Magician's Gambit, The Belgariad book Three by David Eddings

Magician's Gambit, The Belgariad book Three by David Eddings fits into the juvenile fantasy fiction genre and was first published in 1983. It is recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

By book three the group on the quest is quite large. With so many characters the plot can't help but be complex however Eddings does a wonderful job at keeping it all together and not getting out of hand. Once again this book is packed with adventure and mystery however some of the mysteries from the previous books have been solved leaving the reader satisfied but wanting more at the same time. We have learned that there is a prophecy predicting not only the quest but also the presence of all the members on it. We also know that the group is after an orb that someone has stolen and intends to use to rise a god who has been “sleeping” for many thousands of years. Each group of people serves their own one of seven gods and most are peaceful but the god who is to be awakened seeks to cause a war that could end the world. In the first park of this book the group travels through the land of the god Mara, his land is deserted because his people where killed off and he spends his time lamenting them and their ghosts haunt whoever comes into the land to pillage. Polgara and Belgarath decide that even with the dangers this is the safest way to travel and cause a deep sleep to come over everyone so they will not be haunted by the ghosts. They try to get the god Mara to join their cause but he is too wracked with grief to listen or care. After that Polgara and Belgarath go to the land of their god to answer a summons. While there Garion practices his sorcery and learns more fundamental truths about this new power. They also learn more about what they must accomplish to put an end to the plans for war and to prevent the resurrection of the got Torak. Next they travel to the land of Ulgo where they are joined by a man who has an amazing ability that often comes in handy to help them on their quest. In the end they travel to Cthol Murgos a land full of dangers both seen and unseen where they find the orb and manage though to defeat the Magician who has taken it. Like book two this one is full of adventure and excitement but Eddings manages to keep it fresh and exciting. The dangers are always original and while they definitely belong in the world of fantasy they are not too farfetched to seem plausible in the world he has created. It was a great read and a fitting addition to the Belgariad series.

Other reviews available:

Pawn of Prophecy, The Belgariad book One by David Eddings

Queen of Sorcery, The Belgariad book Two by David Eddings

Queen of Sorcery, The Belgariad book Two by David Eddings

Queen of Sorcery, The Belgariad book Two by David Eddings fits into the juvenile fantasy fiction genre and was first published in 1982. It is recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

Queen of Sorcery begins a little over a week after Pawn of Prophecy ended. Garion is struggling to come to grips with the fact that his Aunt Pol is really Polgara the Sorceress and that Mister Wolf is really Belgarath the Sorcerer. These are names that Garion has heard all his life but he figured they were storys people of fiction like the Greek gods are to us today. Garion finds it difficult to not only accept that these people exist but also that they are with him and that he is a distant relative. As he is trying to piece this together the groups adventure continues. Durnik, their blacksmith friend from Faldor's farm is still with them and has continually proved to be a valuable asset with his hard work ethic and sensible thinking which has saved them from many dangers. They are also accompanied by Silk, the wily merchant who is also a prince in disguise, and Barak cousin to a king in the north who is struggling with his own identity crisis. Hettar joins them as well along with many horses and his amazing ability to not only speak with them but understand what they are saying in return. As the story progresses they gain many more companions and a lot more trouble. They fight off several different villains both human and non-human and rescue a Princess on the run. Garion finds out more about who he is and the power he possesses. He also manages to get his revenge for the death of his parents but is shocked when he feels worse not better. After that they enter into the kingdom of Nyissa continuing on their mysterious quest chasing someone down that has stolen something important. While in Nyissa the queen kidnaps Garion and drugs him to get him to do her bidding and be her servant. All seems lost until the sky randomly darkens in the middle of the day Polgara and Barak come to the rescue with the help of Garion and his amazing power that he now able to partially control. I think I enjoyed this one more than the first book not necessarily because it was written better. Most of the characters were fully developed by this point so there was not as many meetings and background stories so it was fast paced with one adventure following another. It was an exciting read that made my mind work to find the clues hidden within it. I also found it interesting that there was a volcanic eruption that caused the sky to darken. Eddings is from the Washington state and just a few months before he wrote this book Mt. St. Helens erupted causing ash to cover everything. It was nearly impossible to see and the sky was darkened even though the sun was still up. I was a clever way to use personal experience to add to the plot of his book.

Other reviews available:

Pawn of Prophecy, The Belgariad book One by David Edding

Magician's Gambit, The Belgariad book Three by David Eddings

Pawn of Prophecy, The Belgariad book One by David Eddings

Pawn of Prophecy, The Belgariad book One by David Eddings fits into the juvenile fantasy fiction genre and was first published in 1982. It is recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

A friend lent me the first three books in the Belgariad series. At first I was hesitant because I haven't been in a reading mood lately, which is odd for me. However, I picked this one up and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I got into the reading mood. Pawn of Prophecy tells the story of Garion and his Aunt Pol as they are living a peaceful life at Faldor's farm. Aunt Pol was the cook and Garion spent his days with his friends enjoying the country life. Unfortunately it was not to last. An old storyteller, whom Aunt Pol called Old Wolf, came into town and that's when things started to become complicated and different. Then one night it was suddenly time to leave. Old Wolf, Aunt Pol, Garion, and their friend Durnik who was a blacksmith, snuck off to start a mysterious adventure. Along the way they meet a few more interesting friends all who have skills necessary to help them survive on this journey and accomplish the task at hand. Garion is constantly kept in the dark about things but he is observant and quick to piece things together. In the end he learns the truth about his Aunt Pol, old Wolf, and himself. He also helps stop a sinister plot to overthrow the king of a nearby kingdom. Pawn of Prophecy is packed with adventure and fun sarcastic whit that will entice anyone to keep reading. The mystery behind who Garion is will make you pick up the next book to find out more. I often found myself getting lost in the story and forgetting my life and troubles while I read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy book.

Other reviews available:

Queen of Sorcery, The Belgariad book Two by David Eddings

Magician's Gambit, The Belgariad book Three by David Eddings

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins fits into the juvenile fiction genre and was published in 2009. It is recommended for readers ages 12 and up.

I first stumbled across the Hunger Games shortly after it was published in 2008 and waited, very impatiently, for the sequel to appear. I purchased Catching Fire the day it was released and finish it closely thereafter. I loved it even more than the first book, which I didn’t even think would be possible. It begins about six months after the Hunger Games ended. Katniss has returned to district 12 but nothing was like she expected it to be. Peeta, still hurt that she was pretending to be in love, spends as little time with her as possible. Gale, also hurt by what happened during the Hunger Games, won’t really talk to her either and avoids her as well. Everyone wants to move on with life and celebrate that everyone is still alive but they must do the Victory Tour, which is where the winner of the games goes to all the districts and makes a speech, reminding those districts that they lost not only the games but two of their children as well. Another hitch in the moving on plan comes when the president of the Capitol comes to visit Katniss and tell her that he was not convinced of her love for Peeta and that he thinks she is trying to start a rebellion. She must now prove that he’s wrong on both counts while battling the capitol and in a surprising twist the other victors as well. Through a series of unbelievable events and by trusting people she barely knows Katniss not only finds the truth about the rebellion and the districts but also commits herself to a side. Catching Fire is a fabulous book further exploring the ideas of societal unrest and the amazing things that one can do with the right friends. I highly recommend it as a quick and satisfying read.

Other reviews available:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame fits into the juvenile fiction genre and was first published in 1908. It is recommended for readers ages 8 and up.

I had an unbelievably hard time getting into this book. Even though it was only about 140 pages it took me months to read. It’s not that it’s a bad story I think it was just written so below my reading level that I had a hard time being interested. However, I think I would enjoy it if I were to read it to my children who, I’m fairly certain, would enjoy the animal characters and their adventures by the river. In the beginning we find Mole cleaning his house. He gets tired of cleaning and without any further planning leaves his house and sets off on an adventure. He makes it to the river and finds Rat who invites him to go on a picnic with him by boat. Mole is worried because he’d never been in a boat but agrees and makes an instant and lasting friend in Rat. While on the picnic they meet Badger, who is a nice enough animal but sort of anti-social. Badger admires Mole’s common sense and again Mole easily makes a new friend. Later they decide to go visit Toad. He lives in a really fancy house right on the river. They find Toad all excited about his new venture. He’d tried and failed at so many things in the past but that doesn’t keep Toad from trying new things. Cars are the current excitement in Toads life. He routinely manages to crash and break them but survives each time only to buy another and go at it again. It’s this love for cars that causes most of his problems. Toad’s friends convince him to give it up and to a point succeed until he steals a car and goes for a joy ride, which, as it should, lands him in jail. He manages to escape with the help of a washerwoman and has a few interest adventures on his way home being incredibly unruly. When he arrives home after being gone quite some time he finds his house has been taken over by weasels. Toad then goes off seeking the help of his friends. They are disappointed in the life he chose but after a quick chastisement they agree to help him get his house back. Badger plans the whole thing, Mole helped with the more subtle parts, Rat makes sure they are armed to the teeth, and Toad moans about his role in the whole thing. In the end Toad learns how to be a good friend and thankfully changes his ways. Badger, Mole, and Rat help save the day and are happily rewarded with their great friendship and a fine feast. All in all it’s an okay book. Grahame takes too many detours and subplots for my taste. He goes into great detail when a word or two would do about things that are never again mentioned in the book. It’s a great story with fun characters just not one of my favorites.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie fits into the classical juvenile fiction genre and first appeared as a play in 1904. Later it was published as Peter and Wendy in 1911. It is recommended for readers ages 8 and up.

