Lost Magician

The Lost Magician #1

by Piers Torday

If you can imagine it, it exists ... somewhere.' The new spellbinding fantasy adventure from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Last Wild trilogy.1945. They have survived the Blitz, but when Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry step through a mysterious library door, it is the beginning of their most dangerous adventure yet. They discover the magical world of Folio, where an enchanted kingdom of fairy knights, bears and tree gods is under threat from a sinister robot army. The many stories of the Library are locked in eternal war, and the children's only hope is to find their creator - a magician who has been lost for centuries. What they find will change not just their own lives, but the fate of the world, for ever ...An ode to the world of Narnia, The Lost Magician is a classic in the making from one of the UK's most talented children's authors. Praise for Piers new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure' - The Times

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Adventure, Magic, Historical Fiction, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2018

About the author

Piers Torday is an award-winning and best-selling children's writer. Books include The Last Wild, The Dark Wild, The Wild Beyond, The Wild Before, There May Be a Castle, The Lost Magician, and The Frozen Sea, with his latest one, Midnight Treasure, out in September 2024. His work has been translated into 14 languages.

His plays include The Box of Delights (Wilton’s/RSC), Christmas Carol, The Child in the Snow, and The Wind in the Wilton’s (Wilton’s Music Hall). The Little Angel Theatre has adapted his book There May Be a Castle for the stage.

The son of Paul Torday (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), he completed his father’s final unfinished novel, The Death of an Owl and co-founded the Paul Torday Memorial Prize for Debut Novelists over 60.

He has contributed short stories to Winter Magic, Scoop, and Return to Wonderland, nonfiction pieces for The Book of Hopes, The Writer’s Map, and Swallowed by a Whale, reviewed books for The Guardian, The Literary Review, and The Spectator, and judged The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, The Costa Book Awards, and the British Book Awards.

Piers is also Chair of the Society of Authors Sustainability Steering Committee, a trustee of The Unicorn Theatre, Patron of Shrewsbury Book Fest and an Artistic Associate at Wilton’s Music Hall.

Reviews

[Asha - A Cat, A Book, And A Cup Of Tea · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I saw this book pop up on NetGalley, I was intrigued, because I enjoy a good MG portal fantasy. I figured that the Narnia comparisons were probably just there in the same way that any book with siblings discovering magic is compared to Narnia – but to my surprise, The Lost Magician is actually a pretty straightforward retelling of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and I was ultimately pretty baffled as to why it was written.

Okay. Here’s the plot. Siblings Patricia, Simon, Evelyn and Larry are evacuated just after WW2, to a big ol mansion in the countryside, owned by a mysterious but jovial professor. They (Larry first, then Evelyn, then all four of them) discover a mysterious door in a disused room that leads to a magical world where all fairy tale characters are real. The fictional characters are being oppressed by the tall silver queen of nonfiction, who believes only in facts and wants to end magic. Larry finds the fantasy side first and has tea with Tom Thumb. Evelyn finds the fact side first and swears allegiance to the queen.

All four kids enter the fantasy world and discover the war. They hang out with the three bears, who tell them that they are Readers, fated to help bring back The Librarian, who will defeat the evil fact queen. Evelyn sneaks back to the queen. The others go off through the woods to find The Librarian, and they meet the Green Man, who gives them each a thematic present…

Um… Is this sounding familiar to anyone else?

The first three quarters of this book are a straight retelling of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The parallels are so strong that I could not enjoy the story for what it was, at all. The story of Narnia is a cultural touchstone for so many; it’s practically in the national consciousness, so it’s not like people wouldn’t recognise the bones of the story. I cannot believe the dozens of reviews for this saying it’s a nice ‘nod’ to CS Lewis, when the story follows the original so closely. This has gone way, way beyond ‘an homage to’, ‘an ode to’, ‘inspired by’, or any of the other marketing phrases used to blurb it – it’s almost plagiaristic. It’s like when a kid copies a test and thinks if they just change a few words to synonyms, no one will notice that they’ve copied the whole thing. I could draw you up a chart of all the parallels.

There are two main differences in this book: one, there’s a huge focus on reading being the Best Thing Ever, and two, the horrors of war are much more present and spelled out. To deal with the latter first: I don’t even know how many times we were told that Evelyn had seen some dead bodies from a bombing. I’m sure this was extremely traumatising, but also, these kids lived in London throughout the entirety of WW2 – I’m fairly certain they all saw some pretty terrible stuff. The very fact that this one incident is referred to so often took all the power out of it, for me, as it made it predictable rather than shocking.

The focus on the power of reading also rubbed me up the wrong way. I mentioned in my review of Pages and Co that some books about readers can feel rather pretentious and worthy, and this is definitely one of them. The main villain of the book is the King of people who never read. Seriously. People who don’t read are portrayed as demonic, ignorant and cruel – oh, this is despite Simon, one of the main characters, being dyslexic and stating on page several times that he isn’t a fan of reading for pleasure. Then, all of a sudden, Simon has the revelation that reading is brilliant and he should just persevere… I found this, quite frankly, a little offensive. I’m a huge reader and have been since childhood, but I don’t think that I’m better than other people because of that. I don’t watch a lot of films or TV, because I prefer my stories in book form, so why isn’t the other way around just as valid? Simon likes to listen to the wireless, and listen to bedtime stories, and clearly finds fiction and imagination fun – I hated that he was portrayed as lesser because he doesn’t find the act of physically reading to be fun. To be clear, I think that Torday was trying to be inclusive by having a dyslexic kid in a book about books, but for me, it came off as almost the opposite. I’m actually reminded of the ongoing debate amongst the book community as to whether audiobooks count as ‘reading’ (spoiler, they do, and you’re wrong if you think they don’t).

The other thing that just didn’t click for me was the fact that the main conflict in the magical world was between fiction and non-fiction. Both are perfectly valid things to read! Many kids (especially, again, those who think they don’t like to read or struggle with reading) are much more likely to enjoy a factual book than one about rainbow unicorns (which, yes, feature here on the ‘good’ side). I love a non-fiction book. I remember reading the Horrible Histories books to death as a kid, just as much as my Diana Wynne Jones! To paint non-fiction as ‘bad’ is again, reductive and a tad offensive to readers.

I just… don’t really see the point of this book, to be honest. If you want a story about the impact of war on children, this is way too shallow to be meaningful. If you want a story about the glory of reading, check out Pages and Co. If you want to read Narnia? Just go read Narnia. I’m afraid that you can’t call something an homage if you’ve just straight-up copied it. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is fine, it’s nicely paced, the adventure is exciting and the kids’ personalities are nicely varied. But it’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It’s not a new book.

[👻🎀Emma 🎀👻 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me months to finish this book...

It's not because it's bad or anything but I really had a hard time connecting with the characters or actually anything happening.

When going into the book, I didn't know it was the author's take on Narnia. I thought it was just giving Narnia vibes to the readers but no no no. It's basically a retelling of Narnia. And I don't think I'm ready to read retellings of my favourite books ever haha

But it was clearly for me a mix of Narnia and the Pagemaster...

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was... fine? It had some nice elements, but I wish it had been allowed to be its own story, rather than an almost scene for scene rewrite of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The writing was lovely, and I enjoyed the story (obviously, since I'm a big Narnia fan), but around the 60% mark it really started to drag. I eventually finished it out of boredom on a plane ride.

Overall, it wasn't bad. But if you want a story about children exploring an old country mansion in 1940 and falling into a magical land, I'd stick to the original.

[Liesl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popsugar Challenge #20. A book by a local author

This might just be one of the best children's books I've read all year. And given how much I read, I don't say that lightly. "The Lost Magician" is a beautiful book which takes the central premise of the "Narnia" stories and turns it into something unique of its own. There are some fun easter eggs for fans of the original C.S.Lewis story, the name of the Captain of the Secretary's guard being one of my personal favourites as well as the allusion to a personal favourite quotation, "What do they teach you in schools these days?" Yet these elements are modernised in a way that irons out several of my issues with the original text, not least how the betrayal by one of the children is handled.

