The Magician's Apprentice
category: fantasy, author:Trudi Canavan
book 0 (prequel) of Black Magicianoriginal copyright 2009
read in May 2012
Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10: read to pass the time
So there are a certain number of situations which must be created. Situations involving two countries, a hidden sanctuary, a magicians' guild, various other minor countries, people and groups. A complex set-up.
A bit too complex.
For the first half of the book I am wondering why there are several apparently unrelated groups, each following their own adventures. Okay, one group is invading, another being invaded. What about the family and friends in the city which is the home town of the invaders? How do they link in?!
There is also a problem with the building suspense...
We -- the readers -- know that there is an invasion happening. That it will begin near the home of the heroes. The heroes suspect the same. So what do they do? They head off to town -- a week's travel away from home... Then spend several days shopping, gossiping, visiting.
Okay, it is realistic. There is no definite proof of an invasion. The trip to the city is an annual event. What else should they do?! As a reader, though, I am wondering if ever there will be any definite action...
This is a saga rather than a novel... A saga of a world being changed. A world which is, as we start reading, new and unusual. To us. We are given a tour, plus a description of the slow but steady development of the world knowledge of (in particular) the heroine.
All very interesting. Just a little bit boring. Boring to me, that is; this world saga approach is standard fare for fantasy epics. Sometimes it works well. For me, Apprentice begins too slowly.
The battles -- when they finally begin -- are just a little bit... unusual. That's good, it's a direct result of the style of magic in this world. Yet it makes me think, Surely this is an ideal situation for cannon fodder? Especially for the bad guys: throw hundreds of "expendables" at the enemy in order to use up their available fire power. Ah well, I'm not the general.
Finally, in the second half of the book, it all begins to fall into place.
The amateurish disagreements within the "army" begin to make sense. In fact, they become an essential part of the story. The various characters gradually move together...
Except for the family and friends group... They have an essential part to play (in this prequel) yet they barely impact on the other characters. A minor tiff in passing, then they move on. It's difficult to set up so many essential situations, all within one book!
My last post was also of a prequel to a trilogy, a review of Vincalis the Agitator. In that review I decided that there was more required material than would fit comfortably in one book. But not enough interest for a second book. Apprentice also has more required material than will easily fit in one book. But...
Slow as it is, Apprentice could easily have been split into two books. The invasion is worth a book on its own. (Perhaps with a bit more interest up front!) The founders of the secret sanctuary -- the "family and friends" -- is worth its own book. Perhaps set in an even earlier time -- there is no strong reason why the sanctuary has to be formed "now". Okay, there is not enough material -- as is -- for a full book. But the storyline just does not fit well with the rest of the book.
So that's my opinion! Easy enough for me to say, I could not have written a book as good :-)
This is an enjoyable book. Constrained by its role as a prequel. Slow start. Quite fun and a satisfactory ending... Something to read, to pass the time.
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