When I discovered the Disney movie Peter Pan was based on a book I was anxious to read. Typically I read the book first but it was an interesting experience to have it occur the other way. I was amazed while I read how closely the Disney movie stayed to the novel. There were major parts left out and the character of Peter was made to be more likeable but all in all it was much the same. The story begins with a thorough description of the Darling family and how they all came to be and how they acquired Nana, the nursemaid dog. One interesting difference is that Wendy, John, and Michael were not only gone one night but they were gone for quite some time. The books goes into detail how their parents and Nana think over the night they left and planning how they could have done things differently. The night the children left Peter came in and was tempting them to leave. Nana heard and managed to escape and run for the parents. Peter heard them coming and managed to get the children out of the house just before their parents burst into the room to stop them. Their flight to Neverland took days and days to accomplish and at times Peter would even forget they were there. When they got to Neverland everything is much the same as the movie but Wendy had her own cottage to live in outside of the tree where all the boys slept. The same adventures took place with the Indians and Captain Hook and even the capturing of the lost boys and Peter’s rescue. It was an interesting read but for once I think I prefer the movie to the book. Peter’s character in the book is a little too harsh for my taste. He seems moody and flighty but not in the fun carefree way that I’d imagined before. His uncontrollable selfishness also makes him more of a villain than someone to admire. Barrie’s writing at times also leaves something to be desired. He tends to bring himself down saying how this or that detail isn’t really important or that it’s not the best story but he might as well tell it anyway leaving me wondering if this is a draft with notes and not the real thing. I enjoyed finding the origins to one of my favorite children’s movies but I hesitate to recommend it to anyone else unless you have a burning desire to experience it first hand.

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor fits into the juvenile fantasy fiction genre and was published in 2007. It is recommended for readers ages 12 and up.

Seeing Redd exceeded my expectations not because I didn't expect it to be good but simply because I forgot how good The Looking Glass Wars was. Beddor captures readers with such an interesting story line and imaginative twists on well-known characters. This novel picks up a few months after the last one ended where Redd and the Cat jumped into the Heart Crystal. They are unsure if Redd and the Cat survived the trip since no one had previously had the nerve to jump in. Alyss is trying hard to reestablish peace in her Queendom but struggles with people set in their ways after Redd's thirteen year reign. Alyss learns that Redd is not her only enemy and has to use previously unimagined powers of destruction that may very well leave them all in ruin. Also, along the way, her and Dodge firm up their feeling for each other but struggle with what it will mean if they decide to have a relationship. Overall it was a very well written book and I repeated mentioned to my husband how much I like these books and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes fantasy fiction.

Other Reviews Available:

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson fits into the preteen fantasy fiction genre and was published in 2004. It is recommended for readers ages 10 and up.

Peter and the Starcatchers was written as a prequel to the classic Peter Pan by James Barrie. It tells the story of how Peter came to Neverland, how he met Captain Hook, and the creation of Tinkerbell. For some reason although I'd heard nothing but great reviews for this book I wasn't excited to pick it up. The first one hundred and fifty pages seemed to drag on forever. Then something happened. I don't know if it was that the plot got more interesting or I just got more interested but the last 250 pages just breezed by. I was not only captivated but I am excitedly waiting my opportunity to read the rest of the series. However, I do think they went a little overboard in some places of the book trying to explain everything in the world. Apparently they feel that “starstuff” was the source of every major war, mythological gods (like Zeus), and creatures from mermaids to the Loch Ness Monster. Overall I did think it was a great book with a fantastic story and it gave a lot of fun background information to a story I already know and love.

