“The Magician of Tiger Castle,” | Reviewed by Diane Lick

“The Magician of Tiger Castle” is Louis Sachar’s first adult novel. Readers will enjoy this book just as much as they did his children’s books, stories like “The Wayside School" series or the “Marvin Redpost” series.

This star-crossed love story opens with an American tourist taking a tour of the famous Tiger Castle, in fictional Esqaveta. (Esquaveta and its neighboring kingdom of Oxatania no longer exist.) We soon learn that this American tourist is Anatole, who was the Court Magician (alchemist) at the time the first tiger was brought to the castle 500 years ago.

As Anotole continues his tour, he recounts his past experiences there with the Esquaveta Princess Tuilli, the scribe, Pito, and the Prince of Oxatania who was scheduled to marry Princess Tuilli in the “wedding of the century.”

Pito has been seen with the Princess and is tossed into the dungeon for his infraction. Princess Tulli now refuses to marry the Prince. The King commands Anotole to create potions that will make the Princess want to marry the Prince of Oxatania and unite the two kingdoms.

There are many twists and turns as Anatole attempts to save Pito, make the Princess happy, and keep himself from “feeding the tiger.”

I enjoyed the fairy-tale-like atmosphere of “The Magician of Tiger Castle.” But I do feel it is Anatole, in his role as an American tourist, who truly enriches the novel. Through his comments, readers gain knowledge of how life, and particularly medicine, has evolved over centuries of discovery.

Buy the book.