This was quite unexpected, and I really enjoyed every minute of the ride.
Anatole is not a narrator that I would necessarily trust, not because he speaks untruths but because he speaks his truth, he definitely misses some important details. But that's what makes this such a fun read, he's egotistical but he has a kind heart and is terrified of causing harm. I loved the way the story is told from his perspective, looking back through time, I could see this being perfect for a big screen adaptation.
Interesting characters, that manage to avoid most of the typical fantasy tropes. Pito was my favourite, it would have been a completely different story if told from his perspective.
A definite recommend.

I read the authors well-known book Steps and its sequel when my younger son was reading it at school. 20 years ago I remember enjoying it then feeling it had something to offer for adults as well as children This New novel is the author’s first adult novel. When I saw it on NetGalley UK, it went to the top of my to be read list.
I’m not entirely sure why this is an adult novel. It could easily be placed within the young adult category. The novel is an adult fairytale. And focuses on the long ago and far away court where the court magician is tasked with making the princess forget the lowly scribe who she has fallen in love with in order that she will marry a more suitable prince of her father’s choosing. All the usual fairy tail misogyny and patriarchy but told with a tongue and cheek approach that doesn’t end up feeling oppressive
The book is amusing and witty and chugs along at a fast pace. I was instantly drawn into the story and read the book in one setting.
The author is writing style well known from steps is clear and flows beautifully you’re immediately immersed in the story. It is a fairytale and therefore you could criticise the novel in being somewhat two dimensional because it’s a fairy tale you forgive the author for this.
It’s not a long novel and I read it in a day
I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review book is published in the UK on the 5th of August 2025 by Headline
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, and my book blog bon SarahS books.wordpress.com. After publication it was also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones.

"The Magician of Tiger Castle" is a compelling read with a narrative style that draws you in from the very first page. Anatole, the main character momentarily steps out of the narrative to offer explanations and personal insights into the story, whilst I’ve seen that in movies I’ve never read a book that has this writting style but it works so well in this book and doesn’t interrupt the plot flow.

The book is filled with unexpected twists and clever hints that kept me eagerly turning the pages, literally at 3am! Anatoles intelligence and quick thinking, reminiscent of Tyrion from Game of Thrones, added a layer of nostalgia to the plot.

The historical fantasy elements of the story are well-researched and add an intriguing dimension to the narrative, exploring past diseases and apothecary techniques.
Tullia is everything by a princess should be, cute, cunning and sharp-witted. She stands out as a character that’s always one step ahead of the power hungry men that surround her.

The story fell flat around 75% but I was brought back into it at 82% by the shear exquisite writting style! I’ve never read a book that has been written in this way and I don’t believe it would work for every story but for this one it was chefs kiss, perfection!

The love interest in the story took me by surprise, it did not play out as I first thought it would but definitely enhanced the plot. .

One of the highlights of the book is the protective relationship between the Anatole and Tullia which I found touching. Anatole treated the princess like a daughter, watching over her and being the father figure she should have.
The ending of the book was bitter-sweet annd most definitely not an fairytale ending but felt very in keeping with the feel of the setting.
Overall, "The Magician of Tiger Castle" is a must-read for fans of historical fantasy with a fresh twist.

2.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and Mountain Leopard for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I mean, is there any British child who hasn't grown up reading (and watching) Holes by Louis Sachar? It's like a right of passage. And now he's ventured into the world of adult fiction.

I don't want to say anything negative about this because I am a fan of Louis and his books were a common thread in my childhood reading...

But...

I am unsure that his talents lie in adult writing. It still felt quite juvenile. If you hadn't told me that it was an adult novel, I wouldn't have guessed. It reads as a children's story (not that there's anything wrong with that per se), which meant I was expecting something I didn't really get.

I also felt it was a bit too...on the surface. I felt no real depth, no real charisma or chemistry between the characters, they all felt very 2D "Princess" and "saviour" types.

It is in the first person which is something I generally dislike. I think it works in thrillers when you need a personal stake in the plot, but it didn't work here I don't think, and I think that's because the characters aren't all that memorable, and so the first person narrative didn't grab me. I think I would have had better luck if we had that distance that a third person narrative gives, and I was able to form the characters for myself.

It did have a very beautiful cover and short chapters, which are instant gold stars in my books. It's an unusual idea, it's quirky, it's entertaining and passed a few hours; it's fresh but still gives us elements of the childhood fantasy novels we used to read. But it didn't grab me, and I don't think it will be a book that will linger with me.

The magician of Tiger Castle is a very easy book to slip into and then consume. Anetole is a great protagonist who is very easy to like, I was a little dissapointed with then end as I wanted more of the story, and I went from deep in the story to suddenly ending. But other than that it is an enjoyable read.

Louis Sachar's first adult novel is a glorious fairy-tale style adventure, set mainly in a fictitious European kingdom in the 15th century. I call it a fairy tale because of the style - there aren't any fairies, and arguably there isn't anything supernatural despite the main character and narrator being a 'magician'. Whilst he achieves some incredible things with his potions, even the magician himself never claims any of it to be magic, rather science. But the medieval setting, the extraordinary things the potions achieve, and the storyline - about wicked princes, brave princesses, monks and apothecaries - evokes the same pleasant unreality as a fairy tale.

