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The Novice

(Summoner #1)

Taran Matharu (Goodreads Author)

4.13 · Rating details · 20,909 ratings · 2,430 reviews

When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerf ...more

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Hardcover, 355 pages

Published May 5th 2015 by Feiwel & Friends

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4.13 ·

Rating details

· 20,909 ratings · 2,430 reviews

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Jan 09, 2015 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

** Just finished re reading for the second time and its even BETTER a second time. I love this world, time to jump into book two **

ALREADY I KNOW THIS WILL BE ONE OF MY BEST BOOKS OF 2015!

I picked this book up yesterday and have just finished it!
IT WAS SO AMAZING! I literally can not get my thoughts together right now due to the amazingness of this book!

But my plan is to film a book review ( i know.. i only film book reviews for books i love) and then i will have it up for the release of the ...more

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Jul 23, 2015 Faye, la Patata rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, adventure, male-pov, meh, academy-setting, young-adult, disappointed

Definitely one of the most underwhelming fantasies I've read this year.

I was really excited for this after knowing it was originally a WattPad story. I always get excited when a book becomes published through unconventional means, because it means people like me who just writes stories for fun for others online can be discovered for the very reason our stories are simply good enough. And knowing it was a fantasy? Heck yeah, my favorite genre of the year, represeeent!

However, reading this book wa ...more

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Feb 08, 2015 Leonor (Ner) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-reading-challenge, ebook, paranormal-magic-ub, fantasy, net-galley-edelweiss, vamp-weres-witches, young-adult, review

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Hodder Children’s Books for providing me with a copy.

- Initial quick review posted on Goodreads when I finished the book (it earned me a few likes so I won’t delete it :P):

My thoughts about the book:

My thoughts about the author:

- And now the full review:

OMG!!
THIS BOOK WAS BEYOND AMAZING!!!

I can already see this book on a lot of favourite books of 2015 lists! It will definitely be on mine, you rest assure!

When I picked up this book I already had my expectation ...more

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Oct 18, 2014 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, review-copy, young-adult, witches-and-wizards, netgalley, fantasy, magic

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/04/18/y...

I don’t know what it is, but something about this book totally appealed to me. One would think I’d have had enough of elves and dwarves and orcs by now, but then I tried to remember the last time I read a Young Adult novel set in a world like this, and it actually made me realized just how refreshingly different it is from the sort of YA I’ve been reading lately. It’s free of a lot of the usual tropes, anyway. Plus, some 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/04/18/y...

I don’t know what it is, but something about this book totally appealed to me. One would think I’d have had enough of elves and dwarves and orcs by now, but then I tried to remember the last time I read a Young Adult novel set in a world like this, and it actually made me realized just how refreshingly different it is from the sort of YA I’ve been reading lately. It’s free of a lot of the usual tropes, anyway. Plus, something about the storytelling just gives off this down-to-earth and easygoing vibe. It feels like the author wrote this book from his heart, to have fun, not to hit up all the items on some imaginary checklist of what makes a YA novel successful. In fact, I read somewhere that The Novice began life as a personal NaNoWriMo project, and that doesn’t surprise me at all.

The story follows Fletcher, an orphan raised by a village blacksmith after he was found as a baby abandoned in the snow. One day, on the cusp of Fletcher’s sixteenth birthday, a chance encounter with a veteran soldier at the market left him in possession of an old scroll. And like all curious teenage boys, Fletcher just couldn’t resist reading it, and in doing so he unleashes a demon from the Ether. But it’s not as ominous as it sounds! The demon – a cute little imp-like creature that shoots fire – is a Salamander that quickly bonds to Fletcher and becomes his loyal companion.

However, Fletcher’s summoning of the demon does reveal him to be a mage. And with the war going on with the orcs, the army needs all the summoners they can get their hands on, noble-born or commoner; elf, dwarf or human. On the run for a crime he didn’t commit, that’s how Fletcher ends up at the Adept Military Academy, a school that teaches young summoners and prepares them to become full-fledged battlemages before sending them to the frontlines. Fletcher learns to control his demon familiar – whom he names Ignatius – alongside the new friends he meets, but also has to contend with the snotty noble children who try to undermine him at every turn. As the war effort becomes increasingly more desperate, the Academy holds a competition to weed out the brightest and the best for leadership positions, and even first-years like Fletcher are included. Fletcher wants to win, and not just because he wants to teach the nobles a lesson. There are shady dealings afoot; political plots and conspiracies abound, and Fletcher knows he can make a difference for the better, if only he can overcome the challenges of the trials and best his opponents to win a position of command.

