The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1) by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

A book written by both Holly Black and Cassandra Clare?  OMG!  OMG!  OMG!  OMG!  OMG!  OMG!  OMG!  OMG!  OMG!

Release Date:  September 2014

Genre: Fantasy

Protagonist:  Callum Hunt

The Story:  For as long as Callum can remember, Callum's father has made it clear that all magic and mages are dangerous and not to be trusted.  Forced to attend the Iron Trial to determine his admission into the Magisterium, Callum is determined to fail the tests spectacularly so that he can continue his life of normalcy.  Despite his best (or worst) efforts, Call is chosen to attend the Magisterium to learn how to control his magic.  Grouped with two other students, Aaron and Tamara, Call learns for the first time what friendship is and what a person can overcome in the name of loyalty and friendship.  Along the way, Call discovers a shocking secret that explains his father's suspicion of the Magisterium.  Faced with the ultimate choice between good and evil, Call must make an irreversible decision that will put him on the path to his destiny.

Reaction:  Any time you see to power house authors paired up like this, readers are going to have high expectations.  I love both of these authors, and I think they've done a really bang up job of crafting a fun new fantasy series for middle grade students.  The majority of The Iron Trial is focused on world building and character building, which is extremely important in a fantasy novel where the universe is so profoundly different from our reality.  Callum's background and character development are effectively crafted to help us develop sympathy; Callum is the boy bullies pick on, the one chosen last for team activities, and the person others choose not to associate with.  After we've learned to care about Call and have sympathy for his situation, the authors drop a bomb on us and leave us wondering about what will happen next.  What other choices will Callum make, and how will those decisions impact not only his friends, but the world?  Those last few lines of the book, that wicked little twist, is a cliffhanger designed to make you want to read the second book in the series...and I say to the authors:  Hurry up, please!  

If You Liked... Harry Potter, The Spiderwick Chronicles,Fablehaven and Howl's Moving Castle, then The Iron Trial is right up your alley!

Rating:  4

Teacher Notes: Put this with Harry Potter, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Fablehaven, and Howl's Moving Castle.  Fans of high fantasy and fantasy will eat this one up!