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Book Trilogy #2
Master of the Books
Marcel and Nicola are coming to terms with their new life as Prince and Princess of Elster. Marcel learns what spells and charms he can by reading the books left by Lord Alwyn, but soon realises his limitations in magic-making when he puts the entire kingdom under a spell. Ages 10+.
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
18 people are currently reading
658 people want to read
About the author
James Moloney
54 books193 followersMy full name is James Francis Moloney and I was born in Sydney, Australia on 20 September, 1954. When I was seven years old, my family moved to Brisbane and except for the odd year or two, I have lived in Brisbane ever since. At school, I was into every sport going - cricket, footy, swimming - you name it. It's hard to believe now but in High School, I was a champion Long Jumper! After University I became a teacher and then a Teacher Librarian. I moved around from school to school and in 1977-8 found myself in Cunnamulla, a little "outback" town where many Indigenous Australians live. These turned out to be important years for my writing.
In 1980, I look a year's leave, stuffed a backpack full of clothes and went off to see the world. Got to do it, guys! There's so much out there, from things to uplift your spirit to things that make you question the humanity of your fellow man. I stepped over rotting dog carcasses in Mexico city, got all weepy in a roomful of Impressionist paintings and met some fascinating people. Hope you'll do the same one day.
1983 was another big year. I got married and started work at Marist College Ashgrove, an all-boys school in Brisbane, where I stayed for fifteen years. During this time, I became interested in writing for young people, at first using the ideas and experiences gained from my time in Cunnamulla, mixed in with the thinking and wondering I'd done overseas. After my early attempts were rejected, the first of my novels, Crossfire , was published in 1992.
In 1997, my fifth novel for young adults, A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove won the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award. At the end of that year, I decided to leave teaching and become a full time writer.
In the mean time, my wife and I have produced three great children, two of whom are currently studying at University. Photos of them to the right, along with my lovely wife, Kate, who has encouraged me along every step of the way.
Now that I have turned my hobby into my job, I have had to develop some other interests. For exercise, I go cycling along the bike paths around Brisbane. I'm also into great books, great food, movies, travelling, learning to speak French and I dabble in a little painting. In recent years Kate and I have spent an extended period in France, cycled through Vietnam and soon we will be off to the USA.
In 1980, I look a year's leave, stuffed a backpack full of clothes and went off to see the world. Got to do it, guys! There's so much out there, from things to uplift your spirit to things that make you question the humanity of your fellow man. I stepped over rotting dog carcasses in Mexico city, got all weepy in a roomful of Impressionist paintings and met some fascinating people. Hope you'll do the same one day.
1983 was another big year. I got married and started work at Marist College Ashgrove, an all-boys school in Brisbane, where I stayed for fifteen years. During this time, I became interested in writing for young people, at first using the ideas and experiences gained from my time in Cunnamulla, mixed in with the thinking and wondering I'd done overseas. After my early attempts were rejected, the first of my novels, Crossfire , was published in 1992.
In 1997, my fifth novel for young adults, A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove won the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award. At the end of that year, I decided to leave teaching and become a full time writer.
In the mean time, my wife and I have produced three great children, two of whom are currently studying at University. Photos of them to the right, along with my lovely wife, Kate, who has encouraged me along every step of the way.
Now that I have turned my hobby into my job, I have had to develop some other interests. For exercise, I go cycling along the bike paths around Brisbane. I'm also into great books, great food, movies, travelling, learning to speak French and I dabble in a little painting. In recent years Kate and I have spent an extended period in France, cycled through Vietnam and soon we will be off to the USA.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 10, 2011
Slightly too young for me (XD) but still love this book. The description is good, twists unpredictable, the fights awesome.
However I'd like more character developement. I don't really sympathise with them, which isn't great. And I wish Moloney would stop killing off the enemy, seeing as it's a trilogy. I mean, first Mortegris and Eleanor and now *SPOILER* Ismar AND Damon. So who's the enemy in book three? I look forward to finding out, but still would've liked it to be the same antagonists.
