The Rogue / The Traitor Queen - Trudi Canavan

Living among the Sachakan rebels, Lorkin does his best to learn about their unique magic. But the Traitors are reluctant to trade their secrets for the Healing they so desperately want.

Meanwhile, Sonea searches for the rogue, knowing that Cery cannot avoid assassination forever --- but the rogue's influence over the city's underworld, however, is far greater than she feared.

And in the University, two female novices are about to remind the Guild that sometimes their greatest enemy is found within... 

My thoughts:

Yet another character gets dragged into the series. Ok, so nothing wrong with many POVS, just they all gets so few pages. I got used to it, but it would have been better with longer stories.

Right so Sonea was a bit dull in this one. She is still trying to find that rogue. But nothing really happens to her.

Lorkin is with the traitors. They are women who wants an equal society, right so that is why men are below you all? I would leave, he is just too nice.

Then there is the new girl, Lilia, an easy manipulated fool who gets in trouble at the academy. Her I did not like, nor her new friend.

Darryl is doing his ambassador business, I like him cos he is searching for answers.

Then there are characters here and there....

Not a lot happened. Looking for that Rogue, dealing with traitors, silly girls doing silly things. Still I do want to know how it all will end. But it did stagnate a bit

Cover

Someone likes hoods and staffs

Paperback, 523 pages
Published April 1st 2012 by Orbit (first published 2011)
Traitor Spy Trilogy #2
Fantasy
Own

Events are building to a climax in Sachaka as Lorkin returns from his exile with the Traitor rebels. The Traitor Queen has given Lorkin the huge task of brokering an alliance between his people and the Traitors. Lorkin has also had to become a feared black magician in order to harness the power of an entirely new kind of gemstone magic. This knowledge could transform the Guild of Magicians - or make Lorkin an outcast forever.

My thoughts:

Even this book left an opening for more, arghhhh. I just want to close a book and think the end.

But no, everything is fine, but there might be something coming, maybe not now, but maybe in 20 years, maybe never, but it might.

Sonea does not do much. And she has Regin with her, but that i liked.

Lorkin does not do much, but he might finally get the woman he loves.

Lilia does do something, and gets bullied too. Repeat much?

Dannyl worries.

The whole "war" went way too fast, way too easy, sheesh peeps, why did you not do that 500 years ago if it happened in like a week? More death and destruction please.

I do not trust the traitors....

I do wonder about that loose thread, will something happen? So she really should write another trilogy.

I still miss Akkarin, sigh.

Conclusion:

But good, light and fast read fantasy.

Paperback, 539 pages
Published July 30th 2013 by Orbit (first published 2012)
Traitor Spy Trilogy #3
Fantasy
own

The Ambassador's Mission - Trudi Canavan

Half the Thieves in the city are dead and nothing can account for the randomness and the inventiveness of each death. 

Sonea, a Black Magician of Kyralia, knows that she is needed to help hunt down the rogue magician killing the Thieves. But Sonea has problems of her own. Her son is now the assistant to the new Guild Ambassador of Sachaka and will be in deadly danger when he sets foot on their ancient enemy's soil. As a Black Magician, however, her every action is watched - and monitored. Any attempt to leave the city will result in her exile, and lose her any chance of helping her friends - or her son. 

My thoughts:

I like Canavan's books (well except that one bad one), but the rest I like for their simplicity. Old school fantasy. Adventures, politics, hidden agendas and spies.

This book takes place 20 years or so after the Black Magician trilogy. Sonea is a healer, she is not allowed to leave the city and black magic is still bad. I did see that she had grown up so that was nice. She was mature and thought about her actions. In this book she tries to hunt down a rogue in the city.

Her son Lorkin was, well naive, but maybe he was meant to be. So was she once upon a time. And he has his own adventure among the Black magicians in another country. I can't say I am too worried about him even though he is a tricky situation. He seems to have a calm head on his shoulders.

All in all, nice characters, an interesting story and enough to keep me wanting more. Canavan's books never hit that awesome spot for me, but for some reason I keep coming back for more, this being like the 7th book by her I have read in a year 0_0. They are just fun.  I really enjoy them, and I read them fast.

Conclusion:

Enjoyable

cover

meh

Paperback, 512 pages
Published April 1st 2011 by Orbit
Traitor Spy Trilogy #1
Fantasy
Own

#BookBlogWalkers: Last Weekly Check-In December 26 2014 #FitReaders + fantasy review

This challenge is organized by Felicia over at the Geeky Blogger's Book Blog

Sat, no idea, I did not write it down on twitter :/
Sun, 40 min walk + 45 min walk
Mon, 40 min walk
Tue, 1 hour walk
Wed, 45 min walk
Thu, 50 min walk
Fri, 1.25 h walk

Good week as I walked on Xmas (that is Xmas Eve) and the day after when we celebrated at my parents. No biking as I am on vacay ;)

Join us for next year when the challenge changes name! :)

...........................................

