The Magician's Guild

The Black Magician Trilogy: Book One

By: Trudi Canavan

Narrated by: Richard Aspel

Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Sonea is caught up in a confrontation between the hated Guild magicians and the angry youth of the slums. To her dismay, she discovers that she possesses the same powers as the reviled magicians. To avoid capture, she must seek protection from the city's feared underworld, The Thieves. In return, she must use her powers for them, but her magic never seems to do quite what she intends it to.

©2004 Trudi Canavan (P)2004 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"The first part of the Black Magician Trilogy, this captivating tale has already been hailed by critics as a 'must for lovers of good fantasy'." ( Marie Claire)

Great young adult story

fun read as well as a good intro book for a newer fantasy reader. If I recall the later books pick up a bit more story wise but still entertaining.

The book is like a wooden roller coaster...

STORY:
This book is like a wooden roller coaster ride. It starts out slow: Some people complain that it is boring while others just enjoy the view. However, like the wooden roller coaster, once you crest the first and tallest hill things really pick up.

I set this book down twice and I'm glad I picked it up the third time. I started listening to it at night when I was trying to fall asleep, and at first it was great for that...

READER/VOICE ACTOR(S):
Other reviews have mentioned the 'monotone voice' of the reader. This reader uses a very monotone voice as the 'narrator voice'.

This reader uses many voices for the different characters (and you can recognize which character speaks by the voice the reader uses!) as the characters are introduced into the book. There is more narration at the start of the book, setting things up, than the rest of the book.

=-=-=-=
My Personal; About This Book:

Each night I would find the beginning of the last chapter I could remember hearing and start there, and listen again until I fell asleep...

... In the early chapters I fell asleep pretty quickly (not 'because' of the book, but the sound of someone reading muffled other sounds, and the images I formed in my head helped me to forget about stuff I had to do the next day or other worries I had)...

... However, about the third or fourth night I found the book was keeping me awake. I had to stop listening to it at night because I found myself staying awake to find out what happened 'next'!

The book had me cheering for 'both sides' of 'the conflict'.
=-=-=-=
Review Wrap Up:

I can understand why some people gave it a low rating, and if you just don't like slow starts then don't buy this book.

If you don't mind enjoying the scenery and just going with the flow, understanding that things will be explained later, then this is a good book.

I couldn't put the second book down and I'm reading the third book right now.

Ok nothing special

It took me several hours to try and get into this book. I was about to ditch it and rate it a one. But after about a 1/3 of the way through finally I became interested. I don't remember much of the earlier chapters because it was hard to grab your attention and the narration was average early on.

Basically here is how I rate this book...
- The story is pretty basic and classic. Won't get into details as to spoil it here. But you've heard this story before.
- The narration is hard to follow until you get used to the narrator. I found it way to easy to drift away from listening early on. He does a nice job with some of the voices later in the book but his standard narration voice is thick with accent and mono-toned.
- The book would make a better movie than a book and I do think it would be a good movie. It's basically written like a screen play more than a novel. By that I mean it takes the entire book for me to get behind the characters and there is little extensive description of the scenes and more description like the author is telling actors what to do and where they are to go.
- Having said that, after making it through the first 5 hours somewhat painfully and distracted... I did finally get into it and want to follow it to the end and see what happens even though I was pretty sure I knew.

Over all it's average with some rather low parts but towards the end some nice characters that will maybe get you to buy the next book.

Hope this helps.

