"We should expect this young woman to be more powerful than our average novice, possibly even more powerful than the average magician."
T...
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Jan 14, 2011
Ranting
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This review was written by Manon for RantingDragon.com
The redundant beginning
Sonea is a dwell that lives in the slums. Everyone in the slums hates the Magicians that live safely, luxuriously and arrogantly up in their Magician’s Guild. Only those of the Houses can become Magicians, and those in the slums are regarded as rats of the city, without any magical potential.
Until Sonea and her gang start throwing rocks to the heads of the Magicians that have gathered for t More...
The redundant beginning
Sonea is a dwell that lives in the slums. Everyone in the slums hates the Magicians that live safely, luxuriously and arrogantly up in their Magician’s Guild. Only those of the Houses can become Magicians, and those in the slums are regarded as rats of the city, without any magical potential.
Until Sonea and her gang start throwing rocks to the heads of the Magicians that have gathered for t More...
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Jun 11, 2010
Summer
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The Magicians' Guild is about young Sonea, a young girl who lives in the slums area of her world. The people in these slums are periodically thrown out of their town every winter in a ritual known as the Purge. Sonea and her family were trying to build a better life for themselves, and seemed to be succeeding until they were thrown out of their homes. At the beginning of the book Sonea is forced to go back to the slums to see if her old home is still available. Unfortunately she get's caught up
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Oct 13, 2008
Weni
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Saya membeli buku ini karena melihat buku The Novice di rak buku baru Gramedia Karawaci. The Novice adalah buku kedua dari trilogi The Black Magicians. Untuk baca buku kedua, saya perlu baca buku pertamanya dulu (ato enggak ya hehe), The Magicians' Guild.
Buku Persekutuan Penyihir ini bercerita tentang... persekutuan penyihir :D Tokohnya adalah Sonea, gadis miskin yang berhasil menembus perisai pertahanan para penyihir saat terjadi pembersihan kota Imardin (pembersihan kota = pengusi More...
Buku Persekutuan Penyihir ini bercerita tentang... persekutuan penyihir :D Tokohnya adalah Sonea, gadis miskin yang berhasil menembus perisai pertahanan para penyihir saat terjadi pembersihan kota Imardin (pembersihan kota = pengusi More...
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Oct 17, 2008
Jen3n
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I was going to put this up on my "currently reading" shelf, but it didn't take me long enough to finish it. Or, perhaps, I read more than I check this website.
Either way, this book I just finished half an hour ago is a cute little start to what seems to be a simple and inoffensive fantasy trilogy set in a stock-and-trade fantasy setting with basic characters and a plot you would expect. THAT being said, it was interesting enough to make me go look for the second and third More...
Either way, this book I just finished half an hour ago is a cute little start to what seems to be a simple and inoffensive fantasy trilogy set in a stock-and-trade fantasy setting with basic characters and a plot you would expect. THAT being said, it was interesting enough to make me go look for the second and third More...
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(9 people liked it)
Feb 20, 2008
Allan
rated it:
As a first novel it's not bad and, while it's enjoyable enough, that fact shows throughout.
The story lacks any real depth, character development is minimal, the plot is extremely predictable and the dialogue very stilted. I get the impression that Ms. Canavan has done a bit of Dungeons and Dragons playing as it comes close to such an adventure - all surface, single-layer action and no deep storyline. There is a little hint of a darker story in there but we don't get to see much of it More...
The story lacks any real depth, character development is minimal, the plot is extremely predictable and the dialogue very stilted. I get the impression that Ms. Canavan has done a bit of Dungeons and Dragons playing as it comes close to such an adventure - all surface, single-layer action and no deep storyline. There is a little hint of a darker story in there but we don't get to see much of it More...
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Oct 25, 2011
"De vez en cuando hay novelas que pasan susurrando por nuestro lado y no nos damos cuenta de que están ahí. Ese fue el caso de la trilogía Las Crónicas del Mago Negro (El Gremio de los Magos, La Aprendiz y El Gran Lord), de la autora australiana Trudi Canavan. En 2006 El Gremio de los Magos hizo un tímido amago en las librerías bajo el título de La cofradía, pero no sería hasta este mismo año que alcanzaría el reconocimiento que se merecía por parte de los lectores. Situémonos primero.
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Mar 15, 2009
Abi
rated it: 
I very much enjoyed this book and the other two in the trilogy - the characterisation was simple but not dull, and Sonea is an interesting and appealing character.
