sandraagee's review against another edition
4.0
Very nice. Good fantasy for younger readers. Lots of pages, but it moves quickly.
roshk99's review against another edition
4.0
Similar to Lyra's Oxford from the Golden Compass, this book tells the story of a wizard's apprentice and his adventures
nancyemcc66's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book and look forward to reading more about Conn and Nevery!
carmenhartjensen's review against another edition
4.0
Quite liked this book and will read the series.
ashleylm's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a small miracle, in a way. Despite the fact that almost every aspect of the plot, the settings, and most principal characters can be found in essentially unchanged form in other, earlier books, this novel manages to transcend what could seem like a pedestrian rehash to become a charming, worthy addition to the canon. And it's emphatically not a pleasant but mediocre generic fantasy novel--it's much, much better than that.
Most of the credit goes to the author's making the protagonist so very likable. I'm reminded of Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief who also managed to charm me completely. There's a passage where truth serum forces our hero to babble the truth, and it's a delight.
I imagine it must be more difficult to write a beautifully-crafted, engaging, surprising book from materials that are so well-trodden, so kudos given where kudos are due.
I see others have compared this to the Harry Potter series, or to The Lightning Thief, but the tone seems very dissimilar to me. I thought it more akin to the works of Diana Wynne Jones (not quite as good, nothing ever is--a little more straightforward than she would have written) or to the Flora Segunda.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
Most of the credit goes to the author's making the protagonist so very likable. I'm reminded of Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief who also managed to charm me completely. There's a passage where truth serum forces our hero to babble the truth, and it's a delight.
I imagine it must be more difficult to write a beautifully-crafted, engaging, surprising book from materials that are so well-trodden, so kudos given where kudos are due.
I see others have compared this to the Harry Potter series, or to The Lightning Thief, but the tone seems very dissimilar to me. I thought it more akin to the works of Diana Wynne Jones (not quite as good, nothing ever is--a little more straightforward than she would have written) or to the Flora Segunda.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
terapsina's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
4.0
The little details make this book delightful, like the drawings at the start of each chapter, the runic alphabet in the back pages & the two biscuit recipes. I have to admit I did make Bennet's biscuits and they are quite yummy.
The description and characterization are the stars in this tale. A young thief steals a magic stone and becomes a magician's apprentice and must help save the city he lives in. He is an orphan. He has unusually strong powers. He does not have two best friends flanking him or a lightning bolt scar but these are minor details. The plot is predictable with no real twists or surprises, but the characters and writing are charming enough to carry the story. I enjoyed it and it was a quick, fun read. I'll definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out.
The description and characterization are the stars in this tale. A young thief steals a magic stone and becomes a magician's apprentice and must help save the city he lives in. He is an orphan. He has unusually strong powers. He does not have two best friends flanking him or a lightning bolt scar but these are minor details. The plot is predictable with no real twists or surprises, but the characters and writing are charming enough to carry the story. I enjoyed it and it was a quick, fun read. I'll definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out.