An easy, quick read with some interesting new ideas. However the first half of the plot was quite repetitive and the second half was very simple. Bit forgettable.

I’m surprised this is marketed for adults as it reads very much for children, with plenty of silliness and characters falling over, though there is some strong innuendo that doesn’t fit the tone at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this.

The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar is such a good story. I loved every single second of it. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

I have been so looking forward to this release - and I'm so thrilled it lived up to my very high expectations. I loved every moment of this and I couldn't recommend it enough.

A bankrupt kingdom, a burnt out magician who's lost his mojo, and a princess who is in love with a commoner are just some of the strands that come together in this magical story.

When the aforementioned magician is given the task of concocting a love potion that will overcome genuine love in favour of a political alliance, that is far from the only challenge he faces.

An entertaining story about friendship, love and what real magic can achieve. It gets 3.5 stars.

Once a powerful magician at Tiger Castle, Anatole now finds himself in the midst of a magical crisis—he can no longer perform even the simplest of spells. The only person who still believes in him is his steadfast friend, Princess Tullia. But when the king entrusts Anatole with creating an anti-love potion to sever Tullia’s secret romantic bond, Anatole is forced to choose between loyalty and morality. The goal? To ensure Tullia marries a politically advantageous prince who might just solve the kingdom of Esquaveta’s woes. With the kingdom’s future—and the princess’s heart—in his hands, Anatole is left facing an impossible choice in this whimsical tale of duty, love, and redemption.

Holes was a top childhood favourite so I’ve been so excited to read Louis Sachar’s debut adult fantasy book for a while!

My first thoughts when reading it was it is definitely quirky! It sits nearer to low/ historical fantasy which I wasn’t expecting. I went in expecting a solid high fantasy (which was my error) and it took me a while to recalibrate my expectations at the start. But that’s not to say that it wasn’t an enjoyable read, The Magician of Tiger Hill felt unique and fresh, and there’s plenty to like about it!

The writing style is warm, wistful, with plenty of sharp wit. The gentle plot has a dream like quality - I felt like I wafted through, not quite knowing where I was going to be taken next! It explores human connection, longing, loyalty and what it means to love against the backdrop of a rich historical fantasy setting.

Much of the story is presented through Antole’s reflections and memories rather than dialogue which to some extent made it a little harder to connect with the other characters with any real depth.

I struggled to rate this book, it is quirky and different to a lot of other books. I think perhaps it’s the sort of book you’re drawn to and absolutely love or find pretty quickly that it’s not for you. My main take away is this although this book probably wasn’t for me after 25yrs I still enjoy and appreciate Sachar’s writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a really light read and as a person who reads multiple books at once I enjoyed having it in my rotation.
It took me about a day to read and I couldn't put it down. Louis Sacher's first adult novel, in my opinion, is such a captivating book and though it isn't exactly cozy ( maybe my definition of cozy is different) , it is really refreshing. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to read it and I will definitely be buying a physical copy in August. I have much more knowledge on historians after reading and I loved those details as well.
A 4.5 star read for me