4 out of 5 stars
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The Magician’s Secret by Charles Townsend is a fascinating fantasy. The main character, Delvin, is an apprentice magician/trickster. His mentor and teacher, Borlock passes on his belongings to Delvin just before his death. Among these belongings is a crystal which confers magical powers on the person possessing it. It is only later after a series of coincidences that Delvin discovers the magical properties of the crystal, and learns to master the magic as the plot unfolds. Delvin is joined by the second main character, Princess Jarla in the initial part of the plot. Under the leadership of Princess Jarla, the two main characters successfully avert escalation of the war between the two main kingdoms of Hengel and Argent.
Hengel and Argent are under the rule of Dukes, and they are akin to the Royal family for the inhabitants of both the kingdoms. The 'Guild of Magicians,' has managed to take over both the kingdoms and are now pushing them to a devastating war. Princess Jarla has been trained as a soldier, and is highly skilled in the art of warfare. She is a warrior herself, and leaves a trial of bloodshed wherever, and whenever she is threatened. Delvin and Princess Jarla team up to avoid the planned war between the two kingdoms. Along the way, they travel throughout the two kingdoms. Delvin with his magic and Princess Jarla with her political and warring skills, together successfully handle both the magicians and the two Royal Families.
The entire plot keeps one glued to the story. The story is so well written that one wants to finish the book in one go. It is relatively fast paced with plenty of action from beginning to end. The magic tricks depicted in the book are very well conceived. One can imagine the tricks as being within the realms of possibility, rather than being far-fetched. The background of the author can be gauged by the story. The book can be made into a movie, and even a cartoon so in today’s multi-media age, this bodes well for the story. Hats off to the author for being very imaginative.
It is very difficult to point out any negatives in this book. There are two that come to my mind. Editing errors occur fairly regularly in the text. I will further suggest that when the book describes the routes being taken by the main characters of the plot, the text is somewhat overly descriptive. A map of the route placed next to the descriptive text will make it easier to remember the places and the routes.
The book was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I will rate it 4 out of 5. I was tempted to deduct some marks for the editing errors. Nevertheless, the story line was so strong, that these errors can be overlooked. The recommended age group is from early teens to mid-thirties, and it will be equally enjoyable for both these groups. For those of us who are kids at plus 50, please do read it though I guess there are not too many of us.
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The Magician's Secret
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