The Novice – A Review

When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through gruelling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerful nobles. The power hungry, those seeking alliances, and the fear of betrayal surround him. Fletcher finds himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with only his demon Ignatius for help.

The Novice by Taran Matharu, via goodreads

The Novice was sitting on the shelf and waiting to be read for months. I have a terrible habit of purchasing books faster than I can read them. (I’m sure a lot of bookworms know that feeling!) Finally, I took the book down from the shelves and started reading it during the first week of March.

I’d been eager to read it for a while and there are two reasons for that:

1. The cover art made me say, “Hey, this looks like Merlin!” when I first picked the book up in the bookshop in town. I’ve been a fan of BBC Merlin for a long time and the fact that the cover art based on Fletcher reminded me of Merlin amused me.
2. The blurb — as shown above — intrigued me. I’m a sucker for plots where common folk discover something amazing or intriguing about themselves — be it hidden abilities or a hidden heritage. I was also interested in the fact that there were demons involved. That was unexpected! That was what had me marching up to the cashier with the book in hand and almost skipping home with eagerness.

Finally, that eagerness has paid off and I had a chance to read from cover to cover. Here is what I thought about The Novice:

Setting

The Novice is set in a fictitious land known as the Hominum Empire. However, this fictitious empire does draw a lot of inspiration from the world we live in. It even includes a few familiar names!

While reading, I discovered that the Hominum Empire includes cities such as Antioch and Calgary, both of which were cities in our world at one point or another.

Some aspects of the novel have a strong Middle-Eastern flavour.

Some characters hail from near a location called the Akhad Desert. This desert is sought after because of its natural resources like sulphur, which are mined and used in the production of firearms. Currently, those resources are under the control of the locality, but outsiders are anxious to take control.

This lust for controlling sulphur brings the lust for controlling oil in our own world to mind in an instant. Not to mention the wars waged over that oil.

Other similarities to our own world include the Dwarves. Dwarven women wear veils for modesty, which brings Islam to mind. Interestingly, Dwarven men show similarities to a different religion. This is shown through the fact that Dwarven men view their hair as a sacred gift from their creator. Most Dwarven men will trim their hair to keep it tidy, but more than that would be against their ethos. The belief that their hair is sacred brings Sikhism to mind.

Most of the novel is set at the Vocans Academy, which is a militarised institution that produces battlemages capable of controlling demons. It is a fortified castle near the southern front. This institution takes the gifted people of the Hominum Empire and trains them to be arcane weapons — resulting in a growing death toll for demons on the front lines.

I found the setting to be interesting, but I’ll admit that thinking about how the series might progress in the future makes me anxious.

Character

There are a few characters that stand out in this novel.

Fletcher Wulf

Naturally, Fletcher is the main character. He is kind and welcoming, but somewhat naïve when it comes to how things are done at the beginning. How minorities are treated in the Hominum Empire. It shows that he comes from a position of relative privilege despite his difficulties in Pelt — his hometown. But I appreciate the fact that he makes an effort to better himself over the course of the novel.

Fletcher makes an effort to learn more through speaking with his friends and their kin. He stands up for those less privileged than him when faced with dangerous authorities. Such authorities have no qualms against striking a man down with a baton or the butt of a musket and the fact that Fletcher is willing to put himself at risk in order to help those less privileged speaks volumes about who he is.

Our own world needs more people like that.

Additionally, Fletcher can be cunning and thoughtful when it comes to his training, but he is sometimes impulsive. He tends to poke his head into things he shouldn’t. Honestly, I love that about him.

Fletcher is a loveable character. I rooted for him from cover to cover.

Othello Thorsager

Admittedly, I feel Othello is an odd name for a Dwarf…but I like him as a character. His odd name doesn’t change how I feel about him.

Basically, Othello is the Token Dwarf at the Vocans Academy, which puts him in a difficult position. His people are counting on him to be a shining example of what Dwarves can accomplish and how Dwarves can work alongside Men. Similarly, the King of the Hominum Empire expects much from him because allowing Othello to be trained as a summoner is the first step in integrating Dwarves and Men.

