5 stars. A school-based story done right.
I’m not usually a fan of stories that largely take place in a school, but Mark of the Fool strikes a really good balance against the usual tropes. I like actions having consequences, and most of the school-based books I’ve read take place in classrooms or where the main characters can never really get hurt.
Endless fights with magic judges invisibly standing by to stop someone getting injured are no fun.
As well, school-based stories usually involve kids who figure out some magic mystery that the adults have been missing. They try to tell the adults, but are ignored. Or the adults take the kids along on each of the most dangerous missions to save the world.
This book has so far avoided these traps.
The MC and his friends do encounter real danger getting from their home to the school which they hope to attend. And at the school, even though the fights or potion making are usually under a watchful eye of a teacher, people do occasionally get hurt. Students die, or get expelled from class, and there are real consequences for bad actions.
At times, evil forces attack the kids, with no “safety net” standing by to save them.
Things I liked about this series:
- A tiny bit of romance (a crush, really)
- Intelligent characters that make rational decisions
- Well written and easy to read
- A touch of humor
- Characters that I care about and am rooting for
- A bad guy
I can’t really think of anything I’d suggest to improve.
I’ve read the first two books and have will continue on with the series. Currently reading book 3.