The narrator, Anatole, is a likeable character and Sachar's style is very easy to read and entertaining, perfectly suited to the genre. The story concerns Anatole attempting to create an anti-love potion, after the princess of Tiger Castle inconveniently falls in love with a scribe rather than her betrothed. As things progress, the stakes grow higher, into a matter of life and death - but Anatole describes himself as a coward and doesn't believe he can take the decisive action needed to save the princess, the scribe, and maybe even the kingdom. We know that Anatole does survive - because he's still alive to narrate in the 21st century (this is explained as part of the plot). I liked this element as it enabled him to narrate with a 21st century understanding and a first hand 15th century one.

If you like adventure stories - fantasy adventure, or even non-fantasy adventure, this is a must read. It should also appeal to anyone who likes well written, quirky and original stories. It's something a bit different, and yet also completely recognisable from the stories we all read as children. So you get the benefit of a fresh take, accompanied with the comfort of a genre you know well. I hope Sachar writes some more adult books and in the meantime, add this one to your reading list.

This book is written beautifully, the characters feel so real, the world is well developed and you can visualise every step in your mind. The pace was just right and the story unfurled perfectly.
So why didn't I give it a 5 out of 5? I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was a great story, but it didn't make me emotionally engaged. I love when I go through the emotional ups and downs of the book, and whilst the ups made me smile a bit, I just didn't feel that connection to the characters. I didn't feel like I wanted more of them, or to know how their stories continued, which is what I need to give above 4 stars. I have to really care about them, and I just didn't. This could well be something others don't feel, and they connect instantly - as I say it is superb writing, but there just wasn't that draw for me. I highly recommend reading it though, if nothing else it's a lovely story very well told.

I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

From the very first lines of The Magician of Tiger Castle you know that you're in the hands of a master storyteller. As a reader you know that you can just relax and enjoy every twist and turn of the marvelous and witty story. Narrated by the intelligent, stoical Antole the story runs along at a fast pace, in many ways at the pace of a book for younger readers. In terms of content it was only the implied threat of sexual violence that would make it not suitable for younger readers and given the content of a lot of modern YA I think it would easily appeal to teens as well as adults so the publishing under an adult imprint is curious.

"Princess Tullia had been born defective.
Her biggest defect was being born a princess. King Sandro needed an heir, and that meant a prince."
Louis Sachar is back and this time with an adult fantasy in the realms of Princess bride. I have to admit that this title was my first Sachar book, and I was super excited. The story follows Anatole, a magician at Tiger Castle and the forbidden love story of Tulla and an apprentice. Not sure if the style of telling this story was the problem or if cozy fantasy in total isn't working for me ( as I didn't enjoy several cozy fantasy novels already this year, I think I might be the problem in trying again and again ). But having the story told from Anatole as an observer instead of the couple themselves creates a distance that I am not fond of. I didn't particularly care for Anatole, so that didn't help. Overall this unfortunately couldn't hold my attention.

What an enjoyable journey. I really liked this story, it was heartfelt, informative and very fun. I do wish I knew more about what happened to Tullia and Pito but also appreciate that it's part of the mistique of story telling to allow you to paint your own picture, as Anatole also had to. I hope to see more adult writing by Sachar, I'd certainly pick it up.

What a magnificent read this was! This was such a brilliant fantasy book. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was fascinating. We follow a magician at a particular point in his life where he worked in a castle. He has a comfortable life, conducting experiments, looking after the health of the residents, creating potions. However when the princess falls in love with a scribe instead of her betrothed. The magician faces a steep countdown to find a solution that keeps both the princess and her royal parents happy, as well as her unkind fiancé.

This is quite a slow burn as we send a big chunk of the book following our magician as he conducts various experiments, tries variations on ingredients, brews potions to try and solve his problem. We see his conflict as the race against time forces him to abandon meticulous experimentation in order to try and create a working potion. We feel his stress acutely. I enjoyed the view into the magician’s analytical mind and the explanations he gives for his different ingredient choices. This novel benefitted for the level of detail it went into even if it did mean a slower pace.

There are really problems to solve, often unusual approaches and frequent surprises. This was so enjoyable and I was completely riveted. There were often such unexpected turns in the story and the characters are unique and approach things in ways that feel so authentic to their characters.

A wonderful fantasy read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I thought this was a nice quick whimsical read that is part fairytale and part cozy fantasy. I liked it but I never felt completely immersed in the story, and I would have said this read more young adult than adult.

I requested the ARC of this on NetGalley because I have fond memories of Sachar's excellent book Holes (1998). It's very odd, though, that The Magician of Tiger Castle is being pushed so hard by the publisher as Sachar's 'first adult book' because it reads in every way like a young adult or even children's book. From the title to the narration to the plotting, there's little here to really grab someone who wants something more than a standard fairy tale, although for what it is, it's perfectly nice. I enjoyed reading it, but it lacks the heft and psychology that Holes had, despite supposedly being for adults. 3.5 stars.

I adored this book! I've never read a book by this author and requested it on a whim, but it was an utter delight. The characters were fantastic, unique and fleshed out, and it was funny without being silly. It flew by!

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