Laurie
Written on Jan 13, 2018
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 gruelling lessons, training him as a battlemage 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 ...
- ISBN10 1444926640
- ISBN13 9781444926644
- Publish Date 5 May 2015
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 20 April 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Hachette Children's Group
- Imprint Hodder Children's Books
- Format Paperback (UK Trade)
- Pages 400
- Language English
Reviews
lauriesbookshelf
Written on Jan 13, 2018
Rinn
Written on Jun 16, 2016
Maybe I’ve just read so much fantasy that something has to be really unique to get my attention. Or maybe this book was just not that good.
From the very beginning, The Novice just felt like a generic fantasy novel: the protagonist a young boy who is ‘different’ from the others in his village, with unknown parentage. And then one day he discovers that he has a talent for summoning, and somehow ends up at a magical school. Yet the way in which he gets there is so coincidental, and I just had so many questions. It is mentioned so many times that new students are gifted a demon by a summoner on their arrival – but Fletcher just turns up with his. It is assumed it was gifted to him by Arcturus, the summoner who takes Fletcher to the school and who also teaches there, but no-one bothers to check whether he actually did, and neither does Arcturus correct them.
Basically, the requirements for getting into the school are never really explained – which is pretty much how it works throughout the entire book. There was a complete and utter lack of world-building: yep, it’s a fantasy world that has humans, orcs, elves and dwarves. That’s basically all I got. The four races don’t like each other, and orcs and humans are at war. Every single character was boring, flat and a stereotype – the hardy dwarves and snooty elves – and the whole thing was completely predictable, including the details of Fletcher’s heritage. And again, why are there so many fantasy worlds where women are second class citizens? There is all this fuss about how women are ‘finally’ allowed to be summoners. This is a FANTASY world. Even if you draw elements from medieval history, as many fantasy novels do, you don’t have to draw everything to make it more ‘realistic’ – especially as this is a book about magic and summoning demons. I certainly don’t remember learning about that in history class. The dialogue was stilted and awkward, and the writing boring and uninspiring. I love fantasy novels that paint a picture, authors that can summon vivid imagery of their imagined worlds with just a paragraph – but alas, The Novice is seriously lacking in any pretty prose.
Perhaps if I was younger – a LOT younger – and hadn’t read as many fantasy novels with which to compare this, I would have enjoyed it. As it is, it was a dull, predictable novel with no real heart or feeling.
tweetybugshouse
Written on Jan 18, 2016
wyvernfriend
Written on Jul 18, 2015
Still it did keep me up past my bedtime.
elysium
Written on Apr 27, 2015
I was positively surprised with this book. Somehow I was totally unaware that this was YA book and it still tuned out good.
Orphan boy finds out he can summon demons and goes to an academy, school that teaches summoners, there’s a war going on so they need everyone they can get. Nobles, commoners, dwarfs and elves. There is tension between nobles and well, everyone which escalates in a tournament where you can earn positions for the war.
I liked Fletcher and seeing him grow into his powers. He’s very loyal to his friends and isn’t afraid to stand up to bullies, the type you want to have on your side. He gets some hints about his biological parents and I can’t help but wonder if there’s something more to it and why he was abandoned.
One of my favourite part of the book was the demons. They all have different personalities, they are connected to their owners and can sense their emotions.
I can’t wait that they get out from the academy to the real world. We haven’t seen anything from the actual war against the orcs and I’m curious to see how that turns out.
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Apr 25, 2015
- I love a good fantasy particularly when the world and characters draw me in. Matharu’s tale grabbed me from page one with its Middle Earth Harry Potter vibe. Toss in magical creatures from the cute to the downright ugly, add a few Elves, Dwarfs, Demons and Humans, and you have the makings of a cool fantasy.
- Our protagonist is an orphaned boy who was taken in by a blacksmith in the village of Pelt. Bullied by the town’s wealthy children and one snot-head in particular he is a likable character from the onset. By accident and curiosity, Fletcher discovers he has the ability to summon demons from the Ether. An encounter with the local bully has him fleeing his home and fate has him attending the Adept Military Academy. Here he will train and learn the skills necessary to become a Summoner.
- The world has a Middle Earth vibe and it made me giddy. How demons are summoned reminded me of Lord of the Rings with its use of mana to summon their companion demons. Each Summoner has levels and this determines the type and quantity of demons they can possess. Sings “Gotta catch um all!” Yep, reminded me of Pokémon. We have feuds, alliances, social classes and power hungry nobles. The Orcs are winning the war and more Summoners are needed to stop them. This war has been going on for over three hundred years. Despite familiarity Matharu made it his own. Easy to read and evenly paced this is a great crossover book for non-fantasy fans looking to dabble. Twist, turns and power struggles kept me enthralled.
- I mentioned Harry Potter the academy brought forth those vibes from classrooms on demonology to casting spells and entering the Ether. The professors are odd ducks, and we even have an arse who does not like muggles, I mean commoners. Fletcher quickly befriends others and I enjoyed the different students and their different demons. The noble students were kind of cliché with their “we rule, you drool” attitude but each had distinct enough personalities.
- The Novice was such a fun read and I consumed it in just two sittings. This book originally published on Wattpad and over six millions folks read and loved the book. It is easy to see why. I will warn you once again the ending was climatic. Just when we were cheering Mathura dropped us a curve-ball that had my jaw dropping and my blood boiling. *shakes fist* There was a prequel, which I would love to read for the history of this world and hope Macmillan makes it available soon. In the meantime, I will be awaiting news of book two!
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer