Tuesday, 13 January 2015

The Iron Trial - Holly Black and Cassandra Clare - Magisterium Book 1

The Iron Trial
Magisterium Book 1
Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545522250


I must admit there is not a lot I have read from either Holly or Cassandra that I have not really liked. When I read their books most get a 5 out of 5 stars. But this book was in some ways more unique and enjoyable. Maybe it was the fact that it is their first collaboration? Maybe it was the fact that many would compare it to harry potter, and it is better, better writing; better story.

From the first words I could barely put the book down. This is the story of Callum, he lives in a world where magic is real. But many do not know about it. His father has raised him alone and spent his whole life warning Callum, how bad magic is and those who practice it. He has been raised to want nothing to do with magic. So when he is summoned to the Iron Trial to determine if he will enter the Magisterium to train to control his magical abilities, he does everything he can to try and fail, and fail he does or at least thinks he does. But that is not to be his fate. He is in fact taken on by Master Rufus to train along with Aaron and Tamara. Though an unlikely paring the three soon become a true team. But their adventures to get through the first year at The Magisterium only begin with the tests to go to the school.

As you begin reading these books you have a young hero, who clearly has set ideas about magic and its place in his life. Readers are also set up to lean towards some preconceived ideas about where the book is going. And then it throws you a big curve ball. Some of the unexpected turns, and character development is part of what made this such an exciting and engaging read.

This book was a great read. It was fun and entertaining and definitely left you wanting more. Which is very good because it is the first in a new pentalogy. The bad news is the books are coming out about a year apart so there will be a long wait for book 2. This is a wonderful read from two of the hottest authors in young adult literature. So check it out, you will not be disappointed.






Magisterium:
Iron Trial
Book 2
Book 3
Book 4
Book 5

Books by Holly Black:
The Poison Eaters and Other Stories (2010)

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (2013)
Doll Bones (2013)

The Modern Faerie Tales
Tithe (2002)
Valiant (2005)
Ironside (2007)

The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Field Guide (2003)
The Seeing Stone (2003)
Lucinda's Secret (2003)
The Ironwood Tree (2004)
The Wrath of Mulgarath (2004)
Arthur Spiderwick's Notebook of Fantastical Observations (2005)
Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (2005)
Care and Feeding of Sprites (2006)

Beyond Spiderwick
The Nixie's Song (2007)
A Giant Problem (2008)
The Wyrm King (2009)

The Good Neighbors
Kin (2008)
Kith (2009)
Kind (2010)

The Curse Workers
White Cat (2010)
Red Glove (2011)
Black Heart (2012)

Anthologies
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd (2009)
Zombies vs. Unicorns (2010)
Welcome to Bordertown (2011)


Books by Cassandra Clare:
Mortal Instruments:
City of Bones - Book 1
City of Ashes - Book 2
City of Glass - Book 3
City of Fallen Angels - Book 4
City of Lost Souls - Book 5 (May 2012)
City of Heavenly Fire - Book 6 (September 2013)

Infernal Devices:
Clockwork Angel - Book 1
Clockwork Prince - Book 2
Clockwork Princess - Book 3


Bane Chronicles:
1. What Really Happened in Peru
2. The Runaway Queen
3. Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale
4. The Midnight Heir
5. The Rise of The Hotel Dumort
6. Saving Raphael Santiago
7. The Fall of The Hotel Dumort
8. The Course of True Love (and First Dates)
9. What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You're Not Officially Dating Anyway)
10. The Last Stand of the New York Institute


The Dark Artifices Trilogy
Lady Midnight
Prince of Shadows
The Queen of Air and Darkness

Magisterium Series: (with Holly Black)
The Iron Trial 


Contributor:
Geektastic
Vacations From Hell
Eternal Kiss
Zombies versus Unicorns

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