Review: Epic Fantasy at its Best
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 21, 2012
This review contains no spoilers, it has been provided free of charge and I hereby grant the author the right to use it in future promotions, as he sees fit. Wizard's Education is the second novel in the Apprentice to Master series.In this instalment, Lorit and Chihon continue on their way to Amedon, where they expect to further their training. Unfortunately, the Priests of the Temple of Ran have managed to corrupt one of the members of the Wizards' Council, and that means a disproportionately larger number of obstacles in their way.I won't give the plot away, but I will say this story is more complex than that of the first book, and the range of adventures Lorit and Chihon go through as they fight the evil Priests is more imaginative. Again, there is a battle between good and evil and a race against time, only this time the pace is faster and relentless. The many challenges the duo must go through in order to earn a voice on the Wizards' Council are incredibly ingenious, fantastical and varied. The battle at the end is simply epic.We meet a few new characters along the way, again well-developed and carefully described, with their own voices, thoughts and personalities. The dialogue flows without fault. We meet some of the old characters that populate Foundling Wizard, and once again there is an eventful journey at sea. There are more magical creatures, too, and they are so well described, you could easily see them in your mind's eye. My favourite has to be Kal'ryni, the mini dragon. Wouldn't it be lovely if this series was turned to film? I'd love to buy a soft, fluffy mini dragon replica for myself.Lorit and Chihon grow up through their experiences and have to confront their own demons. James Eggebeen skilfully shows the difference in their thinking, and the way they both avoid the inevitable closeness drawing them together is so entertaining to read.I would recommend this novel to anyone, especially fantasy lovers. Lorit lives in a wonderful, colourful world, and  it would be a pity to miss out on such an original take on wizardry and magic. This book is adventure end to end. It gets five stars form me.