A quick look at Taran Matharu’s author page tells us that his passion for reading began at a very young age, and it probably wouldn’t surprise me if it turned out he was a fan of Harry Potter as a child. If that’s the case, the influence is pretty strong. I also see shades of influence from other literary sources, like Lord of the Rings, and the use of mana to summon demon companions of varying species and power levels also reminds me of role-playing video games and even Pokemon. Taken by themselves, the ideas are familiar and derived from what we’ve seen before, but taken as a whole, they actually come together here to form something quite new and interesting, not to mention also a whole lot of fun.

Like I said, Taran Matharu’s approach is very straightforward and uncomplicated; it doesn’t feel like he’s sacrificing his vision to adhere to a fixed set of conventions, nor does it feel like he’s out to subvert any norms. At the heart of it, I just see an author telling a story about characters that he obviously cares a lot about. For that, I can overlook some of the novel’s weaknesses, such as the simplistic writing style and on several occasions where it felt somewhat skewed towards younger audiences like Middle Grade. The writing is perhaps my only big issue I had with this novel, which I felt could use a fair bit more polishing, but this is not an area I’m overly concerned with when I read YA.

Plus, there’s a lot to like too. I found the different kinds of demons and their little quirks charming, plus the Demonology treatise found at the end of the book was a nice touch. I liked reading about the magic school environment and the interactions Fletcher has with his fellow students, especially his relationship with the dwarf Othello and the elf Sylva. The tournament at the end definitely made for an entertaining closer as well, though I also can’t wait to finally step out of the academy setting into big wide world. Thus far we’ve not seen much of the ongoing war with the orcs, and I hope we’ll get a chance to get out to the front. Well, after the cliffhanger at the end of this book gets resolved, of course. Just in case you can’t tell, yes, I’m looking forward to the next book. ...more

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Jul 16, 2017 Choko rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya

*** 3.85 ***

A buddy read with the Fantasy Buddy Reads Group:):):)

I thoroughly enjoyed myself! This book is written in the more classic Fantasy style and although it is targeted to Young Adults, it is in my opinion, perfect for all who love the Fantasy genre.

"..."A warrior's greatest enemy can also be his greatest teacher.” ..."

Now, if you are anything like me, a good cover can totally make you buy a book without having any idea what the book is about. I saw the AWESOME cover, deduced it was ...more

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Apr 13, 2015 Paige Bookdragon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, read-2015, unfinished-series, humor, mild-mind-fuck, suspense, young-adult, almost-a-fave, wtf

I was about to dnf this one because I find the "magic school-hero is not a noble born-magic/enchantment-fucking evil bastards were noble spoiled brats" a bit cliche.

But then, the story did a wonderful turn and I was starting to get entertained! I was like:

"What's happening?What's going on?This is soo cool!More!More!More!Yeees!Take that bastard!"

And then the author dropped the bomb at the ending.

And again, I went:

WHAT'S FUCKING WRONG WITH THESE FANTASY BOOKS NOWADAYS!?WHY ARE YOU ALL GIVING US CL ...more

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Jun 27, 2019 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 21th-century, british, fiction, literature, fantasy

