ABANDONED. book about a girl who has magic and studies it, three books

[Eleanor]

I remember there being three books to this series, probably YA. The first book I think she goes to study magic, or isn't allowed to study magic. But she meets a boy and she has a cat, I think. Some things start to go wrong and she has to leave the castle. In the second book she lives with a religious group? and travels the sea for some reason and meets a magic sea creature? I am not sure I read these ages ago. In the third book I think she came back and she and the boy defeated the problem in a big room with mist and statues.
Please help!

[Dawn]

So You Want to Be a Wizard? There's more than 3, but Deep Wizardry has the magic sea creature and underwater travels.

there's also a boy, and sometimes a cat in this series

[Eleanor]

No, it's not that series. Thanks though!

[Marie]

check out the Tamora Pierce books. I just read them and this all sound familiar.

[Eleanor]

I'm familiar with her work and they aren't by her, thank you for the suggestion. I hope you enjoy her books as much as I do!

[Libby]

Is the first book called "Sabriel"?

[Eleanor]

It's not by Garth Nix, thanks anyway!

[Justine]

Could it be the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman? The first book is The Golden Compass, the second is The Subtle Knife and the third is The Amber Spyglass?
Good luck!

[Amanda]

?

[Justine]

oooooh! that looks really good! :)

[Eleanor]

Thanks everyone, but unfortunately it's none of those books! it's been driving me crazy trying to remember

[Tess]

Poison Study I'm not sure, but could it be this series? She's not allowed to do magic, but she travels to the forest not an ocean in the second one, and I don't remember how the third one ends. Your description sounds really familiar but looking through my books that's the only trilogy where the girl isn't allowed to do magic that I have on my shelves.

[Eleanor]

Tess wrote: "Poison Study I'm not sure, but could it be this series? She's not allowed to do magic, but she travels to the forest not an ocean in the second one, and I don't remember how the third one ends. ..."

It's not the Poison Study, she may or may not have been allowed to do magic, I can't remember. Did you have any other books that even remotely fitted the description? thank you so much for your help :)

[Eleanor]

I've remembered something else about it. I think there are elements (spirit type things) that come through to their world when summoned, and the girl can summon them but it can be good, and as they find out also very dangerous. She can communicate with them

[Tess]

maybe Jacqueline Carey's Naamah's Kiss?
Or, not really at all, but The Summoning

[Eleanor]

Tess wrote: "maybe Jacqueline Carey's Naamah's Kiss?
Or, not really at all, but The Summoning"

Both published too late, I remember reading the trilogy well before 2005. Thanks again!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Mercedes Lackey as the author maybe? She has elementals in several of her series, altho I don't remember anything specifically like the OP describes. But its an option she might want to check out.

[Andria]

Total guess here, but what about Sherwood Smith's Wren series, starting with Wren to the Rescue.

Do you remember when you read them or what the covers looked like?

[Eleanor]

Neither of those ones, but thank you. I remember the covers being very plain, with a focal image in the centre. I wish I could remember what they were! I'd love to read them again

[Amy K]

Wise Child/Juniper/Colman by Monica Furlong?

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

[Eleanor]

Amy wrote: "Wise Child/Juniper/Colman by Monica Furlong?

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/..."
Unfortunately not, but thank you very much

[Andria]

What about Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn series? The first one has a girl, a castle, and a cat on the cover of the reissued edition.

Other possibilities:
Alison Croggon's Pellinor series. The first one,The Naming was originally published as "The Gift" in Australia, with a different, simpler cover.

Kate Constable's Tremaris series. Starting with The Singer of All Songs

[Nikki]

It doesn't entirely fit with everything but Rachel Aaron's series has a lot elementals.
And if you haven't read Alison Croggon, you totally should. The Pellinor series is amazing!

[Eleanor]

Wow four suggestions and it's none of those! Have I just dreamed this book up? there's a possibility it could have been independently published in my country, I'm not sure.

Thanks so much for the help, hope you have some more ideas about what it is.

[Eleanor]

Nikki wrote: "It doesn't entirely fit with everything but Rachel Aaron's series has a lot elementals.
And if you haven't read Alison Croggon, you totally should. The Pellinor series is amazing!"

Yeah, thanks! I probably will get around to reading them, they do sound amazing.

[Eden]

Is it A School for Sorcery? There are 3 books in the series and it's by E. Rose Sabin.

[Eleanor]

Eden wrote: "Is it A School for Sorcery? There are 3 books in the series and it's by E. Rose Sabin."

Nope that's not it, thank you

[Dinsdale]

It's not quite what you describe but could it be Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce or any of the others in that series? There's a religious community and a group of children who study magic. There's a second series of books about them and they travel away from the monastery.

[Eleanor]

Dinsdale wrote: "It's not quite what you describe but could it be Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce or any of the others in that series? There's a religious community and a group of children who study magic. There's a..."

Nope sorry! Already had this suggestion. Thanks anyway! Isn't Tamora Pierce great, though?

[Cheryl]

not likely, but as we're stuck I'll throw out: Flora Segunda

[Eleanor]

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "not likely, but as we're stuck I'll throw out: Flora Segunda"

nope, but thank you

[Jo]

Could the author be Trudi Canavan? Perhaps her Black Magician Trilogy?

[Jo]

or perhaps Diana Pharaoh Francis' Crosspointe books?

[Eleanor]

Jo wrote: "or perhaps Diana Pharaoh Francis' Crosspointe books?"

uh oh neither of them, thanks anyway

[Jonquil]

Dawn Cook's First Truth, Hidden Truth, Forgotten Truth?

[Andria]

I just came across this possibility: Elissa's Quest - first book in the Phoenix Rising trilogy. I think there's a voyage by boat in the second book, Elissa's Odyssey

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Eleanor, are you still looking for this series? Was it something mentioned @35-36?

[Amber]

Maybe the SO MOTE IT BE series? Author is Isobel Bird

[Js700]

Looks like Tamora Pierce:

Alanna: The First Adventure
In the Hand of the Goddess
Lioness Rampant

[Merrilee]

OP already said not Tamora Pierce and the Alanna series is four books. You forgot The Woman Who Rides Like a Man. Though it does have some similarities to Alanna's story.

This sounds good. I'll keep my eyes open too!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

No response from Eleanor since 2012. Moving to Abandoned.

[Julianna]

Did you ever find the book??? In the first book is there some kind of paintballish fight game and she wins but I definitely think I've read the book your talking about! I could b wrong and mixing up books but isn't she stuck in this dungeon underground and escapes with this guy in the very beginning?