The Magician's Apprentice (The Black Magician Trilogy, #0.5) by Trudi Canavan

Apr 14, 2013 ♥ ℒily (The Novel Nerd) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairys-witches-and-stuff-ohmy, own-the-paperback

Ok i LOVED this book!!

Im pretty sure i was hooked as i just couldnt put it down. I thought the character development of the main character and her story was put forward well and in a well spaced easy to understand manner. The story itself did go slow at times but overall, was a decent storyline.

I look forward to reading more from this author :)

You can also find my reviews here:
http://lilythenovelnerd.wordpress.com/ (tho they are alot more colourful)

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Mar 15, 2009 Jeffrey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Canavan fans

Shelves: read-in-2009, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 28, 2009 J.C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2009-reads, arc

Good Intro to Fantasy; but not Groundbreaking.

I have not read any of Trudi Canavan's Black Magician Trilogy (THE MAGICIAN'S GUILD, THE NOVICE, and THE HIGH LORD), although I have thought about it for a while. It is obvious that this edition to the world introduced in the original trilogy was written after and I can only guess at what is to be the beginning of the trilogy.

This is a wonderful book for people just getting into the fantasy genre. It has everything that is to be expected in a fantasy...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely a worthy prequel to the Black Magician Trilogy. I enjoyed the story and the fact that it wasn't entirely predictable. I would definitely recommend it to any of Trudi Canavan's fans. The only thing I had an issue with was that the story jumped around between more characters than I thought necessary, making it a bit harder to relate to the main characters.

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Feb 27, 2009 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well written, solidly characterised, nicely constructed. But dull.

Might be a good one for those who are new to Fantasy - a way in, as Brooks' Sword of Shannara , Eddings' Pawn of Prophecy or Ray Feist's Magician was for many. And for those who are fans of the Black Magician series, (of which this is a prequel), I can see this being a much desired book.

But for me the plot was just way, way too obvious, the characters a little too cookie-cut. I lost interest very quickly.

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Aug 26, 2012 Dils AB rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-ya

Summary from Goodreads: In the remote village of Mandryn, Tessia serves as assistant to her father, the village Healer. Her mother would rather she found a husband. But her life is about to take a very unexpected turn.

When the advances of a visiting Sachakan mage get violent, Tessia unconsciously taps unknown reserves of magic to defend herself. Lord Dakon, the local magician, takes Tessia under his wing as an apprentice.

The long hours of study and self-discipline also offer more opportunities...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy

Although this didn't have the same magical introduction to a new world for me as The Magicians' Guild, I think someone starting with this book may get some of that same feeling, although the pace at which the larger universe is introduced lacks some of the details of the first book.

However, the plot is essentially the story the first book should have had. The main character, Tessia, essentially has the same personality and motivations as Sonea of the original trilogy, and the same issues with fa...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Emilia rated it 2 of 5 stars

I've come across Trudi Canavan many times when looking for good fantasy reads, and I finally decided to give it a go. The first few pages of The Magician's Apprentice were quite exciting, I thought Tessia would be an interesting character. But further on I started to get doubts, the plot was a bit shallow and most of all, the characters were really flat. Having read awesome books like "A song of ice and fire" where there's plenty of characters and each of them has so much history and depth that...more

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Jul 09, 2012 yongxiang rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well written, simply presented yet engaging most of the time in the slightly longish novel.

Seeing that this the prequel to the black magician trilogy, I picked up this book in order to 'test water'- to test whether the author's books was worth reading.
I am happy to announce that I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Moving on to the review of this book.
This is book is an easy read; straightforward and easy to understand.Comparing to other high fantasy books, I will say the...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Elisabeth Shuker rated it 3 of 5 stars

(Originally posted on upsouthdownnorth.blogspot.com)
The Magician's Apprentice is the prologue to Trudi Canavan's Sunday Times bestseller The Black Magician Trilogy.

I explained in an earlier blog my personal history with Canavan's series;

"I started reading 'The Magician's Apprentice' by Trudi Canavan, it's the prologue to The Black Magicians Trilogy which Joey and I read a few years ago, and I read again since... It's kind of strange how we got to reading it. We were in Waterstones one summer jus

...more (Originally posted on upsouthdownnorth.blogspot.com)
The Magician's Apprentice is the prologue to Trudi Canavan's Sunday Times bestseller The Black Magician Trilogy.

I explained in an earlier blog my personal history with Canavan's series;

"I started reading 'The Magician's Apprentice' by Trudi Canavan, it's the prologue to The Black Magicians Trilogy which Joey and I read a few years ago, and I read again since... It's kind of strange how we got to reading it. We were in Waterstones one summer just before we were about to go on holiday, trying to find books stock up our mobile library. We weren't having much luck and this woman nearby asked us what kind of thing we were looking for. Joey and I have pretty different tastes in books, at this point I would say that Joey was reading a lot of books about the concept of afterlife and my favourite book was probably Pride and Prejudice. So this woman recommended these books to us, and told us that she didn't think she'd like them either, but she had loved them. For some reason that I cannot remember this was enough to convince us to buy the first book. And we loved them. So when Joey discovered that this Prologue was coming out, we were stoked."

I finished this 588 page book in less than 36 hours, which speaks volumes for the gripping nature of this read, and it's not only a good story - it's a good story told well, which I think is becoming a rare thing in popular fiction, (Twilight Saga, case and point). However, it's not perfect.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I felt that Canavan was recycling key components of the successful trilogy. The main characters in both, Tessia and Sonea, are both natural magicians found amongst a lower class and initially not welcomed by their peer(s). In both the main character is focused on using magic in a healing capacity. Both the Prologue and the Trilogy include a closet homosexual relationship. The outside threat to Karylia is Sachaka in both books. Somehow even though the Prologue is set hundreds of years before the Trilogy, I felt like the stories ran parallel, and whilst you could argue that it's because Canavan deals with such timeless issues, it doesn't half make for an ever so slightly familiar read.

