The Bronze Key is the third instalment in the Magisterium series. Picking up a year after book three (The Copper Gauntlet), Callum and his best friends are now entering the third year of their magical training. Callum has now revealed the truth about his soul to his close friends, as well as his frenemy Jasper and his own father, but is still struggling to maintain his anonymity. However, when a Gold Year student is found murdered, Call becomes aware that there may be an extremely dangerous saboteur in his midst.
This novel is my favourite of the series to date. Not only did we see spectacular breakthroughs in character development, but we also were given a diverting sense of mystery for the entire duration of the novel. This novel kept me constantly on my toes, and I managed to finish the novel in just under three hours. One of the hallmarks of a good mystery novel is having a wide range of possible subjects for the specific crime–which was, in this case, murder–but then completely shocking the audience when the true criminal is eventually revealed. I actually had to put the book down for a few moments just to process what was going on in the story, only to ravenously hang onto the last few pages.
Another fascinating element of this book was how all the characters continued to evolve. When the novel began with The Iron Trial, all of the characters were naive, innocent and careless, but with this novel, the growth of all of the characters was evident in every page. The maturity of the characters was, I suppose, inevitable because of the new challenges they were facing, but I was positively surprised by how the characters had different ways of responding to certain things in wake of their earlier experiences that had shaped them.
All in all, I have nothing bad to say about this book–the characters are great, the story was equally entertaining and poignant, and I can’t wait for more.
Dragonkeeper is the first in an enchanting book series created by Carole Wilkinson. The first novel follows Ping, a slave to a ruthless master who begins a strong friendship with a captive dragon. Together, the two of them are able to escape the master and journey to Ocean, a distant land far from the ancient …
Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman named Gladys after the death of her parents. Chess Raven is a hacker, and becomes swept away in a grand and interesting adventure after the …
A heartwarming and honest read, Finding Nevo is a charming story of self-discovery and love. The memoir deals with some complex and relevant issues such as sexuality and gender identity, and while these kinds of stories tend to take on a tragic or depressing tone, Nevo keeps it light and relatable, making it an enjoyable read …
In 1984, one of modern literature’s most celebrated works, readers are introduced to Winston Smith, who lives in a dystopian society in which everything–from actions, movements, careers, and, even in some cases, thoughts–are monitored and recorded tirelessly. In this society, all individuals are governed by organisations who mandate conformity and allegiance, and who will cause …
Eliza Henry Jones’ P is for Pearl is a sweet piece of summer escapism. Set in a quiet beach town in Tasmania, complete with romance and hints of mystery, it’s an easy way to pass the time over the summer holidays, sitting out in the sun with a drink in hand. The reader is dropped [...]
Cally Black’s In The Dark Spaces is an immersive sci-fi thriller that features some incredible aliens and insightful thoughts on human nature. While it’s full of action and danger, the heart of the story revolves around family, morality, communication, and love in all its forms. Exposition is scarce, but this works in the book’s favour. [...]
Book Review – The Bronze Key
This novel is my favourite of the series to date. Not only did we see spectacular breakthroughs in character development, but we also were given a diverting sense of mystery for the entire duration of the novel. This novel kept me constantly on my toes, and I managed to finish the novel in just under three hours. One of the hallmarks of a good mystery novel is having a wide range of possible subjects for the specific crime–which was, in this case, murder–but then completely shocking the audience when the true criminal is eventually revealed. I actually had to put the book down for a few moments just to process what was going on in the story, only to ravenously hang onto the last few pages.
Another fascinating element of this book was how all the characters continued to evolve. When the novel began with The Iron Trial, all of the characters were naive, innocent and careless, but with this novel, the growth of all of the characters was evident in every page. The maturity of the characters was, I suppose, inevitable because of the new challenges they were facing, but I was positively surprised by how the characters had different ways of responding to certain things in wake of their earlier experiences that had shaped them.
All in all, I have nothing bad to say about this book–the characters are great, the story was equally entertaining and poignant, and I can’t wait for more.
Ratings:
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
OVERALL RATING: 9.5
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