This is the third installment of the Dark is Rising series. It should not be read as a standalone and I highly recommend reading the first two books aThis is the third installment of the Dark is Rising series. It should not be read as a standalone and I highly recommend reading the first two books ahead of this one for all the background information on the characters that they contain. It is vitaly important to read this book for the rest of the series though as there is a lot of information contained within. If you continue with this review, please be warned that there are spoilers for the previous books ahead.
From the first book we know that the Drew children had found the holy grail despite the forces of dark trying to get it first. That cup has now gone missing from the library and Merriman Lyon, the mysterious figure in both the Drew children's lives and Will Stanton's (last of the old ones from the 2nd book), believes that it is being taken back to where it was found. With both the children and Will along, they return there to try to find it. But they return at a unique time of the year. The festivities of the Greenwitch are being held and Jane Drew is allowed to come watch her making. She is a sad figure made of plants and is released into the sea with the wishes of the townsfolk every year. But in fact she is very powerful, more than most humans will know. The dark wants this power and the children, Merriman and the rest of the light will have to defeat them to get it.
The characters were a bit rushed in this book. Will, who I normally love, just didn't seem like his normal self and took too much of a backseat in this story. The Drew children were bratty, except for Jane. Merriman, who is a mysterious figure, should probably have just a bit more detail shown for him to keep him compelling. I do like that they brought the dog back for this book as I thought he was a neat character.
The plot drags a bit and while it has the potential to be very exciting, it is kind of lackluster. That's not to say this isn't a good book. It is still very well done, just not as good as the first two. Since it is a children's series it can be simplistic at times, but there is nothing offensive within the book. It does have its scary moments, but they aren't too bad and all but the meekest should be able to handle them.
While its not my favorite of the series it still does provide a good amount of important information. I definitely recommend reading it as a part of the series.
Over Sea, Under Stone is the first book in the Dark Is Rising series. Despite that, I always seem to read this 2nd as the 2nd book (The Dark is RisingOver Sea, Under Stone is the first book in the Dark Is Rising series. Despite that, I always seem to read this 2nd as the 2nd book (The Dark is Rising) is my favorite book and I always read it first. But really, this book is kind of a side story to the rest of the series despite it being first so it doesn't really matter the order your read the first two.
The Drew children, three siblings, are on vacation at a mysterious place called the Grey House in a quaint little town by the sea. They are their with their parents and also their mysterious Great Uncle Merry who always seems to be searching for something. When it rains the first few days they are there they take to exploring the house and find a mysterious treasure map that seems to indicate something about King Arthur. However, they aren't the only ones who want to find what is at the end of that treasure hunt. Some not so nice characters are about and the only thing standing in their way is the children and Great Uncle Merry. They have to see who will reach the end first and keep the treasure from going to darkness.
I really like the way the children were written in this book. They all had distinct personalities and differences about them. Another great thing about Susan Cooper's characters is that they are never all one or the other. The bad characters have good qualities and the good characters must sometimes do things that are unsavory. I was surprised to see that the parents were largely absent from this book and really weren't the greatest of characters when they were there. But I suppose Uncle Merry made up for them being lackluster.
This is an adventure story with just a touch of mystery. It is very appropriate for children with nothing unsuitable for reading. In fact, this is actually a children's series, although adults may enjoy it as well. The plot as a whole is good but isn't as great as some of Cooper's others. It does run a bit slow in parts and tiresome, but largely it is good. It is different from the rest of the series though and with some exceptions, doesn't share very many characters with the other books as well.
I do love this series and think that this makes a good side story to the rest of the books. I highly recommend the whole set to anyone, adult or child.
This has been one of my favorite fantasy series since I was a child. I still take the books out and read them about once a year and they haven't lost This has been one of my favorite fantasy series since I was a child. I still take the books out and read them about once a year and they haven't lost their charm for me. Although, beware, if you have seen the movie based on this book (The Seeker) it was terrible and didn't represent the book at all. The Dark is Rising is actually the second book in the series (after Over Sea Under Stone) but I always read it first since it is my favorite. It doesn't seem to effect my reading of the books at all.
Will Stanton is getting ready to have his eleventh birthday. But some strange things happen before that, animals start acting weird about him and he gets a present for his birthday that everyone seems to want. It is a buckle for his belt that is shaped like a circle with a cross inside, and it is one of the signs. You see, Will Stanton is the sign seeker, the last of the old ones to be born in the world and a key to their fight against the dark as it struggles to prevail against the light. Will must find all six signs before it is too late and the darkness takes over.
