Time of Trial

The Laws of Magic #4

by Michael Pryor

In the fourth book of this utterly addictive series, magical genius Aubrey Fitzwilliam is heading deep into the heart of enemy territory—luckily, with his friends by his side

 

It may look like a simple wire device, but the Beccaria Cage could be the cure for Aubrey's condition: a way to reunite his body and soul. But can Aubrey solve its mysteries while Dr. Tremaine's warmongering machinations gather pace? After magical confrontations, near-death experiences, and the appearance of new allies and new enemies, Aubrey decides that there is only one thing to do: carry the fight to the enemy. Thanks to a fortuitously timed symposium, Aubrey, George, and Caroline accompany Lady Rose and Prince Albert to Holmland—into the heart of hostile territory—only to find a city infested with ghosts, brigands, and shadowy figures with agendas of their own. Fisherberg is a city on a knife edge. While trying to prevent a war, could Aubrey Fitzwilliam inadvertently trigger one?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Steampunk, Fiction, Adventure, Magic, Science Fiction

428 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Michael Pryor's bio
Check out my Fantasy podcast, 'The World Below the War in the Heavens' wherever you get your podcasts!

I was born in Swan Hill, Victoria. I spent my childhood in country Victoria and Melbourne before moving to Geelong at the age of 10. I lived in Geelong until I went to university in Melbourne after secondary school.

I currently live in Melbourne. I’ve worked as a drainer’s labourer, a truck driver, a bathroom accessories salesperson, an Internet consultant, a Multimedia Developer, a Publisher, in a scrap metal yard and as a secondary school teacher. Whew.

I’ve taught English, Literature, Drama, Legal Studies and Computer Studies.

I've published over thirty-five novels and more than sixty of my short stories have appeared in Australia and overseas in publications such as Overland and the New South Wales School Magazine. My writing moves from literary fiction to genre Science Fiction to slapstick humour, depending on my mood.

I’ve been shortlisted eleven times for the Aurealis Award for Speculative Fiction, and have also been nominated for a Ditmar award. My short stories have twice been featured in Gardner Dozois’ ‘Highly Recommended’ lists in The Year’s Best Science Fiction and The Year’s Best Fantasy. Nine of my books have been CBC Notable Books, I’ve been longlisted for a Golden Inky and I’ve been shortlisted for the WAYBRA Award. I’ve also twice won the Best and Fairest Award at West Brunswick Amateur Football Club.

My reviews tend toward the three word style of the trenchant critic, N. Molesworth.

Reviews

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

By now, you should be used to the structure - Aubrey travels somewhere to defeat Dr Tremaine, manages a small win, but realises that Dr Tremaine has more plans.

Aubrey is gifted with a Beccaria cage which is effectively the cure for his condition - he no longer needs to work to keep body and soul together. There's then a failed assassination attempt, where Aubrey is controlled in order to buy a gun and kill Bertie. He's then determined that he's going to get rid of Dr Tremaine - and discovers that Dr Tremaine's sister, Sylvia, is trapped inside the pearl.

They then decide to free Sylvia - and enlist a ghost hunter that reunites Sylvia's soul, just in time for Dr Tremaine to rescue her. In parallel, there's the Fisherberg summit, an international conference. Aubrey's mother is presenting there - but Dr Tremaine manages to hijack it with the revelation that Albert has a claim to the Gallian throne. In the meantime, the tension worldwide increases.

The good thing is that a magical accident results in the Beccaria cage being incorporated as part of him - curing him.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm doing a reread of the first four books in preparation for completing the series, and reviewing as I go. My rating when I read this first in about 2010 was three stars, and I now see why; I'm going to be retaining that rating.

So far, the even-numbered volumes in the series are particularly messy. Volume 2 had even more instances of the copy editing issues that plague the entire series; this one adds a couple of new issues, like using "St Alban's" as the plural possessive when the name of the place is St Albans and the apostrophe should come after the "s" (also "Hollow's" when the man's name is Hollows), and splitting both "nothing" and "another" into two words, as well as the usual "may" when it should be "might" and "is" when it should be "was," too many commas between adjectives, singular where it should be plural, occasional missing words or punctuation marks, dangling modifiers, repetitive phrasing, and unclear referents for words like "it" and "that".