Summoner: The Novice (Summoner #1), Taran Matharu
Summoner: The Novice is book one from trilogy of Summoner, written by British author Taran Matharu, book one first published: May 5, 2015, Genre: Fantasy Fiction.
Fletcher was nothing more than a humble blacksmith's apprentice, when a chance encounter leads to the discovery that he has the ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, he must travel with his demon to the Vocans Academy, where th Summoner: The Novice (Summoner #1), Taran Matharu
Summoner: The Novice is book one from trilogy of Summoner, written by British author Taran Matharu, book one first published: May 5, 2015, Genre: Fantasy Fiction.
Fletcher was nothing more than a humble blacksmith's apprentice, when a chance encounter leads to the discovery that he has the ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, he must travel with his demon to the Vocans Academy, where the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. The academy will put Fletcher through a gauntlet of grueling lessons, training him as a battle mage to fight in the Hominum Empire's war against the savage orcs. Rubbing shoulders with the children of the most powerful nobles in the land, Fletcher must tread carefully. The power hungry Forsyth twins lurk in the shadows, plotting to further their family's interests. Then there is Sylva, an elf who will do anything she can to forge an alliance between her people and Hominum, even if it means betraying her friends. Othello is the first ever dwarf at the academy, and his people have long been oppressed by Hominum's rulers, which provokes tension amongst those he studies alongside. Fletcher will find himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with nothing but his demon Ignatius to help him. As the pieces on the board manoeuvre for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سه شنبه نوزدهم ماه مارس سال 2019
عنوان: کارآموز: کتاب نخست از سه گانه احضارگر؛ نویسنده: تاران ماتارو؛ برگردان: بهنام حاجی زاده، دبیر مجموعه: نیما کهندانی، بازبینی و تصحیح نهایی: عبدالله زارعی، زینب احمدی؛ امور میدانی: امیرمحمد آقائی؛ مدیر هنری: خسرو خسروی؛ مسئول چاپ: پوریا شرح دهی مقدم؛ تهران، نشر بهداد، 1394، در 468 ص؛ شابک: 9786009584765؛ شابک دوره: 9786009584765؛ چاپ دوم 1395؛ چاپ سوم: تهران، باژ، 1396، در 470 ص؛ چاپ چهارم 1397؛ شابک: 9786008941361؛ موضوع: داستانهای نوجوانان از نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 21 م
نقل از پشت جلد کتاب: (هنگامیکه «فلچر»، شاگرد آهنگر می‌فهمد، که توانایی جادوگری، و فراخوانی اجنه، از دنیایی دیگر را دارد، به آکادمی نظامی احضارگران می‌رود، تا همراه با سایر کارآموزان، در آنجا هنر احضارگری بیاموزد. «فلچر» برای شرکت در جنگ امپراتوری «هومینم»، علیه «اورک‌»ها، آموزش‌های دشوار و توانفرسای ساحران مبارز را، پشت سر می‌گذارد، و با دوستان احضارگر خویش از فرودستان (الف، دورف) با اشراف‌زاده‌ های خودپسند، برای دست‌یابی به پاداش پیروزی در مسابقه‌ ی احضارگران، رقابت می‌کند. ولی فضای آکادمی احضارگری «وُکانس»، بسیار مرموزتر است، «و فلچر» خود را، در میان دسیسه‌ ای بزرگ می‌یابد، که سرنوشت امپراتوری را تعیین خواهد کرد....؛ با جور شدن تکه‌ های پازل، «فلچر» باید برگزیند که به کدام سو وفادار باشد، و تنها همراه او در اینراه، جنش «ایگناتیوس» است..)»؛ پایان نقل؛ هر سه جلد سه گانه ی احضلرگر را، پسر هنرمندم روز تولدم در آخرین روز از سال 1397 هجری خورشیدی، همراه با کتابهای دیگر، هدیه داده اند، این فراموشکار بازنشسته که شدم، دیگر توان خرید کتابهای ارزان قیمت این روزها را ندارم، کتاب نخست از سه گانه را همانروز نوشیدم، دنیایی که نگارگر جوان آفریده، دنیایی تازه است، هرچند هر رخدادی، در نگاره های دیگران در این ژانر، و استادان به نام دیگر نیز، پیشتر بوده است، جهانی که ایشان آفریده، برای نوجوانان و جوانانی همچو این فراموشکار، دنیای دل انگیزی ست، به ویژه کتاب دوم سه گانه ی مرا میخکوب کرده بود. برگردان فارسی نیز بسیار خوب بود. در این کتاب: جنها به رده های گوناگون دسته بندی شده اند: هیره ها سطح یک؛ شنگ ها سطح چهار؛ سنگ چشم ها سطح چهار؛ سمندر ها سطح پنج؛ سنگ چشم رهبر ها سطح شش؛ بارکلینگ ها سطح شش؛ وولپید (ثعلب) ها سطح شش؛ سگ سان ها سطح هفت؛ گربه سان ها سطح هشت؛ آنوبید ها سطح هشت؛ گولم ها سطح هشت؛ هیدرا ها سطح هشت؛ شیردال ها سطح ده؛ مینوتور ها سطح یازده؛ هستند. ا. شربیانی ...more

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Feb 04, 2015 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, young-adult, demons, elves, kindle, own, fantasy, dwarves

The Novice is a scintillating, magical adventure.

As a baby orphaned, Fletcher, was taken in and raised by the town black smith.

