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The Magician of Tiger Castle
• AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER • AN INDIE NEXT LIST PICK • A LIBRARY READS PICK • The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.
"After decades of children's stories with adult intelligence, Sachar has given us an adult novel with a child's heart"—Alix E. Harrow
"Funny, surprising, smart and weird . . . fully lives up to the high bar you’d expect from a great like Sachar."—Associated Press
Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia's father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the "wedding of the century," Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.
The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.
When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?
"After decades of children's stories with adult intelligence, Sachar has given us an adult novel with a child's heart"—Alix E. Harrow
"Funny, surprising, smart and weird . . . fully lives up to the high bar you’d expect from a great like Sachar."—Associated Press
Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia's father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the "wedding of the century," Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.
The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.
When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2025
716 people are currently reading
44026 people want to read
About the author
Louis Sachar
96 books4,697 followersLouis Sachar (pronounced Sacker), born March 20, 1954, is an American author of children's books.
Louis was born in East Meadow, New York, in 1954. When he was nine, he moved to Tustin, California. He went to college at the University of California at Berkeley and graduated in 1976, as an economics major. The next year, he wrote his first book, Sideways Stories from Wayside School .
He was working at a sweater warehouse during the day and wrote at night. Almost a year later, he was fired from the job. He decided to go to law school. He attended Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.
His first book was published while he was in law school. He graduated in 1980. For the next eight years he worked part-time as a lawyer and continued to try to write children's books. Then his books started selling well enough so that he was able to quit practicing law. His wife's name is Carla. When he first met her, she was a counselor at an elementary school. She was the inspiration behind the counselor in There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom . He was married in 1985. Hisdaughter, Sherre, was born in 1987.
Louis was born in East Meadow, New York, in 1954. When he was nine, he moved to Tustin, California. He went to college at the University of California at Berkeley and graduated in 1976, as an economics major. The next year, he wrote his first book, Sideways Stories from Wayside School .
He was working at a sweater warehouse during the day and wrote at night. Almost a year later, he was fired from the job. He decided to go to law school. He attended Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.
His first book was published while he was in law school. He graduated in 1980. For the next eight years he worked part-time as a lawyer and continued to try to write children's books. Then his books started selling well enough so that he was able to quit practicing law. His wife's name is Carla. When he first met her, she was a counselor at an elementary school. She was the inspiration behind the counselor in There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom . He was married in 1985. Hisdaughter, Sherre, was born in 1987.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,237 reviews
June 6, 2025
**ARC of this book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Quick and fun blend of fairy tale and cozy fantasy that I just couldn't get invested in.
We are following Anatole - gifted alchemist that holds position of the court magician in the kingdom of Esquaveta. He is leading a peaceful life spending majority of of his days in his workshop brewing potions and healing aliments of the courtiers and king's family. The story starts when Anatole is tasked with brewing a concoction that will make princess forget that she fell in love with the lowly scribe. The book masterfully blends reality with a hint of magic so you will get a healthy dose of information about the reality of living in a renaissance castle in a fun, lighthearted fairy tale package. I was devouring parts about everyday life and would sacrifice the adventurous part of the story just to read more about it.
Which leads us to my complains. Anatole is the narrator but main plot is about Tullia and Pito, the princess and the scribe she fell in love with. Tullia and Pito have no chemistry whatsoever and I just couldn't find it in myself to root for them. The banter is witty but occasionally comes across as intentionally rude and hurtful (looking at you, Pito) making it even harder to get invested in the love story. Anatole himself is a quirky middle aged guy that is a walking comic relief. The amount of time he was stepping in manure/falling down on his face/destroying something by accident was over the top and occasionally made me feel like I was reading a middle-grade book and not the story for adults.
Despite three stars I would recommend this book to anyone. It has an interesting concept, full bloodied characters and exquisite world building. And it does have this dash of something that will make you think about the story long after you put the book back on the shelf.
Quick and fun blend of fairy tale and cozy fantasy that I just couldn't get invested in.
We are following Anatole - gifted alchemist that holds position of the court magician in the kingdom of Esquaveta. He is leading a peaceful life spending majority of of his days in his workshop brewing potions and healing aliments of the courtiers and king's family. The story starts when Anatole is tasked with brewing a concoction that will make princess forget that she fell in love with the lowly scribe. The book masterfully blends reality with a hint of magic so you will get a healthy dose of information about the reality of living in a renaissance castle in a fun, lighthearted fairy tale package. I was devouring parts about everyday life and would sacrifice the adventurous part of the story just to read more about it.
Which leads us to my complains. Anatole is the narrator but main plot is about Tullia and Pito, the princess and the scribe she fell in love with. Tullia and Pito have no chemistry whatsoever and I just couldn't find it in myself to root for them. The banter is witty but occasionally comes across as intentionally rude and hurtful (looking at you, Pito) making it even harder to get invested in the love story. Anatole himself is a quirky middle aged guy that is a walking comic relief. The amount of time he was stepping in manure/falling down on his face/destroying something by accident was over the top and occasionally made me feel like I was reading a middle-grade book and not the story for adults.
Despite three stars I would recommend this book to anyone. It has an interesting concept, full bloodied characters and exquisite world building. And it does have this dash of something that will make you think about the story long after you put the book back on the shelf.
August 16, 2025
Unfortunately, I didn’t love this. It is an adult novel that reads like a middle grade novel and I have no idea what the *point* of the story was. Sad.
March 19, 2025
I received this book as an ARC through a giveaway through Goodreads. Thank you so much for this ARC. What follows is my honest review.
I regularly talk about how "Holes is one of the best children novels of all time" and I credit some of my absurd humor to rereading Wayside Stories (Naming a character Bebe Gun and then giving her a brother named Ray is still so funny to me). So, I was so eager to read this book. Especially with my mental health being **not great** this last week, I was so happy to have something that felt familiar and warm.
This is a whimsical adult fairytale with real heart within. A lot of times when people talk about adult fairytales they are talking about a magic world with some *adult* elements. But this felt like reading a book of fairytales as a kid. Magical with brave characters and darkness in the corners. But darkness that could be fought with bravery and wit and choosing to be a good person.
The characters are colorful and unique without feeling too much like childish cardboard cutouts of "princess", "magician", "evil prince". Everything was both grounded and clever, while also being silly and humorous. Sachar expects you to keep both feet on the ground (so you don't trip), but also looking over your shoulder fondly.
Thank you Mr. Sachar. I really needed this book right when I got it.
I regularly talk about how "Holes is one of the best children novels of all time" and I credit some of my absurd humor to rereading Wayside Stories (Naming a character Bebe Gun and then giving her a brother named Ray is still so funny to me). So, I was so eager to read this book. Especially with my mental health being **not great** this last week, I was so happy to have something that felt familiar and warm.
This is a whimsical adult fairytale with real heart within. A lot of times when people talk about adult fairytales they are talking about a magic world with some *adult* elements. But this felt like reading a book of fairytales as a kid. Magical with brave characters and darkness in the corners. But darkness that could be fought with bravery and wit and choosing to be a good person.
The characters are colorful and unique without feeling too much like childish cardboard cutouts of "princess", "magician", "evil prince". Everything was both grounded and clever, while also being silly and humorous. Sachar expects you to keep both feet on the ground (so you don't trip), but also looking over your shoulder fondly.
