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Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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The Black Magician Trilogy
There has been an enormous tide of books based around the
concept of magic recently, probably due to the success of Harry Potter.
Fantasy is not one of my more favourite genres, so I need a better reason
to read a fantasy book. As it
happens, I was waiting for my friend in Waterstones, picked up the first book in
the series and started to read. It
was very good. The three books, ‘The Magician’s Guild’, ‘The
Novice’ and ‘The High Lord’ are based around the introduction of a young
street girl to the Magician’s Guild. As
she is from the lowest level of society, she faces discrimination – even
though she is one of the most powerful novices.
If that wasn’t enough, there is a dark plot afoot – one centred
around Akkarin, the High Lord of the guild. All fairly clinched so far?
Don’t worry; the books are well worth the read.
The author avoids making Akkarin a Dumbledore, choosing instead to
portray him (at first) as a vaguely sinister figure, one filled with menace.
The change in our perception of Akkarin is one of the greater elements of
the book. Rothen and Lorlen, two of
Sonea's few allies, are both sympathetic figures, wrestling with a dangerous
mystery. ‘The Magician’s Guild’ is a strong book in its own
right. ‘The Novice’ suffers
slightly from being the middle book; even though it has a fairly interesting
subplot involving one of Rothen’s friends.
‘The High Lord’ is perhaps the strongest book in the series; bringing
everything to a close and explaining what is really going on. Sonea might be
meant to be the hero of the books, but Akkarin pretty much steals the show in
‘The High Lord’.
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