My biggest issue with the Prologue is Stara's story. I never quite understood where she fitted in with Tessia's story. Stara is introduced halfway through and never meets or seems to have any substantial links to any other character beyond the physical setting of Avarice at the very end of the novel. Whilst her story was successful in demonstrating the social constraints of Sachaka I didn't ever feel like it gelled well enough with the rest of the story. I also felt the the ending for her and her companions was very abrupt and whimsical in comparison with the very dark ending for the rest of Sachaka. Whilst it's true that Stara's ending presents hope in the face of despair, I felt that Jayan and Tessia's closing passages provide this sufficiently. When I closed the back cover I felt that Stara could have had her own book, in which her character and situation could have been developed more convincingly within the binding of her own novel.

Complaints aside, the character that I loved was Hanara. His story was so tragic and yet I felt so desperate for him to find some kind of real life and freedom. I felt disappointed that his attachment to Tessia whilst at Lord Dakon's residence wasn't developed further, only hinted at. However, after his final meeting with Tessia and Jayan, I felt that Canavn painted the tragedy of his live perfectly as she clearly suggests his potential for happiness and freedom, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when he falls short.

Despite the flaws that I might have seen, I did enjoy the book and was captivated by Trudi Canavan's ability to tell a heartwarming and beautiful story, without ignoring less comfortable issues. Somehow Canavan's world of magic in Kyralia is relateable and I just hope that in her next Trilogy, which will tell the rest of Sonea's story, she might break the mould a bit and present us with some newer and more exciting storylines.

Trudi Canavan's Traitor Spy Trilogy Books 1&2 have both been released, sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy.(less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Bissfan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bissfan by: wurzeltroll

„Magie“ ist die Vorgeschichte zur Trilogie „Die Gilde der schwarzen Magier“. Es geht um Tessia, ein sogenanntes Naturtalent, bei der sich Magie selber gebildet hat. Während sie ihre Ausbildung bei Lord Dakon antritt, durchstreifen Sachakaner das Land und hinterlassen Verwüstung. Es kommt zu einem Krieg und sämtliche kyralischen Magier sind dazu aufgerufen, sich der Bedrohung zu stellen. Die Invasion verlangt vieles, doch wird den Magiern klar, dass es vom Vorteil sein kann, Wissen zu teilen und...more „Magie“ ist die Vorgeschichte zur Trilogie „Die Gilde der schwarzen Magier“. Es geht um Tessia, ein sogenanntes Naturtalent, bei der sich Magie selber gebildet hat. Während sie ihre Ausbildung bei Lord Dakon antritt, durchstreifen Sachakaner das Land und hinterlassen Verwüstung. Es kommt zu einem Krieg und sämtliche kyralischen Magier sind dazu aufgerufen, sich der Bedrohung zu stellen. Die Invasion verlangt vieles, doch wird den Magiern klar, dass es vom Vorteil sein kann, Wissen zu teilen und gemeinsam an einem Ziel zu arbeiten ...?

Es gibt einfach nicht viel zu dem Buch zu sagen, denn die Handlung dümpelt einfach vor sich hin und als Leser wird einem nicht wirklich klar, wohin es gehen soll. Hier und da wird kurz in einem Satz die Idee einer Magiergilde angesprochen, aber der große Krieg würgt das Thema wieder ab. Ich hätte gerne mehr darüber erfahren, wie die Gilde gebaut wurde und das System entstanden ist. Schließlich geschieht das nicht von jetzt auf gleich. Es wäre sicherlich interessant gewesen zu erfahren, wie die Heilergilde das aufgenommen hat und auch die drei Disziplinen entstanden sind. Welche Rolle haben wohl Jayan und Tessia dabei gespielt? Dies wird alles nur angeschnitten. Im Vordergrund steht einfach nur der große Krieg, der sicherlich wichtig für die Geschichte Kyralias ist, doch es gibt noch viel Interessanteres, was Kyralia zu bieten hat.

Trudi Canavan hat mit Kyralia und Sachaka zwei unterschiedliche Länder samt Kulturen erschaffen, die eine interessante Geschichte mit sich bringen. Endlich kann man die Kriege, die in der Trilogie immer nur angeschnitten wurden, miterleben, auch wenn die Inhaltsangabe etwas anderes verspricht. Sachaka ist ein sehr traditionelles Land, die Frauen werden unterdrückt und geben sich einfach ihrem Schicksal hin. Sklaven gehören zum Alltag und ohne sie ist ein Leben undenkbar. Ebenso mit der Homosexualität sind die Sachakaner sehr streng, man denkt darüber erst gar nicht nach. Dagegen ist es für die Ashaki (sachakanische Magier) das normalste auf der Welt, die Ehefrau des Sohnes zu ermorden, wenn sie keine Kinder gebären kann.
Hier ist noch einiges anders und die Gilde, wie wir sie kennen, gibt es nicht. Es wird höhere, also schwarze Magie (dabei wird Magie von anderen Menschen genommen) praktiziert und einige Magier besitzen ein Lehen und sind somit Lords. Ein Lord kann Meisterschüler aufnehmen und lehrt sie die Magie und im Gegenzug schwören sie dem Lord ihre Treue, der daher im Falle eines Krieges oder ähnlichem die Befugnis hat, ihnen Kraft zu nehmen.