However I'd like more character developement. I don't really sympathise with them, which isn't great. And I wish Moloney would stop killing off the enemy, seeing as it's a trilogy. I mean, first Mortegris and Eleanor and now *SPOILER* Ismar AND Damon. So who's the enemy in book three? I look forward to finding out, but still would've liked it to be the same antagonists.
June 19, 2025
Picking up Master of the Books felt like returning to an old friend’s world, and Moloney doesn’t disappoint. The sequel deepens the magic introduced in The Book of Lies, as Bren’s quest leads him into darker secrets and higher stakes.
I loved watching Bren grow, from curious dreamer to a more seasoned hero, grappling with power he barely understands and enemies he can’t yet name. The lore around the mysterious Books expands impressively: each tome holds riddles, prophecies and moral dilemmas that kept me guessing. The pacing is a touch more deliberate than the first instalment, but those quieter moments let the characters’ emotions breathe and made the big reveals hit even harder.
Favourite highlights include the duel beneath the moonlit ruins, and that cliffhanger ending! While it occasionally wanders through exposition, the rich worldbuilding and Moloney’s knack for earnest, relatable characters carry you right through.
4/5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved watching Bren grow, from curious dreamer to a more seasoned hero, grappling with power he barely understands and enemies he can’t yet name. The lore around the mysterious Books expands impressively: each tome holds riddles, prophecies and moral dilemmas that kept me guessing. The pacing is a touch more deliberate than the first instalment, but those quieter moments let the characters’ emotions breathe and made the big reveals hit even harder.
Favourite highlights include the duel beneath the moonlit ruins, and that cliffhanger ending! While it occasionally wanders through exposition, the rich worldbuilding and Moloney’s knack for earnest, relatable characters carry you right through.
4/5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 9, 2025
A riveting sequel to the first installment of the series, 'Master of the Books' manages to build upon each character steadily while remaining faithful to their original charm. The strategic use of alternating perspectives throughout the book, in addition to the many twists of the plot, kept the story fresh and engaging. The only complaint that I have of this book was that the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. Other than that, it was a truly a great extension of the first entry of this trilogy and has me excited to read the final book in the series.
May 4, 2024
Ugh, so good! An excellent follow-up to the first in the series. Moloney still writes his characters extremely well and I'm pleased to see he doesn't fall into the pitfall of giving one sibling all the stuff to do and the other two are just background characters. (Although, Nicola should have been a perspective character as well.) This one seemed to be a very final chapter to the story, however. I'm interested in seeing where the story could possibly go from here.
June 20, 2021
Following the first novel The Book of Lies, I found this novel very engaging and introduced the viewpoints of more of the characters. The mystery of the first novel is continued further and the growth of the characters allowed the reader to connect with the the protagonists greater. I recommend this book for those above the age of 12.
June 20, 2017
I feel I would have enjoyed this book a lot more when I was younger.
November 17, 2015
I really enjoyed this sequel to The Book of Lies. Marcel is struggling with the fact he has succeeded Lord Alwyn as Master of the Books and is expected to defend the kingdom in the event of attack. Fortunately no one's been interested in Elsternwyck for quite some time, so it isn't a big issue that his minor magicks never quite go right.
Where is the boy who defeated Mortregis, the dragon of war? He's lost his confidence and isn't even sure he wants it back. What he would like back is his younger twin brother Fergus (actually Edwin but no one calls him that) who has gone off to avenge himself. Fergus wants to kill Damon who not only was directly responsible for the poisoning of the queen but indirectly for the banishment of the royal children. Worst of all, Fergus adored Damon who persuaded him he was his real father. Though everyone knows he's the youngest son of the king.
The population still harbour vague suspicions that the royal children will, as the Book of Lies prophesied, turn on their father the king and kill him. Marcel comes up with a great plan: he'll set a curse in motion that anyone who kills their father will suffer a horrible lingering death which lasts a full year. Having solved the problem, he can't understand why he is subjected to nightmares where a woman is pleading with him to undo the curse that will destroy her son. The woman in the dream seems like his barely-remembered mother. And she seems to be pleading for Fergus. Marcel can't make any sense of it.
