Review of Magi Apprentice

[Louise Woollard]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Magi Apprentice" by Dan E. Hendrickson.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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It took me a few pages to get used to the writing style (Magi Apprentice is written in the third person present tense). I was quickly immersed in the story and I stopped noticing the tense.

The wonderful hero, Rassan, is intelligent, principled and a great swordsman. He is also modest and likeable. This tale is set in the Parthian Empire at the start of the Common Era. We glimpse the temples in Babylon, the Magi institutions and the court of the emperors.

The plot is largely a battle between good and evil with a noble quest hampered by dastardly plots. Rassan is commissioned by a dying man to protect some ancient star charts and place them in the hand of a trusted Magi in order to prevent them getting in the wrong hands. The star charts contain truths that some Magi would like to be suppressed.

I liked learning a little bit about the stars and planets. The passion of the Astronomical Magi is contagious. They see a message from the Creator communicated in the stars about the champion coming to save all humanity. The build-up to the quest was written in detail, whereas the actual quest was sketched only briefly. The last few pages are more like an epilogue than the continuation of the story. Some of the interpretations of the meaning of the constellations were repeated and slowed the pace of the story.

I always love a bit of romance in a book and this book has an interesting love story running alongside the main storyline. I liked that the couple’s attraction to each other was intellectual as well as physical. Initially Varaz’s behaviour is evil and deceptive, but there is great character development and we discover she has courage and principles too. The writing is good and carefully researched. However, I was not able to award 5 stars due to a handful of errors. I give Magi Apprentice 4 out of 5 stars.

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Magi Apprentice
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