The Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen, 2016

Spoiler Warning: The Mage of Trelian is the third book in the Trelian trilogy. I've tried to make my review as nonspecific as possible to avoid spoiling the rest of the series, but there are some things it's impossible not to mention. If you haven't read the first two books then read ahead at your own peril!

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Apprentice mage Calen shocked everyone when he disappeared—apparently willingly—with Krelig, the incredibly powerful and evil mage intent on destroying the Magistatum and forcing the world to submit to his rule. Krelig believes Calen’s untapped magical power will be the key to his victory, and is training him to unlock his full potential. Calen is desperate to escape, but knows he must first learn as much as he can if there is to be any hope of defeating Krelig. Meanwhile, Trelian is at war, and Princess Meg has been training with her dragon to fight the enemy forces. She refuses to accept that her best friend, Calen, could really be a traitor, but she might be the only one. As the mages prepare for their own deadly battle, Calen must find a way to get back to Trelian to stop Krelig before it’s too late—if those he left behind will forgive and trust him enough to let him come home at all.

(423 pages)

I've been a long-time fan of the Trelian books, since I first stumbled across them about five years ago, and I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find out that there was finally going to be a final book in the trilogy! The cliffhanger at the end of Princess of Trelian is brutal - I have no idea what Knudsen was thinking leaving her readers hanging for so long before she released the resolution. Yikes.

Anyway, Mage is written just as well as the first two books in the trilogy. My lingering dissatisfaction with the novel doesn't come from the writing or the pacing or anything like that - no, it comes from the ending, which I can't discuss without spoilers. Let's just say I'm not a fan of false dichotomies (Meg's parents, I'm looking at you) and ambiguous romance conclusions. There were a few different ways the story could have gone that would have left me completely happy, and the one Knudsen chose just wasn't one of them.

That said, this is a very engaging book. I devoured it in only a few sittings, and that wasn't just because I'd loved the first two books so much - I was legitimately gripped by the story and the need to know what would happen next. This book is darker than the first two in some ways, and I really love it. The entire series has that feeling of authenticity to it that is so hard for most authors to master: I legitimately feel like Calen and Meg are real people, people who make their own choices and have their own very strong personalities. They're not caricatures, and that's both a plus and a minus. I actually wish they'd followed a slightly more cliche path to reach the ending, just because I'm a huge softy. What actually happens plot-wise is pretty amazing too, but I just don't really like the ending.

I love how Knudsen really doesn't pull any punches when it comes to showing just how dark and twisted Krelig really is. He breaks people, and he forces them to give their all to him. Calen is the only person who can even slightly resist Krelig's force, but Calen is so enamored with the techniques he is learning that he begins to put off returning home. He begins this mental tennis match between "I need to get out of here now!" and "I should stay, because I'm learning so much every day." He's stuck in a hard spot, and the way he escapes - gah! I can't discuss it, but my heart is absolutely broken. Truly and completely.

Do I recommend this book? Well, if you've read the first two Trelian novels then my thoughts really don't matter - you know you're going to read Mage, no matter what people tell you. If you're deciding to read the series as a whole, then . . . yes, I think I do recommend it. I wish the ending was a bit more satisfying, but I can't discount the entire series just because Knudsen's ending is more open-ended than the one I had hoped for. I'm glad I read the trilogy, and I encourage you to give it a try.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Princess of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen, 2012

Spoiler warning! This is the second book in the Trelian series, and there will likely be spoilers from Book One. Click here to check out my review of the first book in the series, The Dragon of Trelian.

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The hundred-year war with Kragnir is over, and Meg will soon be named the princess-heir of Trelian. But her connection to her dragon, Jakl, is making her parents’ subjects uneasy. Will they ever accept this dragon princess as their future queen? It doesn’t help that Meg is suffering horrible nightmares and sudden, uncontrollable rages—and with the link joining them, Jakl is feeling the rages, too. Meg is desperate to talk to Calen, to see if he can help her figure out what is happening and how to stop it before she or her dragon does something terrible…
Meanwhile, Calen is having troubles of his own. He’s far away, gone off with Mage Serek to receive his first true mage’s mark. But his marking ceremony is disrupted by a mysterious magical attack, and ominous prophecies predict a terrifying new danger. The Magistratum’s greatest enemy may soon reappear—and the other mages believe that Calen himself may have a hand in his return!

(448 pages)

This book. Can you believe the cliffhanger it leaves the story on?! No, of course you can't, you haven't read it yet. Suffice to say that it was very cruel of Knudson to wait four years to publish the sequel, because - seriously. I literally spent years foaming at the mouth to find out what happened next. 