Meantime, Fergus is virtually enslaved to a farmer in a neighbouring kingdom. Only when he rescues the farmer's child from a witch is he able to move on - and with a new skill. He can fight. And he's got a secret weapon: a sword that is magically enchanted to ensure every fight is a test of skill, not strength. He's on the track of Damon once more. But Damon's hidden overseas in the city of Cadell.
And that's where Marcel and his sister Nicola have reached after their ship loses its mast on the way to Noam - the place of magic where Marcel hopes to find a way to undo the curse he's laid over the whole of Elsternwyck.
Where is the boy who defeated Mortregis, the dragon of war? He's lost his confidence and isn't even sure he wants it back. What he would like back is his younger twin brother Fergus (actually Edwin but no one calls him that) who has gone off to avenge himself. Fergus wants to kill Damon who not only was directly responsible for the poisoning of the queen but indirectly for the banishment of the royal children. Worst of all, Fergus adored Damon who persuaded him he was his real father. Though everyone knows he's the youngest son of the king.
The population still harbour vague suspicions that the royal children will, as the Book of Lies prophesied, turn on their father the king and kill him. Marcel comes up with a great plan: he'll set a curse in motion that anyone who kills their father will suffer a horrible lingering death which lasts a full year. Having solved the problem, he can't understand why he is subjected to nightmares where a woman is pleading with him to undo the curse that will destroy her son. The woman in the dream seems like his barely-remembered mother. And she seems to be pleading for Fergus. Marcel can't make any sense of it.
Meantime, Fergus is virtually enslaved to a farmer in a neighbouring kingdom. Only when he rescues the farmer's child from a witch is he able to move on - and with a new skill. He can fight. And he's got a secret weapon: a sword that is magically enchanted to ensure every fight is a test of skill, not strength. He's on the track of Damon once more. But Damon's hidden overseas in the city of Cadell.
And that's where Marcel and his sister Nicola have reached after their ship loses its mast on the way to Noam - the place of magic where Marcel hopes to find a way to undo the curse he's laid over the whole of Elsternwyck.
January 6, 2015
I started this book shortly after finishing the first and I have to say the beginning was a little disappointed, it just seemed so slow after the fantastic finish of the first book. I wanted it to keep going like that.
Still I read on and about halfway through I couldn't put this book down. James Moloney's writing is so engaging and easy to read that I felt I could see the whole story like a rich vivid movie, showing in HD, in my head.
When I put the book down (someone has to clean the house and feed the kids) I kept thinking about the characters and story yet I was not left with any 'that doesn't fit' or 'hmmm, that doesn't seem right' kind of thoughts or even any unanswered questions.
I have to wait a whole week to get the next book (it's being withheld as a birthday present) and I am looking forward to it if it's the equal of the first two. (I do have to wonder though, after finishing the second book once again I feel like the story is quite complete. I've read the blurb for the next book and know that it's completely separate, but I am feeling satisfied and complete at this point so maybe the wait will do me good.)
Still I read on and about halfway through I couldn't put this book down. James Moloney's writing is so engaging and easy to read that I felt I could see the whole story like a rich vivid movie, showing in HD, in my head.
When I put the book down (someone has to clean the house and feed the kids) I kept thinking about the characters and story yet I was not left with any 'that doesn't fit' or 'hmmm, that doesn't seem right' kind of thoughts or even any unanswered questions.
I have to wait a whole week to get the next book (it's being withheld as a birthday present) and I am looking forward to it if it's the equal of the first two. (I do have to wonder though, after finishing the second book once again I feel like the story is quite complete. I've read the blurb for the next book and know that it's completely separate, but I am feeling satisfied and complete at this point so maybe the wait will do me good.)
October 26, 2014
Highly imaginative, with no other fantasy book that I can compare the story to.