It had the feel of being rushed, and having missed at least one round of revision, not only because of the copy editing but because of many small infelicities of other kinds, like moments where I didn't believe that a person would act the way they had to act in order for the plot to happen. For example, a Might-As-Well-Be-German policeman is handed a parcel by a foreigner he's never seen before, and told it's a magical bomb found behind the venue where the dignitaries are, but it's been rendered safe and should be disposed of; he instantly believes this, blanches and rushes off without any attempt to argue, or secure said foreigner for questioning. Admittedly, the setting is not actually early-20th-century Germany, but it's a very close analogue, and if you read, say, Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men on the Bummel , about an actual trip to pre-World-War-I Germany, you'll get a very different picture of how German officials behaved (and also won't believe that a flower bed at a venue that was going to host high officials would be the least bit untidy). Aubrey, the main character, is twice mistaken for an arms dealer (who hasn't shown up to meetings for reasons that are never explained), on very little evidence and despite being 17; he plays along and gets away with it, and there are several other coincidences that assist the progress of the plot. I didn't believe the general reaction to the revelation that Prince Albert had a claim to the Not-French throne, either.

George, who has no talent for languages and doesn't understand Not-German, contributes to a conversation presumably in that language as if he'd been following it fine.

There are also moments of implausible physics (mostly to do with how much could happen, and be said, while something or someone fell, or flew across a room), and moments where something directly contradicted what had been said earlier. A minor, but particularly clear, example of that last issue: at one point Aubrey reflects on a farmer he had known who could "reliably" cast a spell to locate lost sheep. Two sentences later and still in the same paragraph, it's described as "an erratic, fugitive talent".

Another example that combines both plausibility and continuity issues: Aubrey phones round hospitals pretending to be a visiting foreign medical student, and the hospitals are happy to divulge the names of their coma patients, no questions asked. He begins with Western Hospital and finds the place he's looking for on the third phone call, but when they visit (and aren't asked for any proof of their identity), the hospital is... Western Hospital. The first one he called.

Alongside this, Aubrey is behind the beat on figuring out what's going on a lot of the time. Perhaps I was remembering bits of the plot subconsciously from my previous reading more than 10 years ago, but I could see looming problems several times when he was clueless, and he's supposed to be brilliant. Part of the group's aim is to confront the villain, but despite having plenty of time for preparation, when the villain turns up (at a place where they ought to have expected him, but did not) they're taken by surprise and unprepared.

Finally, there's the issue of Caroline, which other reviewers picked up on earlier in the series than I did. In this book, I finally reached the point of being tired of the fact that we can't just be told that Caroline did something (anything) without also being told that Aubrey found it charming and admirable and was, in general, mooning over her. I mean, I've been 17 with a crush on someone; it was a long time ago, but I still remember it, and yes, it makes you kind of an idiot, and you can get a bit obsessive about it. And yes, the point of view throughout is close third person focused on Aubrey, so naturally we get his perspective on everything that happens. And yes, Caroline is awesome; she's cool-headed and multi-skilled (crack shot, ornithopter pilot, martial artist, can pick locks) thanks to her late father getting his many interesting friends to train her in the hope, presumably, that she'd become an international spy. But it still gets wearing that she can never just do something and have it be about her; it's always about how Aubrey admires her for it.

I will carry on and read the last two books, since that's why I started the reread in the first place, and there are things to enjoy about them; the author can write a great action set-piece with spectacular magic, and there are some wonderful phrases scattered about, like "All of these groups had axes to grind and there were plenty of shady business people ready to sell them bigger and better axes," but they are badly outnumbered by issues that the author and/or editor should have picked up on and fixed. It's scruffy and lacking in professionalism, and it frustrates me.

[Fatima Sarder · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wars were rarely caused by simple events. They were complex, chaotic affairs and were most often caused by the interplay of many, many incidents, some trivial, some significant, some outrageous. Economic, trade, deep-seated jealousies, misunderstandings, famines, intolerance, all played a part as nations lurched towards conflict.