Das Buch versprach eine Geschichte von einem Mädchen namens Tessia und nach den ersten paar Kapiteln war mein erster Gedanke: Nein, nicht noch einmal eine Sonea! Das macht einfach alles kaputt. Es ist schade, denn Frau Canavan besitzt die „Gabe“, wundervolle Welten und Charaktere zu erschaffen, hier aber kopiert sie sich einfach selber.
Wenn man sich die anderen Charaktere genauer ansieht, ähneln auch sie einigen Figuren aus der Trilogie. Das ist schade, allerdings es fällt auch nicht so sehr auf wie bei Tessia: Lord Dakon, Tessias Lehrer, ist schon älter, aber sehr herzlich. Er ist geduldig und scheint sehr vernünftig zu sein und mag auch etwas an Rothen erinnern, aber davon ist er eher weit entfernt. Leider hat er schon einen Meisterschüler, Jayan; er scheint am Anfang ein Verwandter von Regin zu sein.
Jayan jedoch ist vernünftiger und als Lord Dakon den stillen Konflikt – Tessia bekommt mehr Aufmerksamkeit als Jayan – zwischen seinen Meisterschülern bemerkt, redet er mit ihm und Jayan versucht sich zu ändern. Sein Charakter macht wohl die größte Wandlung durch und es ist einfach richtig süß. Leider wird auch die Handlung bei ihm teilweise voraussehbar, aber das tut der Geschichte keinen Abbruch. Nicht im Geringsten, es ist eher das kleinere Übel.

Ein weiterer mehr oder weniger wichtiger Charakter ist Stara. Sie hat mich wohl am meisten überrascht. Sie kommt aus Elyne und ihr Vater ist Sachakaner, wo sie nun leben soll. Ihre Parts wirkten auf mich zu Anfang sehr langweilig. Das ändert sich aber mit der Zeit, denn sie bietet dem Leser erste Einblicke in die sachakanische Kultur, die bisher als sehr rau dargestellt wurde und auch da kannte man hauptsächlich nur die Ichani (vom Kaiser ausgestoßene Sachakaner bzw. Ashaki). Ich war genauso schockiert wie Stara, als man auf die wirklich andere Kultur trifft. Das bewundere ich einfach an Trudi Canavan, weil sie kulturelle Probleme, die recht aktuell sind, in ihren Bücher mit einbringt. Am Ende trifft Staras Handlung auch auf die von Tessia, doch dauert die Begegnung nur wenige Absätze lang. Ihr Ende ist sehr offen und verspricht viel.

Etwas ungewöhnlich sind die Parts aus Hanaras Sicht. Hanara ist der Sklave von Takado, dem Sachakaner, der die Invasion auf Kyralia antreibt. Hanara wird die Freiheit angeboten, doch kommt dieser aus Angst zu seinem Herrn zurück und man hat erste Einblicke in das Leben eines Sklaven und eines Sachakaners. Bei ihm ist die raue Lebensart total normal und etwas anderes kann er sich nicht vorstellen, wogegen Stara es völlig schockierend findet. Es ist interessant, die Kultur aus zweierlei Blickwinkeln zu betrachten. Leider waren diese Parts eher unspektakulär und nicht förderlich für die Handlung, weshalb ich häufig die Absätze nur überflogen habe.

In diesem Buch dreht es sich nicht hauptsächlich um Magie, wie der Titel versprechen mag, es ist mehr der jahrhundertalte Konflikt zwischen den beiden Ländern, den man auch in der Trilogie zu spüren bekommt, der im Vordergrund steht. Ich denke, mit einigem Vorwissen durch die anderen Bücher macht es etwas mehr Spaß, denn es ist interessant, etwas über die sonst so verbotene Magie zu erfahren, wobei es hier doch alltäglich ist.
Aber im Großen und Ganzen dümpelt das Buch vor sich hin und wenn man mit einigen Charakteren nicht klarkommt, so macht es erst recht keinen Spaß. Die Handlung ist vorhersehbar, überraschende Wendungen fehlen und teilweise ist es einfach nur traurig, dass es nichts gibt, worauf man sich freuen und niemanden, mit dem man mitfiebern kann.

Man hat hiermit eine Vorgeschichte geschaffen, die auf den ersten Blick sehr an die Trilogie erinnert. Das eigentliche Thema oder worauf man aufmerksam machen will, wird nur kurz angeschnitten. Wer weiß, worauf er sich einlässt und nicht etwas völlig anderes erwartet, dem wird es sicherlich zum Teil gefallen können. Man muss es selber wissen, ich würde es niemandem empfehlen, denn hier fehlen einfach die Spannung und Charaktere, die man vollkommen ins Herz schließt. Dieses Buch zieht sich
ungemein in die Länge und man wartet vergebens auf spannende Passagen. Jedoch gibt es einen kleinen Pluspunkt, denn die sachakanische Kultur wurde wunderbar dargestellt und auch die Unterdrückung der Frauen und das Frauenhaus waren eine tolle Idee. Bitte mehr davon!(less)

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Dec 28, 2011 Nardia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another great read from Trudi Canavan, in a brilliantly-established world with an individual style that separates it from a lot of other fantasy. The one thing I struggled with, mainly, was the main character's similarities to Sonya from the rest of the Black Magician Trilogy; a character from a somewhat underprivileged family suddenly bursting out with natural magic while under threat... And wanting to use her powers to heal people, too. While she did differ from Sonya in certain ways, I found...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Mimi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This book is a perfect prequel for The Black Magician Trilogy.
The rich setting and background story of Kyrilia, Sachaka and the Ichani is really enlightening for those who read the trilogy.
And for those who don't? It's probably give you quite a bore.

