Category: Fantasy

Book Reviews: The Last Dragonslayer and The Sleeper and the Spindle

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews1 Comment

Continuing along through Once Upon a Time reads that I only have a bit to say about 🙂 I have another two-for-one post today…

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

Set in an alternate England (made up of hundreds of fractured Un-united Kingdoms), this is a world where magic exists but is on the wane. Jennifer Strange, foundling child, fell into a management role of Kazam, last great magic house, and is struggling to keep the bills paid, the lights on and the magical elevator riding up and down. In a changing world, magicians have to take on assignments like rewiring a house and delivering pizza by magic carpet. When all the local seers foretell the death of the last dragon for next Sunday at noon, the fortunes of Jennifer, Kazam, the country and the existence of magic itself all could be changed.

I’ve got troubles with Fforde. I love his ideas, which makes me want to love his books—and yet I don’t. To be fair, the only other book I read by him was The Eyre Affair (someone gains the power to enter books and change them, changing the content in every copy, and he’s gunning for Jane Eyre—possibly the best idea ever) but it was a similar experience both times. I mean, pizza delivery by magic carpet!  Cool idea! Plus Jennifer is perfectly likable, the plot is effective if a little slow-moving, and the supporting characters are zany and interesting and yet, something just didn’t work for me. Continue reading “Book Reviews: The Last Dragonslayer and The Sleeper and the Spindle” →

Book Reviews: A Question of Magic and The Son of Neptune

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

I find myself with an accumulation of Once Upon a Time reads that I have got behind on reviewing—in part because I don’t have quite enough to say on them! So I thought perhaps a round-up, to say a little on each…here’s my first two-for-one review, and I should have another next week!

A Question of Magic by E. D. Baker

Serafina finds herself unexpectedly trapped when she goes to visit an old woman she believes to be her aunt—who turns out to be the legendary Baba Yaga, who has gone into retirement and left Serafina to take over her home and duties. Serafina must answer truthfully the first question anyone asks her, giving her a powerful magic gift akin to prophecy. Unfortunately, each question she answers causes her to age dramatically. She searches for a way to escape her new role and return home to her family and sweetheart.

I have a rocky history with Baker, but I was so intrigued by this question-answering business that I decided to try the book anyway. That wasn’t as exciting as I thought it might be, since magic essentially takes over Serafina and forces an answer with no thought or intention from her. But on the plus side, my chief complaint with Baker, characters lacking emotional depth, was so much better here. Continue reading “Book Reviews: A Question of Magic and The Son of Neptune” →

Book Review: The Whisper (Riverman Trilogy)

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

I recently reviewed The Riverman by Aaron Starmer, which left me with a very disappointingly ambiguous ending.  So naturally I went swiftly on to the recently-published second book, The Whisper.  I liked the ending better…but had mixed feelings about the book on the whole.  Spoilers to follow for the first book because it’s pretty unavoidable!

The Riverman was about Alistair and his friendship with Fiona, who tells him a strange and impossible story of traveling to Aquavania, where kids can create entire worlds with just their imaginations.  Alistair mostly believes that Fiona is inventing an elaborate metaphor, including the shadowy Riverman who stalks Aquavania, in response to dangers threatening her in the real world.  The Whisper blows apart that uncertainty between fantasy and reality, when Alistair follows Fiona into Aquavania.  Fiona has been taken by the Riverman, also called the Whisper.  Alistair chases through worlds, trying to find and fight the Whisper, hoping to find and rescue Fiona in the process. Continue reading “Book Review: The Whisper (Riverman Trilogy)” →

Book Review: Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Juvenile, Reviews3 Comments

As far as I know, my book today is pretty obscure–but you may have heard of its more famous literary sibling, The Cricket in Times Square.  George Selden wrote seven books about Chester Cricket and his friends, and Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse serves as a prequel to Cricket.

The book opens with a very young Tucker Mouse lost on the streets of New York–so young that he hasn’t even chosen a name for himself yet.  When he bumps into a tabby kitten, he’s ready to fight…because that’s what cats and mice do.  But Harry Kitten offers him a crust of sandwich instead, and the two become fast friends.  Together, they roam New York looking for a home, from the basement of the Empire State Building to manicured Gramercy Park.  But nowhere feels right until they find the bustle of the Times Square Subway Station.

This is an utterly charming series.  Chester Cricket doesn’t appear in this story, but I love Harry and Tucker.  Harry is always so calm, so reasonable, while Tucker is dramatic, anxious and avaricious–and usually the source of humor.  They’re one of my favorite literary friendships, all the more so because it’s between two traditional enemy species.  And their quest for a place to belong is perfectly familiar for humans too. Continue reading “Book Review: Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse” →

Book Review: The Animal Family

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Juvenile, Reviews1 Comment

In another read for the Once Upon a Time challenge, I picked up The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell, illustrated by Maurice Sendak.  It’s an old book and a Newbery Honor, but I’d never heard of it until recently.  It’s a short book, fable-like and charming.

The story centers around a hunter who lives all alone beside the shore–until one day he hears a mermaid singing.  He coaxes her ashore by singing back.  She learns his language and eventually comes to live with him.  Together, they find and adopt three orphans: a bear, a lynx and a human boy.

This is a sweet little story about family and home, and very different people (creatures) coming to understand and accept each other.  What might be most surprising is what doesn’t happen–the mermaid never becomes human.  She comes onto land to live with a human man, and certainly she and her life change, but she doesn’t give up who she is.  In fact, the book largely slides right over the practical problems of a mermaid on land, which in some ways is slightly bothersome (I mean, how does she even get around?) but I think is worth it in the end. Continue reading “Book Review: The Animal Family” →