The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first book in the series The Iron Trial*

Series: Magisterium #2

Publication: September 1st 2015 by Scholastic Press

Goodreads summary:

Callum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall.

It’s not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc.

Call escapes to the Magisterium -- but things only intensify there. The Alkahest -- a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic -- has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes -- and get closer to an even more dangerous truth.

As the mysteries of the Magisterium deepen and widen, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare take readers on an extraordinary journey through one boy’s conflict -- and a whole world’s fate.

My thoughts:

I flew through The Copper Gauntlet reading it in I sitting. The books is short, just 265 pages long, but somehow Black and Clare tell a gripping story full of action.

I've heard a lot of people compare Magisterium to Harry Potter and yes there are similarities but there is also differences. I still think Magisteruim is a solid Middle Grade series that stands apart from others in the genre.

The Copper Gauntlet surprised me. I thought each book was going to take place over the course of the school year (eg Book 1 was about getting through 1st year, book 2 was going to be about getting through 2nd year etc) but the majority of this book tool place over the course of a few days.

Call is still as likeable as ever despite having the Enemy of Deaths soul in him. His inner dialogue is funny, especially when he thinks before making every decision what an evil overlord would do.

Reading about Aaron was interesting. He's struggling with being called a hero and being treated like someone special. He isn't use to being treated this way so it was interesting to see him react to people interacting with him. He's always polite and kind to others.

Tamara is just as clever as she was  in the first book. I liked how her friendship with Call was challenged in this book. She's out in hard situations sometimes but I think she always does what is right. Her number one priority is to keep her friends safe.

Jasper has a more prominent role in The Copper Gauntlet than he did in The Iron Trial. I didn't like him in book 1 but after reading book 2 I'm starting to enjoy reading his interactions with Call and his friends.

I can't not mention Callum's pet wolf Havoc. He's is on of my favourite characters in the series. He's no longer a little pup but he's still adorable.

Overall, I really liked The Copper Gauntlet, I think it was a good second book and I'm excited to see where the story goes in the next instalment!

My rating: 4 stars out of 5