Thank you Mr. Sachar. I really needed this book right when I got it.
September 27, 2025
Felt like a fairy tale, and strongly reminded me of Peter S. Beagle's recent I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons. Charming, humorous without being too silly, and serious when it needed to be, it made me hope that Sachar does more in this vein in the future!
July 17, 2025
I received a free advance copy of this book from the Penguin Random House booth at Emerald City Comic Con. Thank you to PRH for being there and for providing so many free books.
Usually when I get ARCs from comic con, they tend to fall into a few different categories, and one of them is "books I wouldn't ever just pick up if I just saw them sitting on a table at Barnes and Noble". This is definitely one of those. I don't have any nostalgia for Louis Sachar. I didn't read his books as a kid or as an adult who likes to read YA (I've never read or seen Holes). The protagonist is a middle aged straight white man, which I'm usually not that enthralled by unless the story or character has something interesting to say. The story... sounded interesting enough but it wouldn't have made me add it to my incredibly large TBR.
Sometimes books like this surprise me and I end up really liking them (I usually get one or two stealth favorites out of ECCC every year), but this one... did not.
The two biggest problems here are 1) I don't like the protagonist/narrator, which is rough because you're in his head the ENTIRE book and 2) I had no idea what the point of the story was. The summary on the back indicates that the princess has an arranged marriage, but has fallen in love with a scribe and is refusing to go through with it. The main character is the court magician and he is told to make a potion that will force the princess to comply with the marriage. The summary infers that he has some sort of moral dilemma about doing so.
But he doesn't. He's fine with it. He's reluctant to drug her with opium because he doesn't want her addicted, but he's fine with brewing a potion to slip her without her consent to remove all her memories of the scribe. And he does the same to the scribe as well. He's fallen out of favor in court and his main concern here is getting his status back by saving the day (the marriage will unite two kingdoms). Instead of anyone actually talking to the princess and making any sort of argument about how the marriage will be good for the kingdom, or about how she needs to do her duty, everyone talks about her like she's not a human, and our protagonist... has no objections to this because he thinks she should want to be married too??? Or at least doesn't feel strongly enough about her having free will that it bothers him to force her to do this.
Now, this was the 16th century, so I guess it's *realistic* she's being used as a bargaining chip/incubator for male heirs and that no one cares what she actually thinks. But this magician is represented as being like a father figure to her when she was growing up because her parents are pretty awful. He recognizes that she's smart and clever and funny. So you'd think he'd even once discuss the matter with her. But no. Every time he sees her, she asks him to help her and he makes vague humming noises and goes back to brewing a potion that will TAKE AWAY HER MEMORIES.
Of course the prince she's supposed to marry is awful, and the magician eventually decides to help her (actually, he's much more interested in helping her scribe/love than he is in helping her, because helping the scribe won't affect his reputation in court). The rest of the story is him attempting to help them escape.
But honestly, even that description makes the story sound more interesting than it is. Whether it's his narration or the author's writing style, I couldn't bring myself to really care about anything that happened to any of the characters. I never felt like I got to know anyone beyond surface things, and they never seemed to act consistent from scene to scene. For example, Pito (the scribe), is multilingual, a great scribe, knows Greek philosophy and a great chess player. He helps the magician with his experiments after he's saved... and then fifty pages later he's getting in mud fights and not showing any self preservation instincts. I never had a solid read about any of them, to the point where I never really had any idea what they might do or why I should even care that they did it.
And again, I have no idea what the ultimate point of the story is. Anatole (the magician) tells us from minute one that he's kind of cowardly and doesn't know how to stand up for himself or anyone around him, and he proves that for most of the book, so I guess... fine? I suppose he can be cowardly, but it's not a particularly fun place to be while I'm reading this book. The tone isn't comedic, so his clumsiness and cowardly nature isn't played for laughs really. It's not really super realistic because everyone seems like kind of a cartoon character. Even when Pito was in danger of being executed I never got a sense of stakes because again, I didn't really care about him because I got no sense of who he was as a character.
The story seems rambling and isn't particularly tightly written. What happens in the end was just confusing to me and didn't give us a solid resolution for anyone besides Anatole. To summarize, it gets 2 stars because it wasn't... awful to read. It wasn't badly written and it went by fairly quickly, but I didn't like Anatole (he did absolutely nothing to endear himself to me, and everything he did do that was even mildly positive was mostly out of guilt or self preservation or revenge, not because he was trying to save the princess). Like... he claims to feel fatherly towards the princess but does nothing for her but make things worse. And I had no idea what the point was. Even fairy tales have a real resolution. This one just kind of ends with a shrug.
Also, there's a part in the book where Anatole is talking about how the Queen doesn't like him because he once refused to sleep with her. And another character says "a woman may forgive a man who makes an unwanted advance but one who misses his chance" or something like that. Which I consider to be a pretty awful and very backward sentiment. "Oh yeah, go ahead and assault me or sexually harass me and I might be fine with it, but then if you reject me, I'll hate you forever because I'm a fickle hypocritical woman". And I thought, well maybe it's just the author expressing what he believes to be an outdated sentiment, but then he doubles down by, in the acknowledgments, telling us the source of the original quote and showing us the original (which includes the phrase "forcing the opportunity" which let's admit it is MUCH clearer and MUCH worse than the one in the book) and calling it "elegant". Which yikes. It's a gross idea and it gave me the ick that the main character was like "yeah... women are crazy man" in response.
And yes, I understand that the man is fictional, and yes, I read plenty of books where sentiments like this are expressed, but it's all about the way they're framed and how the author wants us to feel about the sentiment and about the character's attitude towards it, and both book and character were a little too on board with the sentiment for me.
I'm going to discuss the end, so SPOILERS...
Anatole was actually infuriating in a couple parts. He would be just fine with erasing the princess's memories and leaving her married to a prince she doesn't care about to live a life pumping out his babies... until he finds out that the prince is someone who had personally wronged him in the past. Once he finds that out he wants to save her but mainly, he wants revenge on the prince for doing what he did. Part of what he does is to humiliate the prince.
And then, he NEVER tells Pito or the princess that he wiped out their memories. They end up falling in love again over time, but he STOLE THEIR MEMORIES of one another. By feeding them a mysterious potion. That he lied about when he gave it to them. And in the end he's like "well I probably should tell them what I did, but what good would it do now, I don't want to get in a fight". Fucking seriously? Way to never take accountability for your actions. And yes, he's written as a coward, and not everyone gets to be a hero, but he barely even wrestles with the morality of what he's doing. He occasionally feels a little guilty, but it's not like he saved them because he felt bad about what he did. In fact, all he really does is feel relief because memory wiping them gets him praise from the king, wins him back his status in court and gets him compliments from royalty. Even thinking back on the events, he does more bragging about how brilliant he was than being guilty about what he did.
And then, at another point, he's told to give the princess a love potion to force her to marry the prince and "give herself to him willingly", and he actually is fine with it right up until Pito points out that it's immoral to do so. Then he's like "oh okay well I guess I'll come up with something different". Come on man. It made me wonder whether I was supposed to like him at all.
Also, the last half of the book is Anatole's efforts to escape with Pito and the princess. And we NEVER GET TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO PITO AND THE PRINCESS. Their fate is left completely open ended. All we know is they probably didn't get captured by the prince, and that they may have made it to the Americas, but we don't know anything for certain. And again, I don't mind open ended or ambiguous endings, but this thing is structured like it's supposed to be some sort of fairy tale, and I sort of thought I was supposed to be invested in their fate. Why wouldn't we get to know for sure that they at least escaped the continent? Just odd choices.
Usually when I get ARCs from comic con, they tend to fall into a few different categories, and one of them is "books I wouldn't ever just pick up if I just saw them sitting on a table at Barnes and Noble". This is definitely one of those. I don't have any nostalgia for Louis Sachar. I didn't read his books as a kid or as an adult who likes to read YA (I've never read or seen Holes). The protagonist is a middle aged straight white man, which I'm usually not that enthralled by unless the story or character has something interesting to say. The story... sounded interesting enough but it wouldn't have made me add it to my incredibly large TBR.
Sometimes books like this surprise me and I end up really liking them (I usually get one or two stealth favorites out of ECCC every year), but this one... did not.
The two biggest problems here are 1) I don't like the protagonist/narrator, which is rough because you're in his head the ENTIRE book and 2) I had no idea what the point of the story was. The summary on the back indicates that the princess has an arranged marriage, but has fallen in love with a scribe and is refusing to go through with it. The main character is the court magician and he is told to make a potion that will force the princess to comply with the marriage. The summary infers that he has some sort of moral dilemma about doing so.
But he doesn't. He's fine with it. He's reluctant to drug her with opium because he doesn't want her addicted, but he's fine with brewing a potion to slip her without her consent to remove all her memories of the scribe. And he does the same to the scribe as well. He's fallen out of favor in court and his main concern here is getting his status back by saving the day (the marriage will unite two kingdoms). Instead of anyone actually talking to the princess and making any sort of argument about how the marriage will be good for the kingdom, or about how she needs to do her duty, everyone talks about her like she's not a human, and our protagonist... has no objections to this because he thinks she should want to be married too??? Or at least doesn't feel strongly enough about her having free will that it bothers him to force her to do this.
Now, this was the 16th century, so I guess it's *realistic* she's being used as a bargaining chip/incubator for male heirs and that no one cares what she actually thinks. But this magician is represented as being like a father figure to her when she was growing up because her parents are pretty awful. He recognizes that she's smart and clever and funny. So you'd think he'd even once discuss the matter with her. But no. Every time he sees her, she asks him to help her and he makes vague humming noises and goes back to brewing a potion that will TAKE AWAY HER MEMORIES.
Of course the prince she's supposed to marry is awful, and the magician eventually decides to help her (actually, he's much more interested in helping her scribe/love than he is in helping her, because helping the scribe won't affect his reputation in court). The rest of the story is him attempting to help them escape.
But honestly, even that description makes the story sound more interesting than it is. Whether it's his narration or the author's writing style, I couldn't bring myself to really care about anything that happened to any of the characters. I never felt like I got to know anyone beyond surface things, and they never seemed to act consistent from scene to scene. For example, Pito (the scribe), is multilingual, a great scribe, knows Greek philosophy and a great chess player. He helps the magician with his experiments after he's saved... and then fifty pages later he's getting in mud fights and not showing any self preservation instincts. I never had a solid read about any of them, to the point where I never really had any idea what they might do or why I should even care that they did it.
And again, I have no idea what the ultimate point of the story is. Anatole (the magician) tells us from minute one that he's kind of cowardly and doesn't know how to stand up for himself or anyone around him, and he proves that for most of the book, so I guess... fine? I suppose he can be cowardly, but it's not a particularly fun place to be while I'm reading this book. The tone isn't comedic, so his clumsiness and cowardly nature isn't played for laughs really. It's not really super realistic because everyone seems like kind of a cartoon character. Even when Pito was in danger of being executed I never got a sense of stakes because again, I didn't really care about him because I got no sense of who he was as a character.
The story seems rambling and isn't particularly tightly written. What happens in the end was just confusing to me and didn't give us a solid resolution for anyone besides Anatole. To summarize, it gets 2 stars because it wasn't... awful to read. It wasn't badly written and it went by fairly quickly, but I didn't like Anatole (he did absolutely nothing to endear himself to me, and everything he did do that was even mildly positive was mostly out of guilt or self preservation or revenge, not because he was trying to save the princess). Like... he claims to feel fatherly towards the princess but does nothing for her but make things worse. And I had no idea what the point was. Even fairy tales have a real resolution. This one just kind of ends with a shrug.
Also, there's a part in the book where Anatole is talking about how the Queen doesn't like him because he once refused to sleep with her. And another character says "a woman may forgive a man who makes an unwanted advance but one who misses his chance" or something like that. Which I consider to be a pretty awful and very backward sentiment. "Oh yeah, go ahead and assault me or sexually harass me and I might be fine with it, but then if you reject me, I'll hate you forever because I'm a fickle hypocritical woman". And I thought, well maybe it's just the author expressing what he believes to be an outdated sentiment, but then he doubles down by, in the acknowledgments, telling us the source of the original quote and showing us the original (which includes the phrase "forcing the opportunity" which let's admit it is MUCH clearer and MUCH worse than the one in the book) and calling it "elegant". Which yikes. It's a gross idea and it gave me the ick that the main character was like "yeah... women are crazy man" in response.
And yes, I understand that the man is fictional, and yes, I read plenty of books where sentiments like this are expressed, but it's all about the way they're framed and how the author wants us to feel about the sentiment and about the character's attitude towards it, and both book and character were a little too on board with the sentiment for me.
I'm going to discuss the end, so SPOILERS...
Anatole was actually infuriating in a couple parts. He would be just fine with erasing the princess's memories and leaving her married to a prince she doesn't care about to live a life pumping out his babies... until he finds out that the prince is someone who had personally wronged him in the past. Once he finds that out he wants to save her but mainly, he wants revenge on the prince for doing what he did. Part of what he does is to humiliate the prince.
And then, he NEVER tells Pito or the princess that he wiped out their memories. They end up falling in love again over time, but he STOLE THEIR MEMORIES of one another. By feeding them a mysterious potion. That he lied about when he gave it to them. And in the end he's like "well I probably should tell them what I did, but what good would it do now, I don't want to get in a fight". Fucking seriously? Way to never take accountability for your actions. And yes, he's written as a coward, and not everyone gets to be a hero, but he barely even wrestles with the morality of what he's doing. He occasionally feels a little guilty, but it's not like he saved them because he felt bad about what he did. In fact, all he really does is feel relief because memory wiping them gets him praise from the king, wins him back his status in court and gets him compliments from royalty. Even thinking back on the events, he does more bragging about how brilliant he was than being guilty about what he did.
And then, at another point, he's told to give the princess a love potion to force her to marry the prince and "give herself to him willingly", and he actually is fine with it right up until Pito points out that it's immoral to do so. Then he's like "oh okay well I guess I'll come up with something different". Come on man. It made me wonder whether I was supposed to like him at all.
Also, the last half of the book is Anatole's efforts to escape with Pito and the princess. And we NEVER GET TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO PITO AND THE PRINCESS. Their fate is left completely open ended. All we know is they probably didn't get captured by the prince, and that they may have made it to the Americas, but we don't know anything for certain. And again, I don't mind open ended or ambiguous endings, but this thing is structured like it's supposed to be some sort of fairy tale, and I sort of thought I was supposed to be invested in their fate. Why wouldn't we get to know for sure that they at least escaped the continent? Just odd choices.
