When I first heard that Louis Sachar had written a adult novel, I was really excited about it. Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me. I liked the idea of a magician who had been living for centuries, but I was hoping more for a fantastical world and what I received was essentially a story of alchemy that rambled on in ways I didn’t necessarily care for. Essentially I was bored, which was a bummer. The book started to pick up for me around 50% of the way in, which is truthfully too long for me to wait for a story to hook my attention. There was approximately 20% of the book that was interesting and by the 70% mark we were so far removed from the original plot that once again I wasn’t sure how we got here or why. I know I was supposed to care about some of the characters, but I really didn’t which I think lent to the drawn out feeling I had as I read this. I didn’t feel connected to anybody. I was such a big fan of Wayside Stories and Holes as a kid and was really hoping this would hit that mark for me as an adult, but unfortunately, it was more of a miss. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. It has its humorous spots. The pacing was off at times, sometimes feeling like things were really drawn out. The erratic writing style wasn’t my favorite either. I liked the magician angle with the potion brewing. I found the ending to be quite dissatisfying. I would recommend this as a palate cleanser!

Thank you Ace for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Louis Sachar has a gift for blending humor and heartbreak perfectly. This whimsical Renaissance story was a heartfelt and fun read. Our main character, Anatole, is a prized magician, and he takes his job VERY seriously. As an important wedding approaches, he keeps trying to fix things with potions, but every attempt only makes things worse. The domino effect of his well meaning chaos is both really funny and surprisingly emotional. The whole thing feels preposterous and silly but I loved reading it. I also loved Anatole’s devotion to the people he loves. This story was great. I laughed out loud, gasped a couple of times, and found myself unexpectedly emotional by the end. No spoilers, but I think Luigi was my favorite character.

I’d recommend it to adult readers who loved Holes growing up and would enjoy a quirky, heartfelt story with a magical twist.

I am a huge fan of Louis Sachar, having been obsessed with the Wayside School series and voraciously re-reading all his other books that I could get my hands on. I even had the pleasure of meeting him at an author signing in Killeen, Texas back in 2003 I believe, where I was the only childless adult in line to get my book signed. So when I saw he was releasing his first adult novel, I was stoked.

This whimsical fairy-taleish book was a fun, cozy fantasy. I enjoyed the characters. Despite being stock characters (princess, evil prince, etc.) each character was fully drawn with personal quirks that made them much more than your average character.

Though the story is really about Tullia and Pito, it is told through the perspective of the immortal magician, Anatole. This does create some distance between the characters involved in the love story. The story also has 2 timelines, one the past and one in the present day. We eventually find out how Anatole came to live long enough to witness current times, but it is a little confusing until we get there. I really did come to like Anatole as a character, as we got to know him better.

While there was action, the pace was a little slow. It did take me some time to become invested in the characters and the story and to figure out what was happening and who the main characters were.

While this is pitched as an adult book, it did feel like it was mostly written for a younger audience. There are a few things stuck in there that definitely made this an adult novel. But if those were removed, this would easily be a young adult or upper level juvenile book.

Overall, this book felt both comfortingly familiar and refreshingly new. I’m not sure I’ve ever read another book quite like this. This was completely different from the author’s other books. I’m eagerly awaiting what he tackles next.

In the Kingdom of Esquaveta lives the Princess Tullia. In an attempt to save the kingdom, the king has arranged a marriage for his daughter. Unfortunately, she falls in love with someone else one month before the wedding.

Now, the king turns to his magician and asks for a potion to ensure the wedding and alliance happen. This is Anatole’s chance at redemption. However, in doing so, he will betray Tullia, the only person who believes in him.

Why Kirsten likes it
This story reminds me of The Princess Bride if it were told by Miracle Max. Of course, the plot is different, but that’s the closest I can do to explaining the vibes. It’s classic Sacher human in adult form!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Ace Books for the eARC of this magical title!!**

When I saw that the author of Holes was releasing his debut adult novel - I couldn’t have been more excited!! What a fun romp through time, following a magician as he tries to save a princess from a fate worth than death.