Helping his guardian sell his wears at the fair, Fletcher comes face to face with a war veteran with a journal from a battlemage. Fletcher helps the man out of a sicky situation with the town's bully only to find himself running for his own life. But before the warrior leaves, he gives Fletcher the journal.

While reading the book, Fletcher accidentally summons a demon of ...more

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May 13, 2017 Frankie Lovely rated it it was ok

2 stars
Find this review and other at A Thousand Lived of Frankie Lovely

Harry Potter meets Pokémon meets Tolkien .... but not in a good way?
But like … I really wanted to love this book :(

The Story

Fletcher, an orphan and blacksmith’s apprentice, is forced to run from the only home he has even known. After accidentally summoning a demon, Fletcher finds himself at the Adept Military Academy for summoners. It is a time of war and summoners are needed now more than ever. Does Fletcher have what it tak ...more

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Dec 30, 2014 ~Tina~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss, fantasy, young-adult, read-2015, arc

The Novice, is a fun filled high fantasy adventure that was an impressive entertaining escape. I had a lot of fun reading this book and really enjoyed the concept. It has it's share of politics and war between the commoners, nobles and fantastical beings such as; orcs, elvens, germlines, summoners and demons, but the flow and pace of the story was even and always intriguing, the world building was rich and vivid, the writing was crisp and the character were all witty and wonderfully likeable.

Fif The Novice, is a fun filled high fantasy adventure that was an impressive entertaining escape. I had a lot of fun reading this book and really enjoyed the concept. It has it's share of politics and war between the commoners, nobles and fantastical beings such as; orcs, elvens, germlines, summoners and demons, but the flow and pace of the story was even and always intriguing, the world building was rich and vivid, the writing was crisp and the character were all witty and wonderfully likeable.

Fifteen year old, Fletcher Wulf was abandoned at the gates of Pelt when he was just a baby, but was raised by Berdon, the villagers blacksmith when no one else would take him in. He's never forgiven his mother for leaving him, but he's got a good home where he is given affection and respect and even though some of the villagers are arrogant, Fletcher can more then handle his own. But his whole life changes the moment he receives a parting gift, a Summoner's book. When Fletcher manages to summon a rare demon and gets in some trouble, he finds himself landing at the Vocans Adept Academy where he will learn spellcrafting and be trained as a battlemage.

A little LotR, some GoT and a dash of HP, this particular escape has just about everything I love in a fantasy book. Though, for those who know me wont find it surprising that my favorite part of this book was the academy. I have a thing for academy books and this one is just as fun as I imagined . I loved learning along with Fletcher and the students about how to connect, control and channel their demons, the history, the Ether and the magic of it all. It was really cool to see the training and different races throughout the school while Matharu throws in a few twist and turns to keep it suspenseful, gripping and exciting. I also really enjoyed the characters, Fletcher, Genevieve, Rory, Othello and Sylva and of course all their demons, but Ignatius was my favorite. They all brought something fun and unique to the storyline. The ending left us on a bit of a cliffy, so I'm really looking forward to the next book and there isn't any really romance in this one, but the action and intrigue more then makes up for it that it's not an element I missed.

In all, The Novice turned out to be a great story that combines fantasy, paranormal and magic that was intense, captivating and wildly entertaining. This was indeed a promising start to a series I greatly look forward to continuing. Well done! ...more

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Mar 26, 2015 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-chase-2015, young-adult, r2r-read, as, 2015-new-years-resolutions-challeng, read-2015, fantasy, paranormal

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley.)

“If it wasn’t for the summoners, we would be in serious trouble.”

This book felt like a cross between Harry Potter and how to train your dragon, with some politics and racism, and backstabbing thrown in too.

Fletcher was a boy who had never had much, and who had always worked hard. He stood up for people, even when he was being bullied himself, and went out of hi ...more

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Jul 18, 2017 Scott Hitchcock rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy

The themes in this book are old school with a definitive line between the good guys and the bad guys. The world itself is also tried and tested but the story is well written and fun. I read a lot of darker books so reading a traditional story mixes it up and feels fresh.

The demon types and their personalities are particularly entertaining. I'd like one of my own.

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Mar 11, 2018 Sabrina marked it as to-read · review of another edition

“...summon demons from another world...”
I love demons, I NEED THIS!

BR with the Ftastic Sara💗

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Feb 25, 2015 Akira rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I got this e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was one heck of a book!