August 6, 2025
Cute but underwhelming!
October 26, 2025
This was whimsical in a really lovely way. It reminds me of some fantasy novels that came out in the 80's and 90's in terms of voice and tone. It follows an immortal magician telling a story from his past in the court of a castle now populated with tigers. It involves a princess, an unwanted political marriage, forbidden love, and experimenting with potions in an attempt to solve messy problems.
February 4, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for early access to this ARC!
Normally I wait a bit closer to the date of publication to share my thoughts but I simply loved this one too much to keep it bottled in until August.
I love the perspective that this read is told through. The immortal protagonist looking back on a story from earlier in their life is such a fun framework and Sachar uses it well. The depiction of magic here is also appropriately gross and unwhimsical which I found entirely complimentary to the narrative, setting, and characters.
Anatole makes this story though, from his odd appearance to wholesome mannerisms. He is a character that it is hard for me not to love. My one dilemma is the peeks at the Anatole in modern times are far too few when his POV is so fun. His moments of smugness about the history he created and witnessed are an absolute delight. I also have to commend Sachar for the inclusion of some of the oddest fun facts and bizarre realities that somehow overshadow the literal magic in this book.
The history richly baked into this text is a delight and a wonder. I hope there are readers out there who can still appreciate this era of our kind's existence.
July 10, 2025
This was a nice fairytale-esque fantasy that was a good read, but just didn't click 100% for me.
Anatole is a court magician in the now-famed Tiger Castle in the kingdom of Esquaveta. The story is excellently framed from his perspective of visiting the castle in modern times and looking back on it 500 years in the past to when and how it got its name. He gives us hints of what's to come in the story as he hears it from a tour guide, including the Whispering King, a treacherous queen who killed one king to marry another, and a beautiful princess who was abducted on her wedding night. And he mentions the great magician himself, who the tour guide neglects to include! Anatole then leaps back into his past and tells the story from his perspective.
Anatole's character is brilliant. Rather than having a story told from a hero's perspective, although in some ways he could be considered that, Anatole is a bald man (thanks to an experiment gone wrong, he has no hair on his entire body) who describes himself as "short and dumpy". We are constantly reminded of his flaws as he falls in manure and out of carriages.
The only downside was that I struggled to get stuck into this book. The story had more of a rambling quality with a series of events which, though they are of course linked, didn't flow as well as you'd expect. I actually think this book would benefit from a second reading, especially as I went back to the initial set up chapter that I've described above to remind myself of it before reviewing, and it made much more of an impact when I knew what was to come. On first reading, it felt like it was going to be a big grand tale, but as you read on and the characters become more clear, it's a lot more of a fumbling series of events which are far more fun that the mythical quality you expect.
Like many others, I initially picked this book due to the author who wrote the iconic book, Holes. I always loved this book, but it made more of an impact as being one of the only books that my sister, who is not a reader, actually enjoyed! This one is a different piece of work, although I do think you can feel the author's signature underneath it in the way it's framed and told.
Overall, a tricky one to rate and review as I enjoyed it and will probably remember the story, but while reading, I did struggle to pick it up as I wasn't invested in continuing it. I think I may reread in future to see how I feel about that again!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.
Anatole is a court magician in the now-famed Tiger Castle in the kingdom of Esquaveta. The story is excellently framed from his perspective of visiting the castle in modern times and looking back on it 500 years in the past to when and how it got its name. He gives us hints of what's to come in the story as he hears it from a tour guide, including the Whispering King, a treacherous queen who killed one king to marry another, and a beautiful princess who was abducted on her wedding night. And he mentions the great magician himself, who the tour guide neglects to include! Anatole then leaps back into his past and tells the story from his perspective.
Anatole's character is brilliant. Rather than having a story told from a hero's perspective, although in some ways he could be considered that, Anatole is a bald man (thanks to an experiment gone wrong, he has no hair on his entire body) who describes himself as "short and dumpy". We are constantly reminded of his flaws as he falls in manure and out of carriages.
The only downside was that I struggled to get stuck into this book. The story had more of a rambling quality with a series of events which, though they are of course linked, didn't flow as well as you'd expect. I actually think this book would benefit from a second reading, especially as I went back to the initial set up chapter that I've described above to remind myself of it before reviewing, and it made much more of an impact when I knew what was to come. On first reading, it felt like it was going to be a big grand tale, but as you read on and the characters become more clear, it's a lot more of a fumbling series of events which are far more fun that the mythical quality you expect.
Like many others, I initially picked this book due to the author who wrote the iconic book, Holes. I always loved this book, but it made more of an impact as being one of the only books that my sister, who is not a reader, actually enjoyed! This one is a different piece of work, although I do think you can feel the author's signature underneath it in the way it's framed and told.
Overall, a tricky one to rate and review as I enjoyed it and will probably remember the story, but while reading, I did struggle to pick it up as I wasn't invested in continuing it. I think I may reread in future to see how I feel about that again!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.
December 17, 2025
4.5
Genuinely hilarious, heartwarming, and deeply touching. I love warm and funny and cutesy fantasy stories that aren’t so much “cozy” as they are high-stakes but human. This book reminds me of Tress of the Emerald Sea and The Assassin’s Apprentice
Genuinely hilarious, heartwarming, and deeply touching. I love warm and funny and cutesy fantasy stories that aren’t so much “cozy” as they are high-stakes but human. This book reminds me of Tress of the Emerald Sea and The Assassin’s Apprentice
September 9, 2025
This book was such a drag. The beautiful cover and enchanting title hooked me, and before I knew it I was halfway into the most boring storyline (if you can call it that?) that had almost nothing at all to do with magic or tigers.
The book is essentially about a magician (scientist) who works for a king. The first 1/3 of the book is him being ordered to make different potions (including heroin) to use on the princess to coerce her to marry and sleep with an old guy who she doesn’t know. The word potion must have been used over 100 times. The beginning was all just him going back and forth between the jail to try out his potions on a prisoner (the guy the princess actually loves) and then back to his lab to adjust his potion.
The middle and end was a random trip through the woods where the author gives so much detail about random thoughts the magician is having and conversations between the 3 travelers but none of that detail really played into any kind of plot. It felt like I was just listening to a child recount every second of every day because they haven’t yet learned how to summarize or get to the point.
The end was very underwhelming and what had appeared to be a love story at the beginning of the book had almost no good or interesting resolution.
I’m shocked to see so many great reviews, and the only way I can make sense of it is that these people must have been childhood fans of Holes and experienced a lot of nostalgia reading a book by the same author.
The book is essentially about a magician (scientist) who works for a king. The first 1/3 of the book is him being ordered to make different potions (including heroin) to use on the princess to coerce her to marry and sleep with an old guy who she doesn’t know. The word potion must have been used over 100 times. The beginning was all just him going back and forth between the jail to try out his potions on a prisoner (the guy the princess actually loves) and then back to his lab to adjust his potion.
The middle and end was a random trip through the woods where the author gives so much detail about random thoughts the magician is having and conversations between the 3 travelers but none of that detail really played into any kind of plot. It felt like I was just listening to a child recount every second of every day because they haven’t yet learned how to summarize or get to the point.
