The Novice (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Trudi Canavan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Black Magician Trilogy, Book Two | Publication Date: April 27, 2004

"Even if a magician's powers surface of their own accord, he will soon be dead if he does not gain the knowledge of how to control them."

Alone among all the novices in the Magicians' Guild, only Sonea comes from lowly beginnings. Yet she has won powerful allies—including Lord Dannyl, newly promoted to Guild Ambassador. But Dannyl must now depart for the Elyne court, leaving Sonea at the mercy of the lies and malicious rumors her enemies are busy spreading . . . until the High Lord Akkarin steps in. The price of Akkarin's support is dear, however, because Sonea, in turn, must protect his mysteries—and a secret that could lead a young novice mage deep into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Dannyl's first order to resume High Lord Akkarin's long-abandoned research into ancient magical knowledge is setting him on an extraordinary journey fraught with unanticipated peril—as he moves ever-closer to a future both wondrous . . . and terrible.

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 an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060575298
• ISBN-13: 978-0060575298
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very exciting!, January 30, 2006

By 

Stephanie Noverraz "crooty" (Lausanne, Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Novice (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Now that Lord Fergun has been sent into exile, Sonea is starting her first year as Novice at the Magician's Guild University, under Lord Rothen's guardianship. She's eager to learn, but being a slum girl she knows it won't be easy to be accepted by, not to mention make friends with, her wealthier and nobler classmates from the Houses. However, she far from conceives the depth of their scorn yet. Indeed one of them, Regin, probably because he simply can't stand a mere slum girl outdoing him, will rally the others and gang them up against her, bully her constantly, play pranks on her, repeatedly ambush her to exhaust her strength and destroy her notes. In other words, make her life hell.

In the meantime Lord Dannyl has taken up his new role of Second Guild Ambassador to Elyne. After an adventurous sea voyage, and after sorting out some of his appointed duties in the capital Capia, he finally has some time to himself to investigate Akkarin's journeys. Indeed, Administrator Lorlen, who suspects the High Lord of performing Black Magic, which is forbidden by the Guild's laws, has asked the young magician to retrace Akkarin's footsteps, ten years earlier. Doing so, Dannyl meets Tayend, a scholar who works at the Great Library and has an amazing memory. The handsome lad will aid him in research and they'll become close friends.

This middle novel is very exciting, I just couldn't put it down. All the loveable characters from the first volume are back, with the exception of Cery, whom we almost hear nothing of. Replacing Fergun, Regin is suitably despicable and irritating, and you can really feel Sonea's frustration when she can't find proof enough to expose him. The High Lord, although first depicted as the ultimate invincible villain, becomes more three-dimensional throughout the book, and I'm looking forward to reading the thrid installment to discover what his real motives are.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story continues, September 22, 2004

By 

History_Girl (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Novice (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

The second in the series Sonea's story continues as she begins to learn the finer points of magic.

Akkarin is more featured in this book and despite how 'evil' he is meant to be, you can't help but be curious. This book also sees a brief love interest for Sonea.

I admit the book gets a little wordy with Lord Dannyl's journey and I got a little bored as I couldn't see how it was effecting the story (but trust me - you need to know it)

Overall a great sequel.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Darn Good Read, April 28, 2004

By 

Matthew Asnip "bibliophile" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Novice (The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

As Bildungsromans go, this is a good one. Sonea grows a bit here and acquires more of a conscience. The other characters are expanded more and the tale is told from 4 separate viewpoints. There's some serious bullying, a good fight at the climax, a mystery or two, a red herring, tales of adventure as the story moves out of the confines of the city into the greater world and a little romance.

All in all this is a good successor to the first book in the series. Also, as the middle book in a trilogy, it has a suprisingly satisfactory end, with just enough plot hooks to keep the reader interested without being too much of a cliffhanger.