I think the best part of Trudi Canavan is that she always find a way to build a likable 'reluctant heroine'.
The story evolves around Tessia, a simple daughter of a healer, who found herself has a natural power of magic.
If you read The Magician's...more

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May 24, 2011 Thehobbyseeker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I realized that from the beginning of my reading challenge you may think that I read mostly non-fiction. You may be surprised but my favorite genre of books is different. I love science-fiction and good fantasy. In fact I agree with the people who say that good fantasy is a good literature but good science-fiction is the best possible fiction genre you can read. This time I am going to write about a good fantasy book by Trudi Canavan entitled The Magician's Apprentice so don't expect eulogies -...more

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May 17, 2011 Mike Finn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: speculative-fiction

"The Magician's Apprentice" is a stand-alone prequel to "The Magician's Guild" and, for me, it represents a welcome return to form for Trudi Canavan.

I've been s fan of Judi Canavan since I read the first page of " The Magician's Guild" back in 2004. It is still one of my favourite fantasy books. I loved the passion of the characters, the originality of the idea and the rigorous realization of the world it described.

I followed her eagerly through "Novice" and "High Lord" becoming more and more ab...more "The Magician's Apprentice" is a stand-alone prequel to "The Magician's Guild" and, for me, it represents a welcome return to form for Trudi Canavan.

I've been s fan of Judi Canavan since I read the first page of " The Magician's Guild" back in 2004. It is still one of my favourite fantasy books. I loved the passion of the characters, the originality of the idea and the rigorous realization of the world it described.

I followed her eagerly through "Novice" and "High Lord" becoming more and more absorbed in the fate of her characters and the texture of her world.

I bought "Priestess of the White" the first of her "The Age Of Five" trilogy in hardback in 2006 and just couldn't get in to it. I think perhaps that I lacked empathy with the idea of serving Gods.

"The Magician's Apprentice" returned me to a world I found more accessible. The grand sweep of the story is impressive, the world is convincing and original and the characters are real people.

For me, the best parts of this book is the growing relationship between the two young magician's apprentices. I found myself caring what happened to them and being moved by the way they behaved. I also really admired the way Trudi Canavan avoids having clear black and white distinctions between good guy and bad guys. I think she has a very cleat view of what is evil and what is good but she recognizes that most of us have the capacity to be both. She also gave a great insight into the nature of slavery and freedom and the degrees of difference we experience between total freedom and none at all.

I gave the book only three stars because I felt that the structure could have been tighter. The middle section of the book wallows a little in a realistic but tedious start to a conflict. The end of the book moves too quickly away from the personal and intimate to the historic and world-changing.

The book introduces a new set of players in the world: "The Traitors".

They are the focus of Trudi Canavan's current trilogy which I currently have on order.(less)

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May 15, 2011 Violy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Książka ta jest prequelem trylogii Czarnego Maga. Zauważyłam ją w bibliotece niestety już po przeczytaniu tejże trylogii. Gdybym przeczytała ją pierwszą, nie głowiłabym się podczas czytania nad pewnymi kwestiamy związanymi z założeniem gildii, pustynią sachakańską czy grobami. Wyjaśniłaby się także prawdomówność Akkariana w związku z Ichani oraz postać króla Errika, którego osądzałam jako chciwego i nierozsądnego króla. Z drugiej strony jednak, gdybym przeczytała prequel, nie czułabym tego napię...more Książka ta jest prequelem trylogii Czarnego Maga. Zauważyłam ją w bibliotece niestety już po przeczytaniu tejże trylogii. Gdybym przeczytała ją pierwszą, nie głowiłabym się podczas czytania nad pewnymi kwestiamy związanymi z założeniem gildii, pustynią sachakańską czy grobami. Wyjaśniłaby się także prawdomówność Akkariana w związku z Ichani oraz postać króla Errika, którego osądzałam jako chciwego i nierozsądnego króla. Z drugiej strony jednak, gdybym przeczytała prequel, nie czułabym tego napięcia i oczekiwania na rozwiązanie zagadek. Cóż mogę napisać o treści. Opisuje zdarzenia, które rozgrywają się setki lat przed wydarzeniami opisanymi w trylogii Czarnego Maga. Jak wszystkie książki tej autorki mówi nam o magii, miłości i walce o wolność swojego kraju.

W książce tej poznajemy Tessię, córkę Uzdrowiciela miejskiego, której moc wyzwoliła się sama- co zdarzało się bardzo rzadko. Przyjął ją pod opiekę Mistrz Dakon, który był właścicielem posiadłości, w których mieszkała dziewczyna. Tymczasem Ichani- wyrzutkowie sachakańscy- planują inwazję na Kyralię, magowie szykują się do bitwy. Czy ją przeżyją? Czy wygrają? Czy Kyralia będzie musiała znów trafić do niewoli Sachaki? Co się stanie z Tessią? Na te i inne nasuwające się Wam pytania znajdziecie odpowiedz przeczytawszy książkę.

