The Magician’s Guild

The Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan

Orbit: paperback published 2010: 465 pages

Each year the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city streets of vagrants, urchins and miscreants. Masters of the disciplines of magic, they know that no one can oppose them. But their protective shield is not as impenetrable as they believe.

As the mob is herded from the city, a young street girl, furious at the authorities’ treatment of her family and friends, hurls a stone at the shield, putting all her rage behind it. To the amazement of all who bear witness, the stone passes unhindered through the barrier and renders a magician unconscious.

It is an inconceivable act, and the guild’s worst fear has been realised – an untrained magician is loose on the streets. She must be found, and quickly, before her uncontrolled powers unleash forces that will destroy both her, and the city that is her home.

I don’t understand why it took me so long to get around to reading Trudi Canavan. I loved it! Okay, so I’m honestly quite easily pleased by fantasy books (if you can’t tell) purely on the basis that I’m a touch jealous that they’re published authors and I soak up every word as if it will give me their secret of success. But there is a good reason that Canavan is a fantasy big-hitter. She knows how to build her world and her characters and her story into a believable novel that compels you to read on, and involves you. There is a clear image of where you are meant to be, what it looks like, what you should be feeling. Whether you’re writing fantasy, or crime or historical or even chick-lit (bah), you should read a Trudi Canavan, just to see what a well-woven story looks like.

In honesty, there are very, very few books that ever overwhelm me and I will score as beyond-comprehension-wonderful and pronounce as literary genius and should be worshipped on high as a shining beacon of god-like book-beauty. In fact, I’ve probably yet to find a book that amazing (if you do know of such a wordful deity, lemme know). So, no, Trudi Canavan didn’t completely knock me out with amazingness, but it’s a pretty good try.

Rating: 9/10

Next book: Right, this wasn’t on the reading list, but I finished The Magician’s Guild at the parents’ house and had no access to the books ON my list. So it’s now Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo… one of my favourite children’s authors.