Parents' Guide to

The Bronze Key: Magisterium, Book 3

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Uneven magic-school threequel ends with jarring surprises.

The Bronze Key: Magisterium, Book 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 16+

Parents beware

This series is enjoyable, if somewhat predictable. Everything was fine until this book. Parents need to know that the authors include a character who inexplicably has two mothers. There are only two very brief references to it, but you need to beware. It almost seems as if the authors were really reaching to make any reference to the LGBTQ community so they could be "inclusive", no matter how brief. This just mars the series.
1 person found this helpful.
age 10+

This book is amazing

this book is the best one so far in the series and it has a lot to it. It has death and a main character dies after an intense scene. Also, a character is stabbed and their body is seen.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

The third in this team-written series continues to suffer from the same lack of cohesion and flow -- but, just like the others, it delivers a powerful finish. The Bronze Key meanders like the underground halls of the Magisterium, not quite developing secondary characters or a sense of rhythm of the life of the school; readers see one test, a few trips to the cafeteria, and two or three scenes of magical training, making it feel like less than a real school experience.

Despite that: Wow! What a surprising finish. Even readers who may have felt cheated along the way will be picking up Book 4, because they won't believe what they just read. Authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare have delivered their A game before in other series, so here's hoping the new, shocking developments will breathe life into future installments.

Book Details

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