Start with The Book of Lies which blew my mind, then follow up with this sequel. Magic books, treachery and an epic castle siege that will have readers hooked.
Other books I enjoyed with similar style were Eragon The Potion Master Deltora Quest and The Sea Of Trolls
Start with The Book of Lies which blew my mind, then follow up with this sequel. Magic books, treachery and an epic castle siege that will have readers hooked.
Other books I enjoyed with similar style were Eragon The Potion Master Deltora Quest and The Sea Of Trolls
January 14, 2011
The second book in a trilogy, follows The Book of Lies and is followed by The Book from Baden Dark.
It's been an ages since I've read The Book of Lies, so about a quarter of the way into the book I was still muddling through characters and previous plot. It's a good thing he dribbled allusions to what happened previously. Total nfi.
Despite my "what's going on?" manner while reading the book, I quite enjoyed it and found myself hooked during the last half of the book.
It's been an ages since I've read The Book of Lies, so about a quarter of the way into the book I was still muddling through characters and previous plot. It's a good thing he dribbled allusions to what happened previously. Total nfi.
Despite my "what's going on?" manner while reading the book, I quite enjoyed it and found myself hooked during the last half of the book.
October 20, 2012
Master of the Books by James Moloney is a good book and has an interesting plot that captures the reader although the character development could use some work as throughout the book the reader did not feel for the characters and relate to them. The Master of the Books is a good fantasy book but is not one of the best in the fantasy genre.
416 pages
416 pages
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January 12, 2020The total lack of description in this book got to me. I didn't hate the characters, I didn't hate the story. It is a good children's book. It doesn't spend too much time giving a picture for the reader but merely moves from one plot point to another. The language is simplistic and accessible (good for a children's book I suppose) but not beautiful in any way.
January 16, 2015
Wanted to give 3.5 stars but as that's not an option I went with 4 for sentiments sake. I loved The Book of Lies when I was younger and perhaps if I had read this then I would have loved it just as much. Don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed Master of the Books but I found it a bit slow to start and I was unable to get into it in the same way.
June 10, 2011
Awesome Book. but plot is kinda clattered at some points, but meh. Still deserves a 4-star rating,
read the first book first. It will help you understand what is going on in the book. Oh Yeah, and a quick question.....
What Is Your Fav Soda?
Mine=COKE
(Duh)
read the first book first. It will help you understand what is going on in the book. Oh Yeah, and a quick question.....
What Is Your Fav Soda?
Mine=COKE
(Duh)
April 15, 2009
not as good as the first
August 10, 2009
sequel to The Book of Lies equally well done
November 25, 2009
This was a really good book, a lot more action and romance then the first one. can't wait to read the last in the series! :)
July 9, 2010
Loved the characters and magic this book has. Story line is slightly predictable but I really enjoyed this all the same.
September 9, 2010
it was awesome
March 11, 2011
A sequel from the book of lies. A fantasy mythical storey recommend it to children aged between 11 - 14 years.
March 14, 2011
the book after "the book of lies". Marcel is now 13 or so, and he is still a growing sorcerer. It is slow paced at first, but it is amazing how every story fits in so perfectly together.
March 7, 2012
Very creative, interesting. Has lots of twists but needed a stronger ending.
January 4, 2014
It's not as good as the first one at all.
It also has a lot of magic and evil in it.
Aldo the story line kind of was a bit confusing
It also has a lot of magic and evil in it.
Aldo the story line kind of was a bit confusing
August 27, 2014
Phenomenal, the series is absolutely amazing!
July 6, 2015
sad ending
April 25, 2021
Enjoyed this one.
March 30, 2017
My favourite book of the trilogy probably!
April 6, 2017
Excellent epic trilogy
December 22, 2017
The second book in the Book Trilogy.
The children now knowing their full identity are still trying to find out the full truth about why events have happened. There is magic at play ... can they defeat it and take their rightful place.
The children now knowing their full identity are still trying to find out the full truth about why events have happened. There is magic at play ... can they defeat it and take their rightful place.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews