The Magician’s Apprentice

By Trudi Canavan
Orbit, $24.99, 608 pages

I wouldn’t let The Magician’s Apprentice out of my sight. From page one, I dived deep into the characters – Tessia, Jayan, Dakon, Stara, and Hanara – each became my close personal friend, a person I cared for, and whose success was important to me, even though at times I loathed their decisions.

This epic fantasy is a multiple perspective work, each portion of the tale being told through the eyes of the characters previously mentioned. When their country home is destroyed, Dakon, Jayan, and Tessia are forced to go to war with the Sachakan invaders, and in doing so learn a lot about themselves and each other.

Ultimately, this is a beautifully constructed tale of love, war, power and consequence. Each character is interesting in its own right, and the story is so well-constructed and paced that hours fly by in its reading. Since this is a stand-alone novel and prequel, it is also an excellent entry point into the world Canavan has made. The Magician’s Apprentice, without reservation, should be a pick for anyone who loves the works of Robert Jordan, Karen Miller, David Eddings, or Margaret Weis.

Reviewed by John Ottinger III