3 and 1/2 stars

I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

The Conjurers is a classic fantasy tale mixing magic, a journey of discovery and a coming-of-age tale, told through the parallel points of view of its two main characters, Eamon – an Irish boy of peasant origins, and Teresa – the daughter of a Genovese peer. We first encounter Eamon and his sister Caitlin as they are fleeing from their village to escape a band of brigands: it soon becomes clear that the outlaws are less interested in pillaging the farmers’ homesteads than they are in the two siblings, especially Eamon. During their frantic flight he discovers his affinity to wolves, and the ability to skin-change, while Caitlin will later come into contact with the spirits of the netherworld.

Teresa’s own talents blossom in equally dramatic circumstances: searching for the whereabouts of her brother Ignacio, and coming into contact with the evil Maestro Lodovicetti, she finds a grimoire filled with obscure spells through which she learns how to move objects with her mind and how to start fires.

The three young people, either running from pursuit or actively seeking vengeance, slowly converge toward each other for what looks like a fated encounter, one that will bring revelation, terror and the need to hide their abilities from the world and keep them away from the Maleficarum, Lodovicetti’s cabal of evil practitioners.

There is much to draw the reader’s attention in this book, besides the main characters’ journey: the world they move in is 14th Century Europe, one where magic lurks just around the corner and dark forces plot to gather it in order to accomplish their goals of power and supremacy. What’s more fascinating, and also frustrating, are the glimpses of evil factions and of the organizations set up to contrast them: fascinating because knowledge of their existence hints at a sort of subterranean war being waged since the dawn of time, with long-reaching plans on both sides to gain the upper hand; frustrating because those hints don’t deliver on their promise during the course of the book.

This is the first installment in a series, so it stands to reason that its role is to lay the groundwork for what is to come with the next books, but still I felt that there should have been something more to… sink my teeth into, that what elusive clues I was given in the course of the story should have shed more light and not simply added to the huge amount of questions that the novel raises. Take the Maleficarum, for example: all we know is that they practice what looks like black magic, and that they seek to increase their powers by acquiring them from gifted people like Eamon and Teresa – and I use the word ‘acquiring’ in its darkest meaning, indeed. Members of the order, like cruel Lady Tummia with her power to impose her will on other persons, making them virtual puppets whose strings she moves, or like adept Sairshee, whose blood-lust is second only to her thirst for power, are fascinating creations, but they remain on stage far too briefly to really understand what makes them tick, and how they became the persons they are.

Nonetheless, The Conjurers was a good read, one that took a little time to find its speed, but that once it hit the right rhythm proved to be quite compelling, taking me with no effort toward its conclusion, one that opens the door to more mysteries and more discoveries for the young protagonists, who will need to grow up quickly if they want to face the dangers on their trail.

A good start to a promising series, indeed.



Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG ( )

Pros: interesting characters, simple but effective plot, great climax, standalone

Cons: journal entries too narrative

Every few hundred years a child is born with immeasurable power and the ability to use it without teaching or artifice. A group of sorcerers discover that a boy in Ireland is the one they’ve been seeking. They head to the island to capture him and steal his power for themselves.

There are two alternating storylines: Eamon and his family who are fleeing a bandit attack on their village only to run into wolves on the road, and Teresa, a Genoese nobleman’s daughter, whose brother has apprenticed with a well known alchemist and sorcerer in the city. You learn a lot about these characters as well as the dangers they face (including the various sorcerers hunting them).

I really liked the maestro’s introduction in Genoa. I loved how you learn about him from various sources before finally meeting the man. It built tension and expectation. All of the villains are suitably evil, but not in an artificial way. Sairshee for example, wants to go further in her apprenticeship but is afraid of the horrific consequences of failing the spell she needs to cast in order to progress. She’s portrayed as self-assured, but also recognizes that a lot of her security and power is due to the backing of the king. The sorcerers are all ruthless, and delightfully - and terrifyingly - so.

The chapters are all short, helping to create a tense book whose pages turn quickly, rushing you towards the end. The plot isn’t that complex, but it’s executed well, and leaves you guessing in a few places. While it’s a standalone novel, it does have sequel potential.

While set in the real world, the book doesn’t touch on any historic events, though the black death and hanseatic league are mentioned. Though the author doesn’t go into the magic in much detail, it seems to be based on circle magic found in actual grimoires (like the Key of Solomon). And as the real world magic it’s portraying, there’s a mix of scientific exploration and blood.

There’s a section of the book that’s supposed to be the diary entries of a teenage boy, but are written in a narrative style that didn’t feel authentic as journal entries. It’s unfortunate, because while the segments get a lot of detail across, the immediacy of journal entries could have added a bit more punch to those sections had the author focused less on descriptive detail and more on the events that happened (so, instead of describing the rooms and whatnot, the teen’s interest in the lodestone could have been played up more, and his hopes/fears for what’s happening).

I really enjoyed this book. It was cool watching the different teens deal with their individual challenges, learning on the fly and doing their best to stay alive despite some pretty harsh obstacles. The antagonists get pretty brutal at times, leading to a pulse pounding climax. ( )