I adored the characters in this one and the blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and magical realism really hooked me. I will definitely be recommend this to my followers and can’t wait for another adult release from Sachar!!

I have a confession! I did not particularly enjoy "Holes" after reading and watching it for school three years in a row. That being said, I know it's a beloved favorite for many people. Second confession! I struggle with cozy fantasy at times due to the plot moving slowly. So I wasn't expecting "The Magician of Tiger Castle" to skip my tbr, but here I am and I don't regret it!

This book feels familiar, like revisiting a favorite from when you were little, but still new! If you're looking to add whimsy to your life, pick this one up! This cozy fantasy incorporates touches of historical fiction to create something unique and nostalgic.

There's something about it that feels like Shrek meets The Princess Bride? The odd, but loveable characters. The magic being particularly gross. How everything seems to go wrong for Anatole and then suddenly...works out? An immortal mouse!

As always, the side characters can make or break a story for me. I found myself growing fond on the characters through Anatole's fondness and love for them. I was rooting for them! I think I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Get a cup of tea and settle down with this one.

Every page of this book was a delight to read. While there are stakes, Anatole keeps things light with his comedic timing and flubs. Tullia is passionate and brilliant, while also having a silly side. Pito took me longer to like but he grew on me. I liked that the story came from the perspective of an immortal looking back, because the commentary gave context and added some comedy elements. Louis Sachar takes you on a magical journey. No matter the stakes, he still has you smiling. A breath of fresh air in current mainstream fantasy.

Like many reviewers have noted, Holes and the Wayside stories were so important in my reading journey. This book is a beautiful and enjoyable move into adult fantasy, while still maintaining the playful elements of Louis Sachar's children's books. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much Netgalley, Berkley and ACE for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Imagine my excitement when I saw that one of my favorite childhood authors came out with an adult fantasy story. And he did not disappoint.

The Magician of Tiger Castle weaves together a heartwarming tale of a princess, her love, and the magician/alchemist that often dotes on her. Told from the perspective of the magician, Sachar finds a way to charm his readers through a somewhat suspenseful story regarding Tullia and her scribe, and Anatole's predicament between the care he has for her as well as his duty to the king he serves.

If you loved Sachar as a child, then you will find a home in this book as well. His prose feels nostalgic, giving the reader a sense of that delightful wit that shone through in Holes. His characters are delightful and fit well within the story he crafted. And although you get a sense of how the story ends right from the beginning, his grasp of the plot and the literary devices he uses keeps you enthralled until you reach the very end.

Loved this book!

This novel is generally classified as a fantasy. Fantasy-lite is probably a more accurate term because there is not extensive world building, and the magic present is really magical alchemy, which has irregular results–much to the dismay of the narrator. Told in first person by the magician in retrospective, the book does not have a break-neck pace, and there is an implied assurance that things somehow will work out since the narrator is obviously still alive. To counter this, the author leaves open-ended hints and crumbs of foreshadowing coupled with short chapters to help entice the reader forward. The princess it precocious, her love interest is charming, and the villain is truly despicable. And at the hub of it all is the magician with his potions and perhaps his overly kind heart.

This is Mr. Sachar’s first novel specifically for adults; however, because it is structured with a timeless, fairytale/adventure vibe, it could be enjoyed by young readers in middle school or in high school, too. Wrapping up with a somewhat understated, but fitting ending, this was an enjoyable read from a beloved author.

Growing up, I loved Holes and the movie based on the book, so when I saw that Louis Sachar was publishing an adult novel — fantasy, no less — I jumped at the chance to read it.

