Book Review: The Copper Gauntlet

THE COPPER GAUNTLET by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare is the exciting second book is the popular Magisterium series.

When Callum discovers his father’s secret room, he feels like he must leave home forever. However when a copper gauntlet known as the Alkahest is stolen, Call realizes that he must find his father to prevent an evil foe from unleashing the ultimate enemy. Filled with mystery and deepening friendships, youth will enjoy this sequel to The Iron Trial.

Black and Clare make a superb writing team. By combining their skills, they’re able to bridge the children’s and young adult audiences and create a world perfect for their tween audience.

Librarians will find a growing fan base for this fantasy series. Equally popular with girls and boys, this coming-of-age adventure addresses themes of loyalty, honesty, and heroism perfect for the target audience. Consider a Magisterium event featuring magical events focusing on air, fire, earth, water.. and a little chaos thrown in for fun.

To learn more about Holly Black, go to http://blackholly.com/.

To learn more about Cassandra Clare, go to http://www.cassandraclare.com/.

Published by Scholastic on September 1, 2015.

Book Review: The Iron Trial

THE IRON TRIAL by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare is the first book in the exciting new Magisterium fantasy series.

While most readers are likely to agree that the magic school setting is very reminiscent of Harry Potter, the unexpected twists and turns of the plot make it an excellent example of a "first book" in a series. By the end of the book, readers will be asking when the next one will be released.

Holly Black and Cassandra Clare make a dynamic writing team. While Black generally writes for children, Clare is better known as a young adult author. This winning combination works well for this new series.

While there’s nothing particularly special about THE IRON TRIAL (Lexile 830L), it’s likely to be a hot item in most libraries. It’s a quick read and a good lead-in series for children without the reading skills to be success with the HARRY POTTER books (Lexile 880L-980L).

THE IRON TRIAL was number three in the GoodReads Choice Awards for 2014, so it’s sure to be popular with middle grade youth.

For information about Holly Black, go to http://blackholly.com/.
For information about Cassandra Clare, go to http://www.cassandraclare.com/.
For activities and online games related to the book, go to http://irontrial.scholastic.com

Publisher ARC used for review