Cała trylogia zrobiła na mnie wrażenie. Była bardzo podobna do drugiej napisanej przez tą autorkę, Trylogii Era Pięciorga. Tam też wszystko krąży wokół magii, uzdrawiania, wojny i czytania w myślach. Tak samo są kraje sprzymierzone i wrogie. W niektórych momentach wydawała mi się niemal identyczna, tyleże udział w niej brały inne postacie. Tak czy inaczej książka bardzo mi się podobała. Sprawiła, że na wszystko postanowiłam patrzeć z innego światło. Do życia należy podchodzić z trzeźwym umysłem, a nie uczuciowo. To pomaga w myśleniu i sprawia, że unikamy niezręcznych sytuacji. Książka ta powinna dać od myślenia także tym, którzy uważają służbę bądź uboższych za jakieś zabawki i pogardzają nimi. To samo tyczyło się zachowania Sachakan wobec kobiet. Przypominali mi niektóre narodu, które wykorzystują kobiety, trzymają w niewoli i wykazują się wobec nich okrucieństwem i brakiem szacunku. Oczywiście podczas czytania czułam smutek po poległych, dumę z walczących i gorycz przegranych.

(less)

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Apr 19, 2011 Frankiehunter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thank you Mrs. Canavan, for this - I really enjoyed it!

Hmm... five stars, why?
I fought about the rating some time, I didn't know wether to give it four or five stars, but than I compared it to her other novels, the black magicians trilogy and the ambassadors mission and I thought - okay, its not as good as the b.m.t. but far better than the a.m.

I really liked the story and because I read the ambassadors mission first, many unanswered questions were solved.
It was very interesting to see how the t...more

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Mar 10, 2011 sabisteb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: buch, fantasy

Seit ihrer frühen Kindheit arbeitet Tessia als Gehilfin ihres Vaters, der als Heiler in einem kleinen Grenzlanddorf zu Sachaka arbeitet. Ihr größter Traum ist es einmal genau wie ihr Vater eine Heilerin zu werden. Als Takado, ein Magier aus Sachaka der als Gast bei Lord Dakon weilt Tessia sexuell belästigt, wehrt sie sich in ihrer Angst instinktiv mit Magie.
Lord Dakon ist somit verpflichtet sie als Lehrling aufzunehmen, weil sie sonst sich und ihre Umwelt durch unkontrollierte Magie in Gefahr br...more Seit ihrer frühen Kindheit arbeitet Tessia als Gehilfin ihres Vaters, der als Heiler in einem kleinen Grenzlanddorf zu Sachaka arbeitet. Ihr größter Traum ist es einmal genau wie ihr Vater eine Heilerin zu werden. Als Takado, ein Magier aus Sachaka der als Gast bei Lord Dakon weilt Tessia sexuell belästigt, wehrt sie sich in ihrer Angst instinktiv mit Magie.
Lord Dakon ist somit verpflichtet sie als Lehrling aufzunehmen, weil sie sonst sich und ihre Umwelt durch unkontrollierte Magie in Gefahr bringen würde.
Für Tessia beginnt eine spannende Zeit, sie lernt ihre Fähigkeiten zu kontrollieren und reist mit ihrem Meister und dessen estem Lehrling in die Hauptstadt des Reiches und lernt sogar den König kennen.
Dieses glückliche und lehrreiche Leben nimmt jedoch ein apruptes Ende, als der Erbfeind Sachaka in Kyralia einfällt und anfängt Dörfer niederzubrennen und Menschen zu morden.

Dieses Buch erzählt die Vorgeschichte zur erfolgreichen Magier Trilogie um Sonea. Man erfährt wie die Gilde ihren Anfang nahm und wie das magische Heilen entdeckt wurde. Das Buch ist in typisch, einfacher Canavan Art geschrieben und liest sich schnell und flüssig. Man spürt, dass sich die Autorin in dieser Welt deutlich mehr zu Hause fühlt als in jeder in welcher Auraya lebte. Diese Welt ist lebendiger als die Welt der Fünf.
Genau wie "Das Zeitalter der Fünf" schafft es aber auch dieses Buch nicht die Qualität der "Gilde der schwarzen Magier" zu erreichen. Die Hauptperson wirkt farblos und eindimensional. Tessa hat die Obsession heilen zu lernen und diese verfolgt sie auch, dennoch schafft es die Autorin nicht, ihr eine tiefere Persönlichkeit zu geben, sie bleibt genau wie Auraya eher farblos und fade. Anders verhält es sich mit Stara, welche in einem Nebenhandlungsstrang auftacht. Stara hat das, was Tessa fehlt: Personlichkeit und Tiefe und es ist dieser Handlungsstrang der einen durch das Buch bringt, denn obwohl die Handlung um Tessa 3/4 und mehr des Buches einnimmt passiert nicht wirklich viel. Die Magier ziehen durch die Gegened, verfolgen die Magier aus Sachaka und lernen einige neue Fähigkeiten. Es gibt keinen wirklichen Spannungsbogen und auch keinen Höhepunkt, dafür jedoch viele Längen.
Des weiteren werden Handlungsstränge begonnen jedoch nicht zu Ende geführt, wie der Zwist zwischen Jayan und seinem Vater, der irgendwie im Sande verläuft. Da sind Kürzungen spürbar, die nicht sauber durchgeführt wurden.
Wie immer hat die Autorin auch diesmal ihre eigene verschlüsselte politische Einstellung in das Buch eingewoben als sie die Kyralier diskutieren lässt, ob es rechtens ist ein Land zu überfallen, um sich selber zu schützen. Diese verteidigen sich damit, dass den Sklaven in Sachaka die Freiheit bringen würden und so das Leben der Bevölkerung verbessern würden. Argumente, die einem nur zu vertraut sind und einen vermuten lassen, dass Trudy Canavan kein Anhänger der Busch Regierung war.
Es sind einige Parallelen zur "Schwarze Magier" Trilogie um Sonea erkennbar. So will Tessia genau wie Sonea Heilen. Tessia kommt ebenfalls nicht aus dem Adel und muss sich zunächst gegen die Ablehnung der Mitlehrlinge wehren. Stärker jedoch sind die Parallelen zum Darkover Zyklus von Marion Zimmer Bradley. Sachaka entspricht stark Shainsa und Kyralia den 7 Domänen der Comyn. Auch gewisse Verwendungen Magischer Kristalle erinnern an die Matrixtechnologie auf Darkover und den daraus rasultierenden Ages of Chaos mit ihren Telepathenkriegen. Gegen Ende des Buches, scheint es sogar eine Gründung einer Art von "Gilde der Entsagenden" zu geben. Ich habe es bedauert, dass gerade dieser Handlungsbogen abbrach, als es wirklich interessant und spannend wurde. Über diese neue Frauengemeinschaft würde ich gerne mehr erfahren und auch über die Entdeckung, die sich gemacht haben.
Trotz der vielen Schwächen liest sich das Buch sehr gut und die Beschreibungen der Umgebung sind plastisch, so dass man in der Geschichte versinkt, auch wenn die Umgebung teilweise lebendiger anmutet als die agierenden Personen.(less)

