The High Lord

The Black Magician Trilogy, Book 3

By: Trudi Canavan

Narrated by: Richard Aspel

Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

In the city of Imardin, where magic and power walk hand-in-hand, a young street-girl, adopted by the Magicians’ Guild, finds herself at the centre of a terrible plot.

Sonea has learned much at the Magicians’ Guild and and the other novices now treat her with a grudging respect. But she cannot forget what she witnessed in the High Lord Akkarin’s underground chamber – or his warning that the realm’s ancient enemy is watching the Guild closely. Her old friend Cery now has an influential position among the Thieves, and good connections in high and low places. When an exotic stranger offers to help him with a secret task, Cery know he should refuse, but then …

As Akkarin reveals more of his knowledge, Sonea does not know who to believe, or what she most fears. Could the truth really be as terrifying as the High Lord claims? Does an ancient power threaten them all? Or is he trying to trick her into assisting him with his dark schemes?

©2003 Trudi Canavan (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing

Thirsty reader

Frequent sipping and gulping of the reader’s favorite drink was very distracting. It ruins an otherwise good story.

An enjoyable trilogy. A decent performance.

This is an enjoyable trilogy. I got into it more than I thought I would. The author definitely allows you to build an emotional connection to the characters. It was a decent performance by the narrator. Not the best I've heard, but solid enough to not detract in any way from the story.

where have all the editors gone?

Good grammar shouldn't be a hit-or-miss thing in a published work. It is in this book, though. I also found some of the voices to be overly heavy or pedantic. That of the primary love interest was way off.

An awful end to amazing set up

the first two books were phenomenal, but the third book reads like bad fanfiction. Full of rushed, awkward relationships (including the introduction of a brand new character who gets half the book's screentime just so everyone can get paired off). The entire first half of the book draws on for far too long and all consequences (and the next 20 chapters or so) are completely invalidated immediately to have a big hero moment at the end.

FYI

I am only writing this to advise anyone with a taste for mature fantasy fiction to avoid this author. Adults are not the target audience.

Weakest ending ever.

First two, very good. This one, mostly good. Ending, absolute my-publisher-needs-something, I've-already-made-enough-money, stopped-caring-last-week trash. Now I know where the Hunger Games burnout got their inspiration. Utter waste of money

get the abridged

this is simply a long love story. It is the first time I have ever wished I had gotten the abridged. I hate abridged books but these three books could not stand on their own and should have only been one book. Maybe that would have made the time I put into it worth it.

just ok. not worth money.

the first books biggest conflict was a fight between the main character and a boy in school. book two, same exact thing except she learns black magic. third book. tiny little fight at the end lacking all detail and imagination. I wouldn't recommend.