Don't come expecting a straight up Narnia retelling, though. Yes, this is an allegorical fable, borrowing from the best traditions of 'children go on a magical adventure' in a way that worms its way under your skin. But those aspects just add to the beautiful lyrical prose and how the story celebrates reading, by reminding you just why you fell in love with reading books in the first place. Reading this book was like revisiting all my happiest memories of obsessively reading the Narnia books or Enid Blyton or Swallows and Amazons, and wanting to slip right into the story. I doubt it'll be long before I come back.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Andrew Clover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a children’s writer myself (a less classy, more mainstream one than Piers Torday) and would like to offer FOUR REASONS why – with The Lost Magician – Mr Torday might be elected King of all Storytellers…
1) The track record… Torday announced himself with the mighty Guardian Prize winning Wild trilogy, and this has earned him the collaboration of one of the finest teams available – editor, agent, artist. Just look again at the cover of The Lost Magician: a boy, up a twisted tree, stares wondrously at a distant mountain – have you ever seen an image that’s more bewitching, more suggestive of the enchantment awaiting inside the pages?
2) The characterisation… My previous favourite was The Last Wild’s harvest mouse – small, but heroic, and very fond of dancing. My favourite here is the lugubrious unicorn. (There’re shades of Marvin from Hitch-hikers Guide…) This is a clever, depressed unicorn, who’s really more interested in Maths. ‘‘There’s no need to take that kind of tone,’ said the unicorn.’ Torday’s invention is always delightful, but noticeable too is the empathy, with which he feels his characters’ journeys. Early on in The Lost Magician, Larry is exploring where he shouldn’t, and ‘a floorboard creaked so accusingly that he almost went straight back down the stairs again.’ I love that ‘accusingly’: it captures the paranoia we feel, when we’re nervous, and everything, even floorboards, have turned against us.
3) The lovely sonorous prose. It seems appropriate to be reading this during a rumble of concerts saluting the centenary of the Great War. Torday’s writing has a grand Classical rhythm, suggestive of the gorgeous first sentence of Pullman’s Book of Dust, but suggestive too of Holst or Elgar. You feel compelled to read it aloud: ‘Her words fell like fresh snow across the new page. And they brought with them a wintry hush, as every single Read and Unread stopped what they were doing, broke off their conversations, paused in their repairs or nursing of injuries and turned toward the four Readers.’
4) The ambition… Torday is frank about his intention – to reimagine Narnia from a modern perspective, so he updates the characterisation: Larry is probably gay, Evie is traumatised, Simon hates reading because he’s dyslexic… But he updates, too, the themes. Good and Evil are not viewed as Christian / unchristian. It’s still ‘kindness and compassion’ versus ‘ignorance and selfishness’, but Torday essays a different dialectic: his world is a war between Reads - lovers of stories - and Unreads - lovers of facts - in a battle that will summon the Never Reads – the ignorant, who never read at all. You can’t help notice that The King of the Never Reads is a Trumpy figure. He is vindictive and destructive. His goaty hooves trample the mud. You find yourself thinking how Brexit came about, as its proponents boasted their hatred of Experts. When you put the book down, you find yourself thinking: but is this right – that it’s a love of facts that are destroying a love of reading; isn’t it phones and technology that are destroying it, by removing our peace? But the point is you find yourself contemplating grand themes of cosmic battle. And while reading you can’t help but admire the superb scene where the Trump-king is found in a tower in a storm-crossed plane. ‘Finally, the steps stopped at the entrance to a grand, vaulted hall…’ Try saying that aloud! You’re certainly lead on, aren’t you? You’re ushered into the imagination of the king of all tellers…

[Scott Evans | The Reader Teacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brimming with a world of books that you’ll be immediately immersed in... Piers is as close to C. S. Lewis’ natural & modern successor as we will see. A gentle nod to Narnia, TLM will be read & re-read in the same ilk for many years to come.

[Quill&Queer]

DNF - This doesn't just feel like The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - the author straight up copied the plot.

[Maya Panika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has the makings of a children’s classic, it is fresh and original yet loaded with nods to the classics of yesteryear. In his introduction, Piers Torday says The Lost Magician is 'in part a homage to The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and partly an interrogation of that classic from a modern perspective’. There is a distinct whiff of CS Lewis - and Neil Gaiman too - in the passing though a disappearing door into a magic library and thence into a world of story-book characters, where a war is being waged between… I’m tempted to say good and evil, but is it? More a battle between two distinct diverse philosophies that might be reconciled, if only a mediator might be found. There’s some truly wonderful world-building, lots of secrete hints for those who have read the referenced classics, and magic aplenty, Roderick, the mathematical maths-loving, rainbow unicorn was a highlight. The children are are at the heart of it and are so real, they have distinct personalities. Simon, the eldest boy, who wants to be a soldier, a war-hero just like his father, was most recognisable to me. Simon is a ‘real boy’, who has no time for books, who patronises the girls and will not listen - then turns out to be dyslexic (a condition no one in the nineteen forties would have recognised, of course), and even he has his own revelation about the value and worth of stories by the end. There’s history too, the tale is set in the past; all four children have come through World `War 2 physically unscathed, but all bear mental scars, all have seen and experienced the horrors of war and this informs their subsequent actions in the magical land. It’s a wonderful book. I read it to the children over six bedtimes and they were riveted - and full of questions too, sometimes the questions came days later, so the book had stayed with them, and made them think. A lovely book in all respects - and mention should be made of the extraordinarily beautiful artwork on the cover, which adds greatly to its magic.

[Graine Milner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I adore Piers Torday's writing and had been so much looking forward to reading this!

Written in the great tradition of fantasy adventures like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and E. Nesbit's books, this is set at the end of World War II and follows Simon, Patricia, Evie and Larry as they are sent to the mysterious Barfield Hall. In the attic they discover an even more mysterious library - whose door is not always there - which contains shelves for the Reads, Unreads and Never Reads.

