Series opinions: "The Wizard's Apprentice" "C

[hiddenneggs]

Has anyone read any of "The Wizard's Apprentice"? I'm a tad leary of the series, since it's apparently a Harry Potter knock-off ("Join Randal on his adventures at the famous School of Wizardry!") and because the books are by Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald -- not only have I never heard of either of them, but I've found it generally a bad sign when it takes more than one person to write a story. (Exceptions can be made if at least one of the authors is known to be good.)

Anyway, the question comes up because a set of the first four books in the series (School of Wizardry, Secret of the Tower, Danger in the Palace, and The Wizard's Statue) are in my daughter's latest Scholastic book club pamphet, and she's interested. But we can't get everything she's interested in.

Another set, by the way, is books 1-4 of Tamora Pierce's "Circle of Magic," and while I haven't read any of hers, I believe I've heard her name favorably mentioned (probably on this forum). She didn't mark that one, but if it's affordable perhaps I'd nudge her toward that instead.

[o_0]

Tamora Pierce is an exceptional author. I'm not sure about that other series, though. Never heard of it.