Twelve-year-old Callum "Call" Hunt doesn't fit in at school. He has a mangled leg, a pronounced limp, an acerbic wit and a reclusive father. But Call has even more worries. At 12, all children with magical potential are summoned to the Magisterium for the Iron Trial, a test to determine who has enough ability to train to be a mage, a master of magic. Call's father believes magic is evil, and blames a mage war for his wife's death when Call was young. "When mages go to war, which is often, they don't care about the people who die because of it." Call tries to fail, but discovers instead that he has so much potential, he could be dangerous without training. At the Magisterium, he thrives for the first time in his life. He learns mage history, and that they are training to fight an evil mage, the Enemy of Death, Constantine Madden. A tentative truce has kept him at bay but his threat is ever-present, and he is expected to resurface. While Call studies magic, he learns even more about himself, his family and his future.
Holly Black (Doll Bones) and Cassandra Clare (the Mortal Instruments series) stylistically complement each other. The novel brims with magic in a fantasy that breezes along with snappy dialogue and quick pacing, plus a surprise twist. It's sure to attract even the most reluctant readers and to keep them returning for the episodes to come. While Call's adventures are just right for middle grade, the story will also appeal to Black's and Clare's myriad YA fans. --Jessica Bushore, former public librarian and freelance writer