Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — The Novice by Taran Matharu. 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.
He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerf When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. 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. Kindle Edition , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Novice , please sign up. Is Phillip Pullman's dark material series an inspiration for the demons in your books?
Pullman's daemons are the embodiment of the person's soul, or "spirit animals". They are all depicted as real world animals, and are always present. My demons are alien entities from another world, fantasy creatures such as griffins and minotaurs that can be absorbed into the body. His animals can speak while my creatures cannot.
Some have said they see a similarity between the two because of the mental connection. My connection is inspired by the trope of dragon masters sharing their creature's emotions and senses as well as my love of telepathy. Pullman's exists because they are literally that persons soul. They are able to communicate with each other directly while mine only sense emotion and intent. I think the main similarity is in the name.
For me, it was always going to be demons, the summoning of demons is an idea older than the bible. As for Pullman's name, I imagine it is a play on the idea of "inner demons" and part of the religious themes that feature in his book. Taran Matharu No name decided yet: Book 2 comes out in , most likely in May. Thanks for the question and for reading my book! See all 49 questions about The Novice…. Lists with This Book. Jan 09, Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing. I picked this book up yesterday and have just finished it!
I literally can not get my thoughts together right now due to the amazingness of this book! But my plan is to film a book review i know.. View all 8 comments. Jul 23, Faye, la Patata rated it it was ok Shelves: Definitely one of the most underwhelming fantasies I've read this year. I was really excited for this after knowing it was originally a WattPad story.
And knowing it was a fantasy? Heck yeah, my favorite genre of the year, represeeent! However, reading this book wa Definitely one of the most underwhelming fantasies I've read this year.
It was bland and forgettable. I kept on chewing and chewing and chewing in hopes it would suddenly turn into a gourmet dish, but in the end, I swallowed it feeling nothing. It didn't bring anything new to the plate, nor did it engage the reader in me. I started reading this in May. I finished it in July. I mean, that speaks volumes, I think.
Because of the writing, that's why. That cover is goddamn misleading. The characters here all sounded like they were ten year olds who were on a field trip to a Harry Potter-like academy. It was awkward, quite stilted, and flat. It reminded me a lot of Lucy Saxon's Take Back the Skies where the style felt so young and in need of good polishing. Like the two have the following in common: Didn't help that Fletcher, an orphan who we know will be the son of someone important later on I mean, yeah, pokemon-like demons are cool and all, but if the main character doesn't have a personality, then what else does he have going for?
The rest were so uninteresting as well, having characteristics that were stereotypical of their fantasy-races. Who did the mining? Who were the agile and graceful ones? Who were the enemies who did nothing but grunt? Like, oh my bloody god, can it not get any more cheesier than that? All in all, a big and utter disappointment. View all 26 comments. My thoughts about the book: My thoughts about the author: I can already see this book on a lot of favourite books of lists!
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It will definitely be on mine, you rest assure! When I picked up this book I already had my expectation Disclaimer: When I picked up this book I already had my expectations slightly high towards it. So, when I finally entered this amazing world of summoners, demons, orcs, elves, dwarves, magic and pure, raw fantasy, I fell in love.
The story follows Fletcher who by reading an old scroll summons a demons, not an evil creature but more like a extension of a Summoner. He had this freshness to him that made you like his character instantly. And his relationship with his demon, Ignatius, was adorable. The whole universe that Taran Matharu created was really well developed and felt real almost as if I belonged there.
In here the magic was new and unexplored by Fletcher. It was dangerous and focused on mana as the fuel to use it. I really want to know more about that parallel universe, the ether, from where Ignatius comes from. I guess that my visual resemblance between Ignatius and Toothless is to blame. As for the writing, can I just say that Taran Matharu really has a talent to tell stories. He draws you immediately with a few sentences.
I kept saying to myself that I could spend the entire day reading this book without getting bored not only because of the story, but also because of the way the author writes. The Novice was a delightful book filled with everything you can expect from a fantasy book. It was captivating, exciting, interesting, entertaining, fun and simply THAT good! You can expect a battle between orcs, elves and dwarves fighting together for a better world, an orphan boy trying to find his place in the world and a whole bunch of adorable demons that will make you want one for yourself. I will definitely be anxiously waiting for a great sequel to this book.
View all 3 comments. Plus, something about the storytelling just gives off this down-to-earth and easygoing vibe. It feels like the author wrote this book from his heart, to have fun, not to hit up all the items on some imaginary checklist of what makes a YA novel successful.
