Enjoyable - Rated 
Doesn't everyone want to be a magician? not for the slum dwellers who are forced from thier homes once every winter, the magicians 'Purge' Imardins homeless and poorer class from the city.
this is the first book i've bought from this author and now have both trilogies and cant wait for more, im hooked on Trudi Canavans work.
from start to finish this book has kept me enticed and kept me wanting to read on, however it isn't an original idea of which you should already know but does have that 'one more page' that sorts it from the muck. a good cast of characters and a solid storyline keep this book afloat, an easy read where nothing needs to much indepth thought about. A recommended
Very unsure? - Rated 
There were aspects of this book that i really enjoyed, the magic system for one. But after reading some amazing epic fantasies e.g. A song of fire and ice (that seems to be poking up alot) many of the less structured books seem to be lacking something, structure maybe?
I appreciate that these are shorter books and more has to be taken on faith, and i actually disagree with many of the 1 star reviewers with saying that there is no imagination or depth, far from it.
I ploughed through the trilogy in about a week and found it to be quite satifying, imagination wise. The few twists and turns are well thought out and placed, if not a little predictable. But all in all, it was something to keep me occupied, which it did, and i don't begrudge the time spent while i wait for another big one.
I think we've just been spoiled by some excellent authors and some truely epic fantasies, i know i have.
Horrific start excellent end - Rated
the first part of the book was awfull!
the endless chasing of Sonea was dull boring you ended up wanting her to be captured. That part of the book went on for too long and I was tempted to put the book down and give up on it!
the second part of the book though was great! much more improved but was too short.I am hoping that the rest of the trilogy is better than the first book and I enjoy them more.
Just plain dull - Rated 
I will confess right now that I have not yet finished reading this book (I am on page 370), but I am desperately waiting for something interesting to happen.
The story follows a young girl named Sonea who one day discovers that she has magical powers. Such a gift is usually only found in the high classes, so for a girl like Sonea, a dwell (a lower class, someone who may live on the streets), this is highly unusual. So begins a chase by the magicians to hunt down the girl so that they can teach her how to control her powers before she ultimately destroys the entire city.
Whilst the premise sounds good, the execution is where the book falls down. The first half of the book is occupied by the chase, though this mostly involves the main character hiding in rooms and trying (and failing) to learn how to use her magic. The second half of the novel sees Sonea having finally been captured by the Guild and finally being given lessons in the control of her magic. Sadly, again, nothing of any significance occurs, and most of the time is spent talking about the history of the Guild, the different orders, and the buildings.
Another rather grating part of the book is the constant over use of certain phrases, such as "pursed their lips". The phrase is used far too often and will soon begin to irritate the reader. Another word that I found over used was "considered". In one page it was used three or four times as one of the characters "considered" things before them.
The characters themselves are also somewhat wooden and I am having difficulty feeling any kind of warmth for them. I think the main reason for this is due to Trudi introducing so many characters too early on in the novel. The book changes view points often, moving between Sonea, the Magicians, and a boy named Cery. This I have no problem with, since it permits the reader to gain a bigger insight into the world the book is set in. Unfortunately, a bit later in the novel I became lost when I was not sure which Magician was which, having had around a dozen different names flung at me when they were first introduced. And even at this late stage in the book, I am still somewhat bemused by some of the characters and what their agenda in the story might be.
As another reviewer pointed out, this story reads as though it was originally intended to be one book, but has then been needlessly dragged out into a trilogy. I already know as I struggle my way through the last hundred pages, wishing for something of significance to occur, that I will likely not read the follow ups.
Dull and somewhat trite.
OK but very basic and a bit boring - Rated
I was attracted to this set of books by the simple cover design and a lot of the positive reviews. I think the three books could have been condensed into one book which may have made for a more interesting read. These are not adult books but neither would they keep the attention of a young adult. There is something about fantasy fiction that says you have to produce a trilogy but in this case it doesn't work.
The story lines and the characters are pretty basic. I found I didn't really care what happened and the plot!! came well in advance of the story line. The early Harry Potter books are more intersting but even JK Rowling got lost in producing bigger and bigger books which didn't enhance the story line. Maybe it's a disease of fantacy writers or a lack of confidence in the editors to tackle writers egos.
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