It appears that the final showdown between Fact and Fiction is in full swing, and that the children are drawn into this. Larry has chosen the Reads - stories, while Evie prefers hard facts and chooses the Unreads, tempted by the vision of the future shown to her by their leader in much the same way that Edmund is under the spell of the White Witch. However, this battle pales into insignificance in the face of the greater threat of the Never Reads - those who know nothing - and Simon and Patricia's search for The Librarian.

This book was filled with so many quotable lines, and some enchanting characters - I particularly enjoyed Roderick, the maths-loving, rainbow-hued, flying unicorn.

As well as being a great adventure, there is much wisdom about reading here, although it is so subtly and skilfully woven in that the messages are delivered almost invisibly. The power of the Reader in books, for instance, is such a great idea, and I also loved that although Simon is dyslexic, he has an important role and cannot be excluded from this book-based adventure.

A charming read, which I greatly enjoyed, and which fans of 'There May be a Castle' won't want to miss.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read Piers Torday's introduction to the Lost Magician where he describes the book as 'in part a homage to The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and partly an interrogation of that classic from a modern perspective' I was a little concerned - after all he was walking on hallowed ground! Could he possibly write something that would hold even a small candle up to my favourite childhood book, would I be disappointed? Well, it seems I shouldn't have worried because I absolutely loved this story and it is one I will return to again and again. I enjoyed recognising all of the storybook characters and allowed myself a tiny smug smile when I recognised one of the Lion Witch & Wardrobe easter eggs hidden in the text. So much is said about the power of reading and indeed of readers that it's impossible to quote my favourite bits, this review would be a mile long if I did so! My favourite character was Evie (or Lucy as my brain kept 'autocorrecting' her name) and I definitely felt a sense of nostalgia as I read on and the comfort of slipping into a beloved library, with a feeling of 'I am home here - I am amongst my tribe'.I can't wait to reread this in physical form, the feel of smooth pages will definitely enhance the experience of being immersed in this bookish, wonder filled world. My favourite MG read so far this year.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dit was niet zozeer 'een ode aan Narnia' als wel een vrij exacte kopie van The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Jammer, want het idee was heel leuk: een magische bibliotheek die je naar een sprookjeswereld leidt waarin alle verhalen die ooit zijn verteld en alle personages uit die verhalen echt bestaan. De verwijzingen naar The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe waren helaas iets te talrijk en te duidelijk: de vier zussen en broers, het statige landhuis, de professor, de verborgen doorgang naar een magische wereld, de pratende dieren, de voorspelling, de geschenken...
Niet heel erg origineel, Piers Torday.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Lost Magician Torday acknowledges the profound legacy of the C.S Lewis classic, The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe to the canon of children’s literature. In a similar vein to Lewis’ story this is a story that involves four children. In Torday’s version the children are relocated to the country after World War II, where they are left to their own devices in a large country manor full of secrets and mysteries. They are led to a parallel world through the portal of a wooden door. In this world a war is taking place between the Reads (including recognisable characters from our fiction and fairy tales), the Unreads (Under the control of robot Queen Jana who only believe in facts and data) and the Never Reads (the name is self-explanatory). The driving force behind the novel is the quest to keep our imaginations alive. Readers who enjoy books where there are fictional characters they recognise who encounter betrayals, and good vs evil will find much to love in this book.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a place where stories go once they are read, The Land of the Reads. But there is also the land of the Unreads, a place of pure data and facts, and unfortunately neither sees the other as equal. This book had elements of Narnia and Lord of the Rings.
I found it very difficult to suspend disbelief and immerse myself in the story. The magic and wonder that should have come through in a land of stories just didn't materialise. I also found most of the children so bratty that I couldn't sympathise with them. Overall it was a fairly enjoyable story to pass the time but felt quite contrived.

[Manon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the book was quite unoriginal in my opinion. The story was literally the same as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, save for the change of names. However, despite that, I still enjoyed it. Then suddenly, when I finally accepted that it would follow the same storyline, the plot changed, and it was a story on its own. This was quite annoying in the beginning, but in the end I enjoyed the story quite well.

[Eloise Vanbrabant · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was quite a good book but I thought it was too much like ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis. Look, it even says so in the description!

[Ema · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't remember the plot but I read it in 2022 and I remember that I did not even finish it lol.

[daisies82 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started of quite liking this until I realised that it is very like Narnia. I can see how people would like that - however I don't, this is only because I don't particularly enjoy the story of Narnia.
I am not here to complain though I thought the characters were good and how when it ends you don't know what the professor was hiding.

