The Silver Mask (Magisterium, #4): Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
September 28, 2017
Book: The Silver Mask (Magisterium #4)
Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Pages: 272
Age Range: 8-12
The Silver Mask is the fourth book (of a planned five) in the Magisterium series, co-written by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Stop here if you have not read the previous books, and fear spoilers.
The Silver Mask begins with Callum in prison, the mage community having learned at the end of the previous book that he has the soul of Enemy of Death Constantine Madden. Though Call doesn't have any of Constantine's memories, and doesn't believe that he would do the things that the evil overlord did, the magical leadership isn't so sure. They keep Call locked in a cell, for everyone's protection. When he is broken out of jail, however, Call finds himself in even bigger trouble, as Constantine's mother and his former second in command, Master Joseph, have plans for him.
I found the beginning of The Silver Mask to be a bit slow, but by the end I was reading quickly and wished that the next book was already available. I continue to like Call very much. His self-deprecating sense of humor and his determination to do the right thing (even when he is making questionable choices) are appealing. His crush on his friend Tamara is particularly disarming. In a small spoiler, I'm going to share that Tamara and Call kiss in this book. I love the subsequent quotation:
"Jealousy flared up again, even though he'd just been kissing her. After all, Jasper was Tamara's old friend and had had somehow convinced the last girl who liked Call to like him better.
The thought was like a splash of cold water. Abruptly he realized several things: (1) Kissing created a haze of stupidity that lasted for at least ten minutes; (2) now that it had worn off, he had no idea what kissing Tamara meant; and (3) he had no idea what he was supposed to do now." (Page 107)
Call gives himself mental points for anything that he does that seems Evil Overlord-ish, steering determinedly away from such activities. Here's another quote that I liked:
"Call had a feeling Alex had an Evil Overlord list, too, but his scoring went the other way. He probably gave himself a point every time he dressed all in black or menaced small children. Maybe a gold star if he did both at once." (Page 81)
That made me laugh. Anyway, I don't want to say too much about the plot, to avoid spoilers about this book, but the ending is definitely strong (and not nearly as sad as the ending of the previous book). What I really think is that those who have not read any of the books might benefit from waiting until book five comes out, and binge reading the entire series. But if you are, as I am, hooked on the story of Call and the Magisterium, I think you'll find The Silver Mask a satisfying addition to the series. Recommended!
Publisher: Scholastic (@Scholastic)
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
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