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A Crucible of Souls

(Sorcery Ascendant Sequence #1)

Mitchell Hogan (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · Rating details · 7,194 ratings · 460 reviews

When Caldan’s parents are brutally slain, he is raised by monks and taught the arcane mysteries of sorcery.

Vowing to discover for himself who his parents really were, and what led to their violent end, he is thrust into the unfamiliar chaos of city life. With nothing to his name but a pair of mysterious heirlooms and a handful of coins, he must prove his talent to earn an ...more

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Published September 22nd 2015 by Harper Voyager (first published July 1st 2013)

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Aug 09, 2016 Petros Triantafyllou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Petros by: Kitvaria Sarene

Having recently finished with Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy (grimdark with a little dose of grimdark, adding some grimdark on the top) i was looking for something lighter to read. I requested some recommendations on a fb group of Fantasy Readers, and they didn't fail to deliver. Among other works of famous authors (including books of Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan etc), A Crucible of Souls caught by eye (recommended by Kitvaria).
Reading the blurb i decided this was what i was looki Having recently finished with Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy (grimdark with a little dose of grimdark, adding some grimdark on the top) i was looking for something lighter to read. I requested some recommendations on a fb group of Fantasy Readers, and they didn't fail to deliver. Among other works of famous authors (including books of Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan etc), A Crucible of Souls caught by eye (recommended by Kitvaria).
Reading the blurb i decided this was what i was looking for. After all, it was supposed to feature my favorite fantasy scheme. A young protagonist apprentices himself in a military/magic school, and proceeds to become the greatest mage/fighter the world has ever seen (Noticeable examples with this scheme: Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss).
Well, finishing the book, i can tell you with certainty that it doesn't even slightly reflect these stories. And i'm so happy it doesn't!

A Crucible of Souls is a fast pacing, yet relaxing and enjoyable read, featuring a mix number of archetypes, connotations and symbolisms, skilfully combined to present the inner troubles of the young Protagonist, trying to survive in a harsh and unknown to him environment, while having to earn his living, and eventually protect himself and those around him from a despicable evil.

"His masters always said if you were resolute and your spirit strong you could not fail. Correct in theory, but reality has a way of turning you on your head and making a fool of you sometimes"

The world building on the first book is deliberately kept at a rather low ebb (it will probably be expanded and explained in the second), focusing instead on the character development (The characters seemed rather flat at the beginning, but after the first 100 pages we get to see emotions,
thoughts & decisions reflecting the society's structure) and exceptionally developed magic system (giving a pseudo-science feel to it).
Finally, it's worth mentioning that the book ends with a huge cliffhanger, so you should probably order the second book before you finish the first, for a fast and smooth transition.

All in all, A Crucible of Souls is a great story from a relatively new author, that you should definitely add to the TOP-5 of your TBR list. Recommended to all fantasy readers.

You can find more of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu/ ...more

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Apr 27, 2015 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasy

Have I told you how much I HATE cliffhangers???? HAVE I?!?!?!?

Well if I haven't, I HATE CLIFFHANGERS.

Takes deep breath, swigs from Coca-Cola, takes another deep breath...breaths out. Gets control of self

There, that said this is an excellent, even exceptional book. Now I've seen some lower ratings. I've seen the "there's nothing new here" complaint. Okay, well I think there is at least a hint of "newness". While actual New plots and characters are almost impossible to come by after a few thousan Have I told you how much I HATE cliffhangers???? HAVE I?!?!?!?

Well if I haven't, I HATE CLIFFHANGERS.

Takes deep breath, swigs from Coca-Cola, takes another deep breath...breaths out. Gets control of self

There, that said this is an excellent, even exceptional book. Now I've seen some lower ratings. I've seen the "there's nothing new here" complaint. Okay, well I think there is at least a hint of "newness". While actual New plots and characters are almost impossible to come by after a few thousand years of oral and written stories every now and then somebody manages to assemble all the parts just right and get a "different take" on the wizard, sorcerer, magic system, or whatever and it all just seems to come together.

Of course that said this will also be a matter of taste. I get that. BUT, if you find that your taste in books has in the past been close to mine...well I think this is an exceptional read. (Of course by the same token if you have found in the past you mostly disagree with my taste that could be a different thing...but possibly still useful to you.)