Where to start? The first time I heard about this I knew I wanted to read it. I mean, a book that started off on WattPad about people who can summon demons and train in a specialised academy sounds like Harry Potter meats Pokemon! Who doesn't want to read that?!

In this world, summoners are getting rarer and more are needed to fight in the war against the Orcs. So any summoner, noble or not, ...more

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Feb 12, 2018 Tina ➹ the girl who lives in Fandoms (Book.Enchantress) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-read, cover, favorite, my-recommendation, golden-sparks, fav-of-fav, all-time-fav, reviews

4.5 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks

the Novice; Summoner series, book 1
by Taran Matharu

a world when there's people with special ability to summon demons from another world. & a military school in which the gifted are trained in the art of summoning & learning more about the demons to be ready to battle the war against the Orcs.

GREAT!
I was grinning after I finished it! it was like ages I hadn't have this much Satisfaction about a book.

Plot: ★★★★★/5
interesting!
that competition!
what an ending ...more

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Mar 26, 2015 Kathy Martin rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this fast paced beginning to a new fantasy series. Fletcher is an orphan who was abandoned at birth outside the town of Pelt. He was taken in by the blacksmith. As an orphan, Fletcher has become the target for the local bully who happens to be the son a rich man. When he is given a book that contains a scroll, the bully wants it. Fletcher discovers that the scroll lets him call a demon. When he is ganged up on by the bully and his stooges, Fletcher has to run away from the town.

Fletch ...more

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Feb 24, 2015 Vippi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss

3.75

~I received this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review~

What can I say? This book was a delightful surprise.

But first things first.
So, let me suggest you to give the cover a closer look. It’s not just amazing, it’s even a good compendium of what you will find in this book… and if you look carefully, you can meet the most adorable demon I’ve ever seen: Ignatius!

Okay, let's get down to business.
The Novice follows the adventures of Fletcher, a 15-year-old orphan who lives in the ...more

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Jan 19, 2015 Tahlia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was so good! I haven’t read a fantasy book in a while and was so glad to get back into the genre and this book gave me exactly what I needed. It had hearty characters, thrilling action and a world full of such unique magic and danger. I don’t think I disliked a single thing about this book, everything was just right!!

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Dec 06, 2014 Giselle rated it it was ok

Shelves: from-author, 2015, 2-star, genre-demons, arc-physical, genre-fantasy, age-young-adult, genre-action-adventure

An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the author for review.

I loved the beginning where we see how Fletcher lives and how he came to be. It gave me a sense of where he was coming from and what point in his life we're about to take part in. The writing is excellently detailed especially when Taran describes a setting and scene. It felt like I was dropped into that world. Even though this is a young adult novel, I thought the setting and the experiences were more targeted towards a middle grade ...more

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Feb 09, 2015 Bella rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I want to start off saying I loved it, I am not a huge fan of reading book with the male being the main character in a book I just never seem to connect with them unless it’s a book with the males POV form a previous book but I LOVED THIS one a lot and I think it has helped make me look at books like this in a different way! Taran thanks for writing this and making me enjoy a book I did not think I would!

You want something with a little Lord of the Rings and maybe Game of Throns but YA-ish? The ...more

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Sep 20, 2014 mith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, kindle-or-ebook, series, 2015-publication, not-so-american, male-mains, royalty, arcs, middle-grade, maaaagic

Although I'm not quite done with this year (as of right now, I'm 71% finished), I can say this is a solid 4 stars.
I am not disappointed by this, despite the fact that it did take quite a while to really make some progress on it. It kind of felt slow sometimes, because every single thing was mentioned, but also because it leaned more towards middle grade for me.
However, the writing is impeccable; I found the world building to be very well done. I liked most of the characters and the world the aut ...more

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Feb 26, 2015 Ramblingant rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Novice was viewed close to 6 million times on a writing community site called wattpad. I think that alone says the book is damn good, and it was damn good.

When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while tra The Novice was viewed close to 6 million times on a writing community site called wattpad. I think that alone says the book is damn good, and it was damn good.

When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerful nobles. The power hungry, those seeking alliances, and the fear of betrayal surround him. Fletcher finds himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with only his demon Ignatius for help.

As the pieces on the board maneuver for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands. The Novice is the first in a trilogy about Fletcher, his demon Ignatius, and the war against the Orcs.
This book digs pretty much into the core of the fantasy genre, which is common with young authors. They like to stick to the roots because there are lots of influences and guidelines from which to work off. The road has been paved before them, smooth and easy to travel, and people will follow the road because it is the quickest way to the things they love.

