Matharu, Taran. The Novice. (Summoner
Book One) Macmillan/Feiwel &
Friends 2015 355p $18.99 ISBN 978-1-250-06712-8 ms/hs Fantasy VG-BN
The premise of
mages who fight by summoning fearsome creatures from the ether is skillfully
developed in this story of a young man and his friends who are learning to
control their companion creatures while contending with opposition from all
sides. Although the protagonist seems almost to be the embodiment of a Chosen
One trope, he is still a likable, relatable young man, and his friends are believable representations of
their backgrounds;
naturally, he falls in with the outcasts at “battlemage school”
and with them becomes great. Still, the writing is good and the story
engaging, and the fact that the author admits he took inspiration from Pokemon
and Digimon makes it that much more delightful to readers who have ever had an
interest in either one of these things. It is in no way a rip-off of either franchise. Instead, it is reminiscent of Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera (which
was also inspired by Pokemon but using the Roman legions instead of nebulous
fantasy era), but geared for younger readers, and markedly less daunting as far
as length. It may not resonate well with adult readers,
particularly those over the age of thirty,
but it will undoubtedly please readers in and around its target age group. The book ends on a cliffhanger that leaves many things in question. Fortunately, the sequel already has a tentative
publication date set.
Summary:
The premise of mages who
fight by summoning fearsome creatures from the ether is skillfully developed in
this story of a young man and his friends who are learning to control their
companion creatures while contending with opposition from all sides.
Fantastical
creatures-Fiction,
Magic-Fiction --Bethany
Geleskie
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