July 15, 2015
Book 2 in the middle-grade Magisterium fantasy series delves deeper into its protagonist's connection with the Enemy of Death. Picking up where The Iron Trial (2014) left off, almost-13-year-old Callum Hunt, along with his Chaos-ridden pet wolf, Havoc, is back home from his first year at the Magisterium (a school for mages) for summer vacation. But his father is acting strangely, and Callum suspects that his father knows what Call himself had just found out (in Book 1): that he, Callum, apparently has the soul of Constantine Madden-the evil Enemy of Death. When Havoc goes missing, and Call, searching for him, discovers him chained in their basement in a cell-like room that also contains information in his father's handwriting about the Alkahest-a powerful weapon for killing mages-he concludes that his father plans to kill him, so he and Havoc run away. Returning to the Magisterium for his second year, Call keeps both the true nature of his soul and his father's behavior a secret, even from best friends and fellow apprentices Tamara and Aaron, afraid they will turn against him. This tightly plotted story shines with imaginative twists and settings, sparks of humor, and a rich portrayal of friendship in the face of doubt. The co-authors successfully probe the themes of good and evil even as they craft an entertainingly fast-paced read. Both a successful addition to the middle-grade magic school genre and a satisfying sequel. (Fantasy. 9-13)
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October 1, 2015
Gr 4-7-In their follow-up to The Iron Trial (Scholastic, 2014), Black and Clare again return to the magical, alchemical world of the Magisterium, a school that neatly plays with the tropes of the magic school genre. At the conclusion of the last book, readers learned that the ostensible hero, Callum, was in fact the Enemy of Death-the villain who terrifies everyone in his magical world. When he discovers a plot seemingly orchestrated by his own father against the Magisterium, Call and his friends run away from school to try and save the magical world they love. Much of the action in this second installment takes place outside the claustrophobic caverns of the Magisterium, expanding the world Call and friends Tamara and Adam inhabit with mixed results. Credulity is stretched whenever any member of the group enters our mundane world-would giant wolves with glowing eyes and four 13-year-olds hot-wiring a car really go unnoticed by average people?-but other big set pieces, especially an epic battle against an ancient monster, thrill. There's plenty of action, adventure, and pathos here to even out the rough patches. VERDICT Fans of the previous volume will relish the continuing adventures of Call and his friends.-Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla, Darien Library, CT
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 1, 2015
Grades 5-8 Callum Hunt is ready to go back for his second year at the Magisterium, and not just because his dad might be trying to kill him. Call is (secretly) the magical reincarnation of mage Constantine Madden, by all accounts a pretty bad guy, but he is trying really hard not to be evil. He has got a mental checklist of the things an Evil Overlord wouldn't do as he heads to school. But all is not well there, either: an artifact that can split Chaos mages, like Call's friend Aaron, from their magic has been stolen, possibly by Call's dad. Call worries his true identity will be discovered, but he is more concerned about Aaron, so the boys and their friend Tamaraplus one rivalset out into an increasingly dangerous world to try to save the day. This second installment in the Magisterium series is much more effective than its predecessor (The Iron Trial, 2014): the plot is tighter, the stakes are higher, and Call's struggle with whether or not he is destined for evil adds to the tension. Shades of Harry Potter still linger, but this has a personality of its own. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Enthusiasm hasn't flagged for these two best-selling authors, and this stronger volume will just fan the fire.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)