The Traitor Queen (Traitor Spy Trilogy #3)

The Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan is the third book in her Traitor Spy Trilogy.

Relations between the neighboring nations of Kyralia and Sachaka have become strained since the ambassador's assistant from Kyralia to Sachaka was taken in by the Traitors - those who have left Sachakan society due to the rigid class and gender rules. When the assistant, Magician Lorkin, returns to the capital city of Sachaka, the king wants to question him. When he refuses, Lorkin is imprisoned - an act that strains diplomatic relationships.Black Magician Sonea is going to be sent to Sachaka to negotiate Lorkins release - and as his mother she would not feel comfortable leaving the task to someone else.

In the city of Imardin, Thief Cery is in hiding with his bodyguard Gol and his daughter Anyi. When they run out of places to hide from the Rogue who is trying to kill them, they go to a magician's novice for help - Anyi's girlfriend Lilia. She will help hide them while the search for the Rogue continues.

Canavan's exciting conclusion to this series is a great read. I recommend all of her Kyralia books - they are really good. Fans will be waiting impatiently for the next story - and keep fingers crossed that it continues the stories of our favorite characters.

Canavan, Trudi. (2012). The Traitor Queen. New York: Orbit Books.

The Rogue (Traitor Spy #2)

The Rogue by Trudi Canavan is the second book in her Traitor Spy trilogy.

Sonea and Cery continue to look for a rogue Theif in the city - a man who may be a magician and is trying to claim more of the city by introducing an addictive drug.

Ambassador Dannyl is in Sachaka. His job as ambassador is fairly boring as Kyralia and Sachaka have no political relationship other than neighbors suspicious of each other. While Dannyl is concerned about his assistant, Lorkin, who was captured by the Traitors - a secret society run by women who promote equality and an end to slavery - he is eager to explore other parts of the land he is in and look for evidence of the storestone. He will travel to the land of the Duna - a nomadic people in the North who are said to have stone magic.

At the same time, another generation of novices is in magician school. Now students from all levels of society are admitted. One of the young novices, Lilia, will be tempted to break her vow against black magic. Though it is forbidden to even read about black magic, everyone knows you cannot learn it from books anyway.

Canavan continues her brilliant fantasy series with more characters who will capture readers' attention. Anyone who reads her will become a fan and wait impatiently with me for the next installment in her Kyralia books.

Canavan, Trudi. (2011). The Rogue. New York: Orbit Books.

The Ambassador's Mission (Traitor Spy #1)

The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan is the first book in her Traitor Spy trilogy - which follows her Black Magician trilogy. It takes place 20 years after the previous trilogy ended.

The Kyralian Ambassador to Sachaka (the land next door) is open. Lord Dannyl, who has been studying the history of magic for twenty years since he was Ambassador to Elyne, is going to apply. His study has come to a halt - it seems that he has found all he is going to find in Kyralia, but he still has holes in his work. Since Kyralian-Sachakan relations have always been rocky this is the first time he may be able to travel there.

In the city of Imardin there have been many changes. The city has grown and the divide between rich and poor has blurred - at least geographically. The Thieves still run the lower class areas - controlling their territories and either running drugs or making sure drug stay out of their neighborhoods. A welcome addition to the new city is the hospice - there are now a few hospices around the city. The poor can be treated whether they can pay or not.

When Dannyl is appointed Ambassador, Lord Lorkin volunteers to be his assistant. While it is always dangerous for a Kyralian to travel to Sachaka, it may be especially hazardous to Lorkin. His parents were the main reason the Sachakan invasion twenty years ago failed - and Sachakans never forget.

Canavan has continued the story of Sonea from the first series while adding new characters and remaining true to the world she has created. Fans will be thrilled. Let's hope there is even more to come after this series!

Canavan, Trudi. (2010). The Ambassador's Mission. New York: Orbit.

The High Lord (Black Magician #3)

The High Lord by Trudi Canavan is the third book in her Black Magician trilogy. This is a great fantasy series that I highly recommend to people who are already fantasy readers as well as anyone interested in trying the genre.

Sonea is the first magician novice from the lower classes in hundreds of years. Magical ability is tested by established magicians in potential students - and always from one of the upper Houses of the city. Since Sonea is a dwell - the lowest class of people - her ability was never tested. And instead of her magic being released by someone else, she released it herself through sheer will. But magic, if not controlled, will destroy so the guild magicians began a search to find Sonea.

But dwells are afraid of magicians. They do not get to see any of the good work magicians do, only the annual purge when their class is driven outside of the city walls back into the slums. Using the help of the Thieves who control the underground / black market, Sonea hides from the Guild.

Now, two books later, Sonea is a novice at the Guild of Magicians. She has learned control and her magical strength is growing faster than many of her age group. She has gotten used to being surrounded by magicians and does not fear them anymore - with one exception.

The High Lord of the Guild earns his or her position by being the strongest magician. Akkarin is the youngest magician ever to hold the title. He fought twenty magicians to become the High Lord.

Okay, I cannot really say what is in the third book without giving away some spoilers, so just read the series. It is great.

The Black Magician trilogy has some of the feel of the Tamora Pierce books that take place in Tortall. It has a well developed world where the author understands the politics and magic thoroughly. A strong female protagonist who goes against the norm also links Sonea to Alanna and other of Pierce's characters.

Once you begin the series you will be thrilled to learn that after the Black Magician trilogy there are other books in the land of Kyralia - one stand alone that takes place 600 years before this series and an additional trilogy that follows this series (with all of the same characters). So get a copy of The Magicians' Guild and start reading today!

Canavan, Trudi. (2003). The High Lord. New York: EOS.

The Novice (Black Magician #2)

The Novice is the second book in Trudi Canavan's Black Magician trilogy.

Book two begins with the intake ceremony for summer novices where Sonea and others will take the first pledge to follow the guild, and continues through the first year of school. Sonea has learned to trust her guardian Rothen and his friend Dannyl but is still leery of many of the guild members. Some of her teachers and many of her classmates are not sure what to make of the slum girl in their school.One of her classmates will try to turn the other novices against Sonea to prove she does not belong. They will go against Guild law and harass her with magic to test her strength.

Sonea, Rothen and Administrator Lorlen know that the High Lord is practicing black magic. When Lord Dannyl is appointed Ambassador to Elyne, the country next door, the ask him to see if he can follow the research the High Lord studied when he was in Elyne. Dannyl thinks he is doing this because the High Lord lost his research before he returned to the Guild and has no idea that his questions may get him into trouble.

Canavan has written a fantasy series that readers will love. This series would be a great read alike for fans of Harry Potter who are looking for a new fantasy series to read or a great introduction to the genre of fantasy for new explorers.

Canavan, Trudi. (2002). The Novice. New York: EOS.

The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician #1)

The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan is the first book in her Black Magician Trilogy.

In a world where magic is controlled - both for the safety of society and of the magician - is has been centuries since someone came upon magic on their own. Usually a magician will check a child for magical potential and then release his or her magic. And this only happens to children within the Houses, the upper parts of society.

Each Winter the king orders the Purge of the city where city guards and the magicians' guild moves the homeless and lowest classes out of the city walls. There is a huge city outside of the walls at this point, but it is has none of the luxuries of the city like running water, sewage systems, etc... So people move back into the city to find work each Spring.

The last hold out is always a square near the city gate. The magicians form a protective barrier and slowly push people toward the gate. Each year there are street kids to throw rocks at the magicians in protest, but they just bounce off of the shield. This year, when Sonea hears a rude comment one of the magicians makes about people like her, she throws a rock herself. She hopes with all of her being that the rock passes through the barrier. And it does.

Now the magicians are looking for her. They say they are trying to help her control her magic, but the lower classes have never seen the magicians do anything good for them. If the Thieves will help hide her in the underground tunnels she may have a chance - unless her magic gets too strong for her to control without training.

Canavan has written a great first book this trilogy. The characters and society are well thought out and compelling. Readers will be anxious for book two to see what happens to Sonea next. This is a great choice for fantasy readers.

Canavan, Trudi. (2001). The Magicians' Guild. New York: EOS.