[Book Gannet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very clever reworking of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, using a similar plot but updating the meaning from a Christian allegory to a much more modern take on stories, truth and the danger of ignorance. Torday does an excellent job of capturing the feel of Narnia, while also making it his own. The children have survived WW2 and are suffering from the horrors and strain of the times, and although they remain children of their time, they are also still relevant to ours. It is very cleverly done.

However, I struggled to connect with it. It’s been a long time since I last read any Narnia books and, I’ll admit, they were never my favourites – I enjoyed them, but found them largely forgettable, despite reading them many times. So that might have been why. Or perhaps it was the characters themselves, who are trying to be so many things at once – both period and modern, human and heroes, children and war survivors – while also being shoehorned into the Narnia narrative, that they felt a little flat to me. The part where Patricia didn’t turn around to look for Larry really didn’t work for me. It didn’t suit the character she seemed to be, but it was more important to the plot that she went forwards so that’s what she did. Which is a shame because I loved the extra flashes of personality we got from the children – Larry’s determination to be the best and brightest pansy near broke my heart, as did Evie’s struggles and Simon’s battle against dyslexia, but these extra insights couldn’t overcome the drive of the plot.

I liked it more when it turned away from Narnia. The other fairy-tale characters were interesting and intriguing (what really happened to Goldilocks?), and everything with the Never Reads was suitably horrifying. I liked the addition of the Green Man too, although I wasn’t overly fond of Roderick the Rainbow Unicorn because I found him pretty annoying, except for his love of maths. I loved how Larry dealt with him, though.

This is a book that revels in reading and readers, imagination and knowledge, and that is a wonderful thing. I’m just sad I didn’t like it more, but then I prefer my books more character-driven than plot-driven. However, if you – or some young readers you know – love classic children’s stories, chances are they (or you) will love this. It’s clever, it’s epic and it’s easy to read, and it definitely seems like there will be more to come for those who wish for it.

(ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.)

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this ode to Narnia, Piers Torday tells the story of siblings Simon, Patricia, Evie and Larry as they journey to the world of Folio, where a war is raging between the Reads (fairytale/story characters) and the Unreads (robots who don`t value stories and intend to eradicate them and replace them with facts), and they become involved. The book`s structure is very similar to Narnia`s, and I liked the homages throughout, but Folio is an entirely different world to Narnia and I really liked the concept of it and the worldbuilding. I also enjoyed Piers Torday`s writing style, and I found the book super engaging; I often found myself saying “just one more chapter and then I`ll go to sleep/do whatever I was supposed to”. However, I had more mixed feelings on the characters: the only one of the four I really loved was Larry and though I did find Evie interesting, I struggled to connect to Simon or Patricia even slightly, especially as the siblings rarely came over as being that close to each other. I felt similarly about the supporting characters too, as only the Three Bears (especially Baby Bear) and Tom Thumb really stood out. I also struggled with the Never Reads as villains, particularly as the reason for them being evil was essentially that they didn`t read. The ending felt as if there may be a sequel, and even though my reaction to this was so mixed I would definitely pick it up as there are loose ends I`d like to see tied up. 3.5/5

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this last night, & boy oh boy can this author tell a story! I have quite a few of his books, but this is the 1st one I’ve read. I’m so impressed. This gave me such Narnia vibes, but at the same time was its own story. I loved it. This story shows just how important reading is, & libraries, & just US as readers. W/o believing in something, or having faith, all the knowledge in the world is kind of powerless. I try not to know too much before starting a book-I enjoy it more that way. So I was so surprised by how much war played a part in this story. I don’t know how to describe w/o spoiling...I don’t like to read about just war, & while this has that in the story, it’s not ALL about the war. I really loved how the author entwined the war in life & in the magical world. B/c war is war no matter where it is, & it has the same end. Destruction & despair. It was so interesting to see just what affects the war had on each child & the difference b/n them. I can’t imagine being a child living during that war..or any war. Many children have went through that too & it breaks my heart. This was just such an amazing story! It has so many different aspects to it, & they are all done SO well! I just don’t know what else to say. Lol & who knew I could love a dirty teddy bear so much?!😭💜...& remember, like the author writes, “If you can imagine it, it must exist, somewhere...”💜

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the opening pages the links with Narnia were evident, but as the story progressed it took on a life of its own.
The Hastings children are sent to the countryside to protect them from the after-effects of war. Youngest child, Larry, finds a mysterious library at the top of the house. He tells them all, but then it can’t be found. Another child discovers it and is met by someone with ulterior motives. Eventually all find their way to the library and they get caught up in a timeless battle.
Modernised somewhat, our battle is focused on knowledge and the role of reading in our lives. It sets up fiction and non-fiction...but it’s soon clear that no interest in reading is the big enemy.
Younger readers may need some terms explaining - ‘pansy’ for instance - but this is exciting with a touch of magic to capture your interest. Still curious as to the role of the magician and professor, but it suggests more is to come.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this prior to publication in exchange for my review.

