The Inquisition

I don't even know where to begin with this review, because this book was just so so amazing! It's no secret that I adored the first novel in this series, but this story truly surpassed my expectations in every way. Taran Matharu has taken the story that he developed in The Novice and expanded on every aspect ten-fold. Every scene is rich in detail, coming alive and jumping off the page. One thing that I loved was how every chapter ended on a bit of a cliffhanger so you neededto keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. I was enthralled with this book from the very first chapter, and I never wanted the story to end! It was fantastic being back in this world that Taran created, and I can't wait to go back in the third book!Fletcher's character has grown leaps and bounds since the previous novel. His characterization alone is something to marvel at, and should be applauded. We see a much more mature Fletcher who isn't afraid to be the leader, and take charge. But we also see a Fletcher who is willing to put his life before others and sacrifice himself in order to save his friends. Ignatius (while not as present as in the last book) is back and still with Fletcher, but he get a companion (not going to spoil anything too much but for fans of the story, you'll be able to figure out what this means). I love that little guy and there are some new revelations about Ignatius (and demons in general) that aren't fully explained in this story, so I'm looking forward to seeing what these revelations exactly mean. Othello, Sylva, and others are back as well, and it was good to have the group back together. There are some new faces that Tarun introduces, and not all of those characters have Fletcher and company's best interests at heart.All of the characters were so well crafted, and I am looking forward to seeing their growth in the next book as well. But the thing that I liked the most is the fact that they all made well-thought-out, logical decisions. Unlike the first book, where some of these characters made very rash, quick decisions that didn't always work out very well and led to even more danger, the characters decided to think about the consequences. This is huge for me because nothing bothers me more than when character's don't learn from their past mistakes. I liked that Tarun took this route because it fit with how the characters were now (as opposed to last year when they were at the school). There is also some hints at romance between two characters (I won't spoil who), but I was jumping for joy since I was shipping them since the beginning!Another element of the story that I enjoyed was the overall plot. I found the plot of this novel a lot more exciting and full of adventure. Don't get me wrong, I loved the plot of The Novice, but this one just had a little something extra that made me love it more. Perhaps it was simply due to Taran's amazing writing ability (which also has grown tremendously since the first book...which I didn't think was possible since he was amazing to begin with!), or it was just the constant life-and-death adventure. But it had me on the edge of my seat right away! We were able to explore and learn more about summoning and the demons in general. But also we find out more about the politics of this magic world. I can already tell that this will play a very important part in the next (and any upcoming books) in the series, so it was great to have an introduction to it early on.I highly recommend checking out this book if you are a fan of the first novel in the series. The book does end of a cliffhanger, and I don't know how I'm going to make it until next year when the third book comes out! This book has it all, and is still that amazing mix of Harry Potter and LOTR...and come on, who doesn't like that type of mix. Taran Matharu is definitely an author that should be on your TBR, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

I bought this book and the third one for a youth. He has mow read all three in the series and really enjoyed all of them.

No spoilers here. Nothing more than what is given on the book jacket.Ok, I needed a day or so to think about this before actually taking finger to iPad. I was blown away and couldn't think of how to start. Soooo, I guess, I will begin with saying I was blown away. I really liked the first book and rated it as a four. So my expectations were high and I was not let down. The characters became more defined and relationships a bit more tangled; but that is the spice. The story itself just flowed for me with each page that I turned and I turned them fast, believe me. The story doesn't begin where The Novice drops you off... Fletcher being hauled off to jail on a trumped up attempted murder charge. Oh, no. It starts a year later, the same time as the second book debut. Coincidence? I think not. Rather a great ploy. Fletcher has spent a year in a prison cell. I mean, how much catching up do you need here? You are brought up to date about the rest of the characters as you went along. Again, nice. Very quickly, however, things change. Obviously, Fletcher is set free and the reason comes out of nowhere. Again, I'm taken aback. My attention and my heart is racing by this time. A mission is put into motion to save their world from the ferocious orcs and somehow solidify relationships between man, dwarves and elves. Four teams are sent in with an exact extraction time and place. Anyone not at the extraction point at the designated time will be left behind. Ok, my brain is going 100+ miles per hour. Soooo many things could go wrong. Espionage, betrayal, cowardice, weather and just plain random acts. I knew from the start that this was not going to end well for Fletcher. I mean, there is one more book in the set. And I was right. BUT, I did not expect this! It literally blew me away. I did not see this coming! This is evil! I repeat pure evil! Taran Matharu, you are truly, EVIL!PS. I would love a map! That would make my day!

So, on the topic of summoning minions and the such (my favorite form of a magic system) I ran into this series, and boy am I glad! The summoning system is amazingly well done, with a wide variety of demons, different degrees of power, runes and symbols and just so much that makes the magic so good! I am desperately hoping that there is about 4 more books planned... I just love the summoning conventions, the characters and the general plot so far. Anyways, to stop ranting this book has four things that have already sucked me in. One: endless discovery, with the path to power being well done. Two: the characters, they all have amazing personality and in depth stories, even relatively minor ones. Third: the politics (yes politics surprising that they are interesting) and the plot of the story has been full of well done, not cheesy surprises as well as complicated machinations that have a lot of history behind them. Four: the writing style, and the creativity of the author, this book has given great detail (not too much and not too little) enabling the reader to clearly envision the wide varieties of demons, landscapes, and characters the writing is also at a good pace and not going over every little insignificant thing, and the emotion the writing conveys is very well done. To end, this series has been well worth the money to read, and I hope that it continues for a very long time (4+ more books please, I do not want it to end) I strongly recommend it!

Great book oval and was a little slow paced at the beginning but soon got very interesting.

This book is awesome as expected from the author. Completely captivating. One fault I could point out is that, it is damn short. I really liked the feel and concept of the book. Not original but put eloquently. The protagonist is epic.*At the ending my reaction was like!*And that freaking cliffhanger. You betrayed us. How could you do that to us? We trusted you. Give us a bit closure at least.

After finishing the first book, I couldn't stop reading this one. The story is so gripping, and the practicality of reading whenever and wherever I wanted, made me finish the book in so little time. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when started reading this book. I couldn't recommend more.

Ahhh! This was such a brilliant sequel to The Novice. Honestly, this is one of the best book series I've read in a long time. I absolutely adored the first book and was a little apprehensive going into this one as often the second book in a trilogy fails to maintain the same magic and momentum as the first. I needn't have worried! The Inquisition didn't suffer from middle-book syndrome at all, in fact I enjoyed it more than the Novice.The story picks up a year from the ending of the first book, with Fletcher imprisoned and accused of the attempted murder of Didric. The book wastes no time in throwing us into the trial and introducing us to more of the nobility of the Summoner world, including the King himself (who I loved just for being a bit of a rebel). There's no time to stop and dwell on the result of the trial or the big revelations that take place during it, as our hero is reunited with his friends and sent on a dangerous mission right into Orc territory.The Orc jungle that they go to was like a feast for the imagination. Taran’s engaging writing style describes this fantastic new location in such lush detail that I got sucked in immediately. I felt like I was there right alongside Fletcher, Othello and Sylva. It was fascinating to learn more about their enemies, their motives, and to meet more of the many demons that exist in their world.Some familiar enemies return in this book, good old Didric is back, along with the charming twins Isadora and Tarquin. There is still animosity between the nobles and Fletcher’s group but it was great to see them put this aside somewhat in favour of the task at hand. There were far more important things to be worrying about than petty rivalry and the fact that even the nobles could rise above this to a certain extent, just shows the maturity of the characters and the writing.We get to meet some new people this time around too, a female dwarf called Cress was easily my favourite. I loved her so much. She's snarky and gutsy, my perfect woman! And more familiar faces returned, we got to see more of Lovett and Arcturus, my two favourite teachers <3The plot was fast-paced from the onset and the latter half so gripping that I struggled to put it down. Though I read it over a few days, in reality it was more like four separate reading sessions where I devoured a big chunk of story in each one because I couldn't put it down after just a few chapters! Outside of the main mission that they're on, there were lots of small discoveries and a betrayal plot woven in (and I was so disappointed by who the betrayer was! I liked this person! How could they do this to Fletcher? Boo).It ends on another cliffhanger (seriously, this author loves his cliffhangers) but luckily I already have book three lined up and ready to go! You might want to consider having it handy too because you're going to want to plunge straight into it after you finish this one!This is easily one of my most recommended fantasy series, it has elements that remind me of so many great series. There are vibes from Harry Potter, His Dark Materials and Lord of the Rings. Don't get me wrong, the story is completely unique and I'm not saying it was influenced by these other books, but I get the same wonder and excitement from it that I did reading them. It's a fantastic series and if you haven't already, I urge you to try it – you’ll love it!

if you dont want a spoiler dont read on the demons are so cool i wish flecher hadnt killed Sylvia's canid and that they had killed khan