Trudi Canavan

A vast improvement, story-wise, compared to the two previous volumes. The action takes up a notch as Sonea gets involved in the series of murders and initiated to some dark secrets. Although the writing remains bland, the bravery shown by many of the magician characters makes the story moving in many aspects. Also the romantic development of some relations was done with intelligence and subtlety and that adds to the emotional charge of the book.

Strong points:
1. Storyhooks all over the place
2. Epic and character development
3. Welcome romantic touch

Weak points
1. Still a poor writing
2. The final fights may have been even more over-the-top
3. Missing the political intrigueing a bit… (plus d'informations)

Overall a pleasant reading, I just pity that Sonea’s bullying episodes take so much space and hold a large part of the intrigue. Those are clearly aimed at the most teenage share of the audience and the least interesting of the story. For the rest I feel the author has upped her game compared to the first volume, notably the characters of Akkarin and Dannyl who have striked interest, notably thanks to Dannyl’s long quest for ancient magic which was clearly well thought. It remains an easy reading fantasy series which lacks a bit of a style to make its mark.
Strong points
1. Some excellent characters
2. Fantastic quest for ancient magic
3. A climax at the end which anticipates an epic 3rd volume
Weak points
1. Poor style
2. Storyline loses itself in Sonea’s bulling episodes
3. Too many shallow scenes… (plus d'informations)

Sonea a beaucoup appris depuis ses débuts. Elle a su gagner le respect des novices, et une place au sein de la Guilde des magiciens. Mais elle aurait aimé ne jamais découvrir certains secrets... Ce dont elle a été témoin dans la pièce souterraine du haut seigneur, ou l'existence d'un vieil ennemi de Kyralia, qui surveillerait la Guilde de près. Quand le haut seigneur lui dévoile son savoir, Sonea ne sait plus qui croire ou ce qu'elle craint le plus. La vérité est-elle aussi terrifiante ? Ou essaie-t-il de la tromper afin qu'elle l'aide à réaliser ses sinistres projets ?… (plus d'informations)