Wars weren't caused by one person, no matter how powerful, simply jumping up and saying, 'Right. This time, I really mean it."
- Michael Pryor

There are so many things happening in this book: plots and conspiracies and questions nestled together like a matryoshka doll. Intriguing.

[Dantegideon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still on the Caroline thing, but otherwise good.

[Della · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly a great series im enjoying every book so far got two more left cant wait to start reading!

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bukan Aubrey Fitzwilliam namanya kalo nggak terjebak dalam masalah. Kali ini buku dibuka dengan serangan pesawat sihir dari Holmland dan kemunculan mahasiswa pertukaran pelajar bernama Otto yang memberikan terobosan baru untuk menjawab masalah Aubrey yang rohnya selalu berada dalam kondisi hidup-mati akibat kecelakaan percobaan sihir yang berakibat fatal. Teknologi itu bernama Beccaria Cage, dan tapi apakah Beccaria Cage bisa menjawab persoalan Aubrey yang sangat pelik itu?

Suasana politik di Albion pun tak kalah panas, dengan penambahan kekuatan militer Holmland, semua orang sudah memperkirakan perang di depan mata. Adakah cara untuk menghalanginya?

Simposium sains di Holmland adalah jawabannya. Aubrey dan Doyle diperintahkan Sir Darius untuk menemani Lady Rose yang diundang untuk menjadi pembicara di simposium. Awalnya Holmland terkesan membuka diri dan simposium itu berpotensi menjembatani rekonsiliasi antar negara yang saling berseteru, tapi dengan cepat semua orang bisa melihat bahwa simposium itu hanya cara bagi Holmland untuk memberikan pernyataan akan ambisi berdarahnya di kontingen.
Dalam perjalanan menuju Holmland menggunakan kereta api, Aubrey bertemu dengan banyak pihak; Madam Zelinka yang misterius, para pedagang senjata, dan pemberontak Goltan. Belum lagi kaki tangan dr. Tremaine yang berkeliaran dimana2.
Masalah kian pelik dengan kedatangan Pangeran Albert yang ingin berdiskusi langsung dengan sepupunya yang merupakan penguasa di Holmland, meskipun tidak memiliki peran politik yang signifikan. Ditambah kemunculan Von Sterlick dan kecurigaan bahwa Otto yang sebelumnya membantu Aubrey, tengah dipergunakan oleh dr. Tremaine untuk mengaduk2 hubungan baik Albion dengan Lutetia.

Sejauh ini, Time of Trial merupakan nomer favorit gue dalam serial novel The Laws of Magic. Bernuansa seperti kisah mata2 yang menegangkan dipenuhi penyamaran, gertakan, dan kelicikan selayaknya pilem James Bond, di sini karakter Aubrey lebih bebas bergerak terutama karena banyaknya bab dimana dia bekerja sendiri. Tak ada Doyle yang nampak seperti bayang2 satu dimensi, ataupun Caroline yang kehadirannya menghambat daya logika Aubrey sekaligus kerap melontarkan kesinisannya yang sangat mengganggu.
Petualangan Aubrey dan kawan2 yang terperangkap dalam mutiara milik dr. Tremaine juga sangat seru dan menarik. Di sini kita diperlihatkan sisi lembut si penyihir sosiopat yang ternyata lebih kompleks daripada dugaan gue. Bahwa dr. Tremaine sekalipun menghormati kekuatan cinta, setidaknya tidak melecehkannya.

Mulai dari Caroline sampai Sophie si gadis Lutetia, wanita2 di dalam novel Aubrey ini sedikit aneh dan tidak realistis menurut gue. Mereka pintar, jago bela diri, terlalu perkasa, dan inkonsisten, terutama bisa membaca pikiran. Loh kenapa?