Only two points irritated me: firstly, there is very little sense of place. The Guild and the slums are quite well drawn, but of the rest of Kyralia we are given very little idea. Nor do we get much idea of life outside the Guild or the slums in general - it seems a very closed world.
The second irritation for me More...
Only two points irritated me: firstly, there is very little sense of place. The Guild and the slums are quite well drawn, but of the rest of Kyralia we are given very little idea. Nor do we get much idea of life outside the Guild or the slums in general - it seems a very closed world.
The second irritation for me More...
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Nov 29, 2011
Lamepun
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A protagonist that is super special, and a world apparently divided into slums and powerful rich magic people? I like my fantasy in shades of grey, not black and white, and I'm sick of protagonists that are born more special than other people, rather than character development and hard work making them more special, so I guess I should have known this one wouldn't thrill me. But I was looking for a kickass female magician protagonist, and I thought maybe this would give it to me.
Pet More...
Pet More...
Sep 27, 2011
Sarah
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 26, 2011
MarsianMan
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Every year the magicians of Imardin purge the city of undesirables in a tradition that was started to protect the residents against famine and plague, but the tradition continued even after the need passed. With their power, the magicians (and the nobles backing them) are unstoppable...until Sonea, an angry teenager, throws a rock that passes through their magical shield and knocking one of them unconscious. In an attempt to capture the perpetrator, the magicians kill the boy standing next to he
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Sep 19, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I didn't hate it, but I couldn't finish it. The multiple POVs worked against it, taking away all sense of mystery and suspense. You just sit waiting for the characters to work their misunderstandings out, knowing that eventually they will; it's just a question of how long it'll take. And boy, does it take a long time. Eventually I just decided it wasn't worth the wait.
The characters were all very simple and uninteresting to me. They're good or they're bad, they're male or they're fe More...
The characters were all very simple and uninteresting to me. They're good or they're bad, they're male or they're fe More...
Apr 07, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Drawn to The Black Magician Trilogy by their simplistic but eye-catching covers and by the fact that I had yet to venture into the fantasy genre, I stumbled upon Trudi Canavan's gripping trilogy entirely by chance; I had no idea that, later on, Canavan would become one of my favourite authors.
The Magician's Guild, the first book in the trilogy, centers around the character of Sonea as her world is turned upside down by the discovery that she harbors strong, magical powers. In a worl More...
The Magician's Guild, the first book in the trilogy, centers around the character of Sonea as her world is turned upside down by the discovery that she harbors strong, magical powers. In a worl More...
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Feb 21, 2011
Selene
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Jan 30, 2011
Nilo
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E' un diesel, ma alla fine funziona
Devo dire la verità. Appena ho cominciato a leggere mi è venuta voglia di smettere e passare ad altro. Poi però mi sono chiesto se il mio giudizio non fosse, come spesso accade, affrettato e così era. Il libro non parte bene. Luoghi di fantasia, atmosfera medioevale, tanti nomi per giunta quelli dei luoghi e delle persone davvero troppo "fantasy". Ma la storia diventa interessante e queste "pecche" lasciano il posto ad una bella trama. More...
Devo dire la verità. Appena ho cominciato a leggere mi è venuta voglia di smettere e passare ad altro. Poi però mi sono chiesto se il mio giudizio non fosse, come spesso accade, affrettato e così era. Il libro non parte bene. Luoghi di fantasia, atmosfera medioevale, tanti nomi per giunta quelli dei luoghi e delle persone davvero troppo "fantasy". Ma la storia diventa interessante e queste "pecche" lasciano il posto ad una bella trama. More...
Jan 27, 2011
Alice
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Dec 20, 2010
Tom
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Seeing as the story revolves around a pre-teen child who has no knowledge of her magical abilities but ends up being whisked away to a magicians guild and ends up being pretty much the top of the pile there were always going to be similarities drawn between this book and the Harry Potter series.
I really can understand how on the face of things it all seems a bit of a coincidence. Especially when in the second book of the trilogy we discover that the real enemies were believed defeat More...
I really can understand how on the face of things it all seems a bit of a coincidence. Especially when in the second book of the trilogy we discover that the real enemies were believed defeat More...
Nov 11, 2010
Kylie
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I love Trudi Canavan's ability to create imagined worlds with strong characters. Sonea is an ordinary slum girl, poor, yet honest. She has questionable ties that she left long ago in order to pursue a life her aunt and uncle would approve of. When the magicians of the guild come to purge the city of slum scum, Sonea finds herself amongst her old friendships. In the spirit of the rebellion from the city folk Sonea throws a stone at a group of magicians who have a magic shield up. Using her anger,
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Sep 29, 2010
Brian
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Set in Imardin, a city with a rigidly demarcated class system, The Magicians' Guild is the story of Sonea, a slum-dweller who develops magical powers despite the fact that such abilities had always been considered the preserve of the upper classes.