The story follows Fletcher, an orphan raised by a village blacksmith after he was found as a baby abandoned in the snow. The demon — a cute little imp-like creature that shoots fire — is a Salamander that quickly bonds to Fletcher and becomes his loyal companion. And with the war going on with the orcs, the army needs all the summoners they can get their hands on, noble-born or commoner; elf, dwarf or human.
Fletcher learns to control his demon familiar — whom he names Ignatius — alongside the new friends he meets, but also has to contend with the snotty noble children who try to undermine him at every turn. As the war effort becomes increasingly more desperate, the Academy holds a competition to weed out the brightest and the best for leadership positions, and even first-years like Fletcher are included. Fletcher wants to win, and not just because he wants to teach the nobles a lesson. There are shady dealings afoot; political plots and conspiracies abound, and Fletcher knows he can make a difference for the better, if only he can overcome the challenges of the trials and best his opponents to win a position of command.
I also see shades of influence from other literary sources, like Lord of the Rings, and the use of mana to summon demon companions of varying species and power levels also reminds me of role-playing video games and even Pokemon. At the heart of it, I just see an author telling a story about characters that he obviously cares a lot about.
I found the different kinds of demons and their little quirks charming, plus the Demonology treatise found at the end of the book was a nice touch. I liked reading about the magic school environment and the interactions Fletcher has with his fellow students, especially his relationship with the dwarf Othello and the elf Sylva. Well, after the cliffhanger at the end of this book gets resolved, of course. Jul 16, Choko rated it really liked it Shelves: I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
This book is written in the more classic Fantasy style and although it is targeted to Young Adults, it is in my opinion, perfect for all who love the Fantasy genre. How can anyone resist the beautiful art and coloring??? I know I am a sucker for it When eventually I got to reading it, I was happy to find that it was worth it: Fletcher is a 15 years old living in a mountainous village, in a middle-ages like world.
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When he was a baby, he had been abandoned by whoever his parents were, at the village gates, naked in the snow None of the citizens would take him in, but one of the town's blacksmiths who lived by himself close to the gates of the settlement. They did well enough together, working hard and getting by, but for some reason, the son of a prominent local moneylender who is about the same age as Fletcher, had taken a dislike for the less fortunate bloke and never missed a chance to make his life harder.
However, while attempting to intimidate him once again, Fletcher and a new friend embraced Didric in front of a crowd and he decides that the only way for Fletcher to pay for this is with his life. Somewhat by accident, he summons a small Salamander Demon who steels your heart from the beginning. So, the small creature and Fletcher find themselves on the run, away from home and trying to survive in the war-torn land of Hominum Empire, fighting on two fronts against the Elves and the Orcs. On the way he meets some Dwarfs and an older grizzled warrior-summoner who takes him to the school for those who have that talent, the Adept Military Academy.
There he is enrolled in a school deeply divided by class into Nobles and Commons The rest is the story of an year of learning which culminates in an exam for a commission as an officer in the Empire's army. Only humans have that privilege! Everyone in their rightful place. The first three are supposed to be working together against the threat of the Orcs, but they don't seem to want to put the hatreds aside, as well as putting the noble's very capitalistic drive for lording over the world's weaponry market and the financial gains its monopoly would provide.
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Although I agree with the premise, I did find those parts to be a bit heavy-handedly shoved in our faces with some cartoonishly-evil bad-guys But that is on par with the genre, I guess. I know some were bothered by the similarities with other books, but that never bothers me really - if it did, we would not have more then some very, very old books to read, because just as in all the arts, dance and music, storytelling is a craft that builds on its history and traditions, all trying to relate to humanity in the most effective way the author can find.
This is why composers of all times have "variations on" and all of us have different variations as our favorites - one of those is bound to touch someone deeper than another, and if you don't like the one I do, it is all good - you are bound to find joy in something that is out there: An artist might paint a portrait of one subject all of their life, and you can always find the beauty and nuance in each and every painting, or at least some of them.
Mostly because I have been reading some dark and bleak reads as of late and having a more classically told tale where the protagonists at least try to be on the side of decency and honor, which is closer to the more idealistic times when this is what Fantasy was all about, becomes a breath of fresh air in a sea of stifling negativity. Ooo yes, I appreciate a dark and "gray scale" tale just as much as the next person, but I am an optimist at heart and my soul seems to crave a Happily Ever After.
It is not a perfectly written book, in full honesty, the prose has some left to be desired. But the characters are likable and the pet-like demons absolutely adorable! Also, the "infusion" is very interesting and the ending left me wanting to know all that happens after! So yes, I realize that there is room to grow, both for the author and the story, but I am hooked and will happily continue with the series.
