The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Summary from Goodreads:

Magic can save you.
Magic can kill you.

Students at the Magisterium are supposed to be safe. Under the watchful eyes of the mages, they are taught to use magic to bring order to a chaotic world.

But now the chaos is fighting back. Call, Tamara, and Aaron should be worrying about things like pop quizzes and magic contests. Instead, after the shocking death of one of their classmates, they must track down a sinister killer… and risk their own lives in the process.

As Call, Tamara, and Aaron discover, magic can only be as good as the person who wields it. In evil hands, it has the capacity to do immeasurable harm, unless it is stopped in time.

In this striking third book of Magisterium, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare present us with a school where anything, good or evil, can happen, and the only way to unlock the truth is to risk everything to find it.

Review:

I love these books. It’s like I have this small, middle grade wizard story shaped hole in my heart, and this book works to fill it. I always expect to read these books slowly. But, there’s something about my heart that will only take these books in one sitting.

I’ve come to get to know and love Call, Tamara, and Aaron. These are real characters that I have grown to love. All of Call’s insecurities, Aaron’s friendly charm, and Tamara’s quick wit, really make these books as good as they are. Without these characters, the books would read as standard middle grade magic fare –with excellent twists.

Speaking of twists, yikes. I did not see this one coming, again! The ending kind of destroyed me. And I don’t think I’ve wanted the next installment in a middle grade series more than I want this next one. I need it now. What just happened? How could it end there?

I have even begun to like characters that I only previously tolerated. Jasper has grown on me. I love the sense of drama he brings to the friend dynamic. I love the bickering back and forth he has with Call. It’s almost like if Harry, Ron, and Hermione somewhat reluctantly allowed Draco to tag along with them. You know Draco would get them in trouble, and cause problems, yet I also think he’d become an asset and a true friend. I’m so glad this Draco has a chance.

I also love the setting. The caves and taverns only get more interesting with each new book. I was fascinated by the scenes with the elementals. I also, thought the whole thing with the rock that led its holder to the correct location of the meeting was really smart.

Both Black and Clare know how to write fun, interesting characters. The magic school setting is just what I needed to read just now. I did not see the ending coming at all. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. I give this a 9/10.