Most authors might have a bit of trouble selling there first novel after it has been published, due to being a new entity, a new player. The Novice won't suffer that fate. This book is being published and Taran knows that 6 million people have read and enjoyed it. Just to highlight what that means. The 1st book (The Novice) has already been read by most of the people likely to buy it, so I don't think it will do well for awhile. However if Taran does not put the 2nd and 3rd books on wattpad, which I think it would be silly of him to do, then 6 million people are going to be wanting to read a book and they only way, will be to buy it.

The main character is Fletcher, a 15 year old orphan and apprentice blacksmith. Until he gets his hands on a summoners book and becomes a summoner himself. There is not much depth in the character, as Taran has decided to keep most of it a mystery revealing titbits as the story progresses. As is common with this genre, we have a main character that we can root for and enjoy reading about.

The best part about this book is its plot, yes it does grab a portion of the story form a few other 'vendor', but it is exiting and a very enjoyable read and I think that is important in a book. A good character and a exiting plot.

If you enjoy the fantasy genre at all then you will enjoy this book, because it is fantasy at its core.

RamblingAnt

I was able to get a copy of this book from Net Galley.

If you like this, you can see more of my reviews at https://antrambling.wordpress.com/books/ ...more

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Feb 24, 2015 Sanny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

4 Stars - loved this one!

The story started out slow with quite a bit of world building but then the pace picks up towards the last third of the book, so much so that the ending even felt a bit rushed. Small warning here: prepare for a cliffhanger ;) I truly enjoyed the several plotlines and can’t wait to see how they’ll all play out and even more. I won’t spoil any plot details, you should definitely experience them yourself, I definitely wish that I could move right on to book 2.

At the beginni ...more

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Jan 17, 2015 Wayfarer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Score: 4.5 stars

This book was very nice and pleasing to read.

I won't spoil the plot, but it's solid. Of course it is predictable at times, but I think this is because of the author's writing style: descriptive, and with quite a few "Chekhov's gun"s.
Overall I like the author's writing style. It's not perfect, but it blends very well so that it doesn't hinder the reading.

The pacing is very good too. I always felt like wanting to read the next chapter as soon as I got to the end of the previous one ...more

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Feb 28, 2015 Anjuli Clayden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another amazing trilogy started, I can't wait to see how they tie together. When reading this I get the feeling of a YA Trudi Canavan or Robin Hobb, both amazing fantasy trilogy writers and this one is up there with them for me. Our main character is a typically loveable hero, a bit naïve having grown up in a simple life as a blacksmith apprentice, far away from war and magic and all those dangerous and exciting things. Until he meets a strange man and reads a strange book, then his life is very ...more

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Mar 09, 2015 Roy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was totally awesome. I went into The Novice with modest expectations. Recently I found myself disappointed with the YA High Fantasy genre and never really felt satisfied especially when it comes to the world building which always felt lacklustre. Not so with this one.

In The Novice we follow Fletcher, a young blacksmith's apprentice, who discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from t I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was totally awesome. I went into The Novice with modest expectations. Recently I found myself disappointed with the YA High Fantasy genre and never really felt satisfied especially when it comes to the world building which always felt lacklustre. Not so with this one.

In The Novice we follow Fletcher, a young blacksmith's apprentice, who discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from the ether, a skill that is very rare in this world. Because of some troubling events, Fletcher is forced to leave his home town and heads for the city of Corcillum where he is offered the chance to hone his skill in the Vocans Academy for summoning. There, Fletcher and his demon Ignatius get sucked into the conflict between the humans, elves and dwarfs and must prepare themselves and train to eventually fight in the war between Hominum and the orc front waiting to overrun their kingdom.

The book had me instantly hooked from page one. The writing flowed nicely and the author did a great job at describing the world, the characters and their demons. I really loved the boarding school storyline but also that it wasn't the lone focus of the book which gave the author the chance to explore the world beyond the confines of it, something that I always find problematic with other books with the same setting.

Fletcher is an amazing main character. Something that I really loved about him was that he wasn't "the chosen one", or the one was special abilities or any other trope that we often find in High Fantasy. Instead, Fletcher was just a good guy. He always tried to do the right thing (even though it wasn't always beneficial for himself) and was just overall a really clever and kind person. Everything he acchieves throughout the story he earns solely because of his hard work and that was something I really admired about him. It was just a delight to read from his perspective. I really enjoyed the cast of characters in general and loved the relationships between them. Especially Fletcher's and Othello's friendship warmed my heart and I loved to read about their adventures together.

