★ 07/21/2014
Set in a magic-inflected version of the present-day U.S., this first title in the Magisterium series combines the talents of Black (Doll Bones) and Clare (the Mortal Instruments series) in a thrilling coming-of-age story that embraces fantasy tropes while keeping readers guessing. Twelve-year-old Callum Hunt has been raised to distrust magic. Mages killed his mother, and his father has warned him that the Magisterium, a school where young mages are trained, is a deathtrap. Callum’s attempts to fail the entrance exam go awry, and he is chosen to apprentice under Master Rufus, along with fellow students Aaron and Tamara. As Callum, Tamara, Aaron, and their classmates embark on their first of five years of schooling, Callum realizes how little he knows of his own heritage. The strange, subterranean Magisterium is vividly rendered, and a string of ominous revelations will leave readers eager for future installments. Fans of both authors will enjoy getting to know this well-rounded cast in the first steps of their adventure. Ages 8–12. Agent: (for Black) Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary; (for Clare) Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Praise for Magisterium Book One: The Iron Trial:* “A thrilling coming-of-age story that embraces fantasy tropes while keeping readers guessing.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review“A promising beginning to a complex exploration of good and evil, as well as friendship's loyalty.” – Kirkus Reviews“The Iron Trial is a fun, heroic narrative. . . . A delicious must-read.” – The Globe & Mail“This is an incredible book. . . . Once you've started reading, it's hard to put the book down.” – The Guardian

Fantasy authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare team up for this new middle grade series about the Magisterium, a mage training academy. Paul Boehmer narrates the first book, which tells the story from the point of view of Callum Hunt. This could be a challenging narration for any reader, but Boehmer navigates his way through this new magical world with ease, providing an especially apt voice for Master Rufus, the mage whom Callum is apprenticed to. His deep voice is authoritative and distinctive, quite different from the voices of the apprentices. As the apprentices begin their iron year (the first year of training), Boehmer conveys the full range of Call’s emotions as he learns about his destiny. Listeners will eagerly await the second audiobook in this series. E.N. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

2014-07-16
Book 1 in the five-book fantasy series introduces the Magisterium, a training school for young mages that is located in underground caverns in Virginia. Admittance is by invitational tryouts. Twelve-year-old Callum Hunt has mage potential, but his father, Alastair—a mage and a graduate of the Magisterium—tells his son to deliberately fail. He has brought Callum up to believe that the Magisterium is evil and he must never attend. But Callum, small, skinny and partially lame from a serious leg injury incurred when he was an infant, is picked anyway, and this kickoff entry details Callum's first year of training under Master Rufus. Harry Potter similarities pop up repeatedly, from the magic-training-school premise to Callum's fellow apprentices and soon-to-be best friends, Tamara and Aaron, and these similarities are distracting at first. But then the twist occurs, and it is a doozy. By the book's end, readers will be chomping at the bit to get into the sequel. Collaborators Black and Clare describe an intoxicating underground setting and give their mostly male characters refreshingly nuanced friendships. The third-person narration, filtered through Callum's delightfully insecure-and-overcompensating-with-snarky-bravado perspective, carries a tone that will likely have readers chortling in recognition. A promising beginning to a complex exploration of good and evil, as well as friendship's loyalty. (Fantasy. 9-13)