Review: The Ambassador's Mission

The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

 **Caution! Spoilers if you haven't read the Black Magician Trilogy!

 I was really disappointed in this. I've loved Canavan's previous work - she's one of my favorite authors! But something went wrong here. It was just so incredibly boring. There's not enough that's new, but instead a lot of time is spent explaining how things have changed from 20 years ago, or rediscovering the past that has already been explored in the Magician's Apprentice. I think Canavan would have been better off building a whole new world with new conflicts and magic rather than re-hashing a world and characters that I already know and love.

What is new is the character of Lorkin, but I really can't tell you much about him. I don't feel that he is well-defined enough, although I hope that improves in the next books. There is so much reminiscing about the past by return characters that we don't get a clear enough sense of the present and why we should care about it.

I mainly just felt nostalgic for the days of the Ichani invasion, and felt like I was having sumi with my old friends from the war, chatting about how times have changed and feeling sad that they haven't turned out better after all that effort. I can't believe I'm writing this - I had such hopes for this sequel!

There are really two distinct plots in the book. One is Lorkin's adventures in Sachaka. Apparently he wants to find old magic for some reason, but I don't really feel his excitement or know why it's important enough to him to risk his life going there. He just seems to want a grown-up adventure and a chance to prove himself. The unasked-for adventures that he gets should be a lot more exciting, but the gripping, engaging aspect of the previous books is missing.

The other plot sticks with Cery and Sonea in their separate spheres in Imardin. It's sort of a murder mystery, but it's hard to care because you're mainly getting the characters' inner dialogue on what's changed in the last 20 years, or speculating about how a situation could go 3 different ways. And there's not nearly enough magic to help make up for it - what there is is just incidental, like opening and closing doors, and some levitation. I think I've made my point by now - it just really dragged.

Can I also say that Sonea being an overprotective mother is not what I want to read about? That's the main addition to her character in this, other than the fact that she's been stuck in the same restrictions for the last 20 years. She really needs to move on from the past and find a way to gain the trust of the Guild so she can do more than work in the hospices. I expect (hope) that what happens in the rest of the trilogy gives her a way to do that, and to let her son be an adult. In other words, I'll have to go ahead and read the rest of the trilogy and hope it gets better. It's too late to turn back now.

Honestly, what's missing is the one person who can't make an encore appearance. No wonder it's so lackluster - all of the true mystery and the reason for everyone's existence is gone. The best character EVER leaves a gaping hole.

I am now more upset than ever that The High Lord ended the way it did. It could have had a way happier ending, everything resolved to some degree and - finished. Complete. I could have been so happy. Why? Why?

I WANT MY OLD BLACK MAGICIAN BACK!!!!



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