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Jan 02, 2011 Marc Aplin rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was Trudi Canvan that got me into fantasy around 6 years ago. Previously I was more of an action/crime fan - but Trudi Canavan converted me with her 'Black Magician Trilogy'. The books introduced me to characters that I connected with on levels I had not done so in other books and the story telling was so action packed, so emotional and just generally exciting that I couldn't put them down. When I finished them I literally felt lost and sad that I had come to the end of something so great...

T...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Valetta rated it 3 of 5 stars

Prequel della Balck magician trilogy, da leggere solo se avete già letto la suddetta trilogia (e vi è pure piaciuta :) ).
In questo nuovo libro infatti,la Canavan fa un piccolo "ripassino" di storia, volendo spiegare da dov'è nata l'idea di una Corporazione dei Maghi, da dove nasce l'inimicizia tra le terre di Kiralya e Sachaka e come Sachaka si è trasformata da fiorente potenza militare in una distesa di terre desolate. L'idea è simpatica ma, per quanto il romanzo in se abbia una trama totalment...more Prequel della Balck magician trilogy, da leggere solo se avete già letto la suddetta trilogia (e vi è pure piaciuta :) ).
In questo nuovo libro infatti,la Canavan fa un piccolo "ripassino" di storia, volendo spiegare da dov'è nata l'idea di una Corporazione dei Maghi, da dove nasce l'inimicizia tra le terre di Kiralya e Sachaka e come Sachaka si è trasformata da fiorente potenza militare in una distesa di terre desolate. L'idea è simpatica ma, per quanto il romanzo in se abbia una trama totalmente indipendente da quella sviluppata nei libri precedenti, troppe cose nell'ambientazione vengono trattate con superficialità, dando per scontata la familiarità del lettore con fatti, persone e cose. Anche la vicenda narrata è carina ma con poco appeal per un novizio del mondo della Canavan, perchè gran parte del fascino risiede appunto nel capire un po' di più la storia di questo mondo.
I questa nuova puntata della saga Kiralya è ancora uno stato giovane, che ha da poco ottenuto l'indipendenza dalla potente vicina Sachaka ma che deve già fronteggiare l'emergenza di una nuova invasione da parte di alcuni Sachakani ribelli. L'attacco improvviso costringe gli apprendisti Tessia e Jayan a interrompere il proprio addestramento per seguire il loro maestro nella guerra per respingere gli invasori. Nonostante queste premesse "bellicose", l'azione è solo elemento marginale del romanzo, il lungo pellegrinaggio all'inseguimento degli invasori è più che altro una scusa per osservare Kiralya, la sua società e il ruolo della comunità magica attraverso gli occhi e le riflessioni della giovane Tessia.
Uno degli elementi di maggior interesse è il diverso ruolo di uno degli elemnti fulcro della Black Magician Trilogy, ovvero la cosidetta "magia nera", qui non ancora considerata pratica abominevole e deprecabile ma elemento fondamentale dell'educazione di ogni apprendista mago, segno distintivo che determina il passaggio da semplice apprendista a mago a tutti gli effetti, almeno fino a quando gli eventi scatenati dall'improvvisa invasione non portano la comunità magica a riflettere su tutti i risvolti di una pratica che comprende l'assorbimente da parte di un mago della forza vitale di altri esseri umani.
Nel complesso il libro è simpatico, la protagonista decisa e interessante anche se la trama presenta diverse lungaggini non proprio indispensabili mentre alcuni aspetti vengono solo accennati non apporfonditi come meriterebbero. E' comunque consigliato solo a chi si è davvero appassionato alla trilogia a cui fa da prequel.(less)

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Jul 21, 2010 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sciencefictionfantasy

First of a trilogy, this fantasy novel is about two enemies moving toward war, with a young apprentice stuck in the middle.

Tessia is a healer’s apprentice in the land of Kyralia. It is a place where the only "career" for women is to become a wife and mother, so becoming a healer, on her own, is not an option. One day, in a moment of stress, Tessia shows an amazing natural talent for magic. She becomes a magician’s apprentice under Lord Dakon. She joins Jayan, an older male apprentice, with whom...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Denna rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 15, 2012 Petra13 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Příběh Zrození čarodějky je zasazený do světa Kyralie, Sachaky... ale tentokrát se posune o několiset led zpět,do doby před Sachakanskou válkou, kdy vznikla záhadná poušť, která zničela velkou a úrodnou část Sachaky a kdy spolu Kyralie a Sachaky válčili a taky ,kdy vzniklo Společenství...

