The Magisterium Series (The Iron Trial, The Copper Gauntlet, and The Bronze Key)
By Cassandra Clare and Holly Black
Unbridled by the comparison of the monolithic success of the Harry Potter series, brilliant authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare have teamed up to create The Magisterium series, a five book middle grade fantasy novel series. Currently, there are three books available in the series: The Iron Trial, The Copper Gauntlet, and The Bronze Key. The Magisterium series is a coming of age tale of a young boy training to become a warrior who uses elemental magic to defend himself against evil enemy forces.
In the first book, The Iron Trial, readers meet Callum Hunt, a 12-year-old boy who has been taught to shun magic all his life. He has been warned about the dangers of magic for as long as he can remember by his father, a former mage, who blames the Magisterium, a magic academy, for the death of his wife. Cal wholeheartedly tries to fail the Magisterium’s entrance exam. Unfortunately, young Cal fails at failing and is accepted into the elite academy, and begins his training, under Master Rufus, a mage teacher at the academy. For Cal, the Magisterium is sinister and stunning. Under Master Rufus’ tutorage, Cal learns that he must pass the ominous iron trial to proceed in his training. Cal, along with his new found friends, Aaron and Tamara, discover how the past never truly dies and how uncertain the future can be.
The second book, The Copper Gauntlet, Cal and his friends have returned victorious from the Iron Trial. However, Cal is harboring a dark, sinister secret. Cal’s soul may not be his own. His physical shell is a house for something dark; the Enemy of Death. All summer, Cal has the uneasy feeling that his father is trying to kill him. Fortunately, Cal escapes to the Magisterium. There, he discovers his only salvation is the mysterious Alkahest, a copper gauntlet that can push the magic out of a mage. Unfortunately, it has been stolen from the Magisterium. Cal, Aaron, and Tamara must team up again to find the culprit. In their search, they attract the attention of dangerous foes, and get closer to uncovering an even more ominous truth. Will Cal be able to fight the evil within, or will his dark soul overcome him?
The latest installment, The Bronze Key, picks up right where The Copper Gauntlet left off. Cal has defeated the Enemy of Death. He and his friends are celebrated heroes. Unfortunately, their victory is short lived. Students are supposed to be safe and under the protection of the mages. At a celebratory party for Cal, Aaron, and Tamara’s defeat of the Enemy of Death, tragedy strikes. A student of the Magisterium is murdered. Instead of worrying about pop quizzes and their third year trial, the trio must search for the assassin. The trio discovers that magic is only as good as the person who wields it, and old prophesies do come to fruition.
The Magisterium series is a fun, inventive spin on the middle grade fantasy novel. Yes, the parallels to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are obvious. Clare and Black take those patterns and expectations and deliberately turn them upside-down. Callum doesn’t want to be a magician. He wants to fail at magic. Unlike Hogwarts, the Magisterium is sinister and extraordinary. Call can’t be sure who to trust; he is reluctant to make friends with anyone. Overall, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare’s debut team work is marvelous. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed.