THE NOVICE (Summoners Book 1), by Taran Matharu

The story: When Fletcher comes across an ancient text that allows him to summon a demon, no one is more surprised than he is. After a chain of events leads him to Vocans Academy, where battle-mages are trained, he finds unexpected allies--a dwarf and an elf--as well as noble enemies. Will his unusual powers be enough to help him overcome his lack of training? Or will the nobles rely on their connections, and their vast collection of dirty tricks, to continue on with business as usual?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (political intrigue; abuse of power by the upper classes) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: A solid fantasy series opener. Comes with a demonology in the back to help the reader keep things straight. Poorly copy edited (that person does NOT know how to use a semi colon) but I'm sure I'm the only person who'll be bothered by that!