So what do we have here? For me after a long string of mediocre reads I started this one (it has been on my "to be read" list/shelf for some time). I have mentioned in the past that as a "general rule" I don't care for coming of age tales. That said it has become apparent to me that when I come across a coming of age tale done right it often ends up on my favorites shelf. This is also a tale of that type. We meet our young protagonist when his life is being forced into a change he doesn't want. Events that are out of his control force him away from the home he's always known. He discovers facts about his past and his family he was not aware of. He also begins to be aware of some odd facts about himself.

Now on the surface that does sound like the young hero finds his destiny plot line we've seen before...and there is a taste of that. But here it drew me in and didn't let go.

Look if you find you love chocolate cake do you avoid all other dishes that happen to be chocolate because the flavor isn't a new one?

This is an excellent book, I give it my highest rating...and I'm going to Audible right after I finish this review to download the next in the series. I'm doing that because it ends in a cliffhanger.

Have I told you how much I HATE cliffhangers?

Yeah, I hate cliffhangers. ...more

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Sep 28, 2015 Bookwraiths rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: d-n-f

I'm setting this one to the side. Right now it is just not working for me. Not that it is a bad book, because it is not, rather it isn't a good fit for my current mood . . . which is that I want something different, not another gifted orphan training at a sorcery school who seems to enchant everyone he comes into contact with.

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Aug 18, 2014 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When young Caldan's parents are brutally slain, the boy is raised by monks who initiate him into the arcane mysteries of sorcery.

Growing up plagued by questions about his past, Caldan vows to discover who his parents were, and why they were violently killed. The search will take him beyond the walls of the monastery, into the unfamiliar and dangerous chaos of city life. With nothing to his name but a pair of mysterious heirlooms and a handful of coins, he must prove his talent to become apprenti ...more

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Sep 26, 2015 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was original and very well delivered. No information dumping in sight, which is no mean feat when setting up a new magic system and delivering all the elements you need in a complex story to take it forward into the next book.

There were a few things that niggled..but I don't feel I can mention them because I think some if not all of them could easily be resolved by the end of the trilogy. I will say the pacing seemed slightly off at times...

This book provokes more questions than it provide ...more

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Aug 01, 2016 Solseit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I made a fuller review of the book here: http://aristeainwonderbooks.blogspot....
Please let me know what you think about it!

- - -
First and foremost, this was a surprise. I really did not know this book or the series and this was a buddy-read with some members of the Fantasy Buddy Reads.
And I was blown away.

The plot, the characters, the writing, the drama, the events - I think it is a great book. Most importantly, it has a spell: I was not able to put it down and I spent more of my Friday eve I made a fuller review of the book here: http://aristeainwonderbooks.blogspot....
Please let me know what you think about it!

- - -
First and foremost, this was a surprise. I really did not know this book or the series and this was a buddy-read with some members of the Fantasy Buddy Reads.
And I was blown away.

The plot, the characters, the writing, the drama, the events - I think it is a great book. Most importantly, it has a spell: I was not able to put it down and I spent more of my Friday evening (and night) and Saturday morning to finish it. If I had one small complaint is that the book finished in a sort of cliffhanger; hence I will need to pick the other books as quickly as possible - and this adds to my always-expanding TBR list! Yet, this is a good problem to have, especially as a book enthusiast.

The story itself is just told in a very unusual way - the amount of day-to-day detail could have made the book extremely boring, instead all these details just added depth to the book! It just works and I was really positively surprised. I also believe the writing is fairly smooth but I guess it helped me I also had the audio book and the telling of the story was compelling!

(view spoiler)

There is so much more I would like to cover though but I will refrain from it. In short, this is really a good book for those who love fantasy, magic and have a day or two free because you will not be able to put the book down if/when it grips you! ...more

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Oct 24, 2017 Scott rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was an exceptional book.

It had been on my radar for the past few years after it won a bunch of awards but I wanted to wait until the entire series was published before starting to read it and I'm glad I did because now I can go get the 2nd book right away and not have to wait years for him to write it.