The Magician of Tiger Castle follows Anatole, a magician who has become an embarrassment to his kingdom after a series of blunders, including a failed attempt to turn sand into gold. Princess Tullia is the only person who still believes in him, but her father is trying to force her into marriage with a terrible prince to try to save their struggling kingdom. Unfortunately for the king, Tullia falls in love with a lowborn scribe, instead — and Anatole is put in the tough position of deciding whether to put his care for Tullia above an order from the king to brew a potion that will force the princess to agree to the marriage, while potentially saving Anatole's own reputation in the process.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I didn't connect to the characters, largely because I never felt much tension or care about the outcome of their actions as a result. The pacing never drew me in. That being said, readers who enjoy cozy fantasy with especially low stakes may have a good time becoming immersed in this world and may want to give this one a go.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

If Holes was a central part of your childhood, it will be difficult not to like this book. I was hit with nostalgia as soon as I got a taste of Sachar’s signature tone of voice, matter-of-fact with a bit of silly humor.

While the beginning is a bit slow, the subtle element of suspense keeps you going. Anatole, the magician of the Tiger Castle, narrates the story revolving around the princess and her forbidden love. Though the outcome for Tullia and Pito remains a mystery until the end, Anatole hints at how things have ended up for him, which leaves the reader curious enough to continue following along.

The second half is where the story claimed its grip on me. Part 1 introduces us to Tullia and Pito, but the focus is really on Anatole and his potion experimentation, which, as you might guess, takes some time. The plot really heightens in Part 2, and we start to see Tullia’s and Pito’s active involvement in the events that follow. If you haven’t already guessed, I found these young characters so precious, and the three of them form yet another found family that is bound to steal your heart as the story progresses. The ending did make me tear up 🥲

In all, The Magician of Tiger Castle is a magical, heartwarming adventure that you can’t miss if Louis Sachar’s works are near and dear to your heart!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this ARC!

I was immediately curious when I heard this "castle book" was by the author of "Holes," a weird and wonderful urban fantasy I'm not sure I've ever seen the likes of anywhere else.

I immediately fell in love with Sachar's clever, clumsy, tea-drinking little magician. "The Magician of Tiger Castle" reads like "The Princess Bride," if the story was told by Miracle Max. There's enough frank romantic content to please Geoffrey Chaucer and push it firmly into the adult category, but the book isn't particularly "spicy" or "steamy," and Sachar carefully limits his use of profanity.

The story slowed down a bit for me in the second half, with arguing protagonists becoming a little tedious, but even so, the style carries well to the very end.

I liked this book! It has a very old fairytale style and reminds me of a book I loved back in elementary school called Midnight Magic by Avi. I loved Holes as a youth so I was very excited that Louis Sachar had a book written for an older audience.

The princess in this book is sassy and clever. The characters the magician encounters are fun companions or interesting enemies (some reminiscent of the Princess Bride). There were a few parts of the book I thought would be foreshadowing or would come back again later, but just sort of fell off into the story, and I wish those little bits tied in more by the end. I liked the framing of the plot starting in modern times, flashing back to memories or long ago, and then checking back into the present day.

Overall I recommend this book to fairytale or fantasy readers, and I found it easy to read and a fun adventure.

I’m not one for half stars, but I think I would give this one 3.5 stars. This was a meandering, delightful read that focuses more on the people instead of the storyline. Anatole is quirky, and it is in that vein that he tells us of his life, at some 400 years old. We learn of his friendship with the Princess and the new scribe. I liked how meandering and often amusing their conversations were.

This was more historical than fantasy, but I found it an engaging read.

I have to be honest, I really struggled with this one. While it's marketed as adult fantasy, it reads much more like a young adult novel, both in tone and complexity. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn’t what I was expecting, and I think that disconnect made it harder for me to fully engage with the story.

Some plot threads felt underdeveloped or simply dropped, and a number of the characters lacked the depth I was hoping for. Given Louis Sachar’s past work, my expectations were admittedly high (maybe too high) and I think that played a role in my overall disappointment.