[Arrash Mazdai · Rating 2 out of 5]

New Words Learnt - 2

This is a book HEAVILY-influenced by Narnia and sprinkled with some LOTR and Amber Spyglass. The author themselves confessed in the acknowledgements that this was a homage to TLTW&TW. He was being too kind. A soulless ripoff would be more accurate if not a tad harsh. Certainly intentions were good-hearted, and the premise was creative and fascinating alongside a welcoming message about the magic and power of reading. However the execution was terrible.

The FIRST problem was that because of the author's desire to faithfully use the Narnia narrative as his blueprint, he hampered his own story in the process. The premise that there is a magical world where anything you can imagine exists, deserves more than just a 330 paged book where 100 pages doesn't even take place there. A trilogy or more would've fleshed out the so-called huge world of Folio, and the vast cast of characters that are seen in the book. Also imagine the possibilities you could take with the storyline, the wide range of characters that could appear, all the places you could visit... oh wait no never mind. The author's imagination is limited just to Narnia and a few cameos here and there. Honestly, every character or place or event just felt like a chore that did the bare minimum to get this book over the line. The pacing was one of the worst I've seen. Act 1 seemed to drag and then Act 3 began before reaching halfway through. There's no part where you can sit down and absorb this world alongside the characters. You're suddenly thrown into an all-out war and told to feel for the inhabitants. All the while in other parts the story is still continuing trying to catch up. This problem is also partially due to publishers and people in general thinking that a story nowadays should just be action action action because kids' attention spans are shortening. The result is low quality story-telling which just makes the problem worse. doesn't help with the fact that the Aslan of this world is basically non-existent

Problem TWO ties in with the first. Because of our limited time with the characters and the world of Folio, I couldn't care less about anything that was happening. Wannabe Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy all feel 1-dimensional and that can't be simply solved by saying one is dyslexic, one motherly, one smart and one creative and imaginative. Adding war PTSD does not make them relatable and real characters by itself. I had nothing to work for to root for them. Nobody in Folio was any better either. Not one charismatic or likeable character that I could get behind. Nothing.

Which brings me to problem THREE. The story could not match the scope of the world. This is appearing to be a common theme with many of the modern mid-g fantasy books that I am reading. A great premise, a less than promising story. Unfortunately for 'The Lost Magician', this is one of the worst examples so far of this trend. Think of a world where anything you could imagine exists. And so you have a tea-party with Goldilocks' bears (add a -ve- in the middle and you basically have the beavers from Narnia), a futuristic sci-fi city with robots where we only taken through a torture prison, a forest, mountain, cave and a plain for a battle. Throw in a tower and that's basically your entire journey. I did not experience this world because the author did not allow me to, he did not write beyond what was needed to complete a story to rush to the theme. 'Oh no, Folio is going to be destroyed! Such and such character are going to die!', shut up it's only page 200 and we've only properly arrived here for 100 pages. We have spent so little time exploring this world that I DO NOT CARE.

Some small positives as well, aside from the premise and message, is that the writing in places was nice and the extra contents in the Waterstones addition were good. There is a sequel out but I'm unsure if I should read it because it's a 50/50 on whether it'll be an improvement, and even if it is there's still a lot of work to do. Overall, this one put being a homage to an actual great book and delivering a message over being a proper good story. 4+ years I had this on my bookshelf. Oh the wasted space.

Here's some things I would've done differently to make the most out of the premise (spoiler alert)
First of all, ditch half or more of the Narnia 'homages'. The four siblings, initials and age are fine. The time they live in is fine. Even the end where they stay for longer than expected is fine. Ditch everything else. The professor. The bears. Larry and Evie mirroring Lucy and Edmund's visit. Switch up the narrative a bit. Have them all enter Folio but in different places (e.g. as seen in Amphibia). Use your imagination a bit here. Larry with Tom Thumb in a part where it is just pure fantasy and fairy tales. Evie is thrusted into the unreads with Jana (wasted potential, although her death and aftermath of her death was nicely written), and she grows and learns with them. Patricia is a harder one as I didn't fully understand her as a person, but I know she's compassionate and patient and mature beyond her years, so perhaps a position in government of some authority figure in the Reads world. Simon is easier, thrusted into a military base or camp whichever side, and you follow them as they each gain a different perspective of the land. If there is a never-ending war, perhaps their entry came at a brief moment of respite, and book one is the build-up to the next battle with the battle as a climax. Each faction is also trying to find the 'Magician/Librarian' to help them win the war. Have the characters visit the different places Folio has to offer. Meet more characters and actually spend some time with. Let them play an active role in the story. Book 2 could introduce the Never Reads as a threat, or a growing one. Book 3 could see the appearance of the Librarian as he helps change the tide of war when things looked lost. So much that could've been and wasn't.

