A Perilous Power [Mass Market Paperback]

E. Rose Sabin (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

Trevor Blake has always known he possessed magical gifts. But in the small farming town where Trevor lives with his family, the practice of magic is forbidden--and those who reveal their gifts are persecuted. So when his uncle tells him about the underground gifted Community in the city of Port-Of-Lords, Trevor and his best friend, Les Simonton, set off to find it. There, they hope to receive training in the use of their powers.

As soon as Trevor and Les arrive in Port-of-Lords, the trouble begins. Unwittingly, the boys become embroiled in a power struggle among the Community's members. Not sure of whom to trust or where to turn, Trevor and Les may be forced to call upon the most perilous power of all....

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Trevor Blake has always known that he possesses magical gifts, but the small farming community where he lives forbids magic of any kind. Despite this local ban, Trevor hopes to learn more about his powers and immerse himself in the study of magic, and so he journeys with his best friend to the city Port-of-Lords, where he hopes to search for a hidden community of gifted magicians called the Adepts. Along the way, the friends encounter many challenges as Trevor attempts to master the arts of magic and survival. This dramatic story, the prequel to Sabin's A School for Sorcery (2002), with its young magician will inevitably invite comparisons to J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. And like Rowling's titles, this wholly satisfying fantasy features memorable characters, compelling story lines, and plenty of climactic scenes. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"A tale that should appeal to fans of Harry Potter. Well-written, with memorable characters and a readable style, this title belongs in most fantasy and YA collections."--Library Journal on A Perilous Power

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Starscape (August 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765347601
• ISBN-13: 978-0765347602
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,077,795 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

E. Rose Sabin lives with her two dogs, Juliet and Kira, in Pinellas County, Florida, where she was reared and where for many years she taught Spanish, first in middle school and later on the junior college level. Her teaching career provided the inspiration for her first published book, A School for Sorcery. A life-long lover of books and reading, she now devotes her time very happily to writing fantasy and science fiction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Promising Writer, July 5, 2004

By 

Deborah Fredericks "fantasy author" (Spokane, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Perilous Power (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book, which is the first I've read of Sabin's work. The cover copy compared it to Rowling's Harry Potter series, and I found that not accurate at all. This is a very different world. The subtext, about how people behave when they are forced to hide their true selves, is thought provoking

I found the main characters sympathetic, although I became exasperated with Trevor's bull-headedness. After his buddy, Les, twice pointed out people who seemed innocuous but were actually very dangerous, Trevor should have bought a clue and started listening to Les.

The two villains were extremely well done, nasty and effective. At the same time, there was little on-screen gore, and I appreciated that. I could read this to my eight-year-old without worrying.

Deby Fredericks,, author of The Magister's Mask

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT, December 15, 2005

By 

Miranda S. - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Perilous Power (Mass Market Paperback)

Sabin's second novel in her trilogy had many similarities to the first in its problems and dangers, but the quality of the writing was astoundingly much worse. The life-like, interesting characters of Tria and her classmates was replaced by Trevor and Les, who were idiotic and annoying the whole book. Their mistakes over the course of the book were stupid, careless, and unbelieveable. How could these dry characters be called heroes?
My interest in the story itself disappeared after suffering through 30 pages. To me, Sabin's second novel lacked the thought-provoking ideas and enigma that kept me turning the pages in the 1st novel. Her first was so good that it is criminal to put the two together in a 'trilogy'. I hope the third isn't anything like the second, and I wonder how the author of A School for Sorcery could possibly write something as bad as A Perilous Power.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read with unforgettable characters, November 24, 2004

By 

Bill's Books (www.alan-ya.org) (Urbana, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Perilous Power (Hardcover)

In this fast-moving, adventure-filled prequel to *A SCHOOL FOR SORCERY, 17-year-old Trevor Blake and his best friend, Les, travel from their small village to the bustling port city of Port-of-Lords to enroll in the Community of the Gifted, where they expect to master their magical gifts; however, the sinister machinations of Dr. Tenney, who plans to steal the power of others for personal gain, embroil them in unexpected adventures and dangers. (M/H) A fun read with unforgettable characters, especially the two evil villains and colorful Veronica.