The Novice

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By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Dispatched from the UK in 2 business days When will my order arrive? Home Contact Us Help Free delivery worldwide. Description He can summon demons. But can he win a war? Fletcher is working as a blacksmith's apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

Along with nobles and commoners, Fletcher endures grueling lessons that will prepare him to serve as a Battlemage in the Empire's war against the savage Orcs. But sinister forces infect new friendships and rivalries grow. With no one but Ignatius by his side, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of the Empire is in his hands. The Best Books of The Novice follows the adventures of Fletcher, a year-old orphan who lives in the North of Hominum, quite close to the elven border. His life in Pelt suddenly changes when he discovers by chance that he has the ability to summon demons and finds himself bound to a cute little salamander-like imp.

Ok, Ignatius certainly looks nothing like Toothless. Nevertheless in my mind I keep linking them This book was a funny, compelling reading. The world-building is well crafted and I really appreciated the political depth that Matharu gave to his story the on-going war against the orcs, the tensions between the elves and the humans, the demands for equal rights claimed by the dwarves…. Even though the magical system contains some familiar echoes of the Pokemon world the summoning mechanism and the mana stuff , the overall result was quite original and really interesting.

Of course, it had some flaws. The plot was full of twists and ended up in a huge cliffhanger , but at times they were quite predictable. Furthermore, I had the feeling that the characters are somewhat simplistic: All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book: View all 20 comments. Feb 18, Geo Marcovici rated it it was amazing. Translation widget on the blog!!! An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the author for review. I loved the beginning where we see how Fletcher lives and how he came to be. It gave me a sense of where he was coming from and what point in his life we're about to take part in.

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The writing is excellently detailed especially when Taran describes a setting and scene. It felt like I was dropped into that world. Even though this is a young adult novel, I thought the setting and the experiences were more targeted towards a middle grade An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the author for review. Even though this is a young adult novel, I thought the setting and the experiences were more targeted towards a middle grade audience.

He talks more like a twelve year old child than a teenager. I was hoping for a whole new world world filled with new creatures and races, but it felt too similar to other books I have read. Orcs, dwarves, elves, humans? The writing is good, but it's also weakened by the modern dialogue and the lack of a central story. Was it Fletcher trying to prove himself to his adoptive father? Was it him beating the school bullies? Was it winning the tournaments? I liked it, but I had trouble getting into it and promptly stopped reading to pick up another book in the meantime. It doesn't have that stickiness quality that other fantasy books bring.

When you're wanting to know what happens next and you definitely don't want to stop reading but you have to because it's so late into the night. This didn't have it. I couldn't remember how many times I stopped reading it so I extended my reading duration by a week when I can usually finish a book within two days or so. Maybe it had something to do with the tiny tiny font size? What is the setting supposed to be?

They have guns, but are also living in a renaissance like world? I didn't understand it. Was it a modern setting or was it something earlier? There were too many holes and not enough story to fill it in. Overall, I think this is a good start, but I needed something to keep me glued to the pages and the biggest thing that was lacking was a major story-line.

Hopefully things will be answered in the next book if I'm still interested in it, I might still pick it up. View all 4 comments. Feb 09, Bella rated it really liked it. Taran thanks for writing this and making me enjoy a book I did not think I would! Then this book is right up your alley! There is action, adventure and so much more! After Fletcher finds he can summon demons from another world its time leave the only place he knows, and head to the one place that is can help him control and train his new powers. Adept Military Academy, a place there I he makes new alliances and fights through crazy training.

But the past might catch up to him and all his fight might be for nothing. Orcs, Demons and so much more all through out the pages of this one so have fun and get ready for a story you wont forget! Sep 20, mith rated it really liked it Shelves: I am not disappointed by this, despite the fact that it did take quite a while to really make some progress on it. It kind of felt slow sometimes, because every single thing was mentioned, but also because it leaned more towards middle grade for me. However, the writing is impeccable; I found the world building to be very well done.

I liked most of the characters and the world the author built. Full review to come closer to release date! Sigh, wish it was possible to get an ARC. Jan 19, Tahlia rated it it was amazing. This book was so good! It had hearty characters, thrilling action and a world full of such unique magic and danger.

Feb 26, Ramblingant rated it it was amazing. The Novice was viewed close to 6 million times on a writing community site called wattpad. I think that alone says the book is damn good, and it was damn good. He must tread carefully while tra The Novice was viewed close to 6 million times on a writing community site called wattpad. This book digs pretty much into the core of the fantasy genre, which is common with young authors.

They like to stick to the roots because there are lots of influences and guidelines from which to work off. The road has been paved before them, smooth and easy to travel, and people will follow the road because it is the quickest way to the things they love. Most authors might have a bit of trouble selling there first novel after it has been published, due to being a new entity, a new player. The Novice won't suffer that fate. This book is being published and Taran knows that 6 million people have read and enjoyed it.

