REVIEW: The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar
… a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.
Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia’s father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the “wedding of the century,” Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.
The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.
When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?
Dear Mr. Sachar,
Well this was different. One thing I think readers need to know is that the story is more about the magician and less so about the princess and the clerk. There also aren’t that many tigers nor do they play much of a role in the story.
Anatole, the magician, is the first person narrator of the story and at first I liked him. He’s not handsome, he stumbles a lot, and steps in lots of manure. He cares for the princess of the small country where Anatole is the king’s magician. But then he, for Reasons, needs to brew up a potion to remove the princess’s memories of someone she loves whom she can’t be allowed to love. To do that he must first develop the potion by testing it on someone else while fending off snide attacks by another courtier.
There’s an awful lot of this potion testing stuff. At first it is fun to listen in Anatole’s head as he ponders what changes to make when the first versions don’t work. Watching his developing friendship with the guinea pig potion tester is nice. But no matter the reason, he’s working on something to give the princess that will take her memories away. In order not to mess with the intended result, he also doesn’t tell her what he’s actually doing. Let that sink in. And she’s not the only person whose memories are being erased in this increasingly meandering section.
Then all hell breaks loose for a variety of reasons and our trio must take to the hills and leave a whole bunch of dark chaos in their wake. Not leaving would have been bad but after they left, not one thought is ever spared for the people of this country. Yeah the king and queen are assholes but what about the little people who will suffer? I also agree with Anatole that he engineers a lot of this conflict even if he’s attempting to save the princess.
As the book goes on, the less I like Anatole. He’s a coward which he admits. He also decides to do something, not to save the princess, but to get revenge for himself. At one point he relates how he once shut down a woman’s (supposed) sexual advances and was then in her bad graces and says something like “a woman might forgive an unwanted advance but she’ll never forgive being spurned.” So she might forgive being assaulted but will hate a man forever if he ignores her? Fuck that.
Let me also say I am not very impressed with some of the reckless actions of our trio of Anatole, the princess, and the scribe after their escape. Anatole admits they were probably rash but then basically shrugs that off. The relationship between the princess and the scribe might have started in the vein of the princess bride but quickly switched to much bickering and sniping – which is definitely not banter – or much fun to read. Based on how the book starts and the conceit that is quickly revealed, I expected more of a wrap up in the end. What I get is not worth the wait. Like, what happened? Where are the resolutions?
This is more of a dark book trying to add some coziness and ending up in a bit of a mess. It’s a fast read, though it rambles a lot, and I liked it at the start but having finished it and thought more about it, the less impressed I am. In the end, there’s just not really a plot or a point to it all. C-/D
~Jayne
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Well. That’s disappointing. Not your review, but the story itself. Why is it ok to take away a woman’s/anyone’s memory, their agency essentially? Nope nope nope. Thank you for doing the hard work, Jayne. Much appreciated.
@Darlynne: You’re welcome. When I read the blurb, all it says is that whatever Anatole makes will make the princess agree to the wedding. I guess I should have realized that no matter what the potion’s action is, it is taking away her agency. The blurb doesn’t even say that Anatole will also be doing this to someone else. I will read blurbs more closely now.
How disappointing. My kids and i loved Sachar’s Holes and the Wayside School books back in the day. I have this on hold at the library, but would hate to blemish those good memories.
@SusanS: Sadly I haven’t read any of his other books so I can’t give any advice.
Thanks for this review! I have cancelled my library hold.
@Darlynne: Agree – it’s a nope from me too!