The world building was solid. The whole concept felt very original to me, especially because it included races like the elves, dwarfs and orc, something that isn't really common in the YA High Fantasy genre. The medieval-ish world is rich with cultural background, something I always love to read about. We learn a lot about Hominum's history, the wars with the orcs, the conflicts with the elves and the dwarfs and their respective culture. The world just felt very vibrant and populated instead of just being there as a backdrop to the story. I also liked the deeper political intrigue that was incorporated which added even more layers to the plot.

The magic system suprised me with its originality and complexity. The author presents a detailed and well thought out summoning system with a great variety of demons and techniques to summon and control them. One thing that I have to say is that it can get a little confusing at times and hard to grasp and I would have hoped that we would have spent a little more time exploring it. It was also kind of hard for me to picture all the different demons and to differentiate between them but the little glossary of the demons in the back helped with that a lot.

Overall, The Novice was fantastic. Great worldbuilding, loveable characters and a compelling storyline made for a great adventure. An added bonus for me was that we didn't really have any romance in it which I think really helped focussing the book on the important parts of the storytelling. I would recommend this for fans of Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist because the two of them definitely have a similar feel to them. But I think everyone that loves the YA High Fantasy genre and wants something different that is still so much fun to read should definitely check this one out. ...more

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Sep 16, 2014 Aisha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“That’s the difference between a good warrior and a great one. Don’t fight hard. Fight smart.”

Fletcher is a blacksmith’s adopted son and lives a plain and simple life until the day an old solider comes to Fletcher’s village, with him he brings a book. This book is special and in a tricky situation Fletcher uses it and summons a demon – he’s a summoner. Summoners are incredibly rare especially in commoners. But things turn bad when he almost causes a death and suddenly he’s on the run. That’s whe “That’s the difference between a good warrior and a great one. Don’t fight hard. Fight smart.”

Fletcher is a blacksmith’s adopted son and lives a plain and simple life until the day an old solider comes to Fletcher’s village, with him he brings a book. This book is special and in a tricky situation Fletcher uses it and summons a demon – he’s a summoner. Summoners are incredibly rare especially in commoners. But things turn bad when he almost causes a death and suddenly he’s on the run. That’s when he goes to the Adept Military Academy.

Fletcher is the orphan hero of this story and he’s a likeable character. He learns a lot on his journey and from his experiences which shows his character growth from this naïve village boy to this boy who’s got more knowledge on war, differences races and demons. The friendship of this book starts off weirdly as there’s this information dump of different characters at the same time and the people you assume will be his friends aren’t. But his friendship between Othello and Sylva was built up well as they all changed in a way to bond over a certain matter. However the fourth member of the group, Seraph was just pushed into the group way too late and you couldn't feel their friendship was whole as you don’t really get to know Seraph.

Othello is a dwarf and Sylva is an elf, the world in which the book is set is at war with Orcs and so different races are joining together to defeat their enemy. The book also dives into the issues with racism especially with the dwarves and their constant hounding even when they are in a respectable position.

With a lot of fantasy books the main character is always a ‘special’ person. Fletcher is special because of how he became a summoner and his demon but the other two main characters, Othello and Sylva are also special in a way. This is interesting as mainly the main character has traits that make him/her superior than the other characters especially their friends.

The story starts of really well with good pace and interesting start and slowly starts to quicken the pace as the school and other main themes occur. The writing style is good however I found there wasn’t enough world building but maybe that’s more for the sequel when we get more into the war (hopefully).

There was the typical competition/hatred between the classes – neither the nobles nor the commoners seemed to get along which at first seems like such a stereotype but near the end of the book you realise it’s important to the story.

The ending was just way too fast compared to the rest of the book and it seemed as if the author was rushing to fit everything in. However the ending was going on this typical route and I guessed what I thought to be the ending but then something happens which I didn’t expect.

Plus that cover is so nice and kickass! ...more

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Jan 18, 2015 Michelle (Spiderg1rl) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received this as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is also posted on www.spidersbookclub.com

The Novice by Taran Matharu is about a young boy named Fletcher. Fletcher is an orphan. He was abandoned at the city of Pelt's gates in the winter without a single item of clothing or even a blanket. He was lucky to be found by Berdon the town's blacksmith. After everyone was asked if they could take the baby in Berdon himself took Fletcher in.