Just to highlight what that means. The 1st book The Novice has already been read by most of the people likely to buy it, so I don't think it will do well for awhile.

However if Taran does not put the 2nd and 3rd books on wattpad, which I think it would be silly of him to do, then 6 million people are going to be wanting to read a book and they only way, will be to buy it. The main character is Fletcher, a 15 year old orphan and apprentice blacksmith. Until he gets his hands on a summoners book and becomes a summoner himself. There is not much depth in the character, as Taran has decided to keep most of it a mystery revealing titbits as the story progresses.

As is common with this genre, we have a main character that we can root for and enjoy reading about. The best part about this book is its plot, yes it does grab a portion of the story form a few other 'vendor', but it is exiting and a very enjoyable read and I think that is important in a book. A good character and a exiting plot. If you enjoy the fantasy genre at all then you will enjoy this book, because it is fantasy at its core. RamblingAnt I was able to get a copy of this book from Net Galley. If you like this, you can see more of my reviews at https: Feb 24, Sanny rated it really liked it Shelves: The story started out slow with quite a bit of world building but then the pace picks up towards the last third of the book, so much so that the ending even felt a bit rushed.

At the beginni 4 Stars - loved this one! And I have to admit, I love the demon idea. Of course they can be badass, but they are also portrayed very cutely, especially in their bonds to their owners. The writing was descriptive and compelling with a pacing that made it hard to take breaks. Each chapter I finished always had me reading just one more chapter until I finally reached the last chapter. So in short, if you are a fantasy lover, give this one a try and you might just end up loving it.

Jan 17, Wayfarer rated it really liked it Shelves: I won't spoil the plot, but it's solid. Of course it is predictable at times, but I think this is because of the author's writing style: Overall I like the author's writing style. It's not perfect, but it blends very well so that it doesn't hinder the reading. The pacing is very good too. I always felt like wanting to read the next chapter as soon as I got to the end of the previous one Score: I always felt like wanting to read the next chapter as soon as I got to the end of the previous one.

I was reading the novel with a friend who thinks it's a bit slow at times, so maybe I'm biased, idk. I really like what I think are the main characters.. All in all, as the first book in the series, it's very good and accomplishes its purpose of introducing us to Fletcher's the main protagonist world, to give us some basics of how demons "work" and to prepare the ground for the next novel.

I don't know why I didn't give this novel 5 stars..

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Feb 28, Anjuli Clayden rated it it was amazing. Another amazing trilogy started, I can't wait to see how they tie together. When reading this I get the feeling of a YA Trudi Canavan or Robin Hobb, both amazing fantasy trilogy writers and this one is up there with them for me. Until he meets a strange man and reads a strange book, then his life is very Another amazing trilogy started, I can't wait to see how they tie together.

Until he meets a strange man and reads a strange book, then his life is very quickly turned upside down. Fast paced and a bit moreish I devoured this book and simply cannot wait for the next one to come along. I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was totally awesome. I went into The Novice with modest expectations. Recently I found myself disappointed with the YA High Fantasy genre and never really felt satisfied especially when it comes to the world building which always felt lacklustre. Not so with this one. In The Novice we follow Fletcher, a young blacksmith's apprentice, who discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from t I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In The Novice we follow Fletcher, a young blacksmith's apprentice, who discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from the ether, a skill that is very rare in this world. Because of some troubling events, Fletcher is forced to leave his home town and heads for the city of Corcillum where he is offered the chance to hone his skill in the Vocans Academy for summoning. There, Fletcher and his demon Ignatius get sucked into the conflict between the humans, elves and dwarfs and must prepare themselves and train to eventually fight in the war between Hominum and the orc front waiting to overrun their kingdom.

The book had me instantly hooked from page one. The writing flowed nicely and the author did a great job at describing the world, the characters and their demons. I really loved the boarding school storyline but also that it wasn't the lone focus of the book which gave the author the chance to explore the world beyond the confines of it, something that I always find problematic with other books with the same setting.

The Novice: Summoner, Book 1

Fletcher is an amazing main character. Something that I really loved about him was that he wasn't "the chosen one", or the one was special abilities or any other trope that we often find in High Fantasy. Instead, Fletcher was just a good guy. He always tried to do the right thing even though it wasn't always beneficial for himself and was just overall a really clever and kind person. Everything he acchieves throughout the story he earns solely because of his hard work and that was something I really admired about him.

It was just a delight to read from his perspective. I really enjoyed the cast of characters in general and loved the relationships between them. Especially Fletcher's and Othello's friendship warmed my heart and I loved to read about their adventures together. The world building was solid. The whole concept felt very original to me, especially because it included races like the elves, dwarfs and orc, something that isn't really common in the YA High Fantasy genre.

The medieval-ish world is rich with cultural background, something I always love to read about. We learn a lot about Hominum's history, the wars with the orcs, the conflicts with the elves and the dwarfs and their respective culture.

The world just felt very vibrant and populated instead of just being there as a backdrop to the story. I also liked the deeper political intrigue that was incorporated which added even more layers to the plot. The magic system suprised me with its originality and complexity. The author presents a detailed and well thought out summoning system with a great variety of demons and techniques to summon and control them. One thing that I have to say is that it can get a little confusing at times and hard to grasp and I would have hoped that we would have spent a little more time exploring it.

It was also kind of hard for me to picture all the different demons and to differentiate between them but the little glossary of the demons in the back helped with that a lot. Overall, The Novice was fantastic. Great worldbuilding, loveable characters and a compelling storyline made for a great adventure. An added bonus for me was that we didn't really have any romance in it which I think really helped focussing the book on the important parts of the storytelling.

I would recommend this for fans of Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist because the two of them definitely have a similar feel to them. But I think everyone that loves the YA High Fantasy genre and wants something different that is still so much fun to read should definitely check this one out. Sep 16, Aisha rated it really liked it. Summoners are incredibly rare especially in commoners.

But his friendship between Othello and Sylva was built up well as they all changed in a way to bond over a certain matter. Othello is a dwarf and Sylva is an elf, the world in which the book is set is at war with Orcs and so different races are joining together to defeat their enemy. The book also dives into the issues with racism especially with the dwarves and their constant hounding even when they are in a respectable position. Fletcher is special because of how he became a summoner and his demon but the other two main characters, Othello and Sylva are also special in a way.

The story starts of really well with good pace and interesting start and slowly starts to quicken the pace as the school and other main themes occur. The ending was just way too fast compared to the rest of the book and it seemed as if the author was rushing to fit everything in. Plus that cover is so nice and kickass! This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.

To view it, click here. Seamana foarte mult cu "Eragon" doar ca aici nu moare nimeni apropiat personajului principal. Pentru ca este o carte cu si despre demoni, na asteptam sa semene cumva cu trilogia "Barthimeus", dar in afara de folosirea pentagramelor nu exista nicio asmanare, clasificarea demonilor si a puterilor lor fiind identica cu cea a creaturilor din HOMM. In concluzie, o carte usoara pentru a te relaxa in weekend. Jan 18, Michelle Spiderg1rl rated it really liked it.

I received this as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is also posted on www. Fletcher is an orphan. He was abandoned at the city of Pelt's gates in the winter without a single item of clothing or even a blanket. He was lucky to be found by Berdon the town's blacksmith.

After everyone was asked if they could take the baby in Berdon himself took Fletcher in. Add your rating See all 1 kid review. He spins a yarn for each object in front of a crowd and leaves a book for last, one he claims was written by a battlemage with instructions for summoning a demon. Only nobility and a few commoners can even summon demons, so Fletcher is not tempted to buy. But after befriending the veteran over drinks, the book ends up in his hands anyway.

Fletcher takes the book to the graveyard, not realizing he's been followed, just to try the summoning spell. After a demon appears, so does trouble. A boy named Didric and his hired goons go after Fletcher, threatening his life, and Fletcher finds out just how tough his demon is. Fletcher runs away from an unconscious, burned, and possibly dead Didric and skips town, taking his demon with him.

In the big city of Corcillum more trouble finds him, but so does a man named Arcturus, one of the teachers at Vocans Academy, a school that trains those who can summon demons to be battlemages. With that, Fletcher enters the academy and discovers a world far outside his small town -- one where dwarves, elves, and humans -- old enemies -- need to work and train together, or the growing power of the orcs will defeat them all.

If you like Cassandra Clare 's demons without the relationship drama, plus Tolkien 's world of orcs, dwarves, and elves, this series may be your new favorite. Especially if you wish Hogwarts were less herbology and charms and more dueling and battle strategy, and instead of an owl that delivers your mail, your animal would claw out eyes and set fire to people.

They're all interesting, but it's easy to lose sight of the main story when you're caught up in power numbers for demons like it's a video game. Both the budding relationships between Fletcher and his elf and dwarf allies, and even his mentor Arcturus, could have used more steady emphasis as well. The relationships don't build evenly, and the tension leading up to the final test isn't there -- you turn the page and suddenly it's test day. Now that this cool, complex world is established, here's hoping promising novice author Taran Matharu can work more diligently on clear storytelling.

All the pieces are here for a great series. Families can talk about the difference between magical Hogwarts and Vocans Academy, where students are trained solely to fight against orcs. Which subjects do you think you would excel at in each? Which would you rather attend? Would you rather have a demon or an owl? The dwarf Othello describes the brutality he's suffered at the hands of the human police and how ostracized the dwarfs are in society. Do you think the author had current events in mind while writing about these dwarves?

Or do you think fantasy is just that? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. See how we rate. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. Thank you for your support. Our ratings are based on child development best practices.

We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality and learning potential. Learn how we rate. For Your Family Log in Sign me up.

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