Category: Fantasy
Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins
(Cover picture courtesy of Wikipedia.)
Now, with the third prophecy fulfilled, Gregor is drawn ever deeper into a brewing crisis. For generations, rats have run the mice—or “nibblers”—out of whatever lands they’ve claimed, keeping them constantly on the move. But now the mice are disappearing, and the young queen Luxa, who credits them with saving her life, is determined to find out why.
When Gregor joins her in a fact-finding mission, he is relieved that this time, at least, there’s no prophecy on the line. But when the true fate of the mice is revealed, it is something far more sinister than Gregor or Luxa had imagined—and it points the way to the final prophecy he has yet to fulfill. Gregor’s role as warrior and his abilities as a rager are put to the test in this suspenseful, action-packed penultimate installment of Suzanne Collins’s thrilling Underland Chronicles.
Gregor and the Marks of Secret is a really great build-up to the final book, in my opinion. We learn about the aftermath of the plague in the third book, characters become much better defined and the ever-present threat of war finally becomes a reality. Honestly, what’s not to like about this book?
Unlike in The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins allows the romance to develop at a natural pace. The young love between Luxa and Gregor begins to bloom, with all of the awkwardness and heartache that it entails. Collins does not neglect relationships between other characters as well, as evidenced by Howard’s almost brotherly protectiveness of Luxa and Vikus’ rocky relationship with Solovet. These relationships are in the background, but they have certainly not been neglected.
As always, the plot moves along very quickly as Gregor rushes head-on toward his ultimate destiny. There are rarely any slow scenes, but the ones that are present are a welcome reprieve when you need to put the book down and go to sleep. Both boys and girls will enjoy this book because the themes of love and loyalty are universal and Gregor is an excellent narrator. Suzanne Collins’ Underland Chronicles have long taken a back seat to her more famous Hunger Games trilogy, but it’s time that they were recognized for the great books they are.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Discord’s Apple by Carrie Vaughn
(Cover picture courtesy of Carrie Vaughn’s blog.)
When Evie Walker goes to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado, is not the only legacy she will inherit. Hidden behind the basement door is a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again.
Of course, this legacy is not without its costs: There are those who will give anything to find a way in.
With the help of her father, a mysterious stranger named Alex, and some unexpected heroes, Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, and protect both the past and the future even as the present unravels. Old heroes and notorious villains alike rise to fight on her side or to do their best to bring about her defeat.
At stake is the fate of the world and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse.
I received Discord’s Apple as a late birthday present from a friend last year, which brings me to two points. 1) As you read this review, keep in mind that I am biased because this is not a book I would normally read. 2) For whatever reason, when I receive books as birthday presents from friends, they always end up being late birthday presents. This last point is nothing but trivia, however, keep in mind that I never would have read this book unless it was a gift.
Discord’s Apple is a very fast-paced book, a bit too fast for my liking, to be truthful. To me, it seems like Carrie Vaughn sacrificed natural character development for a fast plot. Sinon is a well-developed character, but Evie Walker, the novel’s protagonist, doesn’t seem real enough to me. She falls in love with Sinon very suddenly and accepts that she and her father are the guardians of a magical storeroom quite readily.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t exactly accept that Hera was after the legendary apple of Discord very quickly, especially if it was a complete stranger telling me that the apple in question was sitting in my basement. My general feeling about the characters is that Carrie Vaughn spent far too much page time on Sinon’s backstory and neglected Evie, who had great potential as a protagonist.
Aside from the characters, I didn’t really mind Discord’s Apple. It has a very interesting premise and Carrie Vaughn’s writing style is very clear and direct; she does not ramble on for pages about how exotic the landscapes are or how handsome Evie’s love interest is. The ending was very satisfying in my opinion because I love symmetry. The ending really does bring the story full circle, so that probably coloured my perception of the book as well.
So if you don’t mind a slightly unbelievable protagonist, but a decently written book with an intriguing premise, I would recommend Discord’s Apple to you.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
The Seven Songs of Merlin by T. A. Barron
(Cover picture courtesy of T. A. Barron’s website.)
Young Merlin has freed Fincayra—the enchanted isle between earth and sky—from the terrible blight, taking the first steps on a path to discover the power within him. But the mystical land is still in danger and his true trials are just beginning…
To save his ailing mother, Merlin must master the Seven Songs of Wisdom passed down from his grandfather, a legendary wizard. Only then can he journey to the spiritual Otherworld to obtain the elixir he needs. But the quest involves a task Merlin must perform—defeating a vile ogre whose merest gaze means death. And even more difficult for the young wizard, he must discover the secret of seeing not with his eyes but with his heart…
After saving Fincayra in the first book, you would think poor Merlin would get a break and be able to safely bring his mother, Branwen (whose real name is Elen), back to him. Alas, the evil Rhita Gawr had other plans for the boy. When an illness strikes his mother down, Merlin must master the Seven Songs of Wisdom to save her. Did I mention that this requires him to travel all over Fincayra? And in only one month?