Like it

I enjoyed this book very much. If you like reading fantasy, or magic I think you will like this book. I hope to listen or read the next one.

surpricingly good :D

What did you love best about The Magician's Guild?

the character building and how well it is doen.

it is slow and you feel like you are left with much of the story waiting but it is done in a very nice and good manner and the only complain is that you want so much more of it :D
not that you want it faster just that you want a few houndread hours more

Who was your favorite character and why?

robin i think :)
but there are very few characters i dont like actually ^^
there is not anyone i find extremely intrigin either though..
or the black magicien would be AWESOME but we all know he is gonna be painted as the bad guy or it will have some wierd twist making him actually use flower magic instead of dark magic or something silly :/ sadly

Have you listened to any of Richard Aspel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no but i kinda like him; his voice is good for this type of book and he does a good job with voice's and it is easy to follow who is saying what and in what feeling etc.

there is space for a bit of improvement though he is doing a good job and i would listend to more with him :)

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

well ... yer... but its like 15 hours long and i got projects, university, work etc. so no way i can :P
i have however skipped a day of doing anything other then listening to the next book in the serie which i am doing right now xD
just wanted to write a nice review as a thanks to the author for giving me a great time listening to his work :D

Any additional comments?

it's a very good book, i really like the way magic works in his universe and i like that it is actually focused a lot on the life and it feels like you are following the mages existance instead of following some grant scheme of a kingdom or following the magic itself instead of the characters.
it does a great jump having the characters in focus while still feeling like a true mage book, which is rare and i really like it.

it is nice to see the characters have some backbone which is not shown in a "neanter cave man way", but that characters can have backbone, will and pride even when they have to truly bow their head and be subjecated..

i hope we will see the main character actually play in dark magic and become a "good villian" type character :P
which we properly won't, since as good as no book ever does that when we are talking fantasy and magic.. sadly :/

its a good listen and it got great moments but i truly feel that you get too little story in each book which is why i can't give it a 5 :)
it is not that what is there isnt wonderfull, but that i was left with a feeling of "was that it" and if there havent already been a second book in the serie ready for me i would have felt annoyed of being left of thinking that i only got to read the intro to the book.

i am kinda scared for the third book though which is the last one out when i write this review, it better not leave me hanging in the same manner xD hehe

diffinately worth the buy and you should support the author, we need more of such authors ^^

Monotone Narrator

I read this book several years ago and enjoyed it so much that I bought the audio book version. I couldn't get 5 minutes into the book. Very disappointing.

Slow Burn

I enjoyed this book but it was missing something. There wasn't enough action or fun for the first half and right as it got interesting boom that's the end. Trudy Canavan does a pretty good job but many of his voices are to similar. Good but doesn't stand out.

Want a new trilogy?

I'd recommend this book to anyone who misses Harry Potter, anyone who loves a good magician story, and students looking for a good, engaging action story. I loved the detail in the story and the performance of the audio book.

Slow Start to a Great Series

Listen to this book to get to the others in the series. Books 2 and 3 are very interesting and suspenseful. You won't be sorry with your listening investment in book 1. This first book starts off a little slow, but 2/3 of the way in you'll be hooked on the whole series.

The story and character's pull you in!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Magician's Guild to be better than the print version?

No. I am a highly imaginative person. So whenever I read a book, I am sucked into it's pages and transported into the vibrant world behind the pen and ink! An audio book is somewhat limiting in the respect that you are at the mercy of the spell woven by someone else. In this case, I do not generally care for the person that vocally spins the tale of the Magician's Guild. However, it does not put one of so much as to make you stop listening all together. Because I love the story and the characters that much, I am still able to enjoy the audio version. Especially when I do not have time to sit and read it.

What did you like best about this story?

The most intoxicating thing about this book is the characters and the character development. The first book may start out just a bit slow, but the next thing you know, you're compelled to know more about each and every character, most especially the High Lord. I think this character most draws me in and wraps me in a cloak of intrigue and anticipation!

Have you listened to any of Richard Aspel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was the first time I'd listened to Richard Aspel. He does try to bring you in and make each voice unique. But I find his voice to be whiney and nasally, and not at all how I envisioned any of the character's voices.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Oh, I have been wishing and hoping for a film from this trilogy so badly!! I'm not even sure how to begin to come up with a tag line. There's just so much to say and a tag line just seems to not be able to pull you in to everything you'll be amazed by! Maybe something like, "One lone vagrant, stirred by the Purge, sets in motion the path to a great battle and the potential downfall of the mighty Guild."

Any additional comments?

Read it, it's amazing!