Entries Categorized as 'Fantasy'
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Advanced Readers, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:Susanna Clarke
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There has not been a practical magician in England for several hundred years. So the people are astonished when Mr. Norrell, a small, quiet gentleman who has been studying the subject for much of his life, proves that he is, in fact, the next great magician. More than that, he intends to restore magic to England and even aid the country in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte.
In the midst of this rises a second magician, the young and dauntless Jonathan Strange. Strange has an uncanny knack for magic, and despite some rather grave differences of opinion between the two of them, Mr. Norrell takes him on as a pupil. Perhaps their most serious disagreements are about the Raven King, a mysterious figure in history who was responsible for much of the magical foundation. As time goes on, Strange becomes more and more intrigued with the Raven King and the more perilous forms of magic, risking not only his partnership with Norrell but everything that he holds dear.
If I do not restrain myself, I’m going to gush about this book. Problem is, if I force myself to slow down, I’m left speechless. This novel is 782 pages long, and I was enthralled to the very last one. It is incredible. The writing style itself is so beautifully similar to that of Jane Austen and other writers of that period, I could scarcely believe this was such a recent publication (2004). It is intricate, delightful, terrifying, and captivating. I have never come across anything quite like it. The antagonist alone was one of the most uniquely and well-done characters I’ve read. Everything is brilliant, right down to the use of footnotes to enhance the story and add to the seeming reality.
Now, all that to say… I don’t feel that I can go about recommending Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell to everyone. My one single—but substantial—reservation about this book is the heavy involvement of magic. I do not mind magical things in fantasy realms, but this particular story grounds magic firmly in reality, in Europe, in the 1800s. Given that Susanna Clarke is not a Christian author, it creates some gnarly situations. So, is this book for you? I cannot say. You will have to do your own research and choose for yourself.
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Posted by Ruth
Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Diana Wynne Jones
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Howl’s Moving Castle (Paperback)
by Diana Wynne Jones
ISBN: 0061478784
Price: USD 6.99
41 used & new available from USD 3.69
Sophie Hatter runs the hat shop in the town of Market Chipping. That is, she does until the spiteful Witch of the Waste casts a spell on her, turning Sophie into an old lady. This decidedly unlooked-for event leaves Sophie with few choices but to go and seek her fortune—which she does—and ends up as a cleaning lady in the moving castle of the disreputable wizard Howl (other occupants include the apprentice Michael and the fire demon Calcifer). Life there is far from simple, and Sophie is swept into adventures involving a missing prince, a dangerous contract, and an impending curse.
This is the first book I’ve read by Diana Wynne Jones, and for one thing, I greatly enjoyed all the references to the old fairytales (Brother Grimm and the like), such as Sophie being sure it would be useless to seek her fortune because she’s the eldest of three sisters. Sophie herself is quite a fun character, and her spunky attitude toward life makes her interactions with Howl all the more amusing. I must say, though, that the structure of the story was considerably more rambling than I’d expected. There are several plot threads running through it, some of which I failed to see the point of, until they tied up quickly at the end. Altogether, Howl’s Moving Castle is an enjoyable book, but it doesn’t go very far beyond entertaining.
(1 votes, average: 2.00 out of 5)
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Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Dragons, Sad, Scott Appleton, The Sword of the Dragon
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Swords of the Six (Paperback)
by Scott Appleton
ISBN: 0615271154
Price: USD 12.71
16 used & new available from USD 5.49
Six sisters, human daughters of a dragon, are given a sword each from a six-warrior band that turned traitor a thousand years ago. Their task? Find one of the traitors who is still around and bring him to justice. After that, a future involving a difficult choice, especially for Dantress, the youngest and most powerful of the sisters.
It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t delve further into the depth of story here without dropping major spoilers. There’s a lot of backstory and plot going on, and the ending theme is certainly worth the read. The author states in a note at the beginning that this, his first novel, is a prequel to a much larger story to come. That may be the reason why this particular facet of the story came across as somewhat disjointed to me. Several events left me asking, “Why did that happen?” and some parts of the story felt almost random. Here’s hoping that book two will answer many of the remaining questions. I’m looking forward to reading it!
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Posted by Ruth
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Incredibook!, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Donita K. Paul, Dragons, Funny
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Tipper is a young emerlindian woman who has been running the family estate ever since her artist father disappeared long ago. With finances dwindling, she resorts to selling off everything from furniture to her father’s art. Then one day Verrin Schope himself returns, along with a wizard and a librarian from Amara—and with dire news. Complications with an experimental gateway have placed the foundations of the world in danger, and the only way to restore harmony is through three certain sculptures. Sculptures that are now long gone. Tipper, with the help of the parrot Beccaroon, a tunmanhofer named Bealomondore, and her father and his friends, must set off on a journey to regain the sculptures before it’s too late.
Donita K. Paul certainly knows how to write a good quest! I think The Vanishing Sculptor is a splendid start to a new series. Readers of the DragonKeeper Chronicles will enjoy returning to the same world, and among the cast of new characters, will delight in the familiarity of a certain two. Humorous and adventuresome, with morsels of truth woven throughout the story, this book is a must-read for all. I enjoyed it very thoroughly and will doubtless be rereading it often while I wait for the next installment.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Posted by Ruth
Categories: All Ages, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Award Winner, Easy Read, Gail Carson Levine, Good Read Aloud
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Ella has a problem. At birth, a foolish fairy granted her the gift of obedience. Now any command she receives, however big or little it be, she is compelled to obey. This has obvious disadvantages, and if the knowledge of her curse falls into the wrong sort of hands… well, it could be very bad indeed. However, Ella is not one to simply accept her fate. She determines to find the cure, no matter how long it takes.
This is a delightfully fun read. It’s lighthearted, but at the same time isn’t meaningless fluff. The story is cleverly written, and I found it almost impossible to put down. In short, Ella Enchanted is… enchanting! I’d say it’s best suited for ages 12 and up, but it could be a good read aloud book, too.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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