Category: Reviews

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” →

Movie Review: The Age of Adaline

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews, Science Fiction1 Comment

Age of AdalineI’m fascinated by time travel and reincarnation and immortals living through different eras, so of course I was intrigued by The Age of Adaline, about a woman who stopped aging in 1937, and in 2015 is, to all appearances, still 29 years old.

There is a plot here, about what happens when Adaline falls in love, jeopardizing the safe but rootless existence she’s been living, hiding her past and her…condition from everyone.  She also bumps into a decades-ago paramour, played in the present by Harrison Ford, complicating life even further.

It’s a pretty good plot, romantic in spots and tense in others, but what really made me love this movie was Adaline herself.  Adaline is played by Blake Lively, who I’ve previously only seen in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies, and I’m so impressed by her here.  She was so convincing as an old soul in a young body.  Adaline walks with an incredible amount of poise and confidence, and does seem in many ways older than her physical appearance. Continue reading “Movie Review: The Age of Adaline” →

Book Review: Jane of Lantern Hill

On By cherylmahoneyIn Juvenile, Reviews3 Comