Sunday 22 February 2015

Summoner: The Novice - Taran Matharu



Summoner: The Novice - Taran Matharu



I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC copy of this for review from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and safe to say I am incredibly pleased that I did.

I have not had many experiences reading a book with a lead male protagonist, so I decided to go in with an open mind of what to expect and as to what story will unfold before me. First things first here is the book synopsis for those who do not know what it is about:

‘When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerful nobles. The power hungry, those seeking alliances, and the fear of betrayal surround him. Fletcher finds himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with only his demon Ignatius for help.

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. The Novice is the first in a trilogy about Fletcher, his demon Ignatius, and the war against the Orcs.’

I was instantly drawn to the book due to this; it enticed me with a world filled with magic, fantasy and mystery and I knew it would be a world I would instantly love.

I have to say upon starting this book i did find it a little bit slow to get into, but this is no fault to the book itself, as it merely has to develop and set the world for you to get your bearings, and as slow as it may feel, it is worth the wait getting through those first few pages. Your main protagonist is Fletcher a 15 year old orphaned boy who was taken in by a blacksmith name Berdon when abandoned as a baby. We see he has been very lucky to be bestowed with Berdon as a guardian, he has raised him well, taught him a skill of reading that so many lack and more importantly you can see he is in fact cared for and loved. We follow Fletcher and his story as he uncovers an ability he comes across after meeting a traveling seller. An ability which opens up a world filled with danger, corruption and power, to which Fletcher has no choice but to jump head first into in order to survive. 

This story very much felt like a cross between Harry Potter meets Pokémon, which at first I found a bit humorous as both I grew up with, and yet both worked so brilliantly together within this book that it created such a unique and cleverly crafted world that you became hooked to learn more. The world at Vocans, the ‘school’ as such to train up new summoners/battlemages ready to join the front line in the war against the Orcs, did have that Hogwarts feel to it. Of roaming the dark mysterious corridors at night and the hidden secrets taking place amongst its grounds. But it was a great thrilling and action packed world to be introduced to, especially in comparison to Pelt, where Fletcher originated from.

Fletcher is a great main protagonist, the detail in which he is described and his humble yet loyal nature really allows you to root for his character through this book. Many of the characters have been so cleverly created, and the detail in which to introduce and describe the Dwarf and Elven characters in the book, really adds to that fantasy element, capturing the magic and talents of both. I really enjoyed the friendships Fletcher made whist at Vocans. Othello, Sylva and Seraph really seemed to be truly supportive and loyal to each other, especially in a time where strength in numbers was really needed.

The detail in which the Demons of the summoners was carried out was brilliant, it allowed a perfect picture in your head of each Demon to form, and the variety and various names, levels and species of Demons was incredibly vast and yet impeccably detailed to the finest point. Safe to say Ignatius is my favourite of them all, and I personally wish I had my own version of him.

I have to say I really don’t want to give too much of the storyline away, as it has to be read to experience the full impact of the world within your hands. But I truly enjoyed this book. I really wasn’t too sure what to expect, especially when starting the novel, I had no idea where it would take me, or what could possibly unfold. But this is a truly incredible world, the ending to this book was certainly cliff hanger enough to make you want to read more, but also the fact that this world seems so large and there is still so much to learn and find out. It was completely action packed which i just know will continue on to the next book in the series. So that even without that cliff hanger, you still would pick up the next book in the series. It is safe to say I am expecting great things from Taran as an author. If this book is anything to go by I truly cannot wait for the next.

I would say if you like fantasy books filled with thrilling action and magic, then this would be right up your street, but even if not, I would still highly recommend you read this book. The world, story and characters are a joy to themselves and certainly worth a read, and I’m sure you would enjoy it just as much as I did.
                                                                                                                                                                                  
I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for the wonderful review :)

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