The Seven Songs of Merlin is a wonderful fantasy book by T. A. Barron, who has put quite a bit of effort into developing the magical world of Fincayra. He takes Celtic mythology and blends it with more familiar fantasy elements to create this wonderfully written, thought-provoking novel. It is T. A. Barron who first introduced me to the concept of hubris, the ancient word for too much pride. Alas, hubris is something that I suffer from, which makes me sympathize with Merlin even more. But regardless of whether you have hubris or not, I guarantee that you will find Merlin a very sympathetic character.
In addition to wonderful characterization and exemplary world building, the plot moves along very nicely. By nature of the time limit imposed upon Merlin, this is sort of a no-brainer and Barron brings a sense of immediacy to his writing throughout the entire novel. If you’re not already a T. A. Barron fan, you will be by the time you finish this novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
(Cover picture courtesy of Open Library.)
Firedrake, Ben, and their furry friend, Sorrel, are in search of the mythical places where dragons can live in peace forever. Together they embark on a journey that takes them to magical lands where they meet marvelous creatures—and ruthless villains. Along the way, they will discover allies in odd places, courage they didn’t know they had, and a hidden destiny that changes everything.
Dragons, brownies and homunculi, oh my! Cornelia Funke includes both traditional and non-traditional fantasy creatures in this exciting, thought-provoking novel. Funke is a well-known author of children’s and teen’s fantasy, but Dragon Rider has been overshadowed by her more popular Inkheart trilogy. In my opinion, Dragon Rider is just as good as Inkheart and it deserves equal recognition.
It is full of clichés, especially since the whole premise of the book is that a trio of unlikely friends (a dragon, a brownie and a human) embarks on a long and dangerous journey to find a mythical place where dragons can live in peace forever. What saves Dragon Rider from being too clichéd is Cornelia Funke’s spectacular writing style and the fact that she puts spins on many of the clichés she uses. Besides, this is a children’s and young teen’s book; most of her readers do not care about clichés.
Since friendship is the main theme of the novel, the focus is more on the characters than the plot. Funke’s characters are very well developed and meet all of the requirements to be memorable, yet she does not neglect the plot to focus on her characters. Therefore, Dragon Rider ends up being the best of both worlds: a fast-paced, character-driven novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Sorceress by Michael Scott
(Cover picture courtesy of Michael Scott’s website.)
Paris:
Dr. John Dee has torn the city apart in every attempt to intercept the immortal Nicholas Flamel and Sophie and Josh Newman. Paris’s streets are in ruins, Notre Dame destroyed, the Comte de Saint-Germain’s home leveled. Dee has the book of Abraham the Mage, but he’s still missing the two pages the Dark Elders need for the Final Summoning. Without them the spell cannot be cast, and Dee is well aware that the Dark Elders will not rest until they are in power and the human race is destroyed—or he is.
London:
Nicholas Flamel’s heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was demolished by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of legend, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.
But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped on Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent—the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.
If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find someone who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic—Water Magic. The problem? The only being who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane.
I’m a sucker for tragic characters, I must admit. Lancelot, Hamnet and now Gilgamesh, the oldest immortal human. He has lived so long that his mind is fractured, but because he was made immortal by his friend Abraham the Mage instead of an Elder, he cannot die. The saddest thing of all is that he writes things down to remember in his periods of lucidity because he knows his mind is going. After living for so long, all he wants to die is finally die, which is why he makes the twins promise to bring him the book when they obtain it. And who can blame him?
Michael Scott not only has a gift for creating memorable heroes, he creates memorable villains as well. What makes The Sorceress so much more enjoyable for me is the fact that Niccolò Machiavelli plays a much more important role. I love my villains and Machiavelli is one of my favourites, so you could fairly accuse me of being biased. Nevertheless, Michael Scott’s characterization is excellent and it is part of what keeps readers coming back for more.
Michael Scott superbly weaves mythology and history into his fast-paced narrative, which is why his series is so popular. He combines better known Greek mythology and famous historical figures like William Shakespeare with Celtic mythology and more obscure figures like the legendary Palamedes. Of course, the fact that his plot is very fast-paced helps quite a bit.
I give this book 5/5 stars.