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot and characters are too much a rip-off of the Narnia books that it has become impossible to enjoy this one. The author did say it's an homage but that's not how an homage looks like to me. It can be a reference, a praise, but not taking so many plot points and inserting them into the book.
Some people said that the author took Narnia and created something original. That defies the term "original".
4 children, brothers and sisters? Check.
During/after war? Check.
Found a magical land through a door? Check
Two factions are opposing each other? Check
The leader of the "cold" faction is the Facts, numbers, coldness, reason? Check.
One of the children meets the "Queen" of the bad faction alone and strike a deal to bring the other children to her? Check.
Prophecy about the children who will "rule"? Check.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to not compare this book to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but it has all of the magic, passion and wonder. However, TLM is a story of the importance of readers, books and imagination. It doesn’t shy away from tough subjects like war and the effects it has on people, but it also doesn’t dwell. Suffering breeds strength.

I loved this. I cried. It delivers the most amazing message and I can’t wait to share it with my kids. It’s one that I feel will be loved and become a classic in its own right.

[Ekaterina · Rating 4 out of 5]

История мне понравилась, напомнила серию К.С.Льюиса «Хроники Нарнии» (увы, знакома только с фильмами): четверо детей: двое мальчиков и две девочки; волшебная дверь, ведущая в другую страну; выдуманные фентезийные персонажи; время течет иначе, чем в нашем мире. В одном из абзацев велась речь о русских во время Второй мировой войны, и снова мы была выставлены плохими. Также в книге присутствовали некие нотки феминизма (речь идет о героине Эви), и дети вели себя немного не по возрасту, более взрослыми. Стиль и язык автора мне понравились, я бы прочитала другие его произведения.

[Robin Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely reworking of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe story for modern audiences - this is a thoughtful and wildly imaginative story from an absolutely excellent author. (10+)

*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*

[Caitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book worked quite well for me, whilst others really didn't sit well with me so it was a mixed reading experience. Also, given that I knew it was heavily inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and there looked like there was snow on the back cover, I thought this would make a great read for Polarthon. Turns out there's nothing remotely wintery about it and in fact, at one point the characters are walking through a desert! Not a criticism, just not quite what I was expecting so this added to the mixed reading experience.

The story follows siblings Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry as they spend their summer holiday in a large house in the country with a professor who is an old school friend of their mother. Pretty similar to Narnia. The main difference is that rather than being set during the Blitz, this story happens after the war and the children have been sent away while the parents sort out a new house for them all as their previous home was damaged in the war. Quickly, the children start exploring the house and one-by-one, find their way to a magical library and the world of Folio, where an epic battle is taking place. In order to bring peace to the land, the four children must find the mysterious magician who has been lost for centuries.

Before going into this book, I knew it was a Narnia retelling with a twist, so this part of the story didn't bother me as much as it seems to have many other people. Yes, it is a very close copy of the original, especially at the beginning, but there are some key changes and I liked the familiarity of sort of knowing what would happen next (again mainly at the beginning) and also seeing how the author kept the same story beats while changing some of the details. This is definitely not an unacknowledged rip off as the author's first acknowledgement goes to C. S. Lewis. This book is clearly written from the author's deep love of the original.

Other things about this book that I enjoyed were the government reports and classified information extracts. I thought the idea behind these was very clever and it gave a sinister edge to the world outside Folio in addition to the dangers within. I also appreciated the time taken to reflect on how the war had affected each of the children. It felt very realistic that their outlook on the world would be changed by what they had gone through and even though this story is believably set in the past, being written recently, allows it to explore some of these mental health issues that are often not touched upon in older books.

The things in this book that did bother me were some of the messages it seemed to give out. Whilst the blend of historical setting/modern perspectives worked well in some areas as stated above, the author's decision to show the characters as having stereotypical gender beliefs was not good. There were several such instances like Evie reflecting on Larry's behaviour and thinking 'that was such a boy thing to do'; Simon thinking that he enjoys being 'the only proper boy in the family' as his younger brother's behaviour doesn't meet his standards of a proper boy and Larry being called a pansy. I understand that these opinions are reflective of the time the children grew up in and the author is trying to be authentic. However, this book was not written in the 1940s, it was written and designed to be read in 2018 and after and as such, stereotypical opinions such as these should not be perpetuated in children's books (or any books). Especially when these opinions go unchallenged/uncorrected (Larry does accept that there's nothing wrong with being called a pansy but this does not change the offensive way in which it was meant).

