The Iron Trial

Book One of The Magisterium

By: Holly Black, Cassandra Clare

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.

Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.

So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing.

Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.

The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .From the remarkable imaginations of bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a heart-stopping, mind-blowing, pulse-pounding plunge into the magical unknown.

©2014 Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (P)2014 Listening Library

Kid reviews by my 7&10 year old

My 7 year old says: The story is about lots of kids that had magical abilities like earth, fire, air, water and chaos and it was a phenomenal book!

My 10 year old say: Lots of cliff hangers, it was an awesome book I did not want it to end. I am ready to start the next book!

Adult perspective: My children were both engrossed in this story and talked about when waiting to hear the next chapter. Plus I enjoyed it too. Worthwhile purchase. As a warning, the beginning intro is a little dark but it sets the plot line and the book is not too dark for this age group.

Pleasant surprised by this book

I purchased this book for a quick listen during a long car ride. I thought it would be a Harry Potter knock-off but was pleasantly surprised that it is not. The plot is appropriately developed & the characters are thoroughly explored. I felt my credit was well spent!

Harry Potter it ain't!

What made the experience of listening to The Iron Trial the most enjoyable?

The characters were well voiced and most of the main characters had a seperate voice. The Narrator was animated and matched mood of the current scene well.

What other book might you compare The Iron Trial to and why?

I've seen claims that this is similar to Harry Potter and really it's not. I'd be more incline to compare this book to "The Dark Is Rising" volume 2. I think this is a better comparison because unlike Harry otter, both this book and the otehr are gears towards and older YA range.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't really answer this without giving away spoilers

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

Yes. While there were some areas that dragged, I was hooked form the beginning and had to resist the urge to skip to the end to find out what happened.

Any additional comments?

I'll be interested in seeing if the second book in the sereis stands up just as well as the first book. I enjoyed this novel because the characters seemed fleshed out, there was some mystery and not everything is neatly wrapped up.

Reminds me of a Darker version of Harry Potter.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Iron Trial to be better than the print version?

I'm a bit biased since I would rather listen to the audio version of just about every fiction novel over reading it.

What did you like best about this story?

The way the story reminded me of Harry Potter(love those books), but at the same time made me feel like i was listening to something unique.

What does Paul Boehmer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Pretty much why i love audio books. The book comes to life. The character's feelings becomes more distinct.

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

A unique experience for fans of Harry Potter.

Can't wait for next book

What made the experience of listening to The Iron Trial the most enjoyable?

I loved listening to the story of characters and finding what they are going to be in life. This was a wonderful fresh of air!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rufus because he cares for the boys

What about Paul Boehmer’s performance did you like?

Very much so !

Any additional comments?

Keep them coming. I love the story line, and her books

Bad Narrator

The Narrator sounds like a robot. Very monotonous and monotone. Do not recommend anything read by this individual. It's so bad I couldn't even get interested in the story.

Engaging Fantasy

What did you love best about The Iron Trial?

I enjoyed the book and look forward to a sequel. Well written and performed. Kept my interest throughout.

Story was good, I didn't like the narrator.

Overall, I liked the story. But is was not a fam of the narrator. I wont listen to the next book if it's the same person.

Derivative but enjoyable

I saw a commercial at the Book Fair advertising this book that piqued my interest. The concept is Harry Potter meets Naruto. I enjoyed both of those series, and I am enjoying this one as well.

What I love: Havoc, the dog, has a precious little puppy heart and a really cool name.

What I hate: The wrist bands. It's contrived. Too much time is spent on wristbands and how they work and what they mean. Everybody has seen a letterman's jacket. We get it.

Good story

Story was good - can't wait for the next in the series. Read a lot of reviews comparing to Harry Potter, while I can certainly seer similarities - if you get expecting the same you may be disappointed. Read/listen to it and try not to compare. Both series are good, but different.