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Jinx by Meg Cabot fits into the juvenile fiction genre and was published in 2007. It is recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

Meg Cabot is my favorite author for teenage girls. I love her captivating writing style and wit. I have an entire shelf of books devoted to her writing. That being said I think that Jinx far outweighed my expectations and is probably her best work. The novel tells the story of Jean, an Iowa farm girl who moves to New York to escape some bad luck in her past. Living with her mom's sister, Jean learns about herself, her past, and the truth behind her crazy cousin's antics. Jean is a descendant of an apparent witch and she and her cousin Tory both try their hands at witchcraft. Tory takes the whole thing very seriously and thinks that she is the only proper heir of magic and tries to ruin Jean's new life in New York. Along the way Jean also meets a boy who convinces her of her worth and in the end saves her life. Overall I'd say it was a great book with a fun twist from Cabot's usual girl meets boy writing.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins fits into the juvenile fiction genre and was published in 2008. It is recommended for readers ages 12 and up.

I first heard of Hunger Games from Stephenie Meyer's website where she recommended it to all her readers. I thought that was interesting and I put it on my list of books to read at some future date. Then a friend of mine left a comment on my blog telling me I should go pick it up and that she couldn't get the story out of her head so I decided to give it a go. I was quickly captivated and devoured this book. The story follows Katniss as she competes for her life in the Hunger Games. These games are run once a year and a boy and a girl from each of the twelve districts compete not only for their lives but also for a comfortable and luxurious future. Katniss must use all of her talents to win but even that at times isn't enough because of her loving nature that got her into the games in the first place when she volunteered to take the place of her little sister who was originally chosen to play. It was a mesmerizing story that I, like my friend, still can't get out of my head and I eagerly await the publication of the sequel.

Other reviews available:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima fits into the juvenile fantasy fiction genre and was published in 2008. It is recommended for readers ages 14 and up.

The Dragon Heir was one of the books that I have been anticipating this year and I was not disappointed. Chima not only lived up to the other two in the series but she also surpassed them in terms of conflict and suspense. Dragon Heir takes place a year after Wizard Heir and two years after Warrior Heir. It covers all the main characters of the first two groups but focuses a little more on Madison Moss and Seph McCauley than the other two books did. We learn of Madison's past, her family life, and the way the events at Second Sister changed her life. Also covered is Seph's struggle to please everyone while not running ragged. In the beginning of the book Jason Haley breaks into Raven's Ghyll and discovers, among other things, the dragonheart which he brings back to the sanctuary. The other wizards notice that something has changed after Jason took the dragonheart and this leads to a siege and a war at the sanctuary where everyone must come together in spite of differences to defend their homes and loved ones. In the end the Dragon Heir is found in time to save the sanctuary and the lives of many but not all of the main characters.

Other reviews available:

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer fits into the juvenile science fiction and fantasy genres and was published in 2008. It is recommended for readers ages 12 and Up.

The Time Paradox is the most recent Artemis Fowl novel and it surely lived up to my expectations and anticipation. Once again we are given a well thought out story with interesting plot twists and unexpected elements. Although no new friends or foes are introduced, the story is not the least bit redundant. In fact it made me want to go back and read the other books with the new perspective I have after completing this one. The story, as is to be expected, follows Artemis Fowl whose mother recently became ill with a magical disease. The only cure for this disease lies in the past and thus Artemis and Holly must travel back in time to get the cure. Unfortunately the cure is something that the ten-year-old Artemis also wants so they must compete with a younger and more ruthless Artemis while struggling against a deadline that if they miss they will be stuck in the past. As always with a plan hatched by Artemis Fowl it seems easy enough but complications arise along with old enemies. Overall it was a extraordinary story filled with a vocabulary and plot that made me feel at the same time intelligent and engaged.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer fits into the Juvenile Fantasy Fiction genre. It was first published in 2008 and is recommended for ages 14 and up.

So I'm going to try to review this book without giving away anything that Stephenie didn't give away before the book was published so if it's a little cryptic I'm sorry. If you've read it you'll know what I mean if you haven't read it yet pick it up today!