I personally think Fletcher wa I received this as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is also posted on www.spidersbookclub.com

The Novice by Taran Matharu is about a young boy named Fletcher. Fletcher is an orphan. He was abandoned at the city of Pelt's gates in the winter without a single item of clothing or even a blanket. He was lucky to be found by Berdon the town's blacksmith. After everyone was asked if they could take the baby in Berdon himself took Fletcher in.

I personally think Fletcher was better off. Berdon treated him well and loved the boy. He could have been sent to an orphanage or taken on as a worker, forever in debt to his master, but our Fletcher was taken on by Berdon who taught him to read, to hunt and even a part of his trade.

Fletcher is about 15 in our tale that starts in Pelt but soon moves on. Fletcher comes across a book and this book was owned by a summoner. Most kids get tested at about his age to see if they have the power to summon however Fletcher lives so far out his village has never been tested. It is through luck and this book that Fletcher summons a ferret like demon, which takes him on the run to learn more about his new powers and help in the war against the orcs.

I love this world. Fletcher is a good character but so are the main characters. These are essentially Fletcher's best friends. Othello, the first dwarf summoner and Sylva the first elf summoner in a very long time. Fletcher and another boy Seraph are really the only friends the dwarf and elf are friends with even though really their hopes are to unite their people with the humans. Sylva tried, she really did but it turns out that one boy from a little village is the only one that can put aside petty indifference from centuries of misunderstandings and see past that to the person in front of him. In many ways Fletcher himself proves there are those out there who don't discriminate against a race but rather a person if they have gained a reason to be disliked, not because they are of a certain race.

This alone says alot about the world and the sort of obstacles many face. Unless you are of noble birth your life is hard and even in the school learning about Summoning you are seen as a lesser being due to being a commoner. Only in the last 20-30 years have commoners been tested due to nobles believing they alone can summon. To summon is to lead the battle against the orcs as a commander or a general or some other sort of high commission. It makes sense the nobles wouldn't want to give that up. Traditions are hard to break. Although it's not what Fletcher is there to do it would appear just by befriending a dwarf and a his entire family and an elf he himself is bringing about a change.

Can he change everything though? With people hating him at every turn for the way his mind works, Fletcher who never asked for any of this is in a world that isn't ready for him or his ideas. The real question is will they cope, can they manage to see what he does is worth doing or will they always shun him for his hope at a better place.

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know what to expect from this title and I was gripped. I loved every moment in this book and the only reason I'm giving 4 stars is because there were so many time skips and it's fair if there wasn't much to tell in that time period but to lose 3 months of them training and getting closer to one another I felt a little cheated. This book is designed for kids and as such I can see why they don't want to bore anyone but I personally would liked to have seen more of that three months instead of deciding a plan and then going straight to the day before the plan is executed.

There is so much more to come in the next book I really was gutted I didn't have the next one especially with the cliffhanger. I highly recommend this title and hope if you give it a chance you like it as much as I do. ...more

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Mar 01, 2015 Alfie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I borrowed an ARC from my friend and couldn't put it down! It’s like a mix of Harry Potter, LOTR and Pokemon, whilst still having its own unique world and a plot that keeps you reading until the very last page. Can't wait to own a copy for myself..

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Jul 16, 2017 Tammie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: trilogy, ya-fantasy, fantasy, series-completed, fantasy-buddy-reads, high-fantasy, young-adult

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Does anyone want more from this series?	4	23	Apr 18, 2019 05:56PM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: The Novice- Matharu [March 9, 2019]	1	3	Mar 11, 2019 10:45PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Book with a boy of the cover, one word title. [s]	5	20	Nov 06, 2018 12:18PM
Perustopia Book Club: September 2018 Book of the Month discussion!	19	458	Sep 17, 2018 11:12AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Novice, by Taran Matharu - Restarting January 21st 2018	74	156	Jan 20, 2018 01:39AM

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About Taran Matharu

Taran Matharu

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Taran Matharu is the New York Times bestselling author of the Summoner series, which has been translated into 15 languages and has sold over a million copies in English. He was born in London in 1990.

Taran began to write the SUMMONER series in November 2013 at the age of 22, taking part in ‘Nanowrimo 2013’ and sharing his work on Wattpad.com. The shared sample of the story went viral, reaching ove ...more