As a consequence she becomes a pawn in a power-struggle between organised crime, represented by the Thieves,whose tunnels and hidden highways criss-cross the city, and conflicting elements within the high-minded and aristocratic Magicians More...
As a consequence she becomes a pawn in a power-struggle between organised crime, represented by the Thieves,whose tunnels and hidden highways criss-cross the city, and conflicting elements within the high-minded and aristocratic Magicians More...
Sep 27, 2010
Eden
rated it:
The first in the Black Magician trilogy, a coming-of-age tale focusing on a girl called Sonea, a commoner who’s power is so strong she is able to work rudimentary magic (something that hasn’t happened for hundreds of years, as magic must be unlocked.) The first novel follows her from the gutter, to a minor riot, to a cat-and-mouse game between herself and the magicians and then finally her inevitable capture.
This book came out clinging to the coat-tails of Harry Potter, though offer More...
This book came out clinging to the coat-tails of Harry Potter, though offer More...
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Aug 04, 2010
Karina
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Well written fantasy! This is the first of a trilogy, and if you enjoy reading fantasy, I think you will like this book.
Ms. Canavan has created a world where Magicians are honored, are sought out at an early age (but only from the wealthy Houses), and are trained in the arts to serve the King.
Our main character, however, is a slum girl, Sonea. She shares a very negative view of magicians with the rest of her "dwell" friends. They consider magicians to be an e More...
Ms. Canavan has created a world where Magicians are honored, are sought out at an early age (but only from the wealthy Houses), and are trained in the arts to serve the King.
Our main character, however, is a slum girl, Sonea. She shares a very negative view of magicians with the rest of her "dwell" friends. They consider magicians to be an e More...
Jul 07, 2010
I found myself captivated in Trudi Canavan's world. Sonea, a slum girl has accessed her magical abilities, but without the ability to control them, they will consume and destroy her. The Magician's Guild is after her, as they know the risk she poses without her powers under her control, only Sonea, as a slum girl, is terrified of the Magicians and makes a deal with the Thieves - to hide her and keep her safe. Ultimately the theives hand her over, but not before Sonea has had the chance to poke a
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Jun 01, 2010
Carmen
rated it:
The plot is well thought. Trudi Canavan really knows her world through-and-through, which is very important when you read fantasy novels. I love the way the book is written. You know - for someone like me, who's first language is not english, is very easy to read, and just... nice. Its just nice!
There was never exactly a point where I thought the book what boring, but I had a little trouble getting trough it, 'cause its very lengthy, which can be annoying at times. I mean after a couple o More...
There was never exactly a point where I thought the book what boring, but I had a little trouble getting trough it, 'cause its very lengthy, which can be annoying at times. I mean after a couple o More...
Mar 10, 2010
Alice
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A Guilda dos Mágicos é o primeiro volume da Trilogia do Mágico Negro, uma das mais recentes apostas da Bertrand no que toca ao fantástico. Neste volume temos um primeiro contacto não só com os personagens mas com todo um mundo marcadamente medieval no qual se desenrola a acção. Toda a história começa no dia da "Purificação", uma tradição levada a cabo pela Guilda dos Mágicos e que visa purgar a cidade de Imardin de todo e qualquer pobre, ladrão ou ser mais desafortunado que povoe as ru
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Nov 23, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
This book started off on the wrong foot for me, with a contradiction in the first paragraph (is the wind howling because of what it sees or is it silent because of what it sees?). The next few chapters did little to improve my opinion. The characters were stereotyped and the description clumsy. There were info dumps about how the world worked. There were words changed simply to make the world feel different—for example, ale became bol and there were substituted words for tea, coffee and trouble.
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Apr 13, 2009
Elketw
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Category: Books
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author: Trudi Cavanan
Magician Guild merupakan novel fantasi pertama yang ditulis oleh seorang penulis Australia Trudi Cavanan. Buku ini merupakan trilogy pertama dari tiga buku yang menyusul kemudian dengan judul The Novice dan The High Lord.
Buku ini menceritakan mengenai seorang gadis yang bernama Sonea seorang masayarakat kelas bawah yang bertempat tinggal di negara bernama Kyralia.
Pada setiap musim More...
