alliance ...and the resolution of their struggle will ultimately bring pain, terror, love and loss to the five who met that dusty day. Forced to serve the King as his magician, and strangely bound to Dysart, the mad prince, Heriot is isolated within the walls of Diamond, until he finds Cayley, a wild, ambiguous rat-of-the-city. Two lonely souls forge an unlikely friendship in the shadows of the city both are forced to call home. But when children become adults, childish games become deadly serious and when incipient madness erupts in chillingly violence Heriot is forced to explore the very heart of his magic. In this superbly cerebral fantasy for older readers, Margaret Mahy's masterwork will surprise and thrill with its exploration of darkness, and delight with her undisputed mastery of the language of the heart and soul.

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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Margaret Mahy is one of the world's best-loved authors, writing wonderfully funny and imaginative children's poems, stories and picture books as well as ground-breaking novels for young adults, thrilling readers for more than forty years. A member of the Order of New Zealand, an Honorary Doctor of Letters and twice winner of Britain's Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature, she has also been honoured by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand as a Living Icon, received the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement in Fiction, and been awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her outstanding contribution to children's literature.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: HarperCollins New Zealand (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1869506871
• ISBN-13: 978-1869506872
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,751,834 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