There are definitely interesting ideas here, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. That said, readers who go in with different expectations may have a very different (and more enjoyable) experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Louis Sachar, and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was so excited by the premise of the adult fantasy debut of Louis Sachar- I absolutely love Holes and thought it had such a distinctive and interesting voice. Unfortunately, this didn't quite live up to my expectations. The plot sounded compelling- a court magician is asked to brew a potion that will make the princess forget her love for a scribe and fall in love with her betrothed (a loathsome-sounding prince from another kingdom) before the royal wedding. But the actual story felt meandering. I never quite got attached to our main character, Anatole. The whole time it felt like he was the narrator for a story that he didn't know much about (the love between the princess and the scribe), and I think for that reason, the story always felt a bit arm's length for me- I didn't feel like we had the opportunity to connect with any of the characters in any meaningful way. I did really appreciate that he felt like the "everyman" of the story and wasn't an idealized hero or an all-powerful magician.

I also found the beginning, which reveals (view spoiler), to be so intriguing and I was really hoping that perspective would keep weaving its way through the story and we'd get to see more glimpses of that. Unfortunately, it was only a few isolated moments. The ending seemed like a perfect place to bring that perspective back in, but it just didn't happen.

Ultimately, the story was intriguing but didn't have the depth I was hoping for.

A wry, fun, low-stakes fantasy story that absolutely showcases the charm of Louis Sachar's writing and character work. I really enjoyed this book, though I don't know if I would say this reads as something an adult audience would immediately latch onto, since it feels more like a YA book that does a few stretches into the adult sphere.

Readers looking for a cozy fantasy that won't challenge them much will find lots to love here!

3.5 stars! Thanks to Netgalley for sending me this e-arc. The writing is not flowery but somehow drew me into the world. But the sparseness often meant I was rereading some sections to see if I missed something. This books feels like it was written by Glen Cook but for young adults.
Interesting ideas and cool world and well fleshed out characters. I had a little trouble rooting for anyone. I missed tension - the story never gripped me.
I would def recommend this to cozy fantasy readers. It will highly appeal to them.

I picked this book up 100% because I saw that it was by Louis Sachar who wrote Holes. This book was unforgettable to me as a child and so without reading anything else about the book I decided I would give this adult debut a shot. The basic premise of the book is there is an immortal magician named Anatole who serves King Sandro, his family and the court. Anatole treats the princess Tullia like his own daughter, letting her visit his workshop and visit his lab mice. Princess Tullia falls in love with the apprentice scribe named Pito but they are caught and Pito is imprisoned and doomed to be executed at the princess’ wedding to Prince Dalrympl. Anatole makes potions to solve problems and so he begins the story with trying to make a memory potion that will make Tullia and Pito forget they love each other. There are a lot of unintended consequences that follow Anatole’s attempts to fix things around the castle that ultimately change Tullia, Pito and Anatole’s lives.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book where Anatole was trying to find the perfect potion to save Pito because it allowed you to get to know these two main characters better. I also enjoyed the bread crumbs the author would leave throughout the story that would help you figure out which direction the story was going or what would happen to the characters. The story is written like it is very low stakes but the stakes for the characters are actually quite high throughout the story. Life and death situations and entire empires change because of the decisions and chance encounters surrounding Anatole and his magic. Anatole sometimes gives me Rincewind vibes where he seems kind of bumbling but despite that manages to achieve things that alter the entire world.

I do feel like the last part of the book is a bit weak only because two of the three main characters just disappear without much fan fare and only a suggestion of an ending for them. I consider the part of the book after Unintended Consequences to just be an extended ending but it feels very unsatisfying because it does not seem to serve much of a purpose, especially to the characters who disappear off screen. I enjoyed the historical references to his kingdom later in life and the little stories left behind from his lifetime, like for instance the story of the Whispering King and the monk imprisoned for one hundred years. But these things didn’t really make up for the lack of closure on the characters for me. The book is endearing and reads kind of like a cozy fantasy with a touch of humor but it still has the underlying tense plotline that will make it an enjoyable story for the right reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for the digital ARC.