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

Will he be a Mage?

The Iron Trial is the first book in a new series focussing on a student, Cole, who discovers he is a Mage. He also discovers there is school for Mages to learn his/her craft, but ... One must pass the entrance trials first. This is a great coming of age story, well the first year of it any way. I would recommend this novel if you enjoy tales of magic and mystery. There are numerous surprises and twists along the way. I'm ready to start the next book, The Copper Gauntlet.

Amazing

If you could sum up The Iron Trial in three words, what would they be?

Different, mysterioso, funny

Who was your favorite character and why?

Anyone at this moment.

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

No, this was my first experience, and I liked this voice.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

I heard the book dome time ago, so I do not remember many details. Anyway, it is a different job compared to other series from Cassandra Clare. It's Worth listenig this one.

Great start to a series!

I really enjoyed the pace of the story and the character building. The narrator did a good job bringing each character to life in his portrayal of them. Overall I enjoyed this audio book and will certainly be listening to the next one.

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.

Not Harry Potter!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I highly recommend this book. I love Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Together they put they have started an awesome adventure. Reminds me of Harry Potter, and every time I thought the story was predictable it wasn't.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cal of course.

What about Paul Boehmer’s performance did you like?

I don't usually like books read by guys, but he did an excellent job.

Get hooked!

I work for a school and after seeing this book I knew I wanted to listen to it. Within the first 20 minutes the story grasps your curiosity and pulls you in. If you enjoy fantasy story telling, especially in magical nature, I would greatly recommend The Iron Trial and the entire Magesterium series!

Surprised In All the Best Ways

I loved Holly Blacks book series about the modern ffaerie tales. And Of course Cassandra Clares book series the mortal instruments. So obviously I had to listen to this. I have a point so I got it and I was instantly sucked in. the story itself seems to be slow, not going to lie. But it was done in such a way that I was yearning to listen more and more. Ive seen people say not like harry potter and I was confused at first. Now I see why after listening to the story. It does seem to have a basic similarity. a main character who finds out he can do magic and is sent to a magic school. makes good friends with 2 people and bonds with them. main character is nosey and cant seem to stay away from trouble. but thats where the similarities end. Its a whole world of its own and Im pleasantly surprised by this. I really cannot wait to be able to get the second book!
the reading of the story was done great! though it was a little odd at times in my opinion. but other than the odd bits, it was great!
Overall: Its great!

Great story

I would highly recommend this book. It has a amazing story and did a great job of taking me into the story.

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

Great book!!

I loved this book. I could not put it down but did find it was a little slow in the beginning.