Trudi Canavan

Why do all fantasy novels now have to be trilogies ? There have always been series of novels, where the author, or the readers, or both, wish to continue with particular characters or a particular world, for example Darkover, Valdemar, Pern, but it seems increasingly few, Robin Hobb and now Patrick Rothfuss, being a couple of notable exceptions, can bring it off. Earlier Canavans too managed it.

Following on from the Black Magican trilogy but set 20 years later, this was a bit of a disappointment. I would say it is essential to re-read the previous trilogy before embarking on this - it took me a while to catch up on all the previous plots and characters mentioned, and it definitely wouldn't work as a stand alone for a new reader.

While the quality of the writing is as good as ever, its all a bit slow, and in places predictable, and by the end, I felt we were just starting the good bit with Lorkin and his adventures.

The prequel to the brilliant Black Magician trilogy but sadly not as good. If one enjoyed that trilogy, this has to be read, but you may not want to keep it !

However, nice to read a stand alone fantasy book for a change and this is still a very readable book albeit lighter on character and plot than we have become used to from the author.

I will get straight to the point in this review - this book overwhelmed me with emotions. With powerful writing the words pull themselves off the page and place themselves in your mind, like a puzzle trying to search for the truth. The magic and adventure in this book is the strongest and most aggressive in the trilogy. Loss and love go and hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other. The journey you have taken with Sonea is ending, but for which cause. There are still questions to be answered and will the truth help or just make things worse.

A great second book in the trilogy, once again the magic and adventure begins. However more is to come. With Sonea's knowledge of magic growing every day she begins to understand and grow. But Sonea is such an outcast what choices does she have, faced with a question that she doesn't understand in a world that is unknown.

As soon as the first pages are read the obsession begins. This book is filled with magic, adventure and heart stopping moments as you follow the main character Sonea, her life quickly changes from lower class to one of the most powers beings in Imardin.

Even though this book is amazing in all its writing and story-lines there are times when your not grabbed by the words and just have to read on, but do not worry, like most of Trudi Canavans books there is always something round the corner.