Knížka semi líbila.... Ale začátek je trochu nudný a zmatený, chvilkama jsem se ztrácela, aspoň mně osobně to tak přijde. Asi po třetině knihy se děj začne pozvolna rozjíždět a nabírat na obrátkách.
Máme zde dvě...more Příběh Zrození čarodějky je zasazený do světa Kyralie, Sachaky... ale tentokrát se posune o několiset led zpět,do doby před Sachakanskou válkou, kdy vznikla záhadná poušť, která zničela velkou a úrodnou část Sachaky a kdy spolu Kyralie a Sachaky válčili a taky ,kdy vzniklo Společenství...

Knížka semi líbila.... Ale začátek je trochu nudný a zmatený, chvilkama jsem se ztrácela, aspoň mně osobně to tak přijde. Asi po třetině knihy se děj začne pozvolna rozjíždět a nabírat na obrátkách.
Máme zde dvě hlavní dějové linky: tu Tessiinu, která je ta víc hlavní a Stassinu.
Tessia pomáhá svému otci léčiteli a snad by se stala ji léčitelkou, kdyby nedošlo k jedné události..., kde se projeví její magická schopnost. Tessia se stane učednicí zdejšího čaroděje a musí se k němu přistěhovat. Nikdo nechce riskovat, že by neovládla své schopnosti. V domě potkává také druhého čarodějova učedníka.Jayana.A ten netrpí nadšením. Postupem děje sledju především tuto dvojici a děj okolo ní.A opravdu se milíbí jak se jejich vztah vyvíjí.Do všeho se zamíchá válka, smrt, politika ... Nejlepší na tom je, že skoro až do konce nevíme jak skončí - jako přátelé nebo jako lidé co jsi dou po krku.

Stassa je dívka, která vyrůstala v Elyne a byla zvykla na tamější život.Pak ji otec odvolá do Sachaky a ona nadšeně souhlasí, jelikož si myslí, že v Sachace povede jeho obchod.Ale tvrdě narazí.Zjistí jak málo jsou zde ceněny ženy a co všechno musí snášet.Když jsem si přečetla její první kapitolu nebyla jsem si jistá, proč tam vůbec je, ale ke konci a hlavně na konci jsem to pochopila.

V knize jsou kresby.Jsou pěkné a k tématu, ale nejsou časově zařazené, tak jak mají být. Takže čtenář tápe a musí uvažovat nad tím k čemu kresba patří.

Trochu co mi tam chybí je náboženství. Pochybuji, že jsou křesťani. Mám takový pocit, že se tam autorka ještě pátkrát přeřekla,ale už to není tak závažné. V knížce je možná pár překlepů a nějakých stylistických chyb, ale to nevadí.

Tessia:Zrození čarodějky je napínavy příběh, který nám osvětluje mnohé zdroje a začátky.I když napínavý,po přečtení se mi zdál konec trochu předvídatelný. I když já čekala konec trochu více dramatický a drastický, na konci nějaká ta malá překvapení máme.Konec mi se mi zdál celkem strohý, autorka jej mohla více rozepsat(a to hl. 49 kapitolu a epilog). Kdo již četl Triologii o černém mágovi, je pro něj tato kniha poučná a vyplňuje mezery.

Doporučila bych vám ji přešíst si ještě před Triologií o černém mágovi a Triologií Zrádkyň, ale toto je jen můj názor.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before my review, I would like to give a little background to the knowledge I have of the Black Magician trilogy of which this book is the prequel of. That trilogy was one of the first fantasy series I've read, so of course, it holds a fond memory in my heart. It also means I read it a very long time ago, so while fond, it's a more than a little vague of a memory. Then I got a hold of the prequel. I debated re-reading the series, but decided against it; might have needed to if I were to read the...more Before my review, I would like to give a little background to the knowledge I have of the Black Magician trilogy of which this book is the prequel of. That trilogy was one of the first fantasy series I've read, so of course, it holds a fond memory in my heart. It also means I read it a very long time ago, so while fond, it's a more than a little vague of a memory. Then I got a hold of the prequel. I debated re-reading the series, but decided against it; might have needed to if I were to read the sequel, but I digress. So, I jumped into this book with a vague recollection of the setting (I had Wiki-ed the series to refresh my memory).

Trudi Canavan had written this book in a way that anyone can pick up this book and read it, without the pressures of needing to read the main series, which is good, since it is a prequel and all. But those of you who have read the series will be pulled into the story by how things will change to the way they are in the Black Magician trilogy.

The book follows Tessia (as can be expected from the blurb) and two other characters. One of those characters are constantly followed by the narration of the book while the other gets a regular following a little over half way into the book. I'd have rather followed only the first two, because it seems to me that the third character doesn't really have any real significance to the story. (For those who have already read this book and recalls the series, please PM me if you know how they affected the series)

I would say the story is good, but not great. (I know, I waited a long time into this review to state that) I think the story concentrated too much on the actions of the characters instead of the development of the characters themselves. And I think the last line of the blurb on the back of the hardcover of this book, "One young apprentice stands in the path of the coming storm," is a little inaccurate of the actual role that the apprentice takes, assuming I have the right apprentice in mind.

I am glad I read this book though, although I think it will be more enjoyable for people who have read the series first than those who just happen to pick up this book. (less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Elizabeth Baxter rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like watching paint dry!
First of all, I’d like to point out that I’m a huge fan of Trudi Canavan’ s work. I loved the Black Magician Trilogy and was looking forward to this prequel and a return to the world of Sonea, Akkarin and Cery. Unfortunately, this book was nothing like what I was hoping for. The traits that made me love the first trilogy – the depth of character and the twists and turns of an exciting plot are sadly lacking.