I really like Will as a character. I think Cooper, the author, did a great job of mixing young boy and timeless old one into his character. At least to me it seemed seamless. I also like that she didn't have her good and evil people be one or the other. Those on the side of the dark seemed like your average every day people you've known forever, and those on the light were sometimes ruthless to achieve the end means. This is more realistic to me than all or nothing.
As said before I like how she explored good and evil in this book. And her ideas for the signs were pretty neat too. Since it is a kids book there isn't anything that could be considered inappropriate or offensive in this book. But honestly, even though it is a kid's book, there is plenty here for adults to enjoy as well. I would judge this to be a good book to read with the family. Its captivated me for over fifteen years anyway.
Definitely one of the better fantasy fictions out there. And the rest of the series is good as well. I heartily recommend this book to just about anyone.
This book is the least favorite of mine out of all of the series. It doesn't fit well with the rest of the books, and the story is only averagely exciThis book is the least favorite of mine out of all of the series. It doesn't fit well with the rest of the books, and the story is only averagely exciting.
Shasta is a boy who is about to be sold into slavery. The man who has been taking care of him has decided to sell him to a passing soldier. However, to Shasta's surprise, the soldier's horse can talk. And Bree (the horse) offers to take him to freedom and the North where Narnia lies. Together they will escape to freedom. Along the way they encounter another talking horse (Hwin) and the noble girl who is riding her. They too are escaping for the North. Together they must encounter great peril in order to get there.
The characters are all rather so-so in this book. The horses both aren't the strongest of characters, and in fact, Bree is rather annoying and conceited. The humans don't have a lot of their own personality. It was also kind of sad how all the Calormen's seem to be terrible people for the most part. I know every book could use a bad guy, but a whole race?
Lewis's writing is good, but in this one it falls short of all the other books. It just isn't a good fit for the rest of the books and while it provides some history, I actually found the story kind of boring and too easy. Everything happens to the positive and coincidences and good fortune are always in the knick of time. It just doesn't seem realistic.
Definitely not my favorite, and one I only read because I feel compelled to when I have the other books of the series out. Only those who really like the series should probably read this one or risk being disappointed.
This is one of those books I'm not sure what to think of. While I adore the series, this one sometimes leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Its actuallyThis is one of those books I'm not sure what to think of. While I adore the series, this one sometimes leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Its actually the first of the series I've ever read (my mom got it for me when I was very young because of the unicorn on the cover). For that experience, all I can say is read the other books first or you will be completely and utterly lost in this book. For those not familiar with Narnia, it is a magical land filled with mythical creatures, noble people, and talking animals; not to mention the great lion Aslan.
This book starts you out with trepidation by introducing you to the last King of Narnia, Trinian, and his faithful Unicorn companion Jewel. They are enjoying a relaxing time when they hear that someone is felling the ancient tress and the dryads are dying. Behind these capers are an old tricky Ape and his somewhat less clever donkey friend named Puzzle, who was tricked into wearing the skin of a lion and pretending to be Aslan. The Ape is doing horrible things in the name of Aslan, including bringing in Calormen's to enslave and take all that is good in Narnia. The King, when captured, calls outl for help in the form of the young children who have saved Narnia in the past, and Eustace and Jill come to try to help save the day.
This book was very rushed and as so, the characters are hurried as well. Puzzle is sweet and a bit clueless but its sometimes hard to believe he would believe the Ape so readily. The Ape himself is loathsome as is most of his ready companions. Jill and Eustace are present in the book but not a lot of time is given to their characters, other than the skills they have learned and can use to help Trinian.
The writing as said before, is rushed and the story passes along all too quickly. It is probably a good pace for children, and this is a children's book and appropriate for them. It has an interesting plot and concept but I do want to take time to explain why this book infuriates me at times. These books have a decidedly Christian tone and most the time that is ok because it is only a background theme throughout the books. This book brings it front and center and out in the open and while that would be ok normally, Lewis uses it and makes some somewhat offensive judgements (at least in my opinion). Using Aslan, and the Calormen god Tash, Lewis makes some comparisons between religions that are a bit condescending. For Atheists there is apparently no hope at all according to this book as they are all quite bad people and don't get anything good in the end (there is one dwarf that might be considered an atheist at a point, but apparently changes his mind later on and receives good things). It's just a little sad that the book couldn't be more accepting and kind towards other ways of thinking.
Now that I'm off that tangent I do think this book is important to read because it is the end of the series and has a finale for the characters. Overall I'd probably rate this one 3.5 stars just because while its a good story, it is offensive to certain groups of people who may have started the series loving the other books and then got to this one.
This book could be considered a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the preceding stories in the Narnia series for first. As a part of the NarThis book could be considered a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the preceding stories in the Narnia series for first. As a part of the Narnia series, it is definitely interesting, but not the best nor worst of the series. For those who haven't heard of Narnia, it is a magical land watched over by Aslan the great lion and inhabited by noble people, mythical creatures, and talking animals.
