The Novice (Summoner #1)

The Novice (Summoner #1) by Taran Matharu
Publication Date: May 5 


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 maneuver 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.

Wow, wow, wow! This book was a fantastic read that takes you on an exciting adventure. Everything about this book was simply amazing, from the characters to the world to the writing. The scenes were richly described and I truly felt as if I was standing next to these characters, witnessing the magic and chaos around them. Taran Matharu shows tremendous promise as an author, and is definitely one to watch. It is safe to say that this will easily become one of your favorite books of 2015, and you will be eager to get the second Summoner book as soon as possible.

Fletcher was an amazing main character. He was refreshing in so many ways, and so original. As soon as you starting reading from his character's POV, you get this feeling like you know his character is going to be something different from every other male lead character you've read previously. He is basically a breath of fresh air. I adored how Taran Matharu wrote his character as Fletcher always acted his age, and you could tell Mr. Matharu set a good foundation for Fletcher to grow. By the end of this book you know that no matter what life has in store for Fletcher, he will handle it with a maturity and find strength in the events. Suffice to say, Fletcher is an easily likeable character, and you will love every single second with his character.

The secondary characters are just as wonderful, and while we don't learn a lot about them, I'm sure that we will come to know these characters like they're our friends. I am extremely interested in learning more about Vocans Academy, and I can't wait to see where this story goes! And I have to put this in here, but I ADORED Ignatius. He was the cutest thing, and I loved how protective he was of Fletcher. I never thought I would say this, but this book made me want a demon of my own...especially one like Ignatius.

Where this novel truly stands out is the world. Taran Matharu incorporates all of these small intricate details into helping the reader understand everything they need to know about the world. There's even a glossary of all the different types of demons in the back! I don't know about you, but I love when authors do this because I feel like they go the extra mile for the reader to make sure they feel apart of the world they create. This novel is straight up fantasy, and it is pure magic. This world is truly unique, even though orcs, elves, dwarves, and the like are all running rampant. I truly felt like I belonged in this world of summoners and their demons. The magic was so well described. It is different than what we have come to know (not that different, but not just flick a wand type magic). I was blown away by the creativity, and I loved learning about things as Fletcher learned about them. It was yet another element of this book that made me feel like I was apart of the story. The magic in this novel is not something to be taken lightly. It is dangerous, and must be handled with care. After reading, you know that there is much more to be learned, and that The Novice is only an introduction to a larger world and larger story.

I highly recommend reading this book. As I said, this is easily one of my favorite books of 2015 so far, and I can already tell that this will become one of my favorite series. I can't wait to see what happens next in the Summoner series!

Happy reading :)

~Cassie