Breaking Dawn is a masterpiece of emotional and intellectual writing. The story was captivating from the beginning and it is a deserving finale to a truly awe inspiring saga. While there were some typos (like there seem to be in all of her books) they didn't bother me as I was so absorbed in the story line. Before the book was out to the public Stephenie gave away that there would be a wedding. I loved that scene in the book. It was just magical and the emotional detail from not only Bella but also her family made the scene even more real and heartwarming. A little after the wedding something happened that weirded me out, if you've read it you probably know what I mean. It was an interesting plot line and didn't bother me as much as the story developed but when it first came in I wondered how it fit. In the end Meyer pulled it off majestically and created, I think, the best book in her career so far. I think everyone can be happy with not only the ending but the book as a whole. I highly recommend the entire saga for those who love to read especially but also those who haven't read in a while, it will suck you in.

Other reviews available:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima fits into the Juvenile Fantasy Fiction genre. It was first published in 2007 and is recommended for ages 14 and up.

So often when encountering sequels we compare the books to each other and pick one as better and since this is book two in the Heir series I found myself in the same place. If I had to choose I would pick The Wizard Heir over The Warrior Heir but they are both fabulous. Wizard Heir is a more internal book there is less action and more of a moral struggle. We learn about sixteen-year-old Seph McCauley and his life as a wizard, which has been a struggle when the book opens. He was told that his parents died when he was very young and then his guardian passed away as well. He was kicked out of one school after another when mysterious things kept happening. Seph started a fire that ended up killing one of his friends and he wondered how his life could get any worse. Little did he know that was just the beginning. Seph was transferred to the Havens, a boys school in middle-of-nowhere Maine. The headmaster agreed to teach him magic but after learning the cost Seph refused. The refusal started a unimaginable feud and in the end Seph and his friends were able to take down a large cell of dangerous wizards. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It stretched my imagination and surprised me with it's attention to detail.

Other reviews available:

The Warrior Heir by Cinda WIlliams Chima

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima fits into the Juvenile Fantasy Fiction genre. It was first published in 2006 and is recommended for ages 14 and up.

This book was full of surprises. I picked it up after a recommendation from my sister but I wasn't too jazzed about reading it. The big sword on the front was a turnoff for me. I know the old saying, “Don't judge a book by it's cover” but I was guilty anyway. After reading the first chapter I was intrigued and after the second I was hooked. The plot is fascinating. It follows the life of sixteen-year-old Jake, a seemingly normal boy whose only difference is he has to take medication daily for his heart, which underwent surgery when he was just a baby. One day he forgot his medication for the first time in his life and weird things happened. He noticed his vision was clearer and he was more powerful than before. Little did he know that this was the start of his new life. He later discovered that he was part of a magical community and was to serve as a warrior in an ancient tournament to determine who would rule that community. Along the way he gets into trouble a lot, trains fiercely, falls in love, and learns the truth about his world. It's a magnificent piece of fiction and a wonderful accomplishment for Chima, a first time writer of juvenile fiction.

Other reviews available:

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett was originally published in 2003.  It fits into the Fantasy genre and is recommended for adult readers.

Monstrous Regiment was a great disappointment to me.  The particular volume I read was covered with reviews that listed of how funny it was and while there were one or two funny lines that I shared with my husband overall it wasn’t anything to rave about.  The plot was interesting enough.  It takes place in the country of Borogravia that takes part in wars continuously with all of the surrounding countries.  Polly Perks decided to join the army disguised as a man to find her brother that joined up a year before and went missing.  Polly, also known as Oscar, found that it was harder than she thought to appear male and was soon discovered my a mysterious someone who instructed her to put a pair of socks in her pants to “bulge where she should”.  Polly/Oscar finds out later that she is not alone in her secret and that everyone in the army has something to hide whether it’s a secret like hers or something else.  Polly and her fellow “men” find out what they are made of and are surprised at what they can accomplish in the end.  Overall it wasn’t great.  I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but at the same time I don’t think I’d tell people not to read it because it wasn’t bad either it just didn’t wow me.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor was originally published in 2006.  It fits into the Fantasy genre and is recommended for readers ages 10 and up.

