Brought up in the northern mountains, fifteen year old Fletcher is far removed from the battles being fought along the southern borders. All that changes, however, when he accidentally summons a demon and finds himself at a prestigious academy for battlemages. With his demon at his side and new friends at his back, Fletcher is desperate to earn his first commission, but first he must overcome prejudice and vehement opposition from the noble families who hate everything he represents.
The Novice is a fantasy that I would say was more suitable for middle grade readers than older teenagers in that it's a fun high fantasy adventure where the heroes are good and honourable, and the villains are mean and stuck-up. I found the world and the magic system a cool mash-up of Pokemon and Harry Potter - a combination twelve-year-old me would have loved, by the way - and the book did raise issues of racism and privilege, even if it was clumsily done. Having said that, however, I found that The Novice stuck very close to well-worn fantasy traditions and fantasy fans will find little that's original here. I read this book in a day and while I was enjoying it while I was reading it, it didn't linger with me long afterwards.
All in all, The Novice is a straightforward and fun fantasy for younger readers, and, despite being a little unoriginal, I found it refreshing break from the angsty and dark fantasy I normally read.
Recommended for: Young fantasy fans
Rating: I enjoyed it, but it didn't leave much of an impression. Three stars on Goodreads.
Read On: The next book in the series is The Inquisition. Another fantasy series suitable for middle grade readers is Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series - the first book is Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
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