Describe Epithetical Books The Black Magician Trilogy (The Black Magician Trilogy #1-3)
| Title | : | The Black Magician Trilogy (The Black Magician Trilogy #1-3) |
| Author | : | Trudi Canavan |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 274 pages |
| Published | : | July 22nd 2011 by Zatpix (first published January 26th 2006) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. Magic |
Trudi Canavan
Paperback | Pages: 274 pages Rating: 4.45 | 1954 Users | 60 Reviews
Ilustration Concering Books The Black Magician Trilogy (The Black Magician Trilogy #1-3)
This is going to be a looooooooong review.First, I must say that had I read this trilogy as a teenager, I’d probably have loved it.
However, being a literature scholar and well, slightly older, I can’t overlook its flaws, and I am infuriated by the fact that most of them to me, are due to a poor editing job.
For example:
- two many pages in book 2 and 3 are devoted to summarizing the previous book(s). WHO buys the 2nd or 3rd installment in a series without having read the previous ones? An editor should have cut those passages
- the books are sometimes VERY repetitive, mainly when characters have to explain to one another something we, as readers, already know. For example, Akkarin’s hearing in book 3 is the exact same story than the one he told Sonea at the beginning of the book.
- too many subplots lead NOWHERE. You can simply skip them. For example, all of Dannyl’s passages. ALL - OF - THEM. Don’t get me wrong, I loved this character, but I kept on hoping that something would come out of his travels, or his acknowledging he’s gay. Well, no. And it would have been easy to tie to the main plot, for example in book 3, he could have suggested continuing looking for rogue guilds and convince them to fight alongside the Guild, maybe in exchange for more tolerance regarding their "unnatural habits" (and then the gay rights subplot would also have been tied to the main frame). His passages are a HUGE waste of space in book 2, that could have focused on useful things.
- Same for the “Rothen will learn to be a spy” subplot in book 3. It doesn’t tell us anything more about Rothen, nor does it move the plot forward.
- Ceryni’s girlfriend is ENTIRELY USELESS. She serves no purpose, had no influence on either the story or the characters, and has no reason to be in this story. And yes, sometimes a character can’t tell their motives or backstory right away (Akkarin for example) but at some point, THEY MUST, to have an interest in the story. Keeping a character tagging along for the sake of it should have been pointed as a mistake by a publishing team.
- Pacing problems: large parts of the books just drag on and on and on, without adding anything further to either plot or characterization. For example, Sonea’s hide and seek game in book 1, takes HALF THE BOOK. Seriously, scratch off 100 pages. We need some of those chapters, to understand the Thieves, how they operate, the Thieve’s Road, and some characterization, but it really becomes repetitive at some point.
Same thing with the bullying in book 2. Yes we get it, she’s being bullied and is too afraid to hurt them to unleash her magic. We don’t need then again 200 pages of her playing hide and seek with her classmates.
Why does it matter?
True, it is still pleasant to read.
So why should an editor have said “these passages should be cut”?
Simply because the story has to fit in 3 tomes and sadly those poor choices meant that some things that should have been better developed were rushed.
There's too much that needs to be addressed in book 3, hence the many reviews saying that it's fast paced and filled with action, yes, but everything is dealt with very superfluously.
Mainly, Akkarin, and the Akkarin/Sonea relationship.
- Akkarin remains purely unidimensional for more than 2 books.
* SPOILERS FROM NOW ON *
* YE BE WARNED ! *
* LAST WARNING !*
* STILL THERE?*
Ok then ....
It IS problematic because it makes the love story highly unbelievable.
Sonea spends two years fearing and hating that man, granted, because she didn’t know his motives, but then suddenly falls in love within a fortnight. And this comes out of nowhere, as before she questions her feelings for him (book 3 part 2 literally HALFWAY throughout the LAST book!), we have no indication nowhere else that she feels anything for him.
To me, book 2 here wasted a LOT of opportunities to develop their relationship. Akkarin imposés her to dine with him once a week. We SHOULD HAVE SEEN some interaction between them, maybe some conflicting feelings emerge in Sonea. Not necessarily love per say, but something that would have made her doubt he was truly evil, something that would have paved the way for her love for him. Instead it felt like she suddenly realizes he's not a reptilian and "a girl got needs", and whenever he touches her it's suddenly hellfire in her panties and lots of blushing and sighing and swooning ... jeez.