Her heroism saved a village from destruction; now Auraya has been named Priestess of the White. The limits of her unique talents must be tested in order to prove her worthy of the honor and grave responsibility awarded to her. But a perilous road lies ahead, fraught with pitfalls that will challenge the newest servant of the gods. An enduring friendship with a Dreamweaver—a member of an ancient outcast sect of sorcerer-healers—could destroy Auraya's future. And her destiny has set her in conflict with a powerful and mysterious, black-clad sorcerer with but a single purpose: the total annihilation of the White. And he is not alone . . . 

My thoughts:

Oh it was so freaking boring! After page 100 I started to skim cos I could not read on when NOTHING happened, 600 pages of nothing.

The heroine, Au whatever was perfect. Happy, kind, beautiful, gods, could she be more boring? I did not enjoy reading about her.

The rest of the cast, forgettable. Only one person in the ENTIRE book stood out, a witch, she was the only character that had been developed.

The book was about..something, they talked and did nothing a lot.

And then there were the constant POV changes. I do not mind many POVS. But through out the entire book: A few pages with one POV, new paragraph new POV etc. I could be reading and then what new POV? When did that happen? It was messy.

I will not read more, I do not recommend it. And YES it would be a DNF if I had not bought the book this week! Darn it.

Paperback, 608 pages
Published December 27th 2005 by Harper Voyager
Age of the Five #1
Fantasy
own

Thief's Magic - Trudi Canavan

In a world where an industrial revolution is powered by magic, Tyen, a student of archaeology, discovers a sentient book in an ancient tomb. Vella was once a young sorcerer-maker, until she was transformed into a useful tool by one of the greatest sorcerers of history. Since then she has been gathering information, including a vital clue to the disaster Tyen’s world faces.

Elsewhere, in a land ruled by the priests since a terrible war depleted all but a little magic, Rielle the dyer’s daughter has been taught that to use magic is to steal from the Angels. Yet she knows from her ability to sense the stain it leaves behind that she has a talent for it, and that there are people willing to teach her how to use it, should she ever need to risks the Angels’ wrath.

Further away, a people called the Travelers live their entire lives on the move, trading goods from one world to another. They know that each world has its own store of magic, reducing or increasing a sorcerer’s abilities, so that if one entered a weak world they may be unable to leave it again. Each family maintains a safe trading route passed down through countless generations and modified whenever local strife makes visiting dangerous. But this is not the only knowledge the Travelers store within their stories and songs, collected over millennia spent roaming the universe. They know a great change is due, and that change brings both loss and opportunity. 

My thoughts:

It was different, but then fantasy mixed with industrialism always is. Flying cars + magic, makes it different. 

The book has 2 POVS, 2 worlds. First there is Tyen, a student of magic and sometimes archaeologist (well grave robber). Here they use magic for a lot as technology has made it into the world, but it does not work by its own means, but by magic. Tyen was somewhat grey at times, he was a follower, but he finds his way. And grows a bit of backbone.

The other world was actually more interesting. Here priests rule and if you use magic you are brought somewhere else and probably killed. In This world we have Rielle, whose family is trying to better their status. I must confess that she was grey at times too. She was a follower, but like Tyen she finds her own way too. With quite a bang, for her at least.

That world grew even more interesting at the end when I learned some hidden truths. While Tyen's world was a bit too modern, not in a bad way, but they were all yes magic, but haha, oh silly magic, we use you. They did not think of their actions.

I guess these two will eventually meet, as there are more than one dimension or whatever and it's possible to travel between. If you have lots of magic that is, and knows how too. Other than that I do not really know what will happen.

Conclusion:

At the end, well it was good, still it also felt like it lacked something, but it was good enough and I'd read more.

Cover

Meh

Hardcover, 553 pages
Published May 13th 2014 by Orbit
Millennium’s Rule #1
Fantasy
Library

The Magician's apprentice - Trudi Canavan

Taking place hundreds of years before the events of "The Magicians' Guild, The Magician's Apprentice "is the new novel set in the world of Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. 

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 hours are long and the work arduous, but soon an exciting new world opens up to her. There are fine clothes and servants and - to Tessia's delight - regular trips to the great city of Imardin.  However, Tessia is about to discover that her magical gifts bring with them a great deal of responsibility. For a storm is approaching that threatens to tear her world apart.

My thoughts:

So this is a prequel to the Black Magician books, but you can read it before, you can read it afterwards.

But yes it does remind me a bit of The Black Magician books. Character wise and story wise. It took the same path, but eh, I could still read it.

It's about Tessia who finds out she is a magician. She gets to learn magic and then the adventure really starts. Bad magicians on the move. War, death, loss. 

One thing I did not like was that suddenly after half the book (and this is a big book!) another POV showed up and I was all what? When did this happen? A half Sachakan (the bad guys) who shows us life there. Which was interesting, but even at the end I was all wtf is her point? There is no point to her story. Was is something I read in the BM series? God knows. 

