Magician's Apprentice: 2 [Hardcover]

Tom McGowen (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

A young pickpocket becomes apprenticed to a magician who opens a whole new world for the boy, not only of magic and healing, but of kindness and adventure. Together they seek knowledge lost since the Age of Magic thousands of years before.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7 When Tigg, a 12-year-old pickpocket , is caught searching a magician's house , he expects a beating, or worse. Instead the magician takes him on as an apprentice. When the magician, Armindor, proposes a journey to the ``wild lands,'' Tigg finds himself agreeing despite the discomfort and danger. On the journey, Tigg rescues and befriends Reepah, a furry creature with the power of speech. Reepah repeatedly warns them that they are being followed by a creature of evil that he calls ``Isst,'' a warning Armindor ignores until it is almost too late. At the end Naro, one of the two soldiers hired to protect them, murders the other; he in turn is murdered by a group of Isst. While the story initially seems to have a medieval setting, alert readers will quickly discover that this is set on Earth 3,000 years after a nuclear war and that the treasure of ancient magic Armindor and Tigg search for are common-place tools and objects from our time. Reepah and the Isst are mutations of common species, and at one point Tigg wonders if people were changed alsowhile twitching his long pointed ears. The story is both shorter and easier to read than many in this genre, making it a good choice for those readers who like science fiction and fantasy but haven't developed high reading skills. The conclusion definitely points toward a sequel since the Isst are not defeated, only unmasked, and one of the ``treasures'' is a mysterious sealed box. While the book lacks the rich characterization and sense of place found in the best fantasy, the story moves well and can be given to younger and reluctant readers. Eleanor K. MacDonald, Palos Verdes Library District, Calif.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 119 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (January 29, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525671897
• ISBN-13: 978-0525671893
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,486,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ah, the nostalgia..., December 6, 2005

By 

C. M. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magician's Apprentice: 2 (Hardcover)

This brings back such great memories from childhood... I had this book in my middle school library and I must have read it and its sequels twenty times over. Definitely a book I'd recommend for anyone in the elementary/middle school range, or perhaps early high school if they're a slower reader.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY STORIES., February 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Magician's Apprentice: 2 (Hardcover)

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY STORIES EVER IMAGINEDSINCE THECREATION OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS THE BOOK POSSESED AN APPEALING STORYLINE FROM COVER TO COVER. IN COMPARISON TO "THE HOBBIT" "MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE" BLOWS THE LITTLE MIDGET OUT OF THE WATER.

0 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Better than the Hobbit? What are you smoking?, September 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Magician's Apprentice: 2 (Hardcover)

This book I can asure you is nowhere near THE HOBBIT's level, in fact, just because of that praise I give this book a 1.