There’s lots to enjoy here. It’s reminiscent of The Princess Bride. There are lots of funny asides and laugh out loud humour.
This has been marketed as the writers’ first book for adults, but it reads more like a YA novel, in a good way. It wasn’t what I expected but it was a pleasantly surprising novel.

I really enjoyed this lovely, whimsical book for children - a lush imagination has created a wonderful world. The magician's experiments in potion making grab your interest and you feel empathy for the characters.

I did not want this book to end. I wanted to start this book the instant I finished it. I am annoyed I have read this book because now I can’t read it again for the first time.

I cannot express how much I love this book.

This is brilliant, funny, engaging, a big hilarious cuddle.

I am in love.

My thanks to Netgalley and Headline Books for this absolute joy.

This is a fun book and a fun read. It is a light read perfect for summer days. An enjoyable story with interesting characters and a good plot

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for a review copy of this book. I have read several of Louis Sachar’s books and used them in my teen bookclubs over the years and found they resonated with the book club members so well, especially the dialogue and plots. In view of that I was interested to see what his first adult novel written in a fantasy genre that I enjoy reading. I found a novel that is has whimsy, some tongue-in-cheek humour with a dash of pastiche and a hint of The Princess Bride.

Anatole is a once famous magician for the king of a tiny country buried in 16th century Europe trying to reclaim his status while faced with the impossible task of turning sand into gold for this impoverished kingdom. Surrounded by enemies, his only friend is the Princess Tullia, who believes in his worth. In an effort to bolster up the country’s waning fortunes in the face of other governments that wish to absorb the country the king decides to solidify the alliance with the adjoining kingdom and make Tullia’s betrothal to the neighbouring kingdom’s prince come to fruition. Tullia refuses and declares that she’s in love with Pita, the assistant scribe while learning to read and studying Moore’s work, Utopia. Horrified, the king slaps Pita into dungeon and tasks Anatole with making an anti-love potion. Anatole tackles the task with great determination and studies both Pita and the princess while collecting ingredients and determining the best formula for the potion. But the groom, hearing of the princess’ objections insists that the recent gift of a tiger be fed Pita on their wedding day as recompense for the insult. Anatole, in an effort to save both his new found friend Pita and his dear princess concocts a plan that will hopefully save both of them from equally horrifying fates. These plans lead to other plans and their consequences set off a series of events and adventures finally give Anatole countless opportunities to find strength and courage to redeem himself from his perceived failure as a young man.

The book appears to be all at once a fable, a whimsical almost melodramatic adventure, and an odd kind of historical fantasy. It’s not easily pigeon holed and so many might find it unexpected. There is charm here and the main characters are quirky but very likeable in the end. Overall it’s an enjoyable read and one that can easily provoke discussion.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was different from what I expected it to be but in a good way. I liked the characters of Anatole, Pito and Tullia and found it fascinating reading about their adventures. I also enjoyed that the book was told from Anatole's perspective and enjoyed listening to him recount what had happened

“I’m drinking coffee now, but I used to be a tea drinker; some might even call me a tea snob, though I prefer the term connoisseur”

I found this book to be a quick and cozy read. Considering it’s being marketed as Sachar’s first adult novel, I’m not sure what makes it adult. It definitely reads like a YA but that aside it’s an enjoyable read that leaves you with that pleasant sensation you get after sipping a hot fresh cup of tea.

I particularly enjoyed the writing style of the narrator, Anatole. His little quips were quite humorous, and the comparisons to modern-day life were quite enjoyable. However, I’m left wondering if the choice to tell the story from the present day makes the plot a bit predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mountain Leopard Press for the opportunity to read this title.

3.5/5

The Magician of Tiger Castle is a cozy fantasy, smashed together with a historical fantasy and then sprinkled in a little found family to complete the dish.

As Louis Sachar’s first adult novel it was an enjoyable read, with good pacing and a simple prose that highlighted the characters, and let them shine through. Each character was formed and real, with motivations and realistic story arcs.

Where this book missed the mark was that adult tag, at times it read very YA or elder middle grade, with only the occasional line or scene warranting the adult tag line.

This book was very enjoyable, it was a quick read and the pages flew by. It hasn’t reinvented the genre but it was a fun standalone fairytale-esqe retelling.

The Magician of Tiger Castle is a charming debut that blends fairytale flair with cosy fantasy atmosphere, anchored by a quirky narrator and a vibrant cast of characters. While pitched as an adult fantasy, the tone and structure often felt more suited to YA or even upper middle grade, which made for a bit of tonal whiplash at times.

There’s a lot to love here. The plot is fun and engaging, the world building is solid, and the characters are impressively fleshed out for a debut. The fairytale influences are woven in beautifully, giving the whole story a slightly whimsical, magical feel. I especially enjoyed the narration style, which adds a unique personality to the storytelling.