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author: Trudi Cavanan
Magician Guild merupakan novel fantasi pertama yang ditulis oleh seorang penulis Australia Trudi Cavanan. Buku ini merupakan trilogy pertama dari tiga buku yang menyusul kemudian dengan judul The Novice dan The High Lord.
Buku ini menceritakan mengenai seorang gadis yang bernama Sonea seorang masayarakat kelas bawah yang bertempat tinggal di negara bernama Kyralia.
Pada setiap musim More...
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Jul 01, 2011
Kathryn
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I was a little reluctant to give this 5/5, but I think it's easily an 85/100 book or above, so 5/5 is only fair.
I'd heard of Trudi many times over the years, and I'd always been intrigued by her books. I'd seen them in many stores, but never picked one up... Until this week. When I started this yesterday morning, I wasn't sure if it was what I wanted to read. It seemed like many books I'd read, and many that I hadn't. But my fears were unfounded, because as soon as I'd read the first p More...
I'd heard of Trudi many times over the years, and I'd always been intrigued by her books. I'd seen them in many stores, but never picked one up... Until this week. When I started this yesterday morning, I wasn't sure if it was what I wanted to read. It seemed like many books I'd read, and many that I hadn't. But my fears were unfounded, because as soon as I'd read the first p More...
Feb 07, 2009
Cassandre
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Présentation de l'éditeur
Cette jeune fille est plus puissante que la moyenne de nos élèves, peut-être même plus que nos mages ! Elle est un danger. Il faut la trouver et l'arrêter. Si c'est une renégate, la loi nous oblige à l'amener devant le roi. Sinon, nous sommes tenus de lui enseigner le Contrôle. C'est encore une enfant, probablement une voleuse ! Mais elle pourrait devenir une grande magicienne... Comme chaque année, les magiciens d'Imardin se réunissent pour nettoyer la ville des i More...
Cette jeune fille est plus puissante que la moyenne de nos élèves, peut-être même plus que nos mages ! Elle est un danger. Il faut la trouver et l'arrêter. Si c'est une renégate, la loi nous oblige à l'amener devant le roi. Sinon, nous sommes tenus de lui enseigner le Contrôle. C'est encore une enfant, probablement une voleuse ! Mais elle pourrait devenir une grande magicienne... Comme chaque année, les magiciens d'Imardin se réunissent pour nettoyer la ville des i More...
Feb 06, 2012
Angela
rated it:
Sonia, a dwell, accidently and to her dismay, discovers she can wield magic. From there we follow her adventures as she attempts to avoid being captured and forced to join the Magicians' Guild, or worse, killed.
This is a YA novel, also quite suitable for younger children; but it is packed with enough adventure and dilemmas for most adults to enjoy. It is also the first installment of a trilogy. I didn't find myself bored with any particular section or just slogging through to get to the nex More...
This is a YA novel, also quite suitable for younger children; but it is packed with enough adventure and dilemmas for most adults to enjoy. It is also the first installment of a trilogy. I didn't find myself bored with any particular section or just slogging through to get to the nex More...
Nov 21, 2011
Shaheen
rated it:
Read the full review here.
This is a light, entertaining book that I enjoyed reading. The action takes place mainly in the slums of Kyralia and the Magician’s Guild, both of which were wonderfully realised. While there wasn’t a strong sense of place in the book because only the two of these places was described in any great detail, the slums and Guild allowed a contrast to be established between the low and high status societies in the city. This was pivotal to the plot of the book, s More...
This is a light, entertaining book that I enjoyed reading. The action takes place mainly in the slums of Kyralia and the Magician’s Guild, both of which were wonderfully realised. While there wasn’t a strong sense of place in the book because only the two of these places was described in any great detail, the slums and Guild allowed a contrast to be established between the low and high status societies in the city. This was pivotal to the plot of the book, s More...
Jan 25, 2011
Caterina
rated it:
Solitamente per leggere un romanzo, anche quando è molto corposo, non impiego molto tempo. Invece, per La corporazione dei maghi ho impiegato davvero un'eternità! Sicuramente il periodo molto pieno ha influito: nell'ultimo mese è stato difficile trovare del tempo da dedicare alla lettura.
In ogni caso, Trudi Canavan è riuscita a colpirmi e oggi ho letto più di metà romanzo tutto d'un fiato.
La storia è abbastanza originale, narra delle (dis)avventure di Sonea, una ragazzina che scopre - More...
In ogni caso, Trudi Canavan è riuscita a colpirmi e oggi ho letto più di metà romanzo tutto d'un fiato.
La storia è abbastanza originale, narra delle (dis)avventure di Sonea, una ragazzina che scopre - More...