The end was very underwhelming and what had appeared to be a love story at the beginning of the book had almost no good or interesting resolution.
I’m shocked to see so many great reviews, and the only way I can make sense of it is that these people must have been childhood fans of Holes and experienced a lot of nostalgia reading a book by the same author.
August 7, 2025
Louis Sachar, the celebrated author behind the beloved Holes and the whimsical Wayside School series, ventures into uncharted territory with The Magician of Tiger Castle, his first adult novel. Known for crafting memorable characters in middle-grade fiction, Sachar demonstrates remarkable range as he weaves a complex tale of political intrigue, forbidden love, and magical realism set in Renaissance-era Europe.
This ambitious departure from his established body of work showcases Sachar's evolution as a storyteller, proving that his narrative gifts extend far beyond the classroom and summer camp settings that made him famous. The transition from children's literature to adult fantasy is seamless, maintaining his signature wit while embracing darker, more sophisticated themes.
A Kingdom on the Brink of Collapse
The fictional kingdom of Esquaveta serves as both setting and metaphor for a world caught between medieval tradition and Renaissance innovation. Sachar expertly captures the political volatility of 16th-century Europe, where kingdoms rise and fall based on strategic marriages and military alliances. The author's research into period details—from sumptuary laws to the revolutionary impact of triangular sails—creates an immersive historical backdrop that feels authentic without being overwhelming.
Princess Tullia emerges as the story's emotional center, a young woman trapped between duty and desire. Her asymmetrical eyes—one brown, one blue—serve as a powerful symbol of her internal conflict between pragmatic acceptance and rebellious hope. Sachar's portrayal of Tullia avoids the typical damsel-in-distress trope, instead presenting a character who actively shapes her destiny while navigating the constraints of royal obligation.
The political machinations surrounding her arranged marriage to the odious Prince Dalrympl of Oxatania reveal Sachar's understanding of how personal relationships become pawns in larger power struggles. The "wedding of the century" represents not just a union between two people, but the potential salvation or destruction of an entire kingdom.
The Unlikely Hero: Anatole's Journey from Disgrace to Redemption
Anatole, the court magician whose reputation has crumbled through a series of spectacular failures, anchors the narrative with his distinctive voice. Sachar's decision to tell the story from Anatole's perspective—both as a contemporary observer visiting the modern-day Tiger Castle and as the participant in historical events—creates a layered narrative structure that enhances the mythic quality of the tale.
The character of Anatole represents the Renaissance tension between science and superstition. His "magic" often relies on practical knowledge of herbs, chemistry, and human psychology, yet the results appear supernatural to his contemporaries. This ambiguity allows Sachar to explore themes of perception versus reality while maintaining the fantasy elements that give the story its charm.
Anatole's relationship with Princess Tullia forms the emotional core of the novel. As her unofficial guardian and confidant, he faces an impossible choice between personal loyalty and political necessity. His internal struggle—whether to help Tullia escape her fate or ensure the kingdom's survival through her sacrifice—drives much of the narrative tension.
The Memory Potion: Love, Loss, and Moral Complexity
The central plot device of the memory potion introduces profound ethical questions about free will, identity, and the nature of love. When Anatole discovers that Tullia has fallen for the young scribe Pito, he must decide whether to erase their memories of each other to ensure the royal marriage proceeds.
Sachar handles this dilemma with remarkable sophistication, avoiding easy moral judgments. The memory potion represents more than magical intervention—it becomes a meditation on whether love can exist without memory, and whether protecting someone from pain justifies robbing them of choice. The author's exploration of these themes elevates the novel beyond simple fantasy adventure into philosophical territory.
The relationship between Tullia and Pito unfolds with genuine emotional complexity. Their connection transcends typical romantic clichés, built instead on intellectual compatibility and shared dreams of equality. Pito's introduction of concepts from Thomas More's Utopia provides ideological depth to their romance while establishing the revolutionary undercurrents that challenge the established order.
Technical Mastery and Narrative Innovation
Sachar's prose style adapts remarkably well to adult fiction, maintaining the accessibility that characterizes his children's books while embracing more sophisticated vocabulary and complex sentence structures. His attention to historical detail—from the specifics of Renaissance medicine to the social implications of triangular sails—demonstrates extensive research without overwhelming the narrative flow.
The novel's structure, alternating between contemporary framing devices and historical narrative, creates multiple layers of meaning. The modern-day Anatole, observing how history has remembered (or forgotten) the events he witnessed, adds poignancy to the medieval tale while commenting on the subjective nature of historical truth.
Sachar's handling of magical elements strikes an effective balance between wonder and believability. The magic feels organic to the world rather than imposed upon it, growing from the character's deep understanding of natural phenomena rather than arbitrary supernatural powers.
Themes of Power, Identity, and Transformation
Beyond its surface adventure, The Magician of Tiger Castle examines how individuals navigate systems of power that seem unchangeable. Tullia's struggle against arranged marriage, Pito's rise from humble origins, and Anatole's attempts to redeem his reputation all reflect different responses to societal constraints.
The novel's treatment of class dynamics adds social commentary to the fantasy elements. The distinction between the popolo grasso (wealthy merchants) and popolo minuto (common people) reflects real Renaissance social structures while highlighting how rigid hierarchies limit human potential.
Transformation—both literal and metaphorical—permeates the narrative. Characters change physically through magical intervention, but more importantly, they evolve psychologically as they confront moral choices that define their identities.
Minor Criticisms and Areas for Improvement
While The Magician of Tiger Castle succeeds admirably as Sachar's adult fiction debut, certain elements feel slightly underdeveloped. The political intrigue surrounding the Oxatanian alliance, while compelling, could benefit from deeper exploration of the economic and military factors driving the kingdoms' desperation.
Some secondary characters, particularly the various court officials and nobles, remain somewhat two-dimensional despite their importance to the plot. A fuller development of these figures would have strengthened the political aspects of the story.
The novel's pacing occasionally falters during the middle sections, particularly during the monastery sequence, where the philosophical discussions sometimes slow the narrative momentum despite their thematic relevance.
This ambitious departure from his established body of work showcases Sachar's evolution as a storyteller, proving that his narrative gifts extend far beyond the classroom and summer camp settings that made him famous. The transition from children's literature to adult fantasy is seamless, maintaining his signature wit while embracing darker, more sophisticated themes.
A Kingdom on the Brink of Collapse
The fictional kingdom of Esquaveta serves as both setting and metaphor for a world caught between medieval tradition and Renaissance innovation. Sachar expertly captures the political volatility of 16th-century Europe, where kingdoms rise and fall based on strategic marriages and military alliances. The author's research into period details—from sumptuary laws to the revolutionary impact of triangular sails—creates an immersive historical backdrop that feels authentic without being overwhelming.
Princess Tullia emerges as the story's emotional center, a young woman trapped between duty and desire. Her asymmetrical eyes—one brown, one blue—serve as a powerful symbol of her internal conflict between pragmatic acceptance and rebellious hope. Sachar's portrayal of Tullia avoids the typical damsel-in-distress trope, instead presenting a character who actively shapes her destiny while navigating the constraints of royal obligation.