Conclusion:

A good fantasy book. The story began and ended. That's rare so for once, yay, no more.

cover

eh

Paperback, 702 pages
Published April 1st 2010 by Orbit (first published 2009)
The Black Magician Trilogy 0.5
Fantasy
Library

The Novice / The High Lord - Trudi Canavan

Alone among all the novices in the Magicians' Guild, only Sonea comes from lowly beginnings. Yet she has won powerful allies—including Lord Dannyl, newly promoted to Guild Ambassador. But Dannyl must now depart for the Elyne court, leaving Sonea at the mercy of the lies and malicious rumors her enemies are busy spreading. .. until the High Lord Akkarin steps in. The price of Akkarin's support is dear, however, because Sonea, in turn, must protect his mysteries—and a secret that could lead a young novice mage deep into the darkness. Meanwhile, Dannyl's first order to resume High Lord Akkarin's long-abandoned research into ancient magical knowledge is setting him on an extraordinary journey fraught with unanticipated peril—as he moves ever-closer to a future both wondrous . .. and terrible.

My thoughts:

This book dealt with bullying and it was horrible reading at times. My heart really went out to Sonea. Kids can be so cruel! Taunting, physical abuse, they never stopped it just got worse. Oh how I wished she had thrown them off a roof. But anything she would have done would not have worked. Others believed the bully first. I hope he dies a fiery death.

Yes so the first year at the university for magic is hard. Not to mention that she must avoid the High Lord as she knows he likes black magic. Things will not be easy for her. 

Another character goes on a journey to look for hidden clues about the dark one, and here the book also addresses homosexuality. One country firmly opposed it, one country was not against it, but not for it either and a third he visits do not mind it. It was different. She sure brought forth some issues in this one.

Conclusion:

Still it was a light book that I could read fast.

Cover

Pretty sure that is a man, one would think Sonea could be on the cover

Paperback, 577 pages
Published July 1st 2004 by Orbit (first published 2002)
The Black Magician Trilogy #2
Fantasy
own

Sonea has learned much since she was but a penniless urchin possessing an awesome untapped ability. She has earned the grudging respect of her fellow novices and a place in the Magicians' Guild. But there is much she wishes she had never learned—what she witnessed, for example, in the underground chamber of the mysterious High Lord Akkarin . . . and the knowledge that the Guild is being observed closely by an ancient fearsome enemy.

Still, she dares not ignore the terrifying truths the High Lord would share with her, even though she fears it may be base trickery, a scheme to use her astonishing powers to accomplish his dark aims. For Sonea knows her future is in his hands—and that only in the shadows will she achieve true greatness . . . if she survives.

My thoughts:

How much can I say without spoiling it all? In this book we learn something big about Akkarin, Sonea's master. And something I did not see coming happened. I was all what?! Huh, ok I can deal with this. This is actually pretty good. Yes I went through some emotions here. And the end, that was the one part I did not like. It only made me sad.

Ok I am supposed to say anything? Something big happens...this is really hard. I can't say anything. Oh forget it all. I will try something else instead.

Characters: Sonea is good. I got surprised cos I started to like Akkarin.

Story. Like I said, big things are happening and there is quite the showdown.

Conclusion: I saw that there is another series about Sonea taking part like 20 years after this or something. I do want to read that one too. I'd like to see how Sonea fares :)

Conclusion

Good, light fantasy

Cover

In this one Sonea gets to be on the cover, but she is dressed like some kind of courtesan

Paperback, 531 pages
Published August 31st 2004 by Harper Voyager (first published December 18th 2002)
The Black Magician Trilogy #3
Fantasy
Own

Review: The Magicians' Guild - Trudi Canavan + new blog look

This year, like every other, the magicians of Imardin gather to purge the city of undesirables. Cloaked in the

protection of their sorcery, they move with no fear of the vagrants and miscreants who despise them and their work—until one enraged girl, barely more than a child, hurls a stone at the hated invaders... and effortlessly penetrates their magical shield.

What the Magicians' Guild has long dreaded has finally come to pass. There is someone outside their ranks who possesses a raw power beyond imagining, an untrained mage who must be found and schooled before she destroys herself and her city with a force she cannot yet control.

My thoughts:

 I am not gonna say much, I have a fever (at the time when I wrote this, not now)  and I still want to finish this review.

It was a nice fantasy tale about a young girl on the run as she is discovered to be a magician. She is scared they will kill her. We do get to see the conflicts in society that way. Not all is well, actually some have it really crappy.

So we have a story about running for your life. I liked the main characters and after I finished I did want more. It seemed like a nice world and I wonder how it will turn out for Sonea.

cover

eh

The Black magican trilogy #1
Paperback, 467 pages
Published January 31st 2004 by Orbit (first published October 24th 2001)
Source: own

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You notice anything different? Take a look around, yes new blog look :D I have wanted a change for a while now but honestly I suuuuuuck at this kind of stuff, so I reached out to the angel who helped me in the beginning and several times afterwards and she listened to my ideas that were all over the place. So thank you Blog angel :)

lol