The Black Magician

A modern reinvention of the classic ‘rags-to-riches’ story, Trudi Canavan’s series is easily digestible and has engaging world-building and magic systems. In the city of Imardin, magicians gather each year to drive away the poor. Incensed by their mistreatment, Sonea throws a rock, somehow piercing their magical barrier and knocking one of the wizards unconscious. Thinking a rogue magician is on the loose, the Guild hunts her, afraid that her inability to control her powers will endanger her Unconventionally, she’s adopted into the school of magic, bullied for her social class, but grows powerful all the same. Painfully portraying the struggles of an outcast, Canavan builds a character-driven story with plenty of progression. Sonea learns both magically and emotionally, all the while battling dark forces and keeping terrible secrets. As a result, the tension in the series elevates as it continues, pulling you into the next chapter effortlessly.