In the Silver Chair, Eustace (who has visited before) and his schoolmate Jill are running from bullies when they are brought into Narnia. Due to foolishness, Jill accidentally pushes him off a cliff, but he is saved by Aslan, and after Aslan gives Jill a task, she is also swept away by his breath to arrive in the Kingdom of Narnia just as Prince Caspian is leaving its shores on a journey. They watch the old King leave and then set off to find his son Rilian, who was kidnapped years before. Their only companion on this journey is a Marsh-Wiggle named Puddleglum who is sober and depressing, but very level headed throughout the novel. They have many dangerous encounters on their adventure and their biggest enemies seem to be themselves at times. But they must stick it through and find Rilian or die in the trying.
I think that this book has some very undeveloped characters. Rilian doesn't have much description in the way of personality and Eustace, while present isn't elaborated on. I just found Jill annoying, which was a shame as she was a main character. My favorite would have to be Puddleglum as he was written excellently. But neither he nor the Green Lady had very much history or backstory that I would have liked to see. After all, we have never heard of Marsh-wiggles before and I wonder where they've been in all the books before this one.
The writing is appropriate for children (just a few minor curse words) and should be easily understandable. There are a few scary parts, but they are over quickly and should have no lasting effects. An adult may find the book rushed, but it is a good pace for children. There is nice description on the areas and land and other fascinating things, but as said before the characters seemed to lack this same care.
Overall it is a good book, but not my favorite in the series. It fits in well and provides a nice change of pace from the rest of the series.
I have to say that this is my absolute favorite book of the Narnia series. There is just something so rich and imaginative about it that I fall in lovI have to say that this is my absolute favorite book of the Narnia series. There is just something so rich and imaginative about it that I fall in love with it each time that I read it. In fact, I've held off watching the movie just because I'm afraid I'll be disappointed. While you could almost read this one as a stand alone, I would highly advise that you read the other books that come before it, especially The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. For those not familiar with the series, the Pevensie children (and others) have the ability to visit a magical world called Narnia. Here in this world are talking animals, mythical creatures, and stately people, but as well there are evil witches and people who inhabit the world. Most important of all is a lion named Aslan who is the great lion and holds the world together with his wisdom.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader takes place one year later by Pevensie time, and three years later by Narnian time. The younger Pevensie children, Lucy and Edmund, along with their horrible cousin Eustace find themselves sucked through a picture and into the sea next to a magnificent ship. On this ship is none other than Prince Caspian himself and he is taking a journey east by sea to see what happened to seven lords who were sent years ago on a journey, and also to see what is in the utter East. Along the way they have many adventures and meet several strange folk. They feel like turning back sometimes (and Eustace can get quite annoying, but they know they have to go on.
The characters are interesting. Lewis did a very good job making Eustace highly unlikable from the beginning, yet letting him grow throughout the novel. Lucy and Edmund actually took a backseat to him in this novel. I did like Caspian better in this book than the last. I thought he had more personality. They meet several interesting characters along the way too and they are all unique in their own way.
The writing while fast, is still very good and this is one of the more descriptive books. It is appropriate for children (although there are a few minor curse words) although they may not understand the finer nuances of the novel. I just loved all the adventures that Lewis sent his characters on in this novel and each time I read its like reading them anew.
Definitely the best book of the series for me. If I didn't read any of the other books, I would surely read this one many times over.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Copyright 1952 271 pages
Prince Caspian is a part of the series of Narnia, a magical land visited only by a special few. While it isn't necessary to read any of the other bookPrince Caspian is a part of the series of Narnia, a magical land visited only by a special few. While it isn't necessary to read any of the other books before this one, I highly recommend reading at least The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. For those not familiar with the story, Narnia is a world that the Pevensie children have stumbled into, and with the help of Aslan (a mighty lion), became Kings and Queens of the land before eventually returning to their own home and time.
In this book, the children have returned after Prince Caspian has blown Susan's enchanted horn. Their return is just in time; Caspian's uncle, who has taken over the throne, is aiming to kill Caspian and so destroy the last true heir of Narnia. Under his Uncle's rule, the original beings of Narnia (talking animals, mythical creatures, etc.) have been outcast and live in fear. Caspian and the Pevensie's will need to do all that they can to restore everything to its rightful balance, and take his Uncle off of the throne.
The characters are not nearly as well developed in this book. We seem some spark of the former characters of the children, but they are really an aside to this story as compared to Caspian. But even Caspian is only half developed and for being a main character, I couldn't really connect with him. There are several minor characters that I did like. These being the badger, some of the dwarves and of course Aslan.
The writing is aimed towards children and as such an adult might find it rushed and desire more detail. There isn't really anything offensive in it (aside from one minor curse word) and it is highly appropriate for anyone to read. It has a special narrator, who talks to the reader, and this makes the reading more personal, which is nice.
I do like the series and while this isn't the best of them, it is still important to read it as it continues the story of Narnia and sets up some history for the next few books.
This is probably one of the most popular fantasy books out there, especially for the younger set. When the movie came out (which I also loved) it justThis is probably one of the most popular fantasy books out there, especially for the younger set. When the movie came out (which I also loved) it just furthered the popularity of this series. While it can be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading the complete series for the full richness and history that is contained for the world of Narnia.
When Lucky, Edmund, Peter, and Susan have to go to the countryside to escape the air raids and war, they stay with a kindly professor at his rather large house. There is plenty to explore, and it is on a rainy day that Lucy finds a magical doorway to another world, inside the wardrobe in a spare room. She quickly makes a friend in a faun and learns of the evil White Witch who fancies herself Queen of Narnia. The other children don't believe her about her adventures though, and this is even worse for her when Edmund comes through too but lies about it to the other children. Finally and quite by accident they all make it to Narnia and learn that they have been expected. Aslan, the great lion, wants to see them and they set out to meet him and help him with his fight against the White Witch. However, they experience a setback when Edmund defects to the witch's side and they feel sure that he is lost to them.
The characters, despite this being a short book, are very well done. I love Lucy and think she is charming and sweet. Peter is rather noble and distant, and Edmund of course is a complete brat in the beginning of the book without hardly any redeeming qualities. The other characters are quite nice as well and it is easy to see that Aslan has a regal bearing.
The writing is great and definitely the most appropriate for kids (adults might find the story a little rushed) and while there are battles there is not extreme violence in this book. In fact, the only thing I found offensive was Father Christmas saying women shouldn't fight in wars, but that could just be the small bit of feminist in me. There are Christian tones, but they aren't strong in voice and are rather just a background to the story itself. It is read more as a fantasy novel, and highly appropriate that way.
I love the series and especially this book and read it over and over. I don't think I could ever tire of it. With all the fantasy novels out there, this is definitely one that should be read.
The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe Copyright 1950 206 pages (and my edition had black and white pictures as well)
The Magician's Nephew is the first book in the chronicles of Narnia. While it is not as well known as the others, it is the beginning, and so, a very The Magician's Nephew is the first book in the chronicles of Narnia. While it is not as well known as the others, it is the beginning, and so, a very important book for the series.
Diggory and his new friend Polly have been tricked into going to a different world by his somewhat mad, magician uncle. With some magical rings they are transported to a calm forest filled with pools that lead to different worlds. It is in one of these worlds, Charn, that Diggory does something terrible and awakens a beautiful but treacherous Queen who demands to go back to their world with them as hers is dying. She does manage to tag along despite their best efforts and is soon wreaking havoc on London. As the children try to get her back, they inadvertently transport themselves, Diggory's Uncle, the Queen, and a bystanding cabby and his horse along with them. From there they go to an empty world. But to their wonder this world does not remain empty for long, because a certain lion has just started singing.
The characters are very undescribed in this book. I would have loved some back history on the evil Queen and why she was the way she was. Even Diggory's Uncle didn't have a good basis described for being the way he was. Poor Polly was more of a sidekick character and the only one who really had any real emotion was Diggory himself.
The writing was decent and appropriate for children although they may not understand everything that goes on. The story is rushed though and for it to be the beginning of a magical world, I expected a lot more to the story. The novel does have Christian tones but they are not very preachy and instead it reads as a regular fantasy novel for the most part. Especially since it includes the use of magic.
I do love the Narnia tales. While this is not the best of them, it is still very important to read as it marks the start and does explain some history of the series. It should definitely be included in the reading list of all that is Narnia.
The Magician's Nephew Copyright 1955 202 pages (The Edition I had had several wonderful color pictures as well)
I can honestly say that I did not enjoy this book whatsoever and was immensely relieved to have finished it. While it doesn't necessarily go hand in hI can honestly say that I did not enjoy this book whatsoever and was immensely relieved to have finished it. While it doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with the Lord of the Rings books (it can be a standalone) it was sitting on our shelf and I felt compelled to read it and finish the books we owned written by Tolkien.
The Silmarillion is a compilation of stories, history, lore and other things of the elves in the time before the Lord of the Rings series takes place. There are also stories about the dwarves and men of the world as well, but they are not focused on as heavily. Within these tales are little stories of some of the peoples, wars, and goings on in the world at that time, not to mention, a sneak peek at the early lives of Celeborn, Galadriel, and Elrond. Towards the end it also goes over how the rings were made and how they came into the hands of the different people who bore them. There is even a very brief mention of Frodo's part in the histories.
There are so many characters in this novel that none are really fleshed out and to be honest its hard to tell who's who in this book. Most of the people are similar in name and deed and this gets to be very confusing as the book moves along. Indeed, none of the characters stood out to me because of the way this book is put together. I would have liked to hear more on Elrond or Galadriel but instead we are introduced to so many characters in so short of time (and most without interesting stories) that it was like seeing a slide projection of someone's vacation photos; there might have been a few interesting things, but largely you are bored to tears and trying to be nice about the whole experience.
The writing is overly descriptive and does read like a history book. History is not my favorite subject and this made the read excruciating for me. As mentioned before there are so many people, places things that the book is largely unfollowable without a notebook to track what is going on. While there are some glimmers of a good story that caught my interest, they are so short and so few between that it wasn't enough to redeem this book in my eyes. While I recognize that it was probably a personal labor of love for Tolkien, it may not have been the best choice to release the book as is.
I like to read but in this novel I just could not keep up with who, what, where, when and why and it really took from my enjoyment. Die hard fans of Tolkien and history buffs may derive pleasure from reading this book, but I certainly did not.
The Silmarillion Copyright 1977 442 pages including appendix
This has been my favorite out of all the Lord of the Rings novels. They seemed to get progressively better, of which I'm glad because I wanted to knowThis has been my favorite out of all the Lord of the Rings novels. They seemed to get progressively better, of which I'm glad because I wanted to know what all the hype was about since this was my first time reading the series. For those who have never read any of the books as well, don't start at this book, start at the beginning or you can be completely lost in Tolkien's rather largish world.
In this we have two different story lines. One is of Frodo and Sam. When we last left poor Frodo he had been captured by Orcs and taken to a tower as prisoner. Sam has to rescue him, and even when he does, they are left deep behind enemy lines and must make their way to the mountain where the ring can be destroyed. Meanwhile, the rest of the characters are at war. Each has his own place in the war and they must defend Gondor and break the Black Gates of Mordor to survive. But even if they do win, they don't have any idea of what is waiting for them at home after so long a journey.
There is a second part to this book in the appendices. They are filled with lore, language, and history of Middle Earth. While I enjoyed the language section it is interesting to note that history for Middle Earth seems to be written like history in real life, and as such, was kind of boring for me. Despite that though I will not be including this section in my rating of the book as I believe that a good portion of the people will buy the book for the story and find the appendices a bonus.
The characters are better developed and really start coming into their own in this novel. Even the language is more unique to each of them, especially the hobbits. I was sad to see that while Gollum played an important role in this book, it wasn't a very large one. I also still thank that Sam is the best of the hobbits on the journey.
The writing is still very descriptive but doesn't bog down the story quite as much as it does in the others. Towards the end they do seem to make a big deal of names and this can get tedious at points. There is some violence, but that part isn't as descriptive and nothing is really too offensive in this book. Most importantly, since this is the end book, there is a sense of closure.
I'm glad to have finally read all of this series for the first time and mostly enjoyed it. While I don't see myself rereading near in the future, I suspect that I will return to it someday. Its a great fantasy for lovers of the genre.
Return of the King Copyright 1955 340 pages, with appendices 470 pages
Having only recently delved into the works of Tolkien recently for the first time, I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed with The Hobbit or THaving only recently delved into the works of Tolkien recently for the first time, I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed with The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring. While I thought that Tolkien had a fantastic and original idea for his time, his writing left much to be desired for me. I did however, enjoy The Two Towers more than the previously mentioned books despite it having a few flaws for me as well. The Fellowship of the Ring needs to be read before this book, and because of that, I am not going to recap what happens in that book for this review. So be forewarned, the following can contain spoilers for those who haven't read the first book.
Frodo and Sam had taken off for Mordor by themselves, leaving the rest of the Fellowship to its fate. They encounter the mysterious creature Gollum on the way and through capture, convince him to promise to be nice and lead them along the best path to Mordor. Gollum is a tricky character though and not the most trustworthy and leads Sam and Frodo closer to their peril. Meanwhile, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli have set off in pursuit of Merry and Pipin, who were captured by Orcs. Along the way they come across the Riders of the Kingdom of Rohan, known for their horses, and in the midst of a terrible war. The war is with the white wizard turned evil, Saruman, and his army of orcs that his is unleashing on the Southern kingdom. They decide to help and turn the odds against this horrible force that is descending upon the land.
The characters in this book aren't quite as developed as in the first one. While we have plenty of background on the Fellowship characters from the previous book, we don't get much in the way of description for the Riders of Rohan or some of the other newer characters. I do have to say that Gollum is still my favorite. The interesting way he has of speaking and his interactions with the Hobbits are very interesting and a pleasure to read.
The writing is very descriptive in other ways and unfortunately this can make the book slow reading at parts. It would have been nice to have more character description as opposed to the multiple instances of describing scenery and legends that aren't even really pertinent to the story. I did find that this book had less song and rhyme than the other and I appreciated that as I tend to skip over them since they distract from the flow of the book. The book isn't very offensive either and despite having battles, not really violent.
I look forward to the last book and seeing if it will be my favorite out of all. My opinion has grown more positive with each book and I hope that it does improve.
Ok, so I have to say that I enjoyed this book better than "The Hobbit" but it still was a very hard read for me. Somehow I have never read these booksOk, so I have to say that I enjoyed this book better than "The Hobbit" but it still was a very hard read for me. Somehow I have never read these books until now and starting them as an adult, I think I may get something very different from them than most people do who were introduced to the series at an earlier age. While I admire Tolkien's imagination, I still find some flaws with this book. I've also seen the movies before reading which could also serve to change my views on the book.
We start in the Shire where Frodo Baggins has just inherited Bilbo Baggins (another hobbit we learn about in "The Hobbit")house, furniture, and most especially, a prized ring, after Bilbo has disappeared suddenly and plans to go off traveling again. For years Frodo doesn't worry about the ring and enjoys his time in the Shire just getting along alright. However, Gandalf the Grey wizard returns and gives him some history on this tiny little ring that is very surprising. It is the greatest ring on Middle-Earth and dangerous. It's previous owner Sauron wants it back for his own and has started to send out evil creatures to get it back for himself. If that happens, the world is doomed. Trying to keep it away from the minions, Frodo and some friends, take a journey to the Elven kingdom of Rivendale where they join part of a fellowship that is going to take the ring back to the one place it can be destroyed, but right at the enemy's gates in Mordor. Accompanying Frodo are a few hobbits, an elf, Gandalf, a dwarf, and a couple of humans. They have to pass through much danger and tribulations to try to get Frodo away on his quest as he becomes the Ring-Bearer.
The characters in this novel are interesting, but to me, not enough time is spent on them. I would have loved to hear more about Hobbit's habits or the history of some of the other characters, but instead, the book spends more time detailing other things. Even the elves whom some may know about in the movie aren't described quite as well in the book. In fact, Arwen is barely in this book, which may disappoint some people. He did do a better job on Galadriel who actually did get a larger part in this book. Sam has always been my favorite character and I wish there was more of him in this book.
The writing is extremely descriptive and this bogs down the reader at points in the novel. There are so many names of places and things that we don't even visit in the book that are described that it can serve to confuse a reader and make them wonder why it was even mentioned in the first place. The scenery is described over and over as well which makes for reading that once in awhile I just had to put down as it bored me. My biggest complaint would be all the songs and poems though. I found them distracting and there were so many, I have to confess that I started just skipping over them so I could get on with the story. I might have missed something in the history or backstory because of this, and I would have much rather just had it written normally. That being said there isn't a great deal of violence in this book and not many things offensive either.
All in all I would probably give this book 3.5 stars. It has a great story but its hard wading to get through that story. But I'll move on to the next and see what The Two Towers has to offer.
The Fellowship of the Ring Copyright 1954 458 pages
I'm ashamed to say I have never read the Lord of the Ring series before (I may have started one once but didn't like it and put it back down) and evenI'm ashamed to say I have never read the Lord of the Ring series before (I may have started one once but didn't like it and put it back down) and even after seeing the movies, which I did enjoy, I still didn't dive into Tolkien's world. Well I decided to remedy that and picked up the Hobbit, the prequel of sorts to the Lord of the Rings series. I have to say I wasn't all that impressed. It was an inventive story for sure, and Tolkien had a lot of imagination, but there were a lot of flaws in this book in my opinion.
We are introduced to Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit that likes to make sure meals are regular and a comfy chair exists in his hole in the ground. He is surprised one day by the wizard Gandalf who brings thirteen dwarves to meet his acquaintance. They tell him he is to come on a journey and help the dwarves so that they may regain their homeland and treasure from a dragon who has stolen it all. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems though and they encounter many hardships and perils on the road. Not a lot of people seem to like this merry band of travelers and they are constantly fighting for their lives and freedom. But some other things do happen, and a lot changes when Bilbo finds a very mysterious ring.