That said, what about the rest of the story, besides the ending? It's a good book, arguably funner to reread than the first book in the series (which had to focus more on initial setup and world-building). There is so much going on throughout The Princess of Trelian, from Meg's troubles with Jakl to Calen and Serek's issues with the other mages, and Calen's ubiquitous role in the upcoming confrontation with the main villain. I think it's pretty impressive that Knudson can make Meg do some pretty idiotic things in Princess - things that would probably make me despise any other character - but can still make me feel affection towards her. I don't exactly love Meg to pieces, but I can understand her reasoning and sympathize with her desperation to protect both Jakl and her country. I don't agree with the way she attempts to do this (and honestly, we are pretty much complete opposites when it comes to . . . well, everything), but I do understand her motives and I love her in a slightly-disapproving-older-sister sort of way. So, basically, the way Maerlie loves her.

As for Calen - ah! I love my favorite character. He has a hard journey in this book, and I feel for him every step of the way. It's hard to say too much about what happens, but from the moment the book begins he's being mistreated and doubted and judged . . . for something that he hasn't even done yet, and very well may never do at all. It's hard for him, because he's constantly being cut out of plans and kicked out of meetings, and while I'm also slightly frustrated with some of the choices he makes towards the end of the novel, I completely understand his motives and honestly don't really blame him at all. He was in a really tough spot.

I don't have much else to say about the book, because it's mainly build-up for the series finale, The Mage of Trelian. I love the Trelian series because the books don't dip in quality as they go along, and I highly recommend the entire series (barring any major problems with Mage, which I haven't read yet). If you get the chance to read it, definitely let me know what you think!

The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen, 2009

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Calen, a lonely young mage-to-be, never dreamed that Princess Meglynne would become his friend. And impulsive Meg never imagined that secretly tending a baby dragon would cause her to be "linked" to the winged beast — for life. Being attuned to a dragon’s thoughts and feelings is exciting but scary, especially when their destinies are tied (for better or worse). And now Meg’s sister is about to marry a prince to end a war between kingdoms, a celebration that only Meg and Calen know is endangered by a murderous plot. How can a girl, a boy, and a dragon merge their magic and strength to bring down a powerful traitor before it’s too late? From the author of Library Lion comes a classic middle-grade fantasy soaring with sorcery and suspense, spunk and adventure, friendship and first romance, and a cast of truly enchanting characters.

(416 pages)

I originally read the Trelian books several years ago, when I checked them out of the library on a whim. I fell in love with the world, the magic, the characters, and pretty much everything else, and have been obsessively checking back periodically for the third book in the trilogy to be announced. It wasn't even a blip on the horizon for the longest of times, but when I checked in on Goodreads last month I discovered that not only did the book, The Mage of Trelian, have a title and a cover, but it was also coming out this year! How exciting is that? Extremely. I immediately sent in a review request for it (fingers crossed!) and requested both of the published books from the library. I devoured them in the space of about two days, starved as I was from not reading them in a few years, and now I'm going to review them.

That said, let me take this back a step and say that these are not the Best Books Ever. I love the Trelian books, but they're not mind-blowing or incredibly unique. They didn't win any big awards or sell a million copies, and - to be perfectly honest - they aren't as fun to reread as some of my other old favorites are. I skipped over a good chunk of the middle of Dragon of Trelian this time around because, after three or four times, certain betrayals and revelations just don't hold my attention since a) they're emotional and painful, so I don't like reading them when I'm looking to relax with an old favorite, and b) when I know what happens, I can skip over them and really not feel like I'm missing anything.

Okay, so that's the negative. But I did enjoy rereading Trelian - not all books can be as awesome to reread as Jennifer Nielsen's The False Prince, right? - and the question is more whether you would want to read it a first time, not whether you should read it a fourth time like I did. And I say, "definitely!" The Trelian books are extremely engaging, very well-written, and compelling enough that they have kept my attention and affection despite the passing of the years. Meg and Calen are great main characters, both brimming with personality and surprising depth. Neither of them ever feel like cardboard cutouts or indeed even really strike me as "characters" to be analyzed any more than I would analyze myself or my friends - they just feel like people, with their good points and their bad. Calen is my favorite person in the series (seriously, he's awesome!), but I love Meg - and her dragon, of course - as well. And also Meg's little sister Maurel, who doesn't get nearly as much screen time in The Dragon of Trelian as I would like.

So go on, pick up The Dragon of Trelian. If you haven't blown through all three Trelian books by summertime, I'll . . . well, I'd eat my hat if I had one. I don't, though, so instead I'll read them myself. That's right: if you read all the way through The Dragon of Trelian and you don't immediately want to read The Princess of Trelian, I'll check the books out from the library and read them all again. I'm that certain that you'll enjoy them (and that I'll enjoy rereading them for the umpteenth time). So go: enjoy them. You won't be disappointed.