At it's core it's a story we've all heard before that is ripe with tropes - orphaned kid, raised in monastery, exiled to the big city, apprenticed at a sorcerer's guild and then comes the Big ...more

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Oct 12, 2014 Jenna Kathleen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-reads, fantasy

I really liked Caldan's story from start to finish and it was quite a different take on a fantasy coming of age story. I thought we were going to be at the monastery for the whole book, watching Caldan learn (which I wouldn't have a problem with either), but the plot direction surprised me in a good way.

On the other hand, I really didn't like any of the other perspectives and found myself struggling through those chapters when they appeared. It took a lot of effort not to skim through them. All ...more

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Oct 12, 2016 Mark Medina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Very good

This is Avery good book. Not quite five star, but not too far away. Plenty of magic and mayhem. I am looking forward to the next book.

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Mar 22, 2015 Heather rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I find many fantasy books to be rather unimpressive. Few push the genre and many tag along on the typical themes. If only this book suffered from an unimaginative and over-used content I could have given it one more star. The main character is an orphan who suddenly gains magic powers. He's able to get out of scrapes through ingenuity. Let me guess - you've heard this theme before? Okay, so most fantasy readers love the same 'ol story so I guess this is the reason for the high ratings.

Characters ...more

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Jan 31, 2014 Marc Jentzsch rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Being easy to read shouldn't be a book's primary virtue, but that's really what this one has going for it. I really wanted to like it but it reads more like upper-tier fanfic than something that should have seen print.

The dialogue is the worst part. It's clunky, unbelievable and bland, just like the speakers of said dialogue. I don't expect every character to have a verbal tick but when none of them do at all, it's really hard to get past. A character has two methods for expressing personality: ...more

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Jul 10, 2015 Kitvaria Sarene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-no-subgenre, fantasy-all-subgenres

This was a really good and entertaining read!

I really clicked with the main character right away. The story was interesting, the characters well developed (though at times a bit stereotype with the male as the hero and the females often in need of being rescued, it gets better in the later books though!), the world believable and the magic was fun to read.

Why I only give four stars? First of, due to said stereotypes and secondly, a lot of the ideas I've read before. In fact I noticed quite a few ...more

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Dec 21, 2014 Jacob Cooper rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

As a fantasy author, I'm extremely critical of other fantasy works. Rarely do I find works outside of Sanderson, Rothfuss, Ryan or Martin in this genre that intrigue me on an author's level. The magic system here is well thought out and I look forward to its depth increasing in future books. The main character, Caldan, is very likeable as is Moranda (sp?). I wanted more development of the Protector master, Simmins (sp?) but that's a minor thing.

One thing I give high praise to this story for is ...more

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Jun 21, 2016 Scott Hitchcock rated it really liked it

Shelves: epic-fantasy

I sort of expected this to be the traditional wizard school story like a Harry Potter or Name of the Wind but it was surprising (view spoiler) in not following the norm. It was also much darker than I expected a few times which for me is a good thing.

A lot of loose ends left for the two books to come which I will be reading. Solid 4.5* effort. ...more

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Apr 14, 2015 The Pirate Ghost (Formerly known as the Curmudgeon) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, romance-in-the-folds, series, strong-roles-for-female-characters, colorful-supporting-characters, fantasy, epic-fantasy, good-read, really-good-read, recommended

A Crucible of Souls by Mitchel Hogan.

Okay, for those of you who don't read long reviews, here's the short of it...

4.5 stars. This is a return, for me as a reader, to the epic fantasy classics of old that I enjoyed so much as a child growing up. Tolkein, Brooks (yes, I'm one of the few and faithful here) Andre' Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley and a lot of other names that I have read the books of but few seem to remember. It is a polished story without the gritty feel of steampunk, which is a plus ...more

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Mar 14, 2017 Reggie Kray rated it it was amazing

Award winning. And with just cause. Reminiscent of another great novel. Just as exceptional in my opinion. Except this one didn't take ten years to complete.

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Jul 30, 2013 Mitchell Hogan added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy, science-fiction-fantasy, aurealis-awards-2013

UPDATE as at June 2015:
Unfortunately A Crucible of Souls is only available for pre-order at the moment, as I signed my series with Harper Voyager earlier this year. The new HV version comes out in September 2015. I wrote a blog post about it here: http://mitchellhogan.com/sorcery-asce...

