De duistere betovering

A School for Sorcery #2

by E. Rose Sabin, Inge Pieters (Translator)

"Trevor Blake has always known he possessed magical gifts. For instance, he can conjure objects at a distance. But since he was young, he has suppressed his magic lest it draw hostility from the skeptical, ungifted, and intolerant. In the small farming community where Trevor lives with his family, the practice of magic is forbidden - sometimes from fear...or jealousy." "Most of the gifted practice their arts far away in the big cities. In fact, it is in the bustling coastal city of Port-of-Lords that Trevor has heard of a group of the gifted who have banded together in a secret underground community. Practicing their art among their own and under the cloak of secrecy, they are able to perfect and master their chosen gifts, perhaps reaching levels of art they could never have imagined." Buoyed with letters of introduction from influential relatives, Trevor boldly makes his way to Port-of-Lords, intent on joining the Community. Happily his best friend, Les Simonton, has agreed to join him on the journey. But no sooner have the boys arrived than the trouble begins. The kind of trouble that Trevor - even with his formidable magic - may be powerless to prevent.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Witches, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Although born in Pennsylvania, I have lived in Florida since I was five years old. Attended schools in Pinellas County and later taught Spanish and English in the Pinellas County Public Schools.

Although I've always written for my own pleasure, I became serious about writing for publication rather late. I'm now retired from teaching and devoting my time to my writing. Oh, and also to my two dogs, Juliet, a pit bull mix, and Pixie. Juliet I adopted from Animal Control after someone dumped her on the street. She's young, boisterous, and loves everybody. As for Pixie, I agreed to foster to save her from being euthanized. By the time she became adoptable, I realized I couldn't give her up. She's a very pretty dog, a mix of many breeds. She and Juliet love to play together and provide me with great entertainment.

Four of my published books are for teens, and form the Arucadi series, for the country in which they are set. I love hearing from teen readers. I also have a fantasy novel for older teens and adults, three Arucadi novels taking place long before the first four books. Then I have a an adult science fiction trilogy, and I do hope to hear from adult readers about it. I have four stand-alone fantasies for adults One of them, Seduction of the Scepter, is set in Eastern Europe in the mid-1700s. It's light on fantasy, and if you don't like series or trilogies, this might be the book for you. And finally I have a children's chapter book for ages 6-9 titled Grandy's Grand Inventions, which has elements of both fantasy and science fiction.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book that started a school for sorcery. its so amazing it leaves you in utter silence and you cant stop thinking about it!!

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember these series as one of the series I read over and over again. It was beautiful and thrilling, if I remember correctly.

[Gracefulkitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked: the two main characters, their closeness and their character felt very real. I like almost all the characters, they were well done, except maybe the two female interested seem flat-just "cute girls". I like all the action and the "magic forest". I liked the wide varieties of magic. Also they ate really good sounding food in this book, made me hungry haha!

The beginning was slow and kinda to predictable but overall the book has a ton of action and cute characters. I give the magic 3/5 it was weakly structures sometimes.

I really enjoyed the rest except the insta romances which were kinda lame, honestly. I thought Trevor and Les would make a better couple then anyone else they paired with due to how they behaved I assumed they were more then friends.

After I finished this book it hit me why although good it seemed strange, the book lacks a subplot really I mean there a plot and the goal kinda changed throughout the story but there only one plot and one climax to move towards so it feels kinda to simple Even with all the action and magic. Still a good read, just simple.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for Christmas or my birthday one year as a child. I have to say, it's one of my favourite books of all time! I didn't even know this was a part of a series until I joined this site, so I'm pretty excited!

It never fails to make me laugh and cry...lots of crying! It's got great morals and characters you can really connect with.

I recommend it highly.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book written by E. Rose Sabin, and sort of a prequel to A School for Sorcery. It's about how the School has come to an existance. A little less interesting than A School for Sorcery but certainly worth reading if you like this kind of genre.

[Louise Leonard · Rating 1 out of 5]

A total waste of time. So-called hero is a jerk with no redeeming qualities. Plot recycled from the Bible with a Jesus figure but a hoofed Pan type god as the Father. Don't bother.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trevor Blake stătea rezemat de peretele bucătăriei şi se uita la mama sa care tăia carnea de vită şi o punea în chiflele fierbinţi, abia scoase din cuptor. Aroma pâinii proaspete, mirosul îmbietor al tartelor de pere cu multă scorţişoară, mireasma apetisantă a fripturii – toate acestea îl făceau să nu fie prea atent la „predica” mamei sale.

— Trevor, mă asculţi? îl întrebă ea punând chiflele cu carne de vită într-o cutie pe care i-o înmână.

— Da, mami, zâmbi el şi luă cutia. Mi-ai spus să mă grăbesc, să nu pierd autobuzul şi să fiu atent cu banii.

N-auzise nimic, dar era sigur că n-are cum să greşească.