It was also important to flesh out the character of Akkarin a bit better, as before we learn that he loves / desires Sonea, we had no indication that he considered her as anything more than a hostage, or a pupil. Before she kills the spy and for the first time he touches her, there is no intimacy between them, there is nothing but a purely teacher / student relationship. Which makes their love story slightly yiiirk.
Not only is he older, but he is an authority figure. The part when they’re in exile serves no other purpose than putting those 2 together, so more chapters should have been devoted to establishing a new ground for their relationship, to show that they’re on a more equal footing.
It DOES always help a story to have more fully fleshed characters. It is not a waste of time to focus on their development. Focusing on useless characters and subplots is.
- The end is problematic too. Ok the writer wanted to have Akkarin die, that’s HER story. However this death was EGREGIOUS. You just CANT say there’s a solution, and then 3 pages later have your character die because they simply didn’t use it. It is BAD WRITING.
Moreover, WTF are all the other characters doing? Why is nobody fucking helping?
And I usually don’t mind not having the happy ending (even if I’m a sucker for it), but I hate when the death of a character makes no sense within the frame of the story.
Not to mention it is highly incoherent with the character of Sonea. That she would rather take energy from her dying significant other rather than a building makes no sense whatsoever. I mean, WHO in their right mind would choose a BUILDING OVER THEIR LOVED ONE? Any reading team in a publishing house should have pointed this out.
And that is what infuriates me.
Because this story could have been much better than what it is, if some different choices had been made.
I would therefore have cut the trilogy differently, as, when you think of it, nothing much happens in books 1 and 2, and too much is rushed in book 3. To me, book 1 should have ended when Akkarin claimed Sonea's guardianship, because it doesn't matter if he is a "cardboard villain" in book 1. But more space was needed in book 2 to develop their relationship and his character through it, as we never have his POV. I rolled my eyes so hard when book 3 opens telling us a YEAR has passed between books 2 and 3, and Sonea's feelings towards Akkarin haven't changed AT ALL despite dining with him once a week. I mean, how plausible is that? And what a waste of opportunities regarding characterization.
I'd probably have ended book 2 when we discover his secret, or perhaps when Sonea decides to help. More time in book 3 to reset their relationship on a more equal footing then.
Anywaaaaaay ...
I’m not sure of course whether the publishing house suggested some of those changes to Trudi Canavan and she disregarded them, or if the editor simply did a poor job, but as a result, I feel like I read the 1st draft of the trilogy, not the finished product.
Details Books As The Black Magician Trilogy (The Black Magician Trilogy #1-3)
| Original Title: | The Black Magician Trilogy |
| ISBN: | 1780484747 (ISBN13: 9781780484747) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | The Black Magician Trilogy #1-3 |
Rating Epithetical Books The Black Magician Trilogy (The Black Magician Trilogy #1-3)
Ratings: 4.45 From 1954 Users | 60 ReviewsColumn Epithetical Books The Black Magician Trilogy (The Black Magician Trilogy #1-3)
REVIEW FOR ALL BOOKS IN THE TRILOGY(BOOK 1)It isnt until the second third of this book that things get really good. Canavan has a fantastic, accessible writing style that thrives on mystery. As soon as Sonea begins to become more wrapped up in whats going on and stumble across strange, unexpected happenings, the pace picks up and I couldnt put the book down.There is a whole cast of character who all have distinct voices, motivations, and opinions. Sonea is frightened and desires only the freedomVery nice young adult magic fantasy books. I would recommend it to someone beginning on the fantasy-read path! :D
***Spoiler alert***I can't really think of anything to say. I am almost gieving for Akkarin, and Lorlen. And what a harsh fate for Sonea to stay behind.Such a great loss.why did he have to die????Thank you Ms. Canavan. Great job at making great characters and then kill them so that we can cry nuts for people that don't even exist!!!Do not read the book without a supply of tissues. This is like the Titanic but with wizards.Heartbreaking.
Characters are so poorly written, they do suicidally stupid things. Action scenes are well written, but the flow is bad, introduction is bad, and characters are really fucking bad. Could not read to the end, 2/10, not worth reading.First book is kinda okay in the middle, I guess.
This is one of my favorite series. I honestly don't understand any of the bad ratings that it has received. I strongly recommend these for many reasons. Strong female characters, emotionally gripping plot content, overall great story. Read em.
This trilogy is so good. I started reading whilst at a holiday cottage and had to smuggle the books back with me :) I would and have recommended this set to all ages. I loved Sonea and Akkarin, I was devastated by the ending. It is one of those stories that you think about long after you've read the last sentence.
I love Sonia and the world she lives in.
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