If you would like to pre-order, here are some links:
Amazon ebook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RLVDGFC
Amazon paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062407244
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-cru...

2nd April 201 ...more

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Aug 17, 2016 Mark Halse rated it liked it

This was a reread in preparation for the release of the third book in this series however it seems that my original review had been deleted.

It's just as well because after this rereading I now believe my original review to be absolute rubbish. I still believe this book was well written but now I believe it to also be dreadfully boring. I almost couldn't finish it. I don't know if I was bored because I already knew what was going to happen or if I was a complete moron the first time I read this. ...more

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May 08, 2017 ijeoma Agbaje added it

Shelves: not-worth-it

Stopped at 14%.. This book reads like a children's novel, like Enid Blyton kinda children's book.. Not what i signed up for..
description

...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books, fiction-unfinished-series, fiction-fantasy

4/2 - When I saw this on the 'new books and recent returns' shelf my first thought was that it would be good, really good. But at the same time I knew from experience that books that look good can often turn out to be pretty average, or worse, and so was a little nervous of coming to the GR page because a number of times I've typed in the ISBN for my new book only to find it has an average rating of below 3.5. When I see such a low average rating it sometimes colours my opinion and I go into the 4/2 - When I saw this on the 'new books and recent returns' shelf my first thought was that it would be good, really good. But at the same time I knew from experience that books that look good can often turn out to be pretty average, or worse, and so was a little nervous of coming to the GR page because a number of times I've typed in the ISBN for my new book only to find it has an average rating of below 3.5. When I see such a low average rating it sometimes colours my opinion and I go into the book expecting it to be average or worse. I try not to let the opinion of others colour my judgement, but sometimes it's not that easy. So I was pretty ecstatic to see that this has an above four star average rating - no bad vibes are going to change my opinion on this one. So far I've only read the prologue, so no comment on the book yet. To be continued...

5/2 - Fantastic storytelling! All I've done today is read this book and do housework while dreaming about the moment when I'll be able to get back to reading this book. I think that's the mark of a five star book, when all you can think about is getting back to it. Right now, I'm holding onto that final star (or really, half star) until I see what the finale is like and how annoying the 'end of the first book in a series' cliff hanger is. There have been a couple of annoying editing/grammar problems, but I was way too busy reading to take not of where they were. Clearly, they weren't enough to dampen my enjoyment for longer than it took to finish the page. I have to get back to the book now, I just wanted to write a quick update before I finish it tonight/tomorrow morning. To be continued...

6/2 - I really loved this, it was even better than I was hoping it would be when I picked it up. There were lots of different characters who each had their with their own PoV, switching between Caldan (the main character) and one of the other PoV every few chapters. Sometimes the other PoVs were a little annoying because I wanted to keep with what was happening with Caldan, but what we learned from the more minor characters' PoVs did become useful and eventually most of the characters joined together into the same PoV, leaving the story less disjointed. You know, the worst thing about this book would have to be that my library doesn't already have a copy of the second book, Blood of Innocents. I've had to make a special order for it which means that I won't get it for some weeks. Boo!!!

PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge: A book with more than 500 pages ...more

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Mar 28, 2015 Jordan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I really wanted to like this book. The opening was strong and promised an equally inventive and yet classic feeling epic fantasy. . . . But then you get to the middle. The long long middle where you realize the main character is bland and the supporting characters poorly drawn. Where you meet random cliches to serve as proverbial redcoats to show us how awesome the main character is supposed to be. The saddest thing is that by the end it started to get good again. All this goes to make me feel t ...more

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Oct 15, 2014 Ojo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: the-crème-de-la-crème, best-magic-systems, underrated-books

I randomly downloaded this ebook and started reading it due to the attractiveness of its name and cover. But once I started, it wouldn't let go. It's been really long since a finished a book in less than four sittings. I finished this one in three. The writing is superb. It's fast paced. Doesn't dwell too much on minute details. Plus the language is 'urban', making reading it easy and fun unlike such extreme epic fantasy writers such as David Eddings. The book is a mixture of The Kingkiller Chro ...more

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Aug 19, 2014 Frank rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

