Series Review: Summoner by Taran Matharu

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Author: Taran Matharu

Genre: Fantasy

Age Group: Young Adult

Number of Books: 3 plus a prequel
    Book #1: The Novice
    Book #2: The Inquisition
    Book #3: The Battlemage
    Prequel: The Outcast

Fifteen-year-old Fletcher, a blacksmith's apprentice, discovers that he has the power to summon demons. He heads to the military school for summoners to learn to harness his power, where he learns that the war with the orcs is going worse than anyone knows. Between school work, trying to fit in as a commoner among nobles, and training for the tournament, will Fletcher and his friends be able to save the empire?

With its orcs, elves, and dwarves, this series is heavy on cliches, but in a really good way! It's like a giant fantasy mash up that has the best of all worlds. The world building is convincing, the magic school is believable, and the magic system is awesome. Finishing the trilogy left me with nostalgia--I would have read it again right then had my reading list not been so demanding. I just wish Seraph, Genevieve, and the other side characters were more developed. Final rating: eight out of ten stars. 

If you loved Emily Rodda's Three Doors trilogy or John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, the Summoner series will become one of your new favorites!

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