Review: "Magician's Guild" - Talent and training

Have you read David Eddings? Or Tamora Pierce? Then this review will probably interest you.
"Magician's Guild" is the first book in a trilogy about the girl Sonea who has an impressive magical talent. It is one of those books that I have come across again and again and again until I finally thought "oh well, let's give it a chance". I am happy to report that it was worth it.

Sonea is one of the many people living in poverty in Imardin, the capital of Kyralia. She lives in the slum and is on her way to meet her uncle and aunt when she gets involved in a street riot between a gang of youths who used to be her friends and powerful magicians whose job it is to clean the streets of beggars and criminals. In anger and frustration Sonea throws a stone at the magicians and thereby release a powerful magic nestling in her mind. Not wanting a rogue magician loose in the streets of Imardin, the magician's guild starts a search for Sonea using everything from wandering the streets, knocking on doors and using magic. However, Sonea has good friends in the underworld of Imardin and now they do their very best to protect her from the magicians who are known for their haughty, arrogant attitude to the poor. Sonea and her close friend Cery team up with the Thieves, the organised criminals in control of the Imardin black market, who are very eager to protect Sonea in return for her magical abilities.
It will take more than a pack of skilled criminals, however, to tame the magic that has been released in Sonea and as time passes, she finds it more and more difficult to control her magical power.

I have to say that I found the first part of this book rather long-winded. The hide and seek element between the magicians and Sonea was not my main interest. However, I found that the book picked up pace when Sonea and the magicians finally make contact. The things begin happening and the book became unputdownable. The last 50-60 pages flew by. I loved the ending. It was so good. Luckily for me I already have the sequel - "Novice" - at home and ready to be read as soon as I have time. Looking forward to diving back into Sonea's magical universe.