- Unknown Binding
- Publisher: Orbit; paperback / softback edition (1 Jan 2005)
- ASIN: B002C1S1WE
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (192 customer reviews)
The Magicians' Guild
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First Sentence
"It is said, in Imardin, that the wind has a soul, and that it wails through the narrow city streets because it is grieved by what it finds there." Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
"It is said, in Imardin, that the wind has a soul, and that it wails through the narrow city streets because it is grieved by what it finds there." Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an easy read: I went through the entire book in an evening, and almost picked up the second book and started reading until I realised it was almost 1am. It's paced well and doesn't have too many annoying fantasy clichés. The characters are likeable, and there's plenty going on to keep them interesting.
It could have done with a few thousand less words on Sonea hiding from the Guild though. It wasn't *quite* boring me, but I could see boredom looming on the horizon, and breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. There's also a couple of the places where the point of view switches abruptly between two people mid-scene, which is confusing until you stop, go back, and realise what happened.
70 of 77 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"It is said, in Imardin, that the wind has a soul, and that it wails through the narrow city streets because it is grieved by what it finds there..." Canavan starts her novel with that sentence, and it just gets better.
There have been loads of fantasy books written about young people growing up not knowing they are mages/magicians/witches and suddenly finding out. And who are a danger because they don't know how to control the magic... sound familiar? Well, this is another one. But don't let that put you off, because Trudi Canavan can write. She can write very well indeed. Her world is well developed, her characters well-rounded, and the story line is gripping. Likeable characters, except for a really unlikeable well-drawn villain. Put simply: it is a great read.
I haven't given it five stars because I reserve that for books that offer me something new and mind-blowing as well as good writing, but don't let that put you off. This book is superb and well-worth the buy. I suspect this writer is going to go a long, long way as she explores the opportunities open to her as a writer of fantasy - this after all, is her first book.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Magician's Guild is refreshing in that it's not about a reluctant male hero's quest to save the world. Instead, Trudi Canavan presents us with a spirited female lead who discovers that she has magic, which puts her in a social dilemma.
Should she accept her powers and join the "snobbish" magicians who are hated by ordinary people? Or should she stay ordinary but risk destroying those she loves with her uncontrolled magic?
The Magician's Guild is an enjoyable, easy read. Trudi Canavan's flowing narrative style will keep you turning the pages until the end. Though not as good a writer as Robert Jordan or Robin Hobbs (yet), Canavan keeps your interest with her likeable characters and familiar situations that readers will relate to. Themes such as social class divisions, friendships and betrayals, finding your true identity and figuring out where you truly belong are explored.
The books comes to a satisfying ending but readers are left in no doubt that this volume merely sets the scene for The Novice and The High Lord, the next two books in The Black Magician Trilogy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Awesome
I am really into magic and stories based on magic theme and this is exactly what I was looking for. I intended this to be a book to read while I travel to work but I found myself... Read more
Published 1 month ago by chiggz
Guilty Pleasure
This is a tough one to review because I can really only describe it in a way that makes it sound awful. Read more
Published 1 month ago by FantasyBytes
Not the greatest book you'll ever pick up.
But probably not the worst either. That said, I could find no redeeming features in the first half of the book, which is why I spent 2 months trying to read it before having to put... Read more
Published 1 month ago by L. G. Rhys
A superior potboiler.
This is the first book of a Trilogy, and proceeds at a reasonable pace but due the self imposed plot limitations, tends to being quite predictable. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. M. P. Briggs
Great introduction to the fantasy genre for YA readers
I'd read The Magicians' Guild and the other two in the trilogy several years ago, but when I picked up The Magician's Apprentice and The Ambassador's Mission for Christmas, in... Read more
Published 3 months ago by W.M.M. van der Salm-Pallada
Terrible
This trilogy is the worst fantasy trilogy I have ever read. There were some promising ideas here and to be fair, the moment in book 1 where a stone is cast through the magicians... Read more
Published 3 months ago by DawnPatroller
MAGIC!
What a relief! Just to find an author out there who's great to read, has some interesting concepts, characters and yes, a story! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. C. M. Gallagher
"The Magicians' Guild"
The book "The Magicians' Guild" by Trudi Canavan is an enjoyable read. It follows the tale of Sonea, a poor girl with great magical power. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Autumn's Breath
From a publisher's POV
Enthralling and gripping. An enticing read, written in a sophisticated style. Not one page lacked in substance and the characters are formidable. Read more
Published 5 months ago by J Smith
Annoying
The first in the Black Magician trilogy, a coming-of-age tale focusing on a girl called Sonea, a commoner who's power is so strong she is able to work rudimentary magic (something... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Eden
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