Fletcher must leave town and so begins an adventure that is sure to have young readers hooked.

The demon imp proceeds to protect him from the village bullies that stalk him and kills one of them. When the Summoners book is left to him, Fletcher unwittingly summons a demon, changing his own fate. Not only is Fletcher literate, but he knows his numbers too. The boy, however, remains an outsider, partly due to his darker features, but also because of his education. Abandoned at the gates of the village as a baby, Fletcher is taken in by the blacksmith, Berdon, becoming his apprentice when he is old enough. The Novice is a story that takes place in a new fantasy world where Fletcher, an introverted fifteen-year-old, lives at the back of the Blacksmith’s forge. “Fletcher gathered the demon into his arms and examined it, wondering how exactly he would keep the unruly creature out of sight.” With no one but Ignatius by his side, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. But sinister forces infect new friendships and rivalries grow.

Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.Īlong with nobles and commoners, Fletcher endures grueling lessons that will prepare him to serve as a Battlemage in the Empire's war against the savage Orcs. Adventure Stories, Fantasy & Magical Realism, Fictionįirst in Taran Matharu's New York Times best selling epic fantasy, ‘Summoner Trilogy’, The Novice is an action-packed adventure of a young man gifted - or cursed - with an extraordinary and terrifying power.įletcher is working as a blacksmith's apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world.

The Novice by Taran Matharu