— Şi să ai grijă să-ţi iei haine bune şi comode. Ştiu că vrei lucruri moderne care să nu te facă să te simţi prost când mergi la universitate, dar e mai important să fie materiale bune, rezistente şi să-ţi ţină cald la iarnă.

— N-o să uit.

— Mă îndoiesc, suspină ea şi îşi şterse mâinile pe şorţ. Îmi pare rău că nu pot să vin şi eu, dar tatăl tău are nevoie de mine aici. Încearcă să fii şi tu cu scaun la cap, măcar acum.

Trevor zâmbi, ştiind ce o împiedica de fapt să-l însoţească. Tatăl său s-ar fi putut lipsi o zi de ea, dar era îngrozită de autobuzele „de modă nouă” care luaseră locul trăsurilor cu cai şi care se defectau, într-adevăr, mult prea des.

— Mai bine plec, îi spuse el, sărutând-o pe obraz.

— Da, da, încuviinţă mama, uitându-se la ceasul din bucătărie. târziu, doar nu vrei să pierzi autobuzul.

Bineînţeles că nu voia, dar acesta rareori sosea la timp, aşa că nu avea de ce să se grăbească. Zumzetul înfundat al albinelor în caprifoi şi parfumul greu al florilor care plutea în aerul nemişcat îl umpleau de lene, aşa că porni încet pe poteca prăfuită. Nisipul încins de soare îi ardea tălpile prin pantofi. Căldura verii târzii îi alungase pe cei mai mulţi prin case sau, în orice caz, la umbră. Deşi nu era nici urmă de nor pe cer, un porumbel uguia a ploaie. Trevor se simţea atât de puternic legat de acest peisaj familiar şi văratic, încât avu dintr-odată impresia că poteca şi întreg satul vor dispărea după plecarea lui.

[Cassandra]

I dunno... I'm just rarely very keen on prequels. But I really like A School for Sorcery! And this one does have Veronica in it...

[Syvannah Tewes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book as a gift from a friend. I sat down and devoured it in two blissful hours. It was rich and intoxicating, full of magic and drama. I can't wait to share it with my girls, they love reading and I know they will love this book as much as I did.

[Holly Whiteside · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be the right book for many readers, but I got restless and didn't want to finish it.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trevor is about to go off to university after having won a coveted scholarship (most kids in his rural town can’t afford to go). He misses the bus, however, and decides on a whim to visit some relatives who have special powers (which Trevor shares). After an incident that nearly gets them all run out of town, Trevor’s relatives convince him that the best thing to do is to find a community to help him train his gift, and he and his friend Les set off for the city, Port of Lords, with letters of introduction and money for tuition. As soon as they arrive, however, they are swindled out of both, and attempts to rectify the situation only get them into more trouble. When they land in prison, Trevor uses his gift to call for help and his calls are answered by the adept, Veronica. Trevor becomes obsessed with finding the man who robbed them and getting revenge/justice and neither Les nor Veronica can make him see sense. By chance, Trevor finds Carl again and gets himself into even more trouble. The magic “Community” is not what it was, and through their troubles, Les and Trevor uncover Dr. Tenney’s nefarious plan to leech all of the power of the Community’s members for his own personal use.

For those who have read A School for Sorcery, this prequel will give some insight into Veronica’s (the mysterious maid at the Simonton School) character and history as well as the origins of the Simonton School. Trevor seems likable enough at the very beginning of this story, but his obsession with revenge quickly becomes irritating, and the consequences of his pig-headedness are detrimental for all of the Community, even though Trevor’s actions eventually allow them to neutralize a threat. Life is messy. I’d hoped for more of a magic school/magical training sort of story, so I was a little disappointed. Still, this was a quick and engaging read.

[Phyllis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this was the second book written in the series, the events in this novel precede those in the first one published. And that's about all I can say about that without setting up a spoiler.

Two young men living on the usual farm, bored, are sent to the big city and learn a lot of lessons about themselves and others. Oh yeah, one of them has magical powers, amazingly strong ones that he doesn't control well. This he needs to learn how to do, pronto.

This I'll give the book, there was nonstop action, peril at every turn, even girls in distress. My first thought upon completing the book was that it could be adapted as one of those movie serials that were so popular back when my parents were young. There's a cliffhanger at the end of nearly every chapter.

But for all that, I really didn't care about the characters. Ms Sabin really needs to work on that.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't say it was the best book I have ever read, but it was definitely worth reading. I started out overly depressed that Tria was never in the book, but then I realized that this took place before book one, and that Veronica was, well, the Veronica! I followed up on all the other character and realized that half the cast of adults in A School for Sorcery are still kids in this. Very enjoyable, and very much enlightening towards the first book. Again, I won't say it is a book that everybody will enjoy, but I loved it and I will definitely read on.

[Daphnar · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light-hearted tale of a young man with magical powers who goes off to the big city with his best (non-magical) friend. There they encounter evil and gratuitous violence. Not for fans of Harry Potter.