I still think the perfect audience for this one are young people and kids nothing I would not read to a very small child , as well as those who love Fantasy with a clearer drawn lines between good and evil. Apr 13, Paige Bookdragon rated it really liked it Shelves: But then, the story did a wonderful turn and I was starting to get entertained!
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This is soo cool! And again, I went: The Novice is a scintillating, magical adventure. As a baby orphaned, Fletcher, was taken in and raised by the town black smith. Helping his guardian sell his wears at the fair, Fletcher comes face to face with a war veteran with a journal from a battlemage. Fletcher helps the man out of a sicky situation with the town's bully only to find himself running for his own life.
But before the warrior leaves, he gives Fletcher the journal. While reading the book, Fletcher accidentally summons a demon of The Novice is a scintillating, magical adventure. While reading the book, Fletcher accidentally summons a demon of his very own named Ignatius. Leading him to Hominum and ultimately Vocan Military Academy, the school for battlemages. This world is filled with political and physical battles between the Elves, Dwarves and Humans; even though they battle admists themselves they are all at war this the orcs I never expected that opening this book would have me on an all night marathon, but it did.
I have to admit that it was a 4 star read for me until Ignatius appears then I was completely hooked. Keep in mind this story is written with the young or young at heart. The social prejudices abound with the division of species and classes which only elicited more suspense and tension. Matharu has woven an intricate world with marvelous fantasy favorites but adds the demon realm beyond the ether, which was icing on the cake for me.
I honestly can't wait for more. This book is set for publication May 5, The Summoner Trilogy Sequence in Series: May 5, Rating: Fantasy Action Adventure Find this book on: But like … I really wanted to love this book: After accidentally summoning a demon, Fletcher finds himself at the Adept Military Academy for summoners.
The Novice
It is a time of war and summoners are needed now more than ever. Does Fletcher have what it takes to keep his past a secret, keep his friends safe from growing tension, and survive the academy? What I liked The world was interesting and easy to understand. The demonology was again … interesting an easy to understand.
The Novice: Summoner, Book 1
And the fighting was pretty badass. What I did not like The biggest issue I had with this book was that there was not enough of any of these above listed elements I actually liked because the story spent too much time of other things that I did not feel added to the plot. The very beginning of this book throws the reader into a dark and ominous world filled with dangers and cruelty and I loved it so much.
Unfortunately the rest of the book took a turn from this initial atmosphere and became a bit too light for my taste. I felt like this book read a little on the juvenile side, at times feeling like it would definitely fit better as a middle grade book than a young adult. The writing was decent but not groundbreaking, and some of the situations were sporadic or simply underdeveloped. In fact I felt like when I wasn't hearing about how mistreated the dwarves or elves were, I was watching a situation where dwarves or elves were being mistreated. That was pretty much the entire book until the end.
I just felt like these elements could have been discussed and implemented in a better way without becoming the main focus of the entire book. Which brings me to another thing I was less than happy about with this book. So much of this story felt borrowed which was rather un-refreshing to read. At one point, Fletcher is experiencing an ancient battle between the orcs, specifically an albino white orc, and the humans and the elves, who are riding white stags.
And of course the dwarves all ride boars and carry battle axes … any of this ringing a bell? I mean I'm totally ok with applying classic ideas from well known stories in a fresh and new way, but this did not seem unique to me at all. Furthermore, the characters themselve were flat and bland. None of the characters including Fletcher felt well developed. And Fletcher was perfect in almost everyway. He was absolutely your quintessential special snowflake. He had no real flaws besides being too nice perhaps?
I was looking for a badass, strong minded, bow wielding fighter and what I got was super nice boring guy. In Conclusion Honestly, there were very few redeeming factors to this book for me. Basically, I didn't love this. But I do own The Inquisition The Summoner 2 and will be giving it a chance to change my opinion of this series as a whole. The Novice , is a fun filled high fantasy adventure that was an impressive entertaining escape.
I had a lot of fun reading this book and really enjoyed the concept. It has it's share of politics and war between the commoners, nobles and fantastical beings such as; orcs, elvens, germlines, summoners and demons, but the flow and pace of the story was even and always intriguing, the world building was rich and vivid, the writing was crisp and the character were all witty and wonderfully likeable. Fif The Novice , is a fun filled high fantasy adventure that was an impressive entertaining escape.
Fifteen year old, Fletcher Wulf was abandoned at the gates of Pelt when he was just a baby, but was raised by Berdon, the villagers blacksmith when no one else would take him in. He's never forgiven his mother for leaving him, but he's got a good home where he is given affection and respect and even though some of the villagers are arrogant, Fletcher can more then handle his own.