Ambil contoh Lady Rose, dia adalah wanita karir, seorang peneliti yang ambisisus dan sering tak ada di rumah sebagaimana lazimnya perempuan di era itu. Dengan jarangnya dia menghabiskan waktu bersama Aubrey, hubungan mereka mestinya tidak dekat, kaku, dan penuh formalitas. Anehnya dia bisa menerka karakter Aubrey begitu detail dengan minimnya kebersamaan mereka di rumah. Lucunya dia tidak tahu bahwa Aubrey selama dua tahun ini mengalami masalah akibat kondisi rohnya yang tidak stabil. Inkonsisten.
Wanita pintar, oke. Ambisius juga masuk akal karena mereka digerakkan pandangan baru sehingga masih berapi2 dan penuh pembuktian diri. Tapi menggambarkan SETIAP wanita berpikiran modern di dalam novel menjadi pendekar perkasa jago bela diri? Too much! Kesannya menggampangkan situasi. Mungkin Mr. Pryor tidak mau wanita dalam novelnya jadi nampak seperti damsel in distress, tapi mungkin alangkah lebih nyaman seandainya si perempuan bisa keluar dari masalah yang menimpanya dengan taktik psikologi, misalnya? Atau menipu orang, membujuk orang? Tukar informasi? Menggertak? Diplomasi?

Plis deh. Menjadi badass ga selalu artinya bawa2 senapan segede gaban atau bisa menghajar mampus tiga laki2 dewasa dalam satu gebrakan sekaligus. Banyak cara memenangkan konflik tanpa adu jotos, dan gue yakin perempuan punya kemampuan lebih dari itu.

Gue sendiri masih bermasalah dengan Caroline yang bagi gue pribadi terasa sangat tidak simpatik dan penuh kesinisan. Aubrey yang geek dan overthinking jadi dibuat bulan2an sama dia. Bagusnya si Caroline ini jadi karakter antagonis men! Mungkin gue bisa menghormati dan menyukai dia seandainya si Caroline ini salah satu antagonis. Dia punya potensi jahat yang elegan serta mematikan.

Karakter Doyle sangat tidak berkembang, gue udah pasrah dia hanya cuman menjadi sekadar wayang kulit di dalam petualangan Aubrey. Tidak signifikan dan bisa dihapus kapan saja. Malah gue lebih suka karakter Von Sterlick yang jauh lebih dinamis dan sangat-tidak-Holmland (baca: Jerman.)

Konsep dunia dalam novel ini masih menarik dan memicu gue untuk meneruskan kisahnya sampai habis bahkan sekalipun karakter2nya terbilang lemah. Usul gue, mungkin Australia bisa membuat adaptasi film dari novel ini ke depannya, biar saingan sama Holywood.

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aubrey and Tremaine may be in separate countries, but Aubrey quickly realizes the struggle between the two of them is far from over. And to that end, he must decide how he intends to continue. When an opportunity arises to travel to Fisherberg, which offers the appealing chance of confronting Tremaine head-on, he agrees. But will he be able to outmaneuver Tremaine in Tremaine's home territory?

This book offers a continual stream of surprises. The entire plot had me going, "Wait---what?" From the opening cricket match to the closing scene, Aubrey never gets quite what he expected. It tests his skills in theater considerably. And Aubrey's signature improvisation and daring leads to hysterical or breathtaking moments. Aubrey isn't the only one with a few surprises in store---he's got some interesting allies working with him. Von Stralick's ambiguous loyalties have found him, for the moment, sharing a common interest. It allows a much closer look at this sometime-enemy, sometime-friend.

Bringing the story to Fisherberg, in the heart of Holmland, is an interesting move. It allows a much deeper look into the culture, mindset, and key figures of Holmland. Aubrey has to do more legwork on his own, as the government in general has a decided bias against him. And with the looming threat of war very real, one misstep could be the spark to light the fuse.

Although the plot does wrap up, more or less, there are a number of questions that don't close off so nicely---not the least of which is the question of how the revelation at the end of the book has tipped the scales. This, though, is likely to take another book to do justice to the matter. Overall it's excellent fun, ending with a blend of tragedy and hope. It's best to read it in the context of the series, although it would stand alone. I rate this book Recommended.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fourth instalment in the adventures of Aubrey, George and Caroline took me longer to get through then each of the previous ones did. I struggled to be absorbed in the unfolding story and found much of what happened to be so coincidental as to verge on the ridiculous. One aspect of Time of Trial that particularly disappointed me was the lack of any clear motivating plotline. The characters have a vague plan to confront their enemy (the vile Dr Mordecai Tremaine, intent on bringing the world to war), but much of what occurs during the novel seems to happen to them, rather than the characters being the controllers of their own lives. After foiling a particularly insidious plot of Tremaine’s, Aubrey, Caroline and George decide to travel to Holmland (Germany) and confront their enemy on their own terms. Along the way they get embroiled in various espionage plots, ghost hunts and assassination attempts, only to find themselves facing their enemy earlier than anticipated. This was an action-packed novel; I just would have liked it to be more focused and controlled, with more of Aubrey Fitzwilliam tenacity that I have come to enjoy.

[Foz Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't yet discovered the Laws of Magic series by Michael Pryor, grab the first volume and start reading immediately. Set on an alternate, magic-wielding Earth in the years just prior to the start of WWI (or so we may infer from events), they follow the adventures of Aubrey Fitzwilliam, son of the Prime Minister of Albion, and his friends George Doyle and Caroline Hepworth. Although there are steampunk elements - zeppelins, magic, the English/Albionish setting - the series is characterised by a Wodehousian flair for language, humour and intrigue, though with events of a much larger scale than either Jeeves or Bertie Wooster ever managed. Pryor knows this world and its inhabitants backwards: every volume has been full of warmth, adventure, wit and the wisdom of human nature. Time of Trial carried on this tradition with aplomb, and I cannot wait for the next instalment. Definitely one of the best YA series available!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 of this series sees main character Aubrey Fitzwilliam heading to dangerous Holmland, ready to protect his mother and hopefully help Albion to avoid war.

Aubrey, George & Caroline chase ghosts, form new alliances, renew old acquaintances, and get up to their usual shenanigans.

Even 4 books into the series, the charming language and general likeability of all of these characters is wonderful. This book picked up the pace, too, and started further developing the character relationships.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 review (original below it, very small):
Little me didn’t appreciate enough the fine writing this book series has. I technically restarted the book as I’d forgotten the events leading up to the 200 pages the reading slump had got me on but then it only took me a few days to get back on track. I found I wasn’t as entertained by Aubrey’s adventures in this book compared to previous ones but nonetheless enjoyed the storytelling and conclusion of the book.





I think this book was better than the others I have read so far, so I give it 4.5 stars

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exciting adventure with Aubrey, Caroline & George. I liked that reading the blurb is no indication of where the book takes us. It contains many diversions and tangents that cause the trio many hiccups in their continuing quest to thwart Dr Tremaine's dastardly plans.



Good stuff Michael!

[Yvonne Boag · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Laws of Magic series doesn't disappoint. Michael Pryor's writing style is very witty and engaging. Aubrey has a plan to engage Dr Tremaine and so travels to Holmland with his friends hoping to avoid a war. Complications ensue and Aubrey finds himself on a ghost hunt with a difference.

[Vickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4th book makes up for the slightly disappointing 3rd. Aubrey and his friends accompany his mother to a science symposium in belligerent Holmland. While there they team up with other spies and rebels to discover more about Dr. Tremaine's nefarious plans and investigate ghosts.The story is tight and full of adventures...a very fun read!

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre)]

Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.

I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

To tell you the truth I am rather getting sick of this series. With the first I belived I had found a treasure. But four books in things have barely advanced and the characters continuously find theselves back at where they began, if lucky, a few metres ahead.

[Alannah Skillicorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really love these books but the background story line is a bit repetious

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was awesome

[Melody Violine]

cool

[Kerri Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book of Young Adult fiction. This is the fourth of the series and is very well written. Aubrey is a complex character and it's a joy to watch him grow in these books.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

It. Is. Good!

[TheOneAndOnlySam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! This is a series I think I will enjoy for many years to come.