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For the first time in my reading of this series, I had a hard time getting through the book. I’m not really sure whether it was me, or the story. More than the others it felt a bit out of left field, even though it wasn’t.
Following up the previous tale, The Most High Academe has died, Quint is training to be a Knight Academic, sponsored by the Professor of Light, and Maris is in Undertown, in the “care” of her uncle.
Plots abound throughout the school, as the weather turns more and more wintry and hopeless. Every mission to the Deepwoods in search of Stormphrax fails; some before they’ve even left the city. Sky Scholars grow paranoid and start seeking out and destroying any hint of Earth scholarship. Meanwhile, it’s exactly that they need. And only by accident does anyone realize it.
While a battle broils in the city, Quint and his friends, and Maris, take to the skies with their last hope. An ancient idea that has to save the day.
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Having started this whole series all over again in the end of May (my apologies for the reviews I didn’t write…it turned into this frenzied race against time), I feel like this book may have been even harder for me than it will be for most. Here was the end of a world I had just spent 2 months immersed in. And what an end!
This isn’t a review I really know how to write, because just like I didn’t want to have anything spoiled for me, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone else, and I’m not sure how to review the story while leaving the whole thing out. Suffice it to say….while everyone will likely be upset, they should also be pleased. This was a great finale to a great series. Lots of action, tons of plot twists, this is a fast-paced story that never really slows down, even when it seems to. Like a true cliche, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry. But overall, I imagine you’ll be satisfied.
In a year or so maybe I can come back and write the real review!
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In the second installment of their series, Pete, Inna, Vicky, Aaron and Gary are finally getting their hands dirty with some real pirating work. Being lookout in the midst of a storm isn’t a whole lot of fun, but they consider it the most important job on the ship. Rotten Teeth might not…but the Captain repays him for his doubts by sticking him up in the crow’s nest til morning, which makes it all worth it.
Early the next morning, Pete wakes up and spies a surprising sight through his spyglass–a Ghost Ship! Rotten Tooth just sets to laughing at them again when they tell him about it, so they go to Clegg instead, because Clegg knows everything. He tells them Ghost Ships are very important and its their job to find out what it wants.
With special permission from the captain to sleep on deck, the kids set about to do just that, trying to save the day yet again. Even when it seems no one believes them, these kids stick to their guns and do what they know is right. Which is lucky for their crew mates, since as of yet, this little crew hasn’t been wrong!
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As the series starts off, pirate-hopefuls Pete, Inna, Vicky, Aaron and Gary all left their respective ships behind to come crew the Sea Rat, whose Captain—Stinky Beard—wanted to start a Pirate School. Rotten Tooth, the best pirate on the ship, was given the job of being their teacher. He didn’t much appreciate the job, so his students had yet to learn anything much more than how to clean and stay out of his way. But they were determined to find a way to make him see that they were ready to be real pirates.
After a number of backfired plans, the group strikes gold: the crew is set to take off on a Treasure Hunt on Snake Island. The kids seek out Clegg, the pirate who knows all, to ask him about the curse of the snake of Snake Island. They also copy themselves the treasure map. Then, with permission from the captain to camp on the beach for the night, they’re set to try and save the day. The plan? Get that treasure first! And prove they’re ready to be pirates.
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A year after character’s from one of Meggie’s favorite books, Inkheart, made chaos of their lives, Meggie and Mo are happy at home with Aunt Elinor, and Meggie’s Mother, Resa, finally returned from her captivity in the book. But Resa’s mind often turns to that other world which she knew for so long. And Meggie’s fascination knows no bounds. Dutifully she’s written down all the stories her mother has told her; Mo has bound them into books for her. But his concern is growing heavy. He wants her to give the Inkworld a rest. At least for awhile. And she’s about to store the books away, too. Until the boy her father read out of his story the previous year turns up at the door with stories of Dustfinger returning home to Inkheart, Basta planning his death, and the deaths of Meggie’s family, someone called Orpheus having the last copy of the book. Ultimately, he wants to be read into the story after Dustfinger, to warn him. He wasn’t supposed to be left behind.
Meggie agrees to try–but only if she goes with him. And so she rewrites Orpheus’ words, adds in a few to take her too, writes a letter to her family, and off they go.
But for all that Inkheart is one of her favorite stories, and the Inkworld is somewhere she’s always wanted to see, her arrival leaves her wishing immediately that she hadn’t gone through with it. Which means her only hope is to find Fenoglio, the book’s author, to see if he can write her back home.
