book review
Holly taught us that knowledge and action are one and the same.
This week I wanted to talk about a book I recently found by both of my favorite authors Holly Black & Cassandra Clare.
The Iron Trial is a suspenseful book is full of suspense and magic which makes it right up my ally. I have only finished the first book but so far it is really good so I can’t wait to read the rest of the seven books. To be honest it is very slow at the start and I got lost sometimes but hang in there it does get better.
This book is about a 12-13 year old kid named Callum Hunt who is raised by his father and would tell him stories about this place called the Magisterium. This is where young children go to learn to control their powers. Everybody wants to go however, his father has raised him to fear it. On his 12th year Callum goes through the Iron Trial failing every one (not on purpose but because he kept setting things alight) however, somehow he gets in, not only to the school but he has been chosen by the most powerful master. This book so far has gone through Callum’s growth as a mage and the trouble he has gotten into along the way. The school hates him and everybody stays away from him, but he does make friends with a girl named Tamara and a boy named Aaron (who seems to stick to Cal like glue). Despite all his father's stories, Call starts to enjoy himself and discovers some secrets about the Iron Trial and the school as well.
Holly Black & Cassandra Clare, Authors
Clare and Black try to show the growth and strength of Callum and his will to survive in a place where he is openly not welcome. Its language is easy to understand which is good for younger readers. I also think they want to show that even though Call is crippled on his leg and he has magic problems, it doesn't mean that someone is evil. As the cliche goes...Don't judge a book by its cover.
These authors are very popular however, this book is lesser known due to it being under both of their names and the release date was when these authors were only starting out. I have read most of their books but I had never heard of this book until I picked it up at the library. I would recommend this book to people who love magic books because it is an enjoyable read.
Because there are seven more books, I don't feel like it is going to end well and it will probably end with a cliffhanger. Personally I am not looking forward to this and want to see what happens next. I also want to know why Call’s magic is so unpredictable and why his mother wanted to kill him at the start of the book.
Overall I would give this book a ⅗ due to the slow start and cliffhanger at the end.
Until next time. Keep reading…
-A Barreto, Year 11
28 August 2019