The political machinations surrounding her arranged marriage to the odious Prince Dalrympl of Oxatania reveal Sachar's understanding of how personal relationships become pawns in larger power struggles. The "wedding of the century" represents not just a union between two people, but the potential salvation or destruction of an entire kingdom.
The Unlikely Hero: Anatole's Journey from Disgrace to Redemption
Anatole, the court magician whose reputation has crumbled through a series of spectacular failures, anchors the narrative with his distinctive voice. Sachar's decision to tell the story from Anatole's perspective—both as a contemporary observer visiting the modern-day Tiger Castle and as the participant in historical events—creates a layered narrative structure that enhances the mythic quality of the tale.
The character of Anatole represents the Renaissance tension between science and superstition. His "magic" often relies on practical knowledge of herbs, chemistry, and human psychology, yet the results appear supernatural to his contemporaries. This ambiguity allows Sachar to explore themes of perception versus reality while maintaining the fantasy elements that give the story its charm.
Anatole's relationship with Princess Tullia forms the emotional core of the novel. As her unofficial guardian and confidant, he faces an impossible choice between personal loyalty and political necessity. His internal struggle—whether to help Tullia escape her fate or ensure the kingdom's survival through her sacrifice—drives much of the narrative tension.
The Memory Potion: Love, Loss, and Moral Complexity
The central plot device of the memory potion introduces profound ethical questions about free will, identity, and the nature of love. When Anatole discovers that Tullia has fallen for the young scribe Pito, he must decide whether to erase their memories of each other to ensure the royal marriage proceeds.
Sachar handles this dilemma with remarkable sophistication, avoiding easy moral judgments. The memory potion represents more than magical intervention—it becomes a meditation on whether love can exist without memory, and whether protecting someone from pain justifies robbing them of choice. The author's exploration of these themes elevates the novel beyond simple fantasy adventure into philosophical territory.
The relationship between Tullia and Pito unfolds with genuine emotional complexity. Their connection transcends typical romantic clichés, built instead on intellectual compatibility and shared dreams of equality. Pito's introduction of concepts from Thomas More's Utopia provides ideological depth to their romance while establishing the revolutionary undercurrents that challenge the established order.
Technical Mastery and Narrative Innovation
Sachar's prose style adapts remarkably well to adult fiction, maintaining the accessibility that characterizes his children's books while embracing more sophisticated vocabulary and complex sentence structures. His attention to historical detail—from the specifics of Renaissance medicine to the social implications of triangular sails—demonstrates extensive research without overwhelming the narrative flow.
The novel's structure, alternating between contemporary framing devices and historical narrative, creates multiple layers of meaning. The modern-day Anatole, observing how history has remembered (or forgotten) the events he witnessed, adds poignancy to the medieval tale while commenting on the subjective nature of historical truth.
Sachar's handling of magical elements strikes an effective balance between wonder and believability. The magic feels organic to the world rather than imposed upon it, growing from the character's deep understanding of natural phenomena rather than arbitrary supernatural powers.
Themes of Power, Identity, and Transformation
Beyond its surface adventure, The Magician of Tiger Castle examines how individuals navigate systems of power that seem unchangeable. Tullia's struggle against arranged marriage, Pito's rise from humble origins, and Anatole's attempts to redeem his reputation all reflect different responses to societal constraints.
The novel's treatment of class dynamics adds social commentary to the fantasy elements. The distinction between the popolo grasso (wealthy merchants) and popolo minuto (common people) reflects real Renaissance social structures while highlighting how rigid hierarchies limit human potential.
Transformation—both literal and metaphorical—permeates the narrative. Characters change physically through magical intervention, but more importantly, they evolve psychologically as they confront moral choices that define their identities.
Minor Criticisms and Areas for Improvement
While The Magician of Tiger Castle succeeds admirably as Sachar's adult fiction debut, certain elements feel slightly underdeveloped. The political intrigue surrounding the Oxatanian alliance, while compelling, could benefit from deeper exploration of the economic and military factors driving the kingdoms' desperation.
Some secondary characters, particularly the various court officials and nobles, remain somewhat two-dimensional despite their importance to the plot. A fuller development of these figures would have strengthened the political aspects of the story.
The novel's pacing occasionally falters during the middle sections, particularly during the monastery sequence, where the philosophical discussions sometimes slow the narrative momentum despite their thematic relevance.
August 31, 2025
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
A similarity I have noticed about the author is that Sachar likes to show in his stories that what goes around comes around. Be it revenge or intent, our past, our choices, our fate has a way of catching up to us - finding you again to give you the comeuppance that may have been stolen from you - a chance for justice duly deserved. ⛓️
The lack of tigers was disheartening. 🐯😿 He may have been The Magician of Tiger Castle but they were mostly in the shadows without any real necessity to them, save portraying the passing of time.
“While I may not have known why I made the choices I made, the knowledge was somewhere inside me.”
Aside from the very much sexual innuendo at princess Tullia's expense - rightfully so, despite how vulgar and crass it was - seemed to be the only distinction that made it targeted for an older audience. The suggestive comments passed just seemed intent to highlight how despicable men are in any century. 🤨 They might have been monks, but beneath their robes they were men. Insults do not make an adult book, even if the protagonist is a forty-year-old balding magician forced to deal with the dalliances of two teenagers' doomed romance. 🤷🏻♀️
I was into how it began; a mere magician, a purveyor of hocus-pocus, Anatole's efforts were interesting to see, even if they were in vain, racing against time to save two lives from danger. ✨ He shared a different dynamic with the princess and the scribe, which made it fun to read the banter he exchanged with them. The interjection of his present-day thoughts with the past was a bit disruptive at times, but it was amusing to see how five centuries worth of change still had not altered his views all that much. 🙃
“Don’t think of the universe as a place, Anatole. Think of it as a process.”
When all was said and done, though, I was left feeling devoid of any real sense of purpose to Anatole's story. 🤔 I mean, i was into how he was going to thwart the marriage of inconvenience from happening, even if all the medical jargon was not at all appealing or appeasing, but once that attempt was vanquished, it took a whole different route, scouring land and time that made me lose interest or even see now what. And when it came to the what, we just get a rehashing of all the events of time that occurred. 🙎🏻♀️
If I was to be literal or even philosophical, I guess I would just have to see it as Anatole got to see justice served, even if it didn't quite come in the way he expected. The ending was bittersweet; love found a way to survive even if he may not have witnessed it. 🥹 For a man, who was not very particular about history, it was history that offered him a glimpse into life that he may have missed out on. so, maybe there is a slight lesson in this dark cozy (is there such a thing?), after all. ⌛
Still, it would be a disservice to say that I did not walk away without learning a few interesting facts here and there (let's hope they're accurate). 🤞🏻
“The magic of salt had been known for a long time. There had been a period during the Dark Ages when laborers were paid with salt. That’s where we get the expression “worth one’s salt.” The English word salary is derived from salt.”
Who knew?! 😄
“I was disappointed that she never mentioned the great magician Anatole, but I suppose it was to be expected. History isn’t written by the conquered.”
A similarity I have noticed about the author is that Sachar likes to show in his stories that what goes around comes around. Be it revenge or intent, our past, our choices, our fate has a way of catching up to us - finding you again to give you the comeuppance that may have been stolen from you - a chance for justice duly deserved. ⛓️
The lack of tigers was disheartening. 🐯😿 He may have been The Magician of Tiger Castle but they were mostly in the shadows without any real necessity to them, save portraying the passing of time.