Only the longer Meggie finds herself in this strange yet familiar world, the more it begins to feel like her own. And though she misses her family and her old life, and there are parts of the Inkworld she could do without, she also doesn’t want to leave it. That’s the way with words in this story–all-powerful, life-changing, game-playing. Can they together save this world they love so much, or will it be their doom in the end?
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Desperaux Tilling was a disappointment to his mother from the day he was born–the only of his litter of mice babies to survive. But with his big ears, and his wide-open eyes, the family immediately decides there’s something wrong with him. Indeed, Despereaux does seem to be lacking all requisite mouse desires.
His brother tries to teach him to scurry, but he would rather enjoy the stained glass windows. His sister tries to teach him to nibble books, but he would rather read. While his family hears nothing but the sounds of falling food, Despereaux is drawn to a sweeter sound, one only he seems to hear. And so it is he finds himself in the Princess Pea’s bedroom, listening to her father the King sing to her.
This is the last straw for the mouse community. They call together the council and together decide he must be sent to the Dungeon. No mice ever come back from the rat-infested dungeon. This is surely the way to rid themselves of this danger.
But this is the story of an unlikely hero, and Despereaux does come back from the dungeon. Just in time to be too late to warn anyone of the dangers to the princess. When her father the King won’t listen to Despereaux’s advice on what’s happened to the missing girl, he realizes it will be up to him to save her. And so he sets off, one little mouse, about to do the impossible.
This was a really quick read and a really cute book. I’ll probably be buying it for my permanent collection. Definitely worth a read.
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Now living at Awful End with his Mad Uncle Max and Even Madder Aunt Maud, Eddie’s life continues right on with the crazy. Awoken early one morning by his uncle to come down and see the driver-less hearse in the driveway, Eddie has no idea what to think. And before he can decide, an even bigger catastrophe happens.
While recovering from that, Eddie and not-Mr. Collins are nearly hit by a crashing hot air balloon, which does in fact hit his Mad aunt Maud, who labels it quite an exciting experience.
From there things just get crazier, as Eddie is arrested, set free, gets lost on the moors, falls in with some convicts and wonders how anything will get set right again.
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Alexa’s journey continues right where it left off, on the Warwick Beacon, with a voice on the wind leading her. While the journey is uncertain, and at times seems dangerous, still she does what she must.
When the original plan to return to Lathbury has to be abandoned, it saddens the crew, but they oblige. When they receive directions that seem for sure to be heading them straight towards danger, they comply. Though Alexa begins to fear they’ll never be able to save their dear friend Yipes, she doesn’t give up.
The darkest of the three books, in this tale, Elyon is failing. The war between Elyon himself and his rival Abaddon is at its climax, and all hopes lie with Alexa and her friends. If they succeed they will save the land and restore it to its natural order and beauty. Should they fail, life will never be the same for any of them. In fact, it might be over.
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January 5th, 2007
2:54 pm
Book Review, Series, Staff Favorites
adventure, children's books, demonology, faeries, fantasy, juvenile fiction, magic, space and time, ya fiction
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Having saved the world, and more than once, Artemis has found his return to the “simple” life to be rather dull. So when he gets wind of demon materializations, and realizes, quite by accident, that the calculations are wrong and that the world may be about to end yet again…of course he can’t stay away.
After an accidental and short journey through time with a demon, Artemis becomes determined to try to solve the issue of the island of Hybras, suspended in time by a decaying spell. His plans become complicated when he realizes another child genius also knows about the demons–and that their goals are not at all the same.
The two become embroiled in a strategic war, Minerva wanting a Nobel Prize, ARtemis wanting to come up with a plan to save the demon species, with minimal impact to Earth. Neither gets precisely what they wanted, as all plans go awry–and with rather dire consequences–not the least of which is Artemis and Holly’s unexpected trip to Hybras just in time to see it begin to disintegrate.
Will they be able save the island and make it back home?
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As stated by the author, this book came about because rather than write his nephew boring letters while he was at boarding school, his Uncle chose to write him stories instead. Eddie’s stories.
When Eddie Dickens’ parents take ill with an odd disease, they send him off with his Great-Uncle, who happens to be mad. Much to Eddie’s chagrin, upon arriving in the carriage, his Great-aunt is even madder. Naturally, many mishaps ensue. From sleeping in a trunk to rescuing an orphanage full of kids, Eddie is kept on his toes.
Fun, playful, zany little book. Can’t wait to see what happens in his next episode!
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