Tag Archives: Louis Sachar

The Magician of Tiger Castle is Louis Sachar’s first go at a novel for adult readers. Here is where I will confess that I’ve never read Sachar’s most famous book, “Holes”. I’ve seen parts of the movie, but never the whole film. My children love both the book and the movie, both of which they experienced at school. My mother also adores the book, a fact which, as a kid, was enough to make me turn my nose up the suggestion to read it myself. My kids have inherited pretty good taste though, so maybe Mom was on to something…

In any case, Sachar’s latest work is nothing like Holes and I’m fairly certain my mom hasn’t read it yet, so I can just continue on ignoring her reading recommendations…for now.

The Magician of Tiger Castle is billed as a “cozy fantasy.” It is told from the point of view of the immortal and hairless (both conditions the consequence of experiments gone wrong) court magician, Anatole, as he takes a tour of the modern-day Tiger Castle, and reminisces of centuries gone by. 500 years ago, more or less, he was the exalted mage of the kingdom of Esquaveta. After a series of spectacular magical failures steal away both his hair and his reputation, he is hanging onto his courtly position by a thread, promising the king that he is on the verge of transforming sand into gold.

The rulers of Esquaveta have arranged for their daughter, Princess Tullia, to marry the despicable Prince Dalrympl of rival kingdom Oxatania, allowing them to forge a political alliance that will hopefully save Esquaveta from economic collapse, since the whole alchemy thing isn’t panning out just yet. But days before the wedding, Tullia confesses that she’s fallen madly in love with a lowly scribe. The king and queen demand that Anatole concoct a potion that will ensure Tullia goes through with the wedding. Anatole is caught between his duty to his employer and his devotion to the princess (and his hatred of the awful Prince Dalrympl).

If “arranged marriage”, “despicable prince”, and “potion” remind you of The Princess Bride, you are not alone in making this comparison. No six-fingered men, but there are daring escapes, revenge, “twue love”, plus some tigers and mice thrown in for good measure. Overall, I think the “cozy fantasy” label is spot-on. If you enjoyed Sachar’s whimsical humor as a kid, you’ll probably enjoy this too.

Sachar, Louis. (2025). The Magician of Tiger Castle. Ace.