First of all, the characters are dull. On one side you have the...more Like watching paint dry!
First of all, I’d like to point out that I’m a huge fan of Trudi Canavan’ s work. I loved the Black Magician Trilogy and was looking forward to this prequel and a return to the world of Sonea, Akkarin and Cery. Unfortunately, this book was nothing like what I was hoping for. The traits that made me love the first trilogy – the depth of character and the twists and turns of an exciting plot are sadly lacking.

First of all, the characters are dull. On one side you have the Kyralians: Tessia, Jayan and Dakon. They are the goodies. Then on the other side you have the Sachakans: Takado and his cronies. They are the baddies. That’s it. There’s no real depth to any of them. This is offset slightly by the two characters Stara and Hanara, whose own stories would have been more interesting that the main plot. The rest of the book is populated by a host of magicians, identifiable only by their names. We get to know none of them, not even Tessia’s master , Dakon, in any great depth. There is nothing to distinguish them from each other, no personality quirks, no specific way of speaking. They are a bunch of cardboard characters running round the countryside chasing enemy magicians. I found that I couldn’t care less what happened to any of them.

Now to the plot. To be honest it’s boring. It seems Trudi Canavan has a bit of an obsession with female characters who accidentally discover their power then set about trying to prove themselves in a patriarchal society. I felt I’d seen all this before. I would have liked to see something fresh, a new angle , a new challenge, and Trudi Canavan had the chance to do this by exploring the use of High Magic (or black magic as it’s called in her earlier trilogy) but she doesn’t. The ritual is glossed over and gives us no insight whatsoever. How does High Magic effect the giver? What are the moral implications? None of this is explored. And one thing that bugged me no end: “Dakon chuckled.” “Tessia chuckled.” “Jayan chuckled.” Everyone in the damn book is always chuckling! This is just lazy writing.

The end of the book does answer some questions raised in the earlier trilogy but instead of this being satisfying, I felt it was rushed and contrived. Overall, it was a real effort to get through this book. Unfortunately is smacked of a money making exercise without Ms. Canavan’s heart really being in it.
(less)

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Jan 11, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The Magician's Apprentice started out good. A girl learns that she has magic abilities and is trained. Her master is a nice man that cares for the people that live in his town. Her fellow apprentice is an awkward uppity rich boy on the outside, but caring on the inside. Around page 150 or so their homeland is invaded, and then we get to read 500 pages of walking from place to place. There are three "battles" within those 500 pages that are a tiny bit interesting. I really couldn't force myself t...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Melaszka rated it 4 of 5 stars

The kind of socially engaged, feminist fantasy I have come to expect of Trudi Canavan. As in her earlier work, I love

(a) the intricate detail with which she builds up her imagined cultures - everything from architecture, food, costume, to political and social beliefs is meticulously thought through and you can totally believe in it

(b) the way she's not afraid to tackle social issues like women's rights, gay rights, inequitable distribution of wealth etc, but it never becomes agit-prop - there's...more The kind of socially engaged, feminist fantasy I have come to expect of Trudi Canavan. As in her earlier work, I love

(a) the intricate detail with which she builds up her imagined cultures - everything from architecture, food, costume, to political and social beliefs is meticulously thought through and you can totally believe in it

(b) the way she's not afraid to tackle social issues like women's rights, gay rights, inequitable distribution of wealth etc, but it never becomes agit-prop - there's a realism and compassion with which she accepts that people who hold damaging prejudices and commit appalling acts can still be sincere, decent people overall, that all societies are imperfect and none change overnight.

(c) Her use of devices like shifting viewpoint to play with our ideas of right and wrong. Just when you think you've grasped who the goodies and the baddies are, she switches perspective and makes you see things from the erstwhile baddies' viewpoint and you realise there is no black and white - just shades of grey.

This has a darker, more sinister feel than the Black Magician and Age of Five trilogies. I felt the shadow of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars hung heavy over it and there was some interesting exploration of how reasonable desires for self-defence and earnest belief in spreading democratic values to oppressed cultures can become corupted and oppressive.

The book wasn't perfect - one character, in particular, had a sudden and unconvincing personality change midway through, which seemed to be explained away by the clicheed and implausible "He's just gone MAD, innit?" defence. I didn't feel we ever gained enough of an insight into the Sachakan viewpoint. The ending seemed a bit of a copout, with individuals carrying the can for mass, cultural misbehaviour. I also felt that Stara's story was rushed and not developed enough. And although technically Canavan improves as a writer with every book, she's still not going to be up for any stylistic awards.

But a compelling fantasy novel that does far more than supply cheap escapism.(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Grianne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, trudi-canavan

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 16, 2011 Racheal rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well, once I read the other reviews and figured out this was a prequel to a trilogy, the bizarre pacing made more sense. The narrative switches between several characters, something that rarely works for me--I always end up liking one character more than another and I can never get into a groove one way or the other. The same was true here. I really liked Lord Dakon and Tessia but I could have done without the others, especially the character that popped in about halfway through the book. Sachka...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Iris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2010, kindle

I am having a hard time figuring out what to think of this book. Having just read the Age of the Five trilogy (I read the Black Magician trilogy a few years ago) I was expecting a book with similar style, pace and imagination. Starting reading with that expectation is probably what contributed a lot to my disappointment.

The first 50-75% of the book is quite boring, comprising mostly of (not very interesting) conversations between many people that don't do much to drive the plot forward. It rede...more

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