Cover Reveal: The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1) By Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

Title The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1)
Authors Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Pages 400 Pages
Genre Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher Scholastic/Double Day
Comes Out September 9 

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst – and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him — a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come… (from Cassandra’s Site) 

On  March 27 USAToday revealed the cover, and an excerpt for “The Iron Trial” The first book of five to the Magisterium series. Although I don't know much about the book yet, the cover does have a Harry Potter feel. With the death eater at the top, and “The Golden Trio” (Ron, Harry, and Hermione) at the bottom. Cassandra Clare did introduced the character trio at the bottom. Meet  Callum (left), Aaron (center), and Tamara (right). I really love this illustrated cover. There’s so much detail on it, for example the hieroglyph-ish symbol within the title of the book, the dagger (assuming this is the “Semiramis”)  that splits the two authors who created this new world, and something glowing in Callum’s hand. I’m pretty excited to see how every little detail will unveil as we read the book. 

Reading the excerpt that Cassandra Clare has so graciously given us. I was very intrigued and really wanted to read more. I was kinda confused about how people were invited to take the test, but I think that will get more explained as we get to read more of the book. I was confused to also learn that Callum was the boy on the left on the cover. I assumed that he was the boy in the middle taking lead. In the excerpt that was given, Callum sounded like he was the main character, I also believed him to be very powerful, because of the earthquake he created when he found out about his power. So my confusion is why would he be hiding behind another boy on the cover? Again I feel like all my questions will be answered in the book.

         The prolong is what got me. When Alastair finds a dying message left by his wife, that says “Kill the child” I was wide-eyed and I was like wait? …is she talking about their baby? And being the optimistic person that I am. I’m thinking that she probably meant another child, or maybe she might’ve meant it in a different meaning. I really want to keep reading to see what she really meant. This series takes off in six months (September 9th) and I'm really looking forward to picking it up. 

Have you guys read the excerpt yet? What do you guys think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.