No spoilers here.
I am amazed that this is a debut novel that was self published. This was a 4.5 star book. Another new voice in epic fantasy. We have been truly lucky in the past few years we have had some very talented authors arise, to name a few, Ryan, Staveley, Wexler, Sullivan, McClellan, in this genre. Hogan is another.
He has created several interesting characters, both villains and the good, including our likeable hero Caldan, with an interesting magic system, that reminded me a bit of S ...more

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Aug 10, 2016 Ricky rated it it was amazing

What a great book, it starts out as a coming of age story, then it changes. The book can be described as a coming of age story, pirate adventure, fantasy novel, and maybe even thriller. This book has so many elements that make it fresh and bring a new take on fantasy. Overall I truly enjoyed the book, word of warning the book is addicting and it leaves off in a cliffhanger.

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Nov 08, 2013 prk rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aurealis-awards

Raised by monks after the death of his family in a suspicious fire, Caldan receives an excellent education and magical training. Upon reaching adulthood he leaves the monastery to make his own way, and try and find out who his family was, and who he really is.

Life in Anasoma is nothing that Caldan's sheltered upbringing prepared him for, and he soon finds himself homeless and penniless. In desperation he seeks and gains an apprenticeship with the Sorcerer's Guild, despite being several years ol Raised by monks after the death of his family in a suspicious fire, Caldan receives an excellent education and magical training. Upon reaching adulthood he leaves the monastery to make his own way, and try and find out who his family was, and who he really is.

Life in Anasoma is nothing that Caldan's sheltered upbringing prepared him for, and he soon finds himself homeless and penniless. In desperation he seeks and gains an apprenticeship with the Sorcerer's Guild, despite being several years older than the rest of the apprentices.

While Caldan begins to settle down into his new life, make friends and investigate the mystery of his parents, an ancient evil is stirring, and soon will lay siege to Anasoma, once again throwing Caldan into the middle of chaos.

I very much enjoyed this novel and struggled to put it down, completing it in a single weekend.

While it's yet another take on the orphan boy with a mysterious destiny, Hogan manages to keep it interesting with a combination of enjoyable world building and constant tension, building to a suitable climax.

Most of the characters were well done, although one or two seemed a bit superfluous to the plot thus far, although I expect they'll come into their own in subsequent books.

The world building was quite complex and intricate, but it was well written as background, enhancing the story rather than over shadowing it. The magic system looks very interesting and well thought out, requiring effort and having consequences, which I always appreciate.

The plot was the main driver for the story, and it flowed in a logical but occasionally surprising manner, while maintaining consistency with the characters. I can see Hogan has a good story arc in place, one which will hopefully continue with the same clarity in future novels.

If you're a fan of the fantasy genre, then I'd definitely give this one a try. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book.

prk.

Disclaimer: Whilst I read this as a judge for the 2013 Aurealis Awards, this review is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging co-ordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
...more

