My first YA book of the year! It was a surprising read as I really enjoyed the character development and well thought out storyline.
“We should expect this young woman to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician.”
This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants who despise them and their work-—until one enraged girl, barely more than a child, hurls a stone at the hated invaders…and effortlessly penetrates their magical shield.
What the Magicians’ Guild has long dreaded has finally come to pass. There is someone outside their ranks who possesses a raw power beyond imagining, an untrained mage who must be found and schooled before she destroys herself and her city with a force she cannot yet control.
It is quite hard for me to read YA at times, but when I do find a well-written story, I want to consume all books in sight. This was the case with The Magicians Guild, you follow the story of Sonea a dwell from the slums of Imardin. She is moving out of the city with her family back into the slums after the King changed his workers’ policy. She gets caught up in a riot while throwing stones at the magicians, her stone breaks through the magicians’ shield and knocks one of their members out cold. Then all hell breaks loose.
Some reviewers feel that this story is not really original, being that a special girl from a poor background showcases exceptional gifts. I found the story to be fascinating even with a predictable ending. However, the dialogue between characters is what makes the overall book. Sonea, Rothen, Dannyi and Cery are fantastic characters, Canavan takes you into the world of these characters and how life in Imardin has been for them. That is for me is what sucked me into this book.
Rating: 4/5