The Looking Glass Wars beings in Oxford England in July of 1863 and “Alice in Wonderland” was just published.  Alyss Heart had told the story of her life to a friend she thought she could trust and he twisted the story all around making it sound like a silly children’s story instead of something real, scary, and tragic that happened to her.  Alyss had told other people the story but no one had believed her and the farfetched story by Lewis Carroll only made her feel like more of a fool and she began to wonder if her life in Wonderland actually happened.  From this beginning Beddor shoots off of Carroll’s story and tells his own version of Wonderland where things are not only more exciting but more captivating as well.  Princess Alyss Heart is the heir to the throne of the queendom in Wonderland her parents were killed by her jealous Aunt Redd and Alyss and her bodyguard Hatter Madigan must flee to save themselves from Redd’s assassin the Cat.  They get separated along the way and Alyss gets adopted into a family in England.  In the end Alyss finds her way back to Wonderland to take her place as the rightful heir to the throne from her wicked Aunt Redd.  Overall it was a great book and I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

Other Reviews Available:

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

Wicked by Gregory Maguire was published in 1995 and is recommended for    adult readers.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire chronicles the “life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West”. This interesting and imaginative novel opens with the Witch, also known as Elphaba, watching Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow on the Yellow Brick Road. The Witch listens to their conversation for a time and then as a storm approached and the group began to leave the Witch saw her sister’s shoes on Dorothy’s feet. This simple thing awoke the anger of the witch, “The shoes should be hers! –hadn’t she endured enough, hadn’t she earned them?” From this captivating and intriguing beginning we flash back to just before the Witch’s birth in Munchkinland. We learn of her parents’ relationship struggles and their differences in personality and also of the odd circumstances surrounding her birth. The novel records the difficulties of one growing up with green skin and odd tendencies. We read about her experiences at college and how she met up with Glinda, the good Witch of the North. Then we ultimately learn of her resistance against the Wizard of Oz and her death at the hand of Dorothy.

While the premise of this novel greatly interested me I think that the actual application left something to be desired. I expected to learn the Witch’s side of the story and while that was included I was also overloaded by the political and religious agenda that seemed to permeate the story. There was too much about the struggles of the government and about the nature of God and the existence of souls. While these things played a large part in the life of Elphaba I think they could have been condensed and served the same purpose. There was also a large amount of sexual conversation, which probably wouldn’t have bothered me if Maguire called it sex, instead he insisted on coming up with odd phrases like, “dragon-snaking” and play with “Uncle Flagpole”. There was also a disturbing sexual scene involving people and animals that was a bit over the top. Overall the story was interesting and while not always a page-turner it did capture my attention and provide an interesting perspective on an old favorite.

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Published in 1997

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: Blood and Chocolate is the story of a sixteen-year-old werewolf named Vivian. After the death of her father, who was also the pack leader, the pack moved to the suburbs of Maryland. They have a difficult time deciding on who should be the new leader and the pack fights and bickers constantly. At her new school she meets a human boy named Aiden who is sweet and hangs out with a group of people who rarely bicker and accept Vivian readily. Vivian welcomes the change and spends more time with them than with the pack.

Eventually Vivian realizes she is in love with Aiden and wonders what this will do to the already struggling pack. She wants to reveal herself to Aiden, who loves things like werewolves in books, but at the same time doesn’t want to put the pack in danger. On the night she reveals herself there is a brutal murder. Vivian wonders if she is the murderer because she has no memories from the time that the murder took place. It becomes clear that the murderer is a werewolf and the pack must catch the murderer without revealing the murderer or the pack. In the end a pack leader is chosen, Vivian finds love and peace, and the murderer is brought to justice.

Personal Notes: I devoured this book starting and finishing on the same day. There were many aspects of it that were interesting to me. It shows Vivian’s struggles with acceptance and relationships both in and out of her family/pack. I was captivated by the story and loved that it was told from a werewolf’s perspective instead of the human’s. Many of the books I’ve ready about supernatural creatures are from the human’s point of view and it was a welcome twist. There were some parts that made me uncomfortable while I was reading them, Klause was a little explicit in some of her descriptions and maybe took it a step too far for the age group. There was nothing serious (like descriptions of sexual encounters) but some groping and nakedness in descriptions that never lasted longer than a sentence. Overall it was a great book, exciting, romantic and suspenseful, all the right elements for a teen reader.

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

Genre: Preteen Fantasy Fiction

Published in 2000

Recommended Age Group: 9 and Up

Summary: The Amber Spyglass is the third book in the His Dark Materials trilogy that began with The Golden Compass. This story opens with Mrs. Coulter in a cave with Lyra in an enchanted sleep. While asleep Lyra dreams about the world of the dead and her friend Roger. While asleep she promises to rescue Roger from the world of the dead.

