Rating: 
Summary: The story continues
Review: The second in the series Sonea's story continues as she begins to learn the finer points of magic.
Akkarin is more featured in this book and despite how 'evil' he is meant to be, you can't help but be curious. This book also sees a brief love interest for Sonea.
I admit the book gets a little wordy with Lord Dannyl's journey and I got a little bored as I couldn't see how it was effecting the story (but trust me - you need to know it)
Overall a great sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: A little better.....
Review: This book was a little better than the first. However, I did not care much for Lord Dannyl's journey which included him discovering his same sex attaction. Overall, I did not see what his character brought to the story. Aside from that I like much of what was written.
Rating: 
Summary: A torture to read
Review: This book was an absolute torture to read. Perhaps that can be considered a pun, because I think you would only enjoy this series if you are a masochist.Authors always try to get us to emphasize with the central character, but in this series, Trudi Canavan has taken that to an extreme and portrayed Sonea as an absolute loser who has no friends, does not attempt to make friends, who gets picked on by bullies the entire book, and who doesn't have the smarts, guts, or desire to do anything about it. This is added to the 'running away form responsibility' that she does in the first book. The one or two occasions where she wins a mini-battle or exposes a bully for attacking her or framing her for thievery(which are supposed to be serious crimes), it was because someone else forced her to stand up for herself and told her exactly how, and the bully so exposed isn't punished anymore than a slap on the wrist. I mean, Sonea and her classmates behave as though they were 7 years old, not 17 years old as they should be. Her 'loving' teachers merely alternate between ignoring her plights and acknowledging but not doing much about it. In a lawful world the villain would not only be kicked out of school but also thrown in jail. Instead his worst punishment is ... he has to stop taking lessons from his favorite teacher for a few weeks! Ludicrous to the extreme. This complete victim mentality is just really frustrating to any reader with a spine or with half a brain. There are also serious problems with the magic system and with the plot in general. For example, in the final 'climatic' battle between her and her nemesis, the villain is able to break though her shielding twice in a few minutes, even though she is supposed to be immensely stronger than he is. Yet earlier in the book the villain's combined magic from himself and 20 of his friends could only get through occasionally! I certainly hope that the author has Sonea grow some guts or intelligence in the 3rd book, because otherwise I really don't see the point of any of the character development.
Rating:
Summary: Wondefrul read
Review: This book was just as hard to put down as the 1st one. I am a little sad that I have to wait for book three.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: This is a pretty good sequel.
Sonea is a little bit of a wimp and I am hoping the third book allows her to grow out of that. Overall this is a decent fantasy novel, but I would reccomend reading the first book before tackling this one.
Rating:
Summary: More of the same
Review: Trudi Canavan's second novel, The Novice, was as much a breath of fresh air as the first. Coming from a first time author, it was simple its plot, modest in its aims, precise in its characterisation and kept tidily to those unofficial lines drawn by the fantasy authors in the eighties that are the hallmark of a quality fantasy novel.
Canavan chooses to follow two stories here. The first is of our slight heroine, the magically powerful Sonea, she of the slums, a rags to riches story, who has now entered her five year period of training in true Hogwatch style. The second of the Guild Ambassador, Dannyl, ex-pupil of Rothen who has been given a brief by Administrator Lorlen to follow in the footsteps of the black magic practising Highlord, Akkarin.
The second plot line allows Canavan to spend most of it having our ambassador struggling with his sexuality as he is tempted by his assistant, Tayend, as he gallivants around Canavan's world.
Meanwhile, back at base camp Sonea finds herself on the end of bullying, headed up by the spiteful Regin, to most of which her tutors turn a blind eye on the premise, it's good for her. As her training escalates and her powers grow she leaps ahead in classes (pursued by the ever vengeful Regin), is taken by Akkarin to be his pupil, has a brief flirtation with Rothen's son, Dorrien, spends considerable time investigating Guild forgotten passageways, and passes her year one tests before challenging Regin to formal combat in the Arena which, before you read the ensuing pages, you know she'll win 3 bouts to two. Still...
Canavan style borrows heavily from other major players in the fantasy genres and it's no bad thing. She has created a world that is, to put it simply and directly - enjoyable. Given this book took up Year One of Sonea's tutelage, you might expect a set of five more, but perhaps not. Still, I will be actively looking for the imminent UK release of `The High Lord'.
Rating:
Summary: I really liked it
Review: With excellent character development and a thoughtfully constructed world, this novel is a thoroughly engrossing read. Trudi Canavan's writing has only improved from the first book; I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
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