Now that I've completed all five books of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black's series, The Magisterium, I decided to give you, if you haven't read my individual reviews for each book, an overall look at what I thought about the books. Since this is geared towards those who haven't read any of the books, I won't be including any major spoilers and I'll pretty much just give the summary of the first book, while reviewing all five books. Anyway, I hope this is of use to you when deciding what to read!
List of Books in Series
1. The Iron Trials
2. The Copper Gauntlet
3. The Bronze Key
4. The Silver Mask
5. The Gold Tower
Summary
The Magisterium (by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare) series is an adventure story that, at first glance, may seem like Harry Potter but there are MANY differences. The basic dynamic of the story, two boys and a girl, find their place in the magical world, is similar to Harry Potter but the story and characters themselves are different and exciting. The first installment of the series is called The Iron Trial and is about Callum Hunt who has no desire to go to the magical school know as the Magisterium. Him and his father have a plan for him to fail the test and go on with their own lives. Being raised to fear and hate magic, Callum completely agreed to this.
Once the test comes, though, the plan to fail doesn't really work... now Callum must go and learn at the Magisterium with his fellow apprentices Tamara and Aaron. Callum is learning many things but the greatest discoveries will be the discoveries about himself and his friends and what it means for their future.
Join this group as they brave different adventures, form unbreakable bonds amongst themselves, and join with other allies. Read the beautiful story about a boy who wanted nothing to do with the magic world, only to end up being the one who risks almost everything to protect and preserve it.
Opinion
Scale of 1-10:
9
Overall, I give this entire series a 9. There were some moments when it wasn't perfect and moved a little too slowly or was maybe a little too rushed. Despite that, however, the story and the character's more than made up for it. I enjoyed the humor of these two authors being reflected in the main character and the supporting characters. I definitely enjoyed the excitement that this book had, too! There were some moments where I was getting excited for the characters or anxious about what was going to happen to them.
One thing that I feel I should mention again that the first book is really similar to Harry Potter. I didn't really notice it until the second time I'd read it. It isn't until the second book and on that it starts to really become its own thing. If you do decide to pick up this book, don't get discouraged thinking that this is just another Harry Potter knock-off.
By the end of the final book, one thing that I just truly appreciated, was the bond that Callum had with the rest of his friends. Black and Clare do an amazing job showing his and other's emotions when it comes to their loyalty and their willingness to be there for Call. It definitely made me get all sorts of good feelings to see the personal growth that Call had when it came to caring for others. He just seems like he can't live without any of them. It's really heartwarming!
Age Rating
10+
Throughout this entire series, I think it's safe to say that it's meant for younger audiences. That being said, I still found it incredibly enjoyable even though I'm not a preteen. When it came to romance, there were a couple of kissing scenes throughout. There was more in the last two books than the others. As the characters got older in the last two books, dating started becoming more and more of a theme to them. Almost all of Call's classmates were in relationships, both hetero- and homosexual ones. The only relationship that's really highlighted is the one Call ends up in. If you want to know who the girl is, then feel free to check out my individual articles. I just don't want to give specifics like that away.
Language was completely obsolete in this entire series. This just better exemplifies the earlier stated fact that this is a preteen series.
I really think that kids who are interested in fantasy should definitely read this book because they would enjoy it immensely. If we're speaking honestly here, then I would suggest that teens and young adults read this too, because even they would enjoy this adventurous, fantasy adventure!
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