Meanwhile Will meets up with two Angels who tell him about the Authority and how he came into being. They said that God was a name he gave himself and that he was never a creator, only the first Angel. He was condensed out of Dust and a wiser female came later and found the truth and was banished because of her knowledge (p. 31-32). Will also learns of Metatron, the Authority’s regent (one who rules in place of the true ruler), he is strong, powerful, and creates fear in those who see him.

Will then finds and joins forces with Iorek Byrnison, the armored bear, and together they free Lyra from her enchanted sleep and from Mrs. Coulter. Two miniature people and spies for Lord Asriel, called Gallivespians, also help them escape and follow Will and Lyra into another world and then into the world of the dead. Lyra decides to go to keep her promise to Roger and Will decides to go to speak to his father.  The Gallivespians follow unaware of what they are planning. They find the world of the dead but to get there they must submit to the pain of separating from their daemons. Once in the world of the dead they encountered Harpies who torture them and all the dead. They made a deal with the Harpies that if the dead would tell them true stories they would lead them out of the world of the dead through the hole that Will cut with his knife. They agree and the hole is made and the dead are able to escape.

While they are in the world of the dead Lord Asriel continues with his plan to overthrow the Authority and then those in the Kingdom of Heaven find out and come to make war. Metatron figured the Authority would be safer away from the Kingdom and sends him off in a crystal carriage. Cliff-ghasts saw the carriage and chased it down. Will and Lyra come upon them trying to get at the Authority and chased them away and freed the Authority from the crystal carriage thinking to help and comfort him but he is so old and frail that the wind pulls him apart and he vanishes.

Mrs. Coulter went to Metatron to try and persuade him to join forces with her and overthrow Lord Asriel. Metatron is blinded by her beauty and follows her only later to find that she was on Lord Asriel’s side and she and Lord Asriel combine forces to drag Metatron down to the abyss ending his rule and their lives.
In the end Will and Lyra unite with their daemons and make a great sacrafice to build the Kingdom of Heaven where they belong.

---------------

Personal Notes: It took me a month to read this book, something that’s unheard of in the world of Julie. I just couldn’t get into it at all. When I picked it up it was interesting enough but it didn’t grab me and push me to read more. The parts where Mary is with the Mulefa alone were the hardest for me to push through. It reminded me of The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and I had a hard time getting though that one too. Admittedly the fault could be with me and not with Pullman’s writing but this was not nearly as good as the first two. The plot was also hard to follow. There were a lot of different words for the same things because there were main characters from four different worlds. Thus, it was hard to keep even the basic things straight.

Also there are the problems that people would have from the plot and how it works with their belief system. Lord Asriel’s goal is to destroy God and build a Republic of Heaven in place of the Kingdom of Heaven. I’d heard from the beginning that these were books about killing God so I was a little wary of that but that wasn’t the part that bothered me. They didn’t really kill God. Pullman described God as old and frail with wrinkles and loss of his senses (p. 410). Continuing on that page Pullman talks about how he was destroyed. The wind damaged him he “began to loosen and dissolve” then “their last impression was of those eyes, blinking in wonder, and a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief”. He wasn’t killed, he dissolved in the wind and he seemed grateful even. Earlier in the book Mrs. Coulter said killing the Authority would be the merciful thing to do because of his age and inability to function. I don’t know if I agree with that but I do know that I definitely got the wrong picture of the God aspect from what other people were saying, probably those who haven’t even read the book.

The part that did bother me was when Mary Malone was talking about when she stopped believing in God. She had been a Nun and was studying physics she said, “I thought Physics could be done to the glory of God, till I saw that there wasn’t any God at all and that physics was more interesting anyway” (p. 441). Later she says that she was a nun but got a glimpse of love and decided that was better and she would be “miserable” as a Nun so God must not exist (p.445). For a scientist it seems like she has faulty logic. Both of these aren’t backed up by anything but her feelings. Maybe life for her would be better with a man in it but that doesn’t mean that there is not a God. A few pages later she admits that she misses God and when she was connected to him she felt connected to the Universe and felt like there was a purpose to life (p. 447). This seems like an argument for religion but somehow because of problems in the past Mary still chooses not to believe and her choice and the way she presented it affected Will and Lyra and probably will affect some readers of this book.

Overall, I was unimpressed. The plot was complex and hard to follow. The parts about religion bothered me and I felt simply incomplete with the ending. I enjoyed the first two books immensely but would not recommend the third.

-- All page numbers are from the hardback edition with isbn: 0-679-87926-9.

Other reviews available:

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman