The Iron Trial

The Magisterium is a maze of caves and glowing rivers where students learn to command earth, air, fire, water and the dangerous element of chaos. Call, who walks with a limp from an old injury, is prickly, sarcastic and suspicious, and his slow realization that he actually likes his classmates is one of the book's pleasures. He also acquires an unusual pet: a wolf cub touched by chaos, named Havoc. Hovering over everything is the memory of a war against a powerful mage known as the Enemy of Death.

Black and Clare, who wrote the book together, clearly enjoy playing with the conventions of the chosen-one story, and the twist near the end changes how you read everything that came before it. The friendship between Call, Aaron and Tamara has real warmth and humor, and the setting is a fresh, eerie alternative to castles and towers.

The early chapters move fast and some school routines feel familiar, but the ending is a hook for the rest of the five-book series. It is a good pick for readers who have outgrown simpler adventures but are not yet ready for heavier young adult fantasy. About 304 pages in the Scholastic paperback.