Category: Fantasy
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
(Cover picture courtesy of girlaboutbooks.)
One cruel night, Meggie’s father reads aloud from Inkheart, and an evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Somehow, Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. Only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever.
This is Inkheart, a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud!
Inkheart enchanted me the very first time I read it and even now, years later, Cornelia Funke’s world calls to me. The beautiful descriptions, the three dimensional characters and the unique plot make this book a must read for tweens and younger teens.
When a mysterious stranger shows up at the doorstep in the middle of the night, wanting to talk to Mo, her father, Meggie is suspicious. She knows there is something afoot and she couldn’t have been more right. The appearance of the man called Dustfinger would change Meggie’s life forever as she discovers adventure and evil she had only read about in the pages of her beloved books.
In my opinion, Inkheart is Cornelia Funke’s best novel. It can be understood and enjoyed on many different levels, depending on your maturity level and knowledge of classic books. Once you read Inkheart, I can guarantee that you will never look at books the same way again.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
(Cover picture courtesy of My Opera.)
One boy…
One dragon…
A world of adventure.
When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the witner. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.
Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
If you’ve been tuned into the blogosphere these past few years, there is a very good chance you’ve heard of Eragon, the debut novel of Christopher Paolini. It was written when he was fifteen and the maturity level of the novel reflects that, but it is still a worthwhile read.
Eragon follows the typical fantasy plot: a young farm boy discovers he has magical powers or is otherwise gifted and is whisked away by a mentor-figure who teaches him how to control his powers while they travel. They are usually travelling toward the rebel stronghold because the king is out to get them. On the way, they have many adventures and meet a variety of strange (usually magical) creatures/beings.
Christopher Paolini sometimes gets bogged down in his descriptions—he uses the word ‘eloquent’ very often—but long descriptions are what you expect in high fantasy. His plot and characters may be cliché, but there is one thing that is excellent: his world-building. He explains magic very well and places reasonable limitations on its use. Dragons are also explained well and have very distinct, almost cat-like, personalities. If I had to pick one reason to read Eragon, it would be because of Eragon’s dragon, Saphira.
I give this book 2.5/5 stars.
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
(Cover picture courtesy of Wikipedia.)
When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New York apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches and rats—but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.
Gregor wants no part in the conflict between these creepy creatures. He just wants to find his way home. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland’s uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life. Little does he know his quest will change him—and the Underland—forever.
Many readers are familiar with Suzanne Collins’ second series, The Hunger Games trilogy, but few are familiar with her first series, the Underland Chronicles. Gregor the Overlander is a novel that would be great for younger readers who can’t get enough of The Hunger Games.
Gregor the Overlander is a story about Gregor, an eleven-year-old boy who lives in New York. His dad has been missing for over two years and no one knows where he went. But when Gregor and his little sister fall down a grate in their apartment’s laundry room, Gregor discovers the Underland, a world of darkness in which humans, rats, cockroaches and bats coexist in an uneasy peace. While he wants to get back home as soon as possible, a prophecy made by the founder of the human city will change his life forever.
Gregor is a strong protagonist like Katniss is, complete with flaws and shortcomings. But the one thing that keeps him going throughout the novel is hope, the hope that he will find his father alive and bring him back home. I was rooting for him to succeed from start to finish because he is such a believable protagonist.
Suzanne Collin’s first book is just as dark as The Hunger Games and she spares Gregor no pain. While this book is written for younger readers, there is quite a bit of death and sadness. I would recommend it for mature tweens and young teenagers.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
(Cover picture courtesy of Pepper Ink.)
Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force—a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.
Interview with the Vampire is no doubt a classic novel, but it is not for everyone. If you do not like descriptions of graphic sex or admittedly disturbing violence, this is not a book you should attempt to read, regardless of its classic status. I do not like graphic descriptions of sex, so I skipped over these parts, but the violence was unavoidable as this is a true vampire novel. This is definitely a book for older teens to adults.
Aside from some mature content, Interview with the Vampire is a wonderful, slightly disturbing novel. It starts off rather slow, but as Louis’ tale goes on, this book will become glued to your hands. The sensual descriptions, the exotic characters and the authentic historical details are what really make this novel so great. The plot slowly twists and turns until we learn how being a vampire has changed the once mild, innocent Louis de Pointe du Lac. If you’re used to the wishy-washy vampires of today, prepare for a fresh and frightening experience.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
(Cover picture courtesy of Kristin Cashore’s blog.)
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.
When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.
She never expects to become Po’s friend.
She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away…
Kristin Cashore’s debut novel is a well-written, emotionally resonant, fast-paced and surprisingly addicting masterpiece. Katsa is a strong protagonist who does not just live for romance, as many YA characters do, but falls in love with prince Po by accident. Even when she has to leave Po and go off on her own, she does not fall to pieces like a helpless damsel. Instead, she rises to the challenge and brings down the villain.
Graceling is set in a well-developed world of enchanting beauty and petrifying horror. It is full of light and dark and characters like Katsa, Po, Raffin, Leck and Bitterblue reflect this balance very well. They have realistic motivations and are three-dimensional, which is more than I can say for many characters in young adult fiction. Not only is the world believable and the characters are three dimensional, the plot is intriguing. Graceling starts out like a typical YA novel, but Kristin Cashore throws in interesting and unexpected plot twists that keep you hooked until the end.
If you’re looking for well-written and very interesting YA novel for slightly older teens, Graceling is certainly the book for you.
I give this book 5/5 stars.