“While I may not have known why I made the choices I made, the knowledge was somewhere inside me.”
Aside from the very much sexual innuendo at princess Tullia's expense - rightfully so, despite how vulgar and crass it was - seemed to be the only distinction that made it targeted for an older audience. The suggestive comments passed just seemed intent to highlight how despicable men are in any century. 🤨 They might have been monks, but beneath their robes they were men. Insults do not make an adult book, even if the protagonist is a forty-year-old balding magician forced to deal with the dalliances of two teenagers' doomed romance. 🤷🏻♀️
I was into how it began; a mere magician, a purveyor of hocus-pocus, Anatole's efforts were interesting to see, even if they were in vain, racing against time to save two lives from danger. ✨ He shared a different dynamic with the princess and the scribe, which made it fun to read the banter he exchanged with them. The interjection of his present-day thoughts with the past was a bit disruptive at times, but it was amusing to see how five centuries worth of change still had not altered his views all that much. 🙃
“Don’t think of the universe as a place, Anatole. Think of it as a process.”
When all was said and done, though, I was left feeling devoid of any real sense of purpose to Anatole's story. 🤔 I mean, i was into how he was going to thwart the marriage of inconvenience from happening, even if all the medical jargon was not at all appealing or appeasing, but once that attempt was vanquished, it took a whole different route, scouring land and time that made me lose interest or even see now what. And when it came to the what, we just get a rehashing of all the events of time that occurred. 🙎🏻♀️
If I was to be literal or even philosophical, I guess I would just have to see it as Anatole got to see justice served, even if it didn't quite come in the way he expected. The ending was bittersweet; love found a way to survive even if he may not have witnessed it. 🥹 For a man, who was not very particular about history, it was history that offered him a glimpse into life that he may have missed out on. so, maybe there is a slight lesson in this dark cozy (is there such a thing?), after all. ⌛
Still, it would be a disservice to say that I did not walk away without learning a few interesting facts here and there (let's hope they're accurate). 🤞🏻
“The magic of salt had been known for a long time. There had been a period during the Dark Ages when laborers were paid with salt. That’s where we get the expression “worth one’s salt.” The English word salary is derived from salt.”
Who knew?! 😄
August 25, 2025
It hurts me to rate a book by Louis Sachar with only 2 stars but that’s what I’m doing.
I’m mostly left with the thought of what was this book supposed to be about? Our main character Anatole comes off as the goofy sidekick more than a main character and the two sidekicks, Pito and Tulia, who I was most interested in had their story abruptly end in the very middle just when it’s getting good and then the whole book just ends?! What editor allowed that to happen?!
For a book titled the Magician of Tiger castle I wanted tigers to be more present. Instead the title feels gimmicky since the tigers didn’t play much of a part in the story. The 10-year-old girl in me—the one who collected anything with tigers on it—feels very betrayed.
However, let me leave on a positive note for the author that gave me wayside stories… the humor was spot on.
I’m mostly left with the thought of what was this book supposed to be about? Our main character Anatole comes off as the goofy sidekick more than a main character and the two sidekicks, Pito and Tulia, who I was most interested in had their story abruptly end in the very middle just when it’s getting good and then the whole book just ends?! What editor allowed that to happen?!
For a book titled the Magician of Tiger castle I wanted tigers to be more present. Instead the title feels gimmicky since the tigers didn’t play much of a part in the story. The 10-year-old girl in me—the one who collected anything with tigers on it—feels very betrayed.
However, let me leave on a positive note for the author that gave me wayside stories… the humor was spot on.
June 13, 2025
I requested the ARC of this on NetGalley because I have fond memories of Sachar's excellent book Holes (1998). It's very odd, though, that The Magician of Tiger Castle is being pushed so hard by the publisher as Sachar's 'first adult book' because it reads in every way like a young adult or even children's book. From the title to the narration to the plotting, there's little here to really grab someone who wants something more than a standard fairy tale, although for what it is, it's perfectly nice. I enjoyed reading it, but it lacks the heft and psychology that Holes had, despite supposedly being for adults. 3.5 stars.
November 23, 2025
We all know Sachar from Holes and Sideways Stories from Wayside School. This book, his first "for adults," demonstrates his mastery of storytelling once again.
At first I was unconvinced. The comparison that kept coming to mind was The Eyes of the Dragon; they're similar in multi-layered plots and innocuous elements that return to aid or betray the heroes, and they both have a wonderfully easy-going, classic storytelling tone. Sachar's framing here is engaging, with a narrator whose very existence at the time at which the story is being told hints of surprises to come, and the experience is pleasing from the start. But, for a good portion of the book, I felt it paled in comparison to King's book and that, perhaps, Sachar's story was merely standard.
I was wrong. His true prowess emerged as the book progressed. Sachar is, of course, a master storyteller, and I never should have doubted him. It's not that this book is a smash hit that should be read by everyone, but if you grew up reading his books you deserve to add this one to your TBR. I still prefer Eyes of the Dragon though, so if you've never read that, add it too.
This is a love story told by a third party—a hairless, unsweating "magician"—that begins well after said love is already formed. It has harrowing escapes, torture, a scabrous villain, true love, a dreaded engagemen, man-eating beasts, a giant, a sea voyage, hooded cloaks, a miracle worker ... it's essentially The Princess Bride in all the best ways.
At first I was unconvinced. The comparison that kept coming to mind was The Eyes of the Dragon; they're similar in multi-layered plots and innocuous elements that return to aid or betray the heroes, and they both have a wonderfully easy-going, classic storytelling tone. Sachar's framing here is engaging, with a narrator whose very existence at the time at which the story is being told hints of surprises to come, and the experience is pleasing from the start. But, for a good portion of the book, I felt it paled in comparison to King's book and that, perhaps, Sachar's story was merely standard.
I was wrong. His true prowess emerged as the book progressed. Sachar is, of course, a master storyteller, and I never should have doubted him. It's not that this book is a smash hit that should be read by everyone, but if you grew up reading his books you deserve to add this one to your TBR. I still prefer Eyes of the Dragon though, so if you've never read that, add it too.
This is a love story told by a third party—a hairless, unsweating "magician"—that begins well after said love is already formed. It has harrowing escapes, torture, a scabrous villain, true love, a dreaded engagemen, man-eating beasts, a giant, a sea voyage, hooded cloaks, a miracle worker ... it's essentially The Princess Bride in all the best ways.
December 13, 2025
Incredibly disappointing. When I found out the author of one of my favorite books as a child, Holes, was writing an adult fantasy novel I immediately added it to my TBR. I blame some of my initial disappointment on my incredibly high expectations but independent of that I think this is a poor story. The fantasy element is practically nonexistent. Just some potions so don't expect a complex world. We follow Anatole, a cowardly court magician, and his part in helping/manipulating the princess who is betrothed to a truly terrible man and the young scribe who she has fallen in love with.
First complaint. My expectation of this being an adult fantasy novel were pretty quickly demolished. This felt upper YA at best. The only thing that would make me consider this more adult is the sheer number of people who seemed to want to sexually assault the princess in the later half of the book. Other than that, it all felt very juvenile. Despite Anatole being a full-on adult, the princess was 15 and Pito was 17. The center of this story was a teenage forbidden romance.