Initially, Othello seems defensive and moody, but he mellows out once he realises Fletcher has a genuine interest in being his friend and hasn’t approached him in order to be a vicious bigot. He also has a temper. However, Othello isn’t as impulsive as Fletcher or his own twin can be. Unfortunately, his level head is born from necessity; allowing his temper to explode or showing some attitude would be the quickest route to a beating from the prejudiced authorities in the Hominum Empire.

Additionally, Othello shows patience when it comes to Fletcher and his naivety, and is willing to discuss things with him even though he doesn’t have to. It isn’t his job to educate the ignorant. But he chooses to educate those who show an earnest willingness to listen and learn.

Othello believes social change should come through the pursuit of politics. He believes engaging in open violence against the Hominum Empire will put their chances of achieving equal rights in jeopardy, but he allows himself to take the rap for his more aggressive twin on several occasions. He even gets the same tattoos as him to complete the ruse.

I feel this shows that — while Othello will argue against violence — he knows that his twin and others like him have their hearts in the right place. While their methods might differ, all Dwarves want the same thing: to be seen as equals in the Hominum Empire.

I look forward to seeing how his character might develop in the sequels!

Sylva Arkenia

I’m not sure how I feel about this character. Certainly, she has a lot of potential. She comes from a noble Elven family, and so she has a certain bearing that differentiates her from Fletcher and Othello.

Honestly, Sylva seemed like an aloof snob at first. However, she also has a lot of weight resting on her shoulders. Much like Othello Thorsager, she is the token representative of her people at the Vocans Academy, and she is under a lot of stress because of that.

It is no secret that Elves and Men are in the middle of a cold war with each other despite being apparent allies in the war against the Orcs. There is an inevitable sense of distrust between her and the other students until dangerous circumstances brings Fletcher and Othello crashing into an alliance with her.

Sylva thirsts for success. She wants to prove herself as a summoner. More importantly, she wants to prove to her people that it wasn’t a mistake to send her. Unfortunately, this thirst for success results in making decisions against her better judgement and leads to disastrous consequences.

I feel she needs to grow as a character in the sequel.

Tarquin Forsyth

Tarquin is one of the biggest snobs in the book. His handsome features mean nothing when weighed against his attitude toward the people around him. His treatment of those Tarquin believes are inferior is telling.

Tarquin has almost no respect for the Vocans Academy, and none for the professors stationed there. He attends because he can’t gain a high rank without doing so. I disliked his character as soon as he walked on to the pages.

Additionally, he is cruel and aggressive. He is also arrogant and condescending, and believes himself better than other students because of his heritage. He thinks he deserves a high rank just because he was born with money, and his father gave him a powerful demon.

But he hasn’t earned that rank.

Tarquin thinks he shouldn’t have to. He believes he should just be given power and prestige without working for it. He believes the commoners shouldn’t even be granted a chance to gain a position in the ranks.

Tarquin is a villainous capitalist with a simmering hatred of minorities.

Honestly, Tarquin is a conniving prick. I hope an Orc guts him in the future.  

Plot

The main plot is a standard one among popular fantasies. The main character learns something new about themselves and is propelled forward to a path of learning, which will lead him to battling on the front at some point in the future. Presumably, this thread will be fulfilled later in the series.

The main plot follows his journey, exploring his emotions and the inevitable growth of his confidence. His actions and reactions drive the plot along.

Additionally, the plot explores the needs of minorities. It explores their hopes and the dangers involved in being a minority, but I’d expect nothing less.

However, the presence of demons is what makes this novel unique. Their presence is vital to the plot. I loved reading about the different kinds. It was fascinating, seeing them be more than just a powerful force. The demons were clever and cunning, and intriguing.

It kept me hooked.

The Writing

Honestly, I had one main quibble with the writing. That quibble was the difference between the ages the characters were supposed to be and how old the writing made them seem.

The characters were supposed to be seventeen approximately, but the writing made them seem much closer to fourteen rather than being on the cusp of adulthood. That was something that stuck out like a sore thumb when Fletcher reached the Vocans Academy, but I did learn to ignore it as I continued reading.

It didn’t detract too much from the novel.

Rating

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.