Series Review: Magisterium by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Fire wants to burn.

Water wants to flow.

Air wants to rise.

Earth wants to bind.

Chaos wants to devour.

Please note that the above photo was taken by me.

Thirteen year old Callum Hunt does not want to be a mage. He's grown up hearing tales of the evil Magisterium, a magic school hidden deep underground where attending the school is a death sentence. When Call is summoned to undertake the Iron Trial, an entrance exam for the Magisterium, his father urges Call to fail. But when Call fails at failing, he is forced to join others his age as they are taken underground to where creatures watch from the shadows and the elements have a magic all their own.

 A tale of friendship, magic and adventure, these novels will have readers clamouring for the next instalment. This middle-grade fantasy series may, at first glance, seem like a pale imitation of the Harry Potter novels, with a young male protagonist who goes to magic school and forms a trio of friends. But that is where the similarities end, for in the Magisterium series, the lines between good and evil are blurred as even the protagonist struggles to determine which are friends and foes.

As of right now, only the first two books have been released out of this five-part series. The world-building in these novels is truly spectacular, and the characters are witty and amusing. Cassandra Clare and Holly Black have done a fantastic job at combining magic, alchemy and the ancient struggle between good and evil, while maintaining humour and an unpredictable and storyline that will appeal not only to middle-grade readers, but all those who enjoy magic and adventure.

You can purchase your copies on Amazon, Chapters, or for American readers, Barnes & Noble.

A Goodreads summary can be found here

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