The Novice

In this first installment of the Summoner trilogy (originally posted on Wattpad), a young man discovers he has the ability to summon and control demons. Fletcher, a blacksmith’s apprentice, finds himself in possession of a book that allows him to conjure a rare Salamander demon. Shortly thereafter, he is forced to flee his village, but a lucky chain of events takes him to Vocans Academy, where he is to train as an imperial battlemage. Fletcher is tested to his limits, bullied by the noble students, and subjected to constant scrutiny by the teachers, but he also makes new allies among the less-privileged students, including representatives from the dwarves and elves. Matharu’s fiction debut is a solid offering, albeit one that features an odd mishmash of cultural influences—twin dwarven brothers are named Atilla and Othello, Fletcher’s blacksmith mentor presents him with a khopesh, and law enforcement agents are called Pinkertons. The story itself is strong, but it suffers from uneven pacing and an abrupt ending. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sasha Raskin, Agency Group. (May)