Author:Louis Sachar
Publisher:Berkley Publishing Group
ISBN:9780593952306
Aroyal magician in the mid-1500s is tasked with saving his kingdom ina last-ditch effort to also save his career. When the princess andheir to the throne is promised to a prince from a much strongerkingdom, the king orders the magician to brew a potion to make theprincess fall in love. The problem? The princess is already in lovewith a kingdom underling. Newberry Medal-winner Louis Sachar, knownfor his quirky, delightful books for middle grade and young adultaudiences, releases his first novel for adults in the equally quirkyand delightful novel TheMagician of Tiger Castle.
Anatoleis the royal magician in the kingdom of Esquaveta, which has beenstruggling for a while. King Sandro has looked for ways to boost thekingdom’s economy, and Anatole promises to make significantcontributions toward that end. His latest venture? Turning black sandinto gold. So far, it isn’t going that well.
KingSandro decides a political alliance can help with Esquaveta’sfinancial woes and promises his only daughter, the Princess Tullia,to Prince Dalrymple of Oxatania. Never mind that Dalrymple is twodecades older than Tullia; she’s expected to do her royal duty forthe betterment of Esquaveta. Tullia, however, is conflicted. She’sfallen in love with the new scribe, Pito, who has absolutely noprospects of making his own economic situation better, never mind anentire kingdom’s.
Eventhough Anatole hasn’t made any serious strides toward the financialhealth of Esquaveta, he’s the only choice King Sandro has to changeTullia’s mind. King Sandro demands that Anatole create a potionthat will force Tullia to fall in love with Dalrymple. Anatole istorn; he’s known Tullia since she was a child and thinks of her asa surrogate daughter. More than that, he’s listened to the way shetalks about Pito, and their love is strong and pure. How can hedestroy it?
YetAnatole also has his own wellbeing to consider, so he comes up with acompromise that he believes will satisfy everyone involved. He knowshe can’t tell anyone the true nature of the compromise, but hethinks it’s the best option given the situation. It requires him togo out on a limb with his magic, but if Tullia and Pito can go out ona limb with their love then he can surely do this for them. What hedoesn’t anticipate—at all—are the consequences of hisministrations. His solution takes him, Tullia, and Pito on anadventure unlike any other.
AuthorLouis Sachar brings his trademark wit and whimsy from his middlegrade/young adult novels to his first book for adults. Anatole is anincredibly likable protagonist. Readers will be charmed right away byhis cluttered workshop, his earnest efforts at saving the princess,and his selflessness while also battling self-doubt. Sachar’sdecision to start Anatole’s story in present-day Italy will keepreaders turning pages as much as his story in the mid-16thcenturywill.
Somereaders might feel like the title of the book is more of a tangentialconnection to the plot itself. The novel does, in fact, include acastle and a tiger; while the castle is described in detail, readersmight be forgiven if they forget the tiger from time to time becauseof more pressing matters on the page. That Sachar is able to makereaders forget the tiger altogether is testament to his talent as astoryteller. There are so many other wacky elements in this fairytale for adults that the tiger adds to the colorful backdrop, alwaysthere but not always immediately noticed.
Thebook’s ending might disappoint some readers, which goes right backto Sachar’s ability to craft an engaging tale. It’s a wonderfulstory that feels like it comes to an end too quickly. The finalchapters could have benefited from a little more definition,especially for those readers who want reassurances that what they’dhoped for most had happened. The fuzzy edges might seem somewhatoff-putting to some.
Nevertheless,readers who enjoy dabbling in fairy tales and fairy tale-like novelswill definitely want to check this one out. I recommend they BookmarkTheMagician of Tiger CastlebyLouis Sachar.