The characters in this novel are well developed. I was glad to see Gollum as he is my favorite character in the movies and he was well written in these pages. Bilbo was also done splendidly and you were able to get a good sense of what Hobbits are like from him. Even the dwarves, as many as there were, had distinct personalities.
The writing is where I found some faults. This book is extremely rushed! It seems like they were no sooner getting into trouble than they were out of it and into some different sort of trouble. Because of this, there didn't seem to be any suspense to the novel and it would have been nice if Tolkien had settled on a few instances and described them well, then had many that hardly got any description at all. He seemed to repeat himself too with our heroes getting captured at least four times, although I stopped counting after awhile. That being said, even the violence in this novel was tame and nothing was offensive that I could find so it is appropriate for all readers.
I wish I would have enjoyed the book more. I do hear that this is the weakest out of the series so I will continue on. I just hope they get a little better as right now I'm not sure what all the hype is about.
I'd have to give this third and final book in the Dark Materials Trilogy 3.5 stars. It wasn't nearly as good as the first, or even the second, yet desI'd have to give this third and final book in the Dark Materials Trilogy 3.5 stars. It wasn't nearly as good as the first, or even the second, yet despite that it did provide an ending for this very interesting fantasy series. This book should not be read as a standalone, but rather a reader should read the books in order starting with the first. For those not familiar with the series (and a possible spoiler) Lyra is a little girl who sets off on a quest to rescue her friend along with her daemon Pantalaimon and a mysterious alethiometer which always tells the truth. When her father opens a portal between worlds she goes through and meets a new friend in Will, who is the wielder of the subtle knife that can cut doorways between worlds. There is a war breaking out between rebels and the Authority and both children have to try to find out what is the best way for them to help but trouble comes when Lyra is kidnapped by her mother.
Now in this book, Will has set out to rescue Lyra and continue on in their quest. He is able to do so with the help of two rebel angels and a few small people from a different world. However, once they are together again they brave an even greater danger by journeying to the land of the dead. They hope to talk with some of their loved ones there for insight but it'll take more bravery and sacrifice then they can imagine. And while they're doing so the war is about to come to a head between Lyra's father and the leader of the Authority's troops, Metatron.
The characters were very very rushed in this novel. All of them change quite a bit (especially Lyra and Will) but it is done so quickly that it doesn't seem genuine. Even strong motivations are changed in the time it takes to blink and I felt myself re-reading a couple times to see if I had missed something. The book itself was also written very choppy and rushed and while I enjoyed the scenes with Mary the scientist on a different world, they only served to chop up the book even more. There is some controversy in this book and some of a religious nature could be offended by some of the content that Pullman has put down in this book. However one can make a choice to take the book seriously, or enjoy it as a fantasy read. And in my opinion I do think this is a series worth reading precisely because of the thoughts it provokes.
While this book wasn't the best of the series it did serve to act as closure on the series itself so I can't be too sorry I read it. I only wish Pullman would have wrote another book or left some of the ideas out to better serve the time line of this novel and keep it understandable.
The Subtle Knife is the second book in the Dark Materials trilogy, yet being its own book, somehow seems incomplete. It definitely cannot be read as aThe Subtle Knife is the second book in the Dark Materials trilogy, yet being its own book, somehow seems incomplete. It definitely cannot be read as a standalone and a reader should start with The Golden Compass. For those not familiar with the first book (and a spoiler as well) it is about a little girl named Lyra and the adventure she and her daemon Pantalaimon get into when they are given an alethiometer that tells the truth all the time. When her father breaches a path between her world and the next, she is drawn to go over the bridge and through despite the dangers.
Here is this book we are introduced to Will Parry who has stumbled across a doorway into another world after killing a man. He meets Lyra in this strange abandoned world and brings her back to his where she is able to meet a physicist and find out more about the matter called Dust that everyone seems so concerned about. When her alethiometer is stolen, they are able to gain a knife, a special knife that can open doorways and try to recover the alethiometer from the dangerous man who stole it. There are more problems arising however as Lord Asriel (Lyra's father) starts amassing an army to take down the Authority himself.
The characters in this book are intriguing. Will is interesting and has a very solid backstory. Lyra actually takes a second place role to him in this book, yet still remains a spunky character. There are some other characters that are essential to the story, but they don't have as much time in the book as Lyra and Will.
The writing is simple as this story was intended for children, but there are some concepts and words that may be difficult for younger children. In addition, this book just felt like an episode in a series and really didn't have its own beginning or end and so just felt like an incomplete middle of a book. It also had a very rushed pace.
I like the series and think that even with the controversy surrounding it, it makes for a great fantasy read if one takes it that way. I'm certainly glad I have the next in the series to read after finishing this one as it will make the story seem more complete.