And the romance! I actually really liked Trullia and Pito as individual characters. Particularly Trullia, she was brave and strong willed. No matter the circumstances she kept pushing forward. But as for the forbidden romance between them, I wasn't invested. They were teenagers who barely knew each other. I just didn't care. I did prefer both her and Pito over Anatole, who despite sometimes doing the right thing it never really seemed like it was for the right reasons. Sure, he wanted to help, but only if it wouldn't get him in too much trouble or if everything else had gone to shit.
And that ending! Literally what the fuck? I don't think I have been so disappointed in an ending in a long time. I just don't get what the point of this book was. We are left with a main character who has, in my opinion, no real growth from the cowardly man he was at the beginning. The only two characters I actually liked, Pito and Trullia, get no resolution. The bad guys don't get their comeuppance. Why did I even read this? What a let down!
First complaint. My expectation of this being an adult fantasy novel were pretty quickly demolished. This felt upper YA at best. The only thing that would make me consider this more adult is the sheer number of people who seemed to want to sexually assault the princess in the later half of the book. Other than that, it all felt very juvenile. Despite Anatole being a full-on adult, the princess was 15 and Pito was 17. The center of this story was a teenage forbidden romance.
And the romance! I actually really liked Trullia and Pito as individual characters. Particularly Trullia, she was brave and strong willed. No matter the circumstances she kept pushing forward. But as for the forbidden romance between them, I wasn't invested. They were teenagers who barely knew each other. I just didn't care. I did prefer both her and Pito over Anatole, who despite sometimes doing the right thing it never really seemed like it was for the right reasons. Sure, he wanted to help, but only if it wouldn't get him in too much trouble or if everything else had gone to shit.
And that ending! Literally what the fuck? I don't think I have been so disappointed in an ending in a long time. I just don't get what the point of this book was. We are left with a main character who has, in my opinion, no real growth from the cowardly man he was at the beginning. The only two characters I actually liked, Pito and Trullia, get no resolution. The bad guys don't get their comeuppance. Why did I even read this? What a let down!
July 26, 2025
Anatole is a wonderful main character. His immortality, odd appearance and his clumsiness along with his high opinion of himself made him an endearing protagonist. Louis Sachar’s exceptional storytelling along with his humor, make this unique fairytale so much fun to listen to. Edoardo Ballerini was the perfect choice to voice Anatole. I loved everything here, including the cover art!
Want to read
November 20, 2024"The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us."
excuse me! how did i not know about this!
excuse me! how did i not know about this!
Read
August 7, 2025Though marketed as Sachar’s adult debut, this book is very much a middle grade/YA novel. It’s a perfectly fine book on those terms, but it’s not as advertised.
I was disappointed and didn’t finish
I was disappointed and didn’t finish
September 22, 2025
I enjoyed the story very much. I am a big fan of narrative storytelling and this book employs the style well. I won’t review the story but I do recommend reading this one.
October 9, 2025
Not bad not the best very average
September 3, 2025
Louis, my man, what is this
September 1, 2025
2.5*, the author writes at the end “my first book for adults” and respectfully this was childish as hell.
August 8, 2025
So fun!!
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October 27, 2025Princess bride-esque. Cute!
November 12, 2025
Listen, I absolutely loved this book. I had that rare desperate craving for FICTION a couple days ago and turned to one of my fav. writers, Louis Sachar, for support. I gobbled this one down faster than a bowl of mashed potatoes. He writes with such intelligence and ease. There’s a comfort in coming to know the characters of Tiger Castle. It’s a bit of a slow burn at first and then settles into a lovely fantastical journey. I really enjoyed a closer look at a renaissance era court magician’s life and duties. I didn’t want it to end and took a star off for the ending which I found a bit dissatisfying, though completely understandable. Bravo, Louis Sachar! I love you forevs.
August 8, 2025
With prose dripping in whimsy and meaning, Louis Sachar’s adult fantasy debut was an evocative, if slow burn read, that really brought a nostalgic sense of wonder and fun to the reading experience.
The writing skewed a little YA at times, but I loved how its conversational style emphasised the wonder and magic of Anatole’s story.
As our sole POV character, revisiting the place he once called home (and reminiscing about his days as a magician at the castle there, 500 years prior); Anatole gave off a compassionate yet delightfully eccentric, (unreliable narrator-vibe) that fans of Diana Wynne Jones or The Princess Bride are gonna find really compelling.
His insightful (often hilarious) memoir-like commentary on court life, potion making and dealing with royals was really charming too and rather surprisingly full of emotion.
Though, for me it was the forbidden romance between Princess Tullia and assistant scribe Pito (which Anatole is tasked with dealing with), the found family dynamics that grow between them and Anatole, and the exploration of themes surrounding identity, grief, regret and redemption that I really enjoyed the most. Along with Anatole’s fourth wall breaks and wandering thoughts that helped paint a more detailed (if not completely honest) picture of our rather unusual protagonist.
Overall, this was an enjoyable fairytale-esque read. With a reflective, bitter-sweet edge that will appeal to anyone who’s ever looked back on past experiences with wonder, regret or that age old question of “what if?”.
So, if you love your fantasies full of whimsy but grounded in emotion, court intrigue or flawed eccentric magicians—then I highly suggest giving this a go!
Also, a massive thank you to Headline for the finished copy.
The writing skewed a little YA at times, but I loved how its conversational style emphasised the wonder and magic of Anatole’s story.
As our sole POV character, revisiting the place he once called home (and reminiscing about his days as a magician at the castle there, 500 years prior); Anatole gave off a compassionate yet delightfully eccentric, (unreliable narrator-vibe) that fans of Diana Wynne Jones or The Princess Bride are gonna find really compelling.
His insightful (often hilarious) memoir-like commentary on court life, potion making and dealing with royals was really charming too and rather surprisingly full of emotion.
Though, for me it was the forbidden romance between Princess Tullia and assistant scribe Pito (which Anatole is tasked with dealing with), the found family dynamics that grow between them and Anatole, and the exploration of themes surrounding identity, grief, regret and redemption that I really enjoyed the most. Along with Anatole’s fourth wall breaks and wandering thoughts that helped paint a more detailed (if not completely honest) picture of our rather unusual protagonist.
Overall, this was an enjoyable fairytale-esque read. With a reflective, bitter-sweet edge that will appeal to anyone who’s ever looked back on past experiences with wonder, regret or that age old question of “what if?”.
So, if you love your fantasies full of whimsy but grounded in emotion, court intrigue or flawed eccentric magicians—then I highly suggest giving this a go!
Also, a massive thank you to Headline for the finished copy.
August 15, 2025
Fine, I’ll go rewatch BBC’s Merlin.
For petty reasons, I didn’t want to like this. Alas, it was quite enjoyable. Hot mess characters meet life-threatening situations that they resolve with wacky solutions that shouldn’t make sense and yet do. And my baby Luigi! I love him so much!
For petty reasons, I didn’t want to like this. Alas, it was quite enjoyable. Hot mess characters meet life-threatening situations that they resolve with wacky solutions that shouldn’t make sense and yet do. And my baby Luigi! I love him so much!
September 2, 2025
Whimsical, Educational, and heart-felt. every complaint I've seen about this book was another reason I liked it. It feels like an instant classic to me.
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