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Nov 26, 2013 Donald Gower rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In a “Crucible of Souls,” book one of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence written by Mitchell Hogan, Caldan is a young sorcerer in the making. He has lived most his life with the monks at the monastery on his island because of a tragic incident when he was a child. Caldan is trained in the art of sorcery with the children of Nobles that have paid to go there to learn. Having no income, Caldan does manual labor around the monastery and helps out the monks as a way of earning his keep. Caldan is looked In a “Crucible of Souls,” book one of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence written by Mitchell Hogan, Caldan is a young sorcerer in the making. He has lived most his life with the monks at the monastery on his island because of a tragic incident when he was a child. Caldan is trained in the art of sorcery with the children of Nobles that have paid to go there to learn. Having no income, Caldan does manual labor around the monastery and helps out the monks as a way of earning his keep. Caldan is looked down upon by the other students for being able to be in the same classes as them but not have to pay. This causes conflict in the beginning of the book and will affect the later events including the manor Caldan is sent from the monastery.
Yet before Caldan is banished from the monastery, he is told that his parents were on the run, “ They were scared, thought Caldan. Afraid of what they’d left behind, and expecting to be found one day (Hogan 32).” Caldan is also given two rings. Left for him by his mother and father, these two rings could be the key to unlocking the mysteries of his parent’s brutal murder. Caldan seizes the opportunity of being banished to find out more about his families mysterious deaths. Caldan is thrown into a world totally unknown to him in this fiction novel. Not knowing who his parents really were and why he was left the mysterious heirlooms.
He decides to dig for the truth of the matter on who his parents really were and why they met their unfortunate fate, even if he must risk his life. With no place to live upon arrival, Caldan struggles to get by on his meager fortune. The author of this book, Mitchell Hogan, was hooked on fantasy once he read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy at age eleven. With a degree in Chemical Engineering and previously working for a pharmaceutical company, and then a bank. Hogan decided to follow his dreams and become a writer of fantasy novels.
Hogan portrays the theme of a character that is lost and needs to find or rediscover himself through Caldan. This book reminded me of another book I read when I was younger and like Hogan got me hooked on fantasy novels. “The Hobbit” and then the Lord of the Rings trilogy is like a crucible of souls in a sense of there being constant action in the book. Also the picture perfect description of scenes in the book were similar to when I read the Lord of the Rings and I could not help but try to view these scenes in my mind. I would recommend this book to people who like to imagine and read about the impossible. Also for people who want to escape their own world and view someone else’s hardships.
This book would be loved by any fantasy novel lover and should definitely be given a try. While reading this book I felt sad for Caldan. Not having any parents and to be thrown into an unknown world would probably scare me. But I also felt happy when Caldan found a job and made some friends, and started to get to know the city of Anasoma in which he was living in. I would rate this book five out of five stars because there was never a lame moment in the story and I just wanted to keep reading. Also because the end of the book is a cliffhanger and got me wondering what the next book will be like. If you are unsure about reading this book and have not read many fantasy novels, now is a good time to start because it is always good to expand your imagination and leave the real world for a little bit.
...more

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Feb 04, 2015 Mark Halse rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I struggled a bit with the rating for this book but settled on the four star rating. I don't believe in fractions of stars. A book either deserves a full star or it doesn't.

Although I am a bit sick of Wizard schools, this book was a good read. The main character, an exiled, highly talented boy-monk-wizard named Calden , is very compelling and I found it interesting to follow him on his journey to find his place in a new world. There were a few other POVs which were confusing. I still don't under ...more

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Dec 28, 2016 Lundos rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Poor first 15%-20%. Very poor characterisation and it seemed a bit forced. After letting Caldan, the main protagonist, leave the monastery where the story begins, the writing improves and then the plot expands in a very nice way. Unfortunately so does the view points (from only the main character to multiple characters). Most of these were not introduced beforehand and the effect is a negative flow in both reading experience and storytelling. A few of the new characters gets better and the use f ...more

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Jan 13, 2016 RG rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Initially started this and put it down for a later date. What a mistake!! I grew up reading Eddings and Gemmel. Mr Hogan here has produced a wonderful fantasy novel circa 90s feel. It has the typical boy growing into his own, the right level of magic/sorcery which is complicated to understand but also characters that you really understand. A great start to a new series from a local Aussie author!!

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Apr 04, 2015 Robin rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Oh, my goodness! I wanted to put this book down so many times while reading it but I kept thinking that it had to get better. IT DIDN'T! The ending was a cliffhanger... and lame. So much going on in the story that is unexplained and, frankly, that I didn't care about. Sorry, not to offend those who liked this but... urgh! That's all I can say.

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Fantasy Buddy Reads: A Crucible of Souls	88	28	Dec 04, 2016 09:49PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. (MAJOR SPOILER) Book about boy who was abandoned in a monastery. His mom bas brutally murdered but gave his son two rings. Both are powerful but one is made of bone. [s]	7	195	May 05, 2015 12:26PM
Making Connections: 1507. - A CRUCIBLE OF SOULS by Mitchell Hogan	1	32	Jul 31, 2013 02:52PM
Goodreads Librari...: Editions of "A Crucible of Souls"	2	19	Jul 27, 2013 09:00AM

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About Mitchell Hogan

Mitchell Hogan

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*** Signup to Mitchell's New Release mailing list to be the first to hear about new releases, and for bonus chapters of A Crucible of Souls! ***

When he was eleven, Mitchell Hogan was given the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to read, and a love of fantasy novels was born. He spent the next ten years reading, rolling dice, and playing computer games, with some school and univer ...more

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