But his whole life changes the moment he receives a parting gift, a Summoner's book. When Fletcher manages to summon a rare demon and gets in some trouble, he finds himself landing at the Vocans Adept Academy where he will learn spellcrafting and be trained as a battlemage. Though, for those who know me wont find it surprising that my favorite part of this book was the academy.
I have a thing for academy books and this one is just as fun as I imagined. I loved learning along with Fletcher and the students about how to connect, control and channel their demons, the history, the Ether and the magic of it all. It was really cool to see the training and different races throughout the school while Matharu throws in a few twist and turns to keep it suspenseful, gripping and exciting.
I also really enjoyed the characters, Fletcher, Genevieve, Rory, Othello and Sylva and of course all their demons, but Ignatius was my favorite. They all brought something fun and unique to the storyline. The ending left us on a bit of a cliffy, so I'm really looking forward to the next book and there isn't any really romance in this one, but the action and intrigue more then makes up for it that it's not an element I missed. In all, The Novice turned out to be a great story that combines fantasy, paranormal and magic that was intense, captivating and wildly entertaining.
This was indeed a promising start to a series I greatly look forward to continuing. Mar 26, Sarah rated it liked it Shelves: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Fletcher was a boy who had never had much, and who had always worked hard. He stood up for people, even when he was being bullied himself, and went out of hi Source: He stood up for people, even when he was being bullied himself, and went out of his way to be a good person.
He was also a good friend to the people he met, and a good son to his adoptive father. Just a naked baby in the snow, screaming at the top of its lungs outside the gates. We got bullying, racism, action, and demon fights, not to mention sword fights too. I have to say that bullying and racism were a big thing in this book, and the way Fletcher and the dwarves were treated was just shocking and awful.
I hate Didric so much! View all 9 comments. The themes in this book are old school with a definitive line between the good guys and the bad guys. The world itself is also tried and tested but the story is well written and fun. I read a lot of darker books so reading a traditional story mixes it up and feels fresh. The demon types and their personalities are particularly entertaining.
I'd like one of my own. Mar 11, Sabrina The Trash Queen marked it as to-read. Feb 25, Akira rated it it was amazing. I got this e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review This was one heck of a book! The first time I heard about this I knew I wanted to read it. I mean, a book that started off on WattPad about people who can summon demons and train in a specialised academy sounds like Harry Potter meats Pokemon!
Who doesn't want to read that?! In this world, summoners are getting rarer and more are needed to fight in the war against the Orcs. So any summoner, noble or not, Disclaimer: So any summoner, noble or not, are trained at the Adept Military Academy - where they learn all sorts of magic to get them prepared for battle. I loved Fletcher's character and the way he was written. The other characters were also great, they were well developed and had great personalities. I also really liked the world this is set in - the different kind of demons that exist and the area that other demons live in, the ether, is really intriguing.
The magic is also great, powered by mana, there are lots of spells you can use. The book was action-packed and thrilling and the plot was really good. I enjoyed every page in this book - it was gripping, fun and exciting. It was a really solid start in the Summoner trilogy and can't wait to see what will happen in the future! I enjoyed this fast paced beginning to a new fantasy series. Fletcher is an orphan who was abandoned at birth outside the town of Pelt. He was taken in by the blacksmith. As an orphan, Fletcher has become the target for the local bully who happens to be the son a rich man.
When he is given a book that contains a scroll, the bully wants it. Fletcher discovers that the scroll lets him call a demon. When he is ganged up on by the bully and his stooges, Fletcher has to run away from the town. Fletch I enjoyed this fast paced beginning to a new fantasy series. Fletcher and his demon make their way to a larger town where he tries to find work. Talk of skinning elves alive, orcs killing whole families and taking bodies as trophies.
Fletcher -- age 15 -- drinks heavily in a bar which seems legal for him to be in and throws up the next day. Another scene in a bar with drinking ends in a brawl. Parents need to know that The Novice is the first book in the Summoner series featuring a world of demons, humans, orcs, elves, and dwarves.
There's much tension between the races here -- the main character, Fletcher, seems to be the only one helping bridge the divide -- and there's constant talk of preparation for war against the orcs. The main characters don't make it to the front lines just yet but still kill off a few bad guys in smaller skirmishes involving swords, guns, arrows, and javelins.
Main characters suffer police brutality, broken bones, a whipping, and a near beheading. Fletcher, 15, drinks heavily in a bar and pays for it by throwing up the next day. Strong language sticks to many uses of "damn," and Fletcher, an orphan, is called a bastard to his face. 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. Is it OK for kids to read books outside their reading levels? Column 4 Our impact report: How Tech Is Changing Childhood.
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Wheadon , Common Sense Media. Teens train with demons for battle in exciting series start. Taran Matharu Fantasy