I also felt a little uncomfortable with the way that genres and different types of reading preference were represented. I can see the conflict the author was trying to create and the ultimate message he was aiming for. However, the way it was handled meant that for a lot of the book, the message seemed to be that imagination and reading stories was good, whereas reading for information and facts was bad. Plus, the names given to these groups seemed to imply that no-one would every choose to reread a non-fiction book. Whilst I don't read a lot of non-fiction, I'm sure there are some readers who do and who also choose to reread these books and these reading habits should be seen as equally valued.

Finally, I had an issue with the representation of Simon as a reader. While not explicitly stated, it is heavily implied that Simon is dyslexic: the words move around on the page, he takes a little longer to read things and the thought of reading aloud makes him panic. Having a character like this was an interesting addition to the story. However, I did not like the way the ending handled this part of his story. His end of term report shows that he is now putting in lots of effort into reading and writing and is making masssive progress. Whilst I am pleased that his adventures in Folio made him fall in love with reading, I think it is unrealistic and a little insensitive to dyslexic readers to imply that if they just put more effort into their reading they will be able to overcome their dyslexia.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After their home is damaged in the London Blitz, the Hastings children - Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry - are sent to spend the summer with Professor Diana Kelly, a friend of their mother, at Barfield Hall. But there is something strange about Barfield Hall; it used to belong to an Elizabethan magician named Nicholas Crowne, who disappeared one day without a trace. Things get even stranger when they find a hidden library, where reading a book transports them to the magical world of Folio. But the children may have left one war behind for another, a war between fact and fiction.
Though The Lost Magician follows many of the same story beats as 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' it is definitely NOT just a C.S. Lewis clone and the Hastings siblings are not mere analogues of the Pevensies. The war plays a more prominent part - we see how it has affected each of them and how the war in Folio exacerbates or brings these traumas to the forefront. The war between fiction and fact is an interesting theme, and though done before it's done well, it reminds me a little of the war between the kingdoms of numbers and words from 'The Phantom Tollbooth', as both sides can't seem to fathom - or accept - that both are just as important: stories may be made up but they often contain emotional or abstract truths that logic and facts cannot quantify. And, as anyone who knows the history of this period knows, scientific discoveries are amazing and important, but the relentless pursuit of knowledge for its own sake can lead to... unintended consequences (consequences which are alluded to). But Torday also introduces another element into this equation that we don't often consider, which makes things a little more complex. (I won't spoil it for you though I'll give you a clue: "Never Read".)
The characters are individual and well rounded (I liked/sympathised with them all to various degrees but I must give Evelyn a mention: it was so nice to have a girl who was into space and rocket-ships), the settings are beautifully evoked (the city of the Unreads in particular was a primary coloured dream of classic pulp Sci-Fi with a modern touch) and the ending has me curious as to where the story might go.
Highly recommended!

[Rhyllis Bignell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The year is 1945 and Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry have survived the London Blitz and experienced the destructive effects of the bombings on their schools and housing. They are sent off to the countryside while their parents search for a new residence. Secretly, they have been chosen to participate in the classified ‘Magician Project’ to discover if magic is real and can be used as a powerful force by the Government.

On arrival, young Larry disappears in the old country house and discovers a secret carved wooden door leading into The Library. Here there are three sections of books, Read, Unread and Never Read. Of course, he’s selects a book and is swept into a magical kingdom led by a fairy knight flying on a tiger-winged butterfly. His siblings do not believe his wild tales about the
magical kingdom, preferring to swim and explore the countryside around Barfield Hall. When Evelyn discovers the secret portal, she chooses a different section and is drawn into the Never Reads world - Folio, ruled by evil secretary Jana and her silver robots. Evie makes a pact to return with the rest of her siblings to assist in the evil plans to destroy the fantasy characters and fantasy world.
Torday includes so many recognisable elements, blood drops revealing hidden texts, giant talking trees, assistance by fairy tale creatures, here the Three Bears help in their rescue. His central theme differs from C S Lewis’, the battle is fought between knowledge and imagination, Jana believes in a factual world filled with numbers. She delights in turning, giants, fairies and other magical creatures into strings of data. There is the difficult and dangerous quest to find the Magician. The author imbues the characters with a deeper sense of self, Evelyn – Evie struggles with her allegiances and her trouble memories of her school being bombed.

In ‘The Lost Magician’, Guardian children’s fiction prize winner Piers Torday’s decision to pay homage to C S Lewis and his Narnia Chronicles, delivers a very familiar format. He has added Tolkien touches, included recognisable fantasy characters and common fantasy tropes. This is an interesting junior novel, one for fans of the genre.