The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
By: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
My Rating: Three out of Five Stars
Best for: 10 and up

This is another one of those that the target audience will enjoy, but the cynical grown-up part of me just can’t accept.

Let’s just point out obvious #1: This book clearly and unashamedly steals every key plot element and twist from Harry Potter. I don’t actually mind that–it’s just done really poorly.

What really got me was the number of times I was asked to suspend belief and ignore basic rules of logic. Characters who make awful decisions. Big reveals that don’t make sense. Inconsistent motivators. Stuff that is just plain dumb. No personal connection.

There are some redeeming elements! It did copy from Jo and Harry’s handbook after all. I can easily see my 10-to-14 year old friends really enjoying The Iron Trial. But I’ll leave the rest of the series to them. I’m not interested.

Content appropriate for all ages.

Happy Reading!