I wasn't a big fan of this third and final book in the Shannara trilogy. While it isn't necessary to read the first two books before this one as it caI wasn't a big fan of this third and final book in the Shannara trilogy. While it isn't necessary to read the first two books before this one as it can be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend reading them just for some background. Actually, I'd probably read the first two and skip this one as it is not nearly on level with them.
Brin Ohmsford and her brother Jair are greatly surprised when the mysterious and well known druid Allanon comes to their home to seek them out. You see, the two are able to use the wishsong, elven magic that responds only to them, and in Jair's case, only as an illusion. A new evil is on the rise in the form of the Mord Wraiths who are controlled by a dark book far to the east. Allanon requests (and demands as is his nature) that Brin come with him to destroy this evil as only she has the power to. She is accompanied by her friend Rone Leah who is to be her protector and they set off with the druid to try to put an end to this evil. Meanwhile, Jair, who is left behind to warn their parents, is taken by a roaming pack of gnomes who were searching for Allanon and they discover he holds the magic. After a rescue and then strange meeting with the Guardian of the Silver River (which has been poisoned) he is set out on a quest to cure the river and also assist his sister. This can only be accomplished by reading his destination before she can reach hers and then help her with his magic before she can fail in her task. With five helpers, he has to journey as well through the treacherous eastlands, not knowing what he may encounter.
The characters in this had the potential to be interesting but were never really given a chance. They are not fully developed and I didn't even really like the main characters, Brin and Jair which made it hard to care about what happened to them in this novel. Once again, major motivations were not explained satisfactorily either. Brooks even makes note of one of my biggest problems with the series (the fact that Allanon doesn't share information) yet doesn't produce a good answer to why he makes his character do that (he does provide an answer, just not a good one).
The writing drags in this book due to overuse of description and scenes that could have just been cut out. I found myself putting the book down multiple times just to get away from it and take a break, and since I read for fun, this didn't sit well with me. It just gets plain boring through most of the book and tedious in other parts. There is a redeeming feature to this book, however. I loved the idea of the wishsong and devoured any parts of the book that mentioned it. It was a neat idea for magic and well thought out and saved this book from being too much of a mess.
I'll probably avoid Brook's books for awhile. He just isn't consistent on how well done or original they are and I like to try to choose books to read that I'll enjoy. Great fans of Brooks or the fantasy genre might appreciate this book, but most others probably will not.
I liked this book better than I did the first in this fantasy series by Brooks. While it's not necessary to read the first book (this one could stand I liked this book better than I did the first in this fantasy series by Brooks. While it's not necessary to read the first book (this one could stand alone quite easily) I do always recommend reading a series in order just for background information. As a whole, I'd probably rate this particular book about 3 1/2 stars.
Wil Ohmsford has been studying with some gnomish healers when the mysterious Allanon (powerful druid mentioned in first book) comes to disrupt his day and whisk him off across the countryside to help some elves. You see, Wil is the current holder of the Elfstones (magical stones that are attuned to only one user at a time) and he is to become the guardian for a runaway chosen named Amberle. Amberle was once one of the Chosen caretakers for a tree in Elven lands called the Elcrys. For centuries, the Elcrys has maintained a magical border that has held back the demon hordes from the land. Now, she is weakening and dying and demons are starting to slip through, eager to see that she is not reborn and they can come into the land permanently.
With the gift of a seed from the tree, Amberle and Will must venture further into deserted land to take it to a place where it can be awakened in what is known as the Bloodfire. Here the seed will become ready to be planted and grow into the new Elcrys and hopefully save elven kind and also the rest of the world as the demons would not stop at just killing the elves. They meet many friends and foe on their journey and have to be careful as a particularly dangerous demon known as the Reaper is hot on their tracks trying to stop them. The question is however, will they be able to plant the fertilized seed in time to save everyone?
The characters in this book aren't developed fully. While a lot of time and description is given to other matters, we kind of have to be content with just having a few attributes given to us about the main characters. I do have to say that I enjoyed Eretria, a side character. She had a lot of fire and it would have been great to see more of her in the book.
The writing is very descriptive but this tends to slow it up a bit in the battle scenes. To be honest, I didn't really care about the battles between the elves and demons and would have much preferred to read more about Wil and Amberle's journey instead. I think it would have been more interesting, especially since towards the end we are given less and less of them.
This is a decent fantasy and more original than the first book was. It's still not the most fantastic fantasy out there but it is good for a winter's day where it's just too frigid to do anything outside. I look forward to reading more of the Shannara series.
The Elfstones of Shannara Copyright 1982 564 pages There are pictures in this book but luckily they were done much better than in the first book and you can tell what they are now.
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