However, a few elements didn’t quite land for me. The humour veers heavily into juvenile territory, which might work well for younger readers, but felt out of place in a book positioned for adults. The ending also felt quite rushed, as if the story ran out of space before everything could fully unfold. And while the story hints at romantic tension between two of the main characters, the flirting often came across as childish rather than charming, which made it hard to get invested in that dynamic.

That said, this is still a decent adult debut. If you're a fan of whimsical fantasy with fairytale vibes and don't mind a lighter tone, The Magician of Tiger Castle is worth checking out, just go in expecting something more cosy than complex.

This is Louis Sachar’s first adult fantasy novel, and while it's marketed for adults, it reads more like a cosy YA story.

The plot follows Anatole, a magician in the kingdom of Esquaveta, who is tasked with making the princess forget her love for a scribe apprentice so she can marry a prince and secure the future of the realm. The story is told from Anatole’s perspective, looking back on the events of his past.

It's a very easy read with a soft tone—there’s no real sense of danger or urgency, and the fantasy elements are light, mostly limited to potions. If you're expecting epic world-building or complex magic systems, this might not be for you. But if you enjoy quiet, character-driven stories with a fairy-tale feel, this could be a comforting read.

Thank you NetGalley for an Arc of the book!

Where to start, I loved this book. The world building, the secrets. It instantly drew me and and kept hold of me till the end. The way the author paints such a vivid picture is so good and honestly what kept me hooked. Can’t wait for it to be published as I for sure will be buying a physical copy

A reflective tale reminiscent of the picaresque, this story of an unaging magician tells the events that led to their situation and considers the choices that were made along the way.

I hesitate to call this a fantasy, as much of the magic making was scientific and experimental in practice (more like alchemy mixed with biology), but it was interesting and unexpected. Unfortunately, the story fell a little flat for me in the end, but I was a captive audience for Anatole and his meandering narrative all the same.

The king's magician is not a brave and honorable person, but his actions (and inaction) are what make this book intriguing. He wants to do what is right, but isn't always able to find the courage or skill to save those important to him. These struggles kept me reading, especially once Anatole made a connection with Pito and a promise to the princess...

While this didn't captivate me and I found the ending a little too open, it was definitely something different and I appreciated the scholarly tone of the narrator.

I'm not sure why this is being touted as the author's debut adult novel? Perhaps to make it stand out, and shelve it in a different place, away from his usual children's books. But it didn't read as being particularly adult - there are some sexual jokes, but nothing that stops it from being a story for teens. Perhaps they thought having a middle aged man as the main character would be off-putting for kids? I don't think so. He's interesting, he makes magical potions and falls off things and steps in horse poo and gets into scrapes...
Anyway, children or adult it doesn't really matter. It's an easy to read, and funny fantasy story. I liked Anatole, more than the Princess and her suitor (who annoyed me). I was more interested in Anatole's potions. But the issue I had with the story was, mainly, the resolution. It comes to a funny ending, all of a sudden, and because we have known about present day Anatole the whole way through, there are no surprises or reveals from that point of view. So then you wonder what the point of that aspect was, and if it made an impact on the rest of the story. I'm not sure it did, or not enough to warrant it. I'd thought we'd have some interesting reveal, that Anatole had discovered in present day, that then explained more of the past that we'd just read.
The pace starts to slow once it turns into a journey story, and then it suddenly winds itself up and you find that there are some threads that are left unresolved (though hinted at). I came away from the book feeling very mixed. Perhaps if you go in knowing it's not really 'adult' fantasy fiction that would help, and there was a lot to like about the story. I just personally would have liked a tidier resolve.

The Magician of Tiger Castle is a standalone adult fantasy recounted by an immortal magician. A few hundred years ago, Princess Tullia of Tiger Castle was betrothed to an older foreign Prince to forge an alliance between kingdoms. But just a month before the wedding, she falls in love with Pito, a lowly apprentice scribe, and refuses to go through with the marriage. Her father turns to Anatole, the court magician whose potential hasn’t amounted to much after nearly two decades. Anatole is tasked with brewing a love potion to ensure Princess Tullia follows through with her duty. But Anatole has a problem: aside from the difficulty of making that potion, Anatole can betray the only person in the castle who still believes in him?

I so wanted to love this book because its premise sounded so good, but I just didn’t like it all that much. That setup covers only about the first half, and it isn’t used as effectively as it could have been. The story then drags on for another half a book, ultimately sputtering out with an underwhelming, unsatisfying ending. The pacing was just off. And for what is supposed to be an adult book, it reads a lot like a children’s book with its simple prose, short sentences and paragraphs, and storytelling choices.

The framing device of having Anatole retell this story centuries later while visiting Tiger Castle as a tourist felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the narrative. If the book had kept Anatole’s fate hidden until the end, the conclusion might have carried more weight instead of arriving at a point we already knew was coming.

I did think Anatole was an interesting character. A middle-aged, cowardly, somewhat inept alchemist with a surprisingly good backstory, he makes sense as comic relief or a supporting figure. But casting him as the main protagonist in a story that isn’t really about him was an odd choice, and he just wasn’t able to hold the story together. He was likable, yet I wasn’t especially invested.

The story should have focused more on the two star-crossed lovers, Tullia and Pito. Instead, they became side characters in what should have been their own tale. Because of that, we never really get to know them or feel invested in their romance. We don’t even see what happened to them in the end!

For The Magician of Tiger Castle, the potential of the premise just didn’t pan out, and the writing let it down even further.

*Thank you to Headline for the eARC via NetGalley

A charming, easy read; somewhat dry in places but has it’s funny moments, and Anatole (the protagonist) is very likeable. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this book adult, there’s nothing in it that would be inappropriate for pretty much any age to read.

I enjoyed it, but it didn’t blow me away. I remember loving Louis Sachar’s book Holes as a kid and was hoping for something more emotional maybe?

A pleasant and cosy short novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mountain Leopard Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy of this book. I can see it has mixed reviews with some absolutely loving it and others not so much. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book and agree with other reviews that this book read more of a young adult story. Although a very good plot line and characters, I found the simplicity hard to engage with. With fantasy/magical novels, I prefer ones with more detail and depth but I can appreciate other readers will really enjoy this one.

What a wonderful read, the characters, the banter between them, the aspect of different periods of time, medicine/magic, I was captivated! I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey The Magician of Tiger Castle took me on, I could have read more of his tales! I'm away to have my finest blend of tea and think about this book!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this, the story will stay with me!

This was a nice fairytale-esque fantasy that was a good read, but just didn't click 100% for me.

Anatole is a court magician in the now-famed Tiger Castle in the kingdom of Esquaveta. The story is excellently framed from his perspective of visiting the castle in modern times and looking back on it 500 years in the past to when and how it got its name. He gives us hints of what's to come in the story as he hears it from a tour guide, including the Whispering King, a treacherous queen who killed one king to marry another, and a beautiful princess who was abducted on her wedding night. And he mentions the great magician himself, who the tour guide neglects to include! Anatole then leaps back into his past and tells the story from his perspective.

Anatole's character is brilliant. Rather than having a story told from a hero's perspective, although in some ways he could be considered that, Anatole is a bald man (thanks to an experiment gone wrong, he has no hair on his entire body) who describes himself as "short and dumpy". We are constantly reminded of his flaws as he falls in manure and out of carriages.

The only downside was that I struggled to get stuck into this book. The story had more of a rambling quality with a series of events which, though they are of course linked, didn't flow as well as you'd expect. I actually think this book would benefit from a second reading, especially as I went back to the initial set up chapter that I've described above to remind myself of it before reviewing, and it made much more of an impact when I knew what was to come. On first reading, it felt like it was going to be a big grand tale, but as you read on and the characters become more clear, it's a lot more of a fumbling series of events which are far more fun that the mythical quality you expect.

Like many others, I initially picked this book due to the author who wrote the iconic book, Holes. I always loved this book, but it made more of an impact as being one of the only books that my sister, who is not a reader, actually enjoyed! This one is a different piece of work, although I do think you can feel the author's signature underneath it in the way it's framed and told.

Overall, a tricky one to rate and review as I enjoyed it and will probably remember the story, but while reading, I did struggle to pick it up as I wasn't invested in continuing it. I think I may reread in future to see how I feel about that again!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Headline - Mountain Leopard Press for the ARC of The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar.

I nearly screamed when I saw Sachar was writing an adult book so many decades (!!) after I read Holes. Holes was a book that made me love reading as a ten-year-old, and one I still feel like I remember vividly so many years later. I think it was Sachar's brilliant full circle storytelling in Holes that led me to love authors like John Irving as an adult - people with that same skill of bringing a story back to the beginning with such wow factor.

The Magician of Tiger Castle takes place in a no-longer-in-existence faux European country in medieval times where Anatole, the magician (the Merlin) of Tiger Castle practices his craft. When Princess Tullia, the young royal who truly believes in Anatole and loves and respects him, falls in love with an apprentice scribe a few weeks before her royal wedding, Anatole is made to create a potion that will make the two lovebirds forget each other. From there, hijinks and madness run amuck as Anatole's plans become spontaneous decisions full of Sacher's wit and callbacks.

The Magician of Tiger Castle is a cozy, humorous fantasy. It reminds me more of Terry Pratchett or John Scalzi - it's funny, it has some surface level digs that speak deeply about the current state of humanity, and it leaves you feeling positively - like you've had an actual good time. Headline - Mountain Leopard Press classifies the book as Teens & YA as well as Adult, but I do feel, even with some sex jokes, it still feels very accessible to a younger crowd. Some adults might prefer that Sacher's foray into general fiction have a bit more depth of character or plot, but nostalgic millennials will find an old friend still writing for their joy and amusement.

Awww I loved this one so much. It was kind of ya Romantasy .
I love this author a lot . Holes was my favourite movie and book as a teenager and then as an adult small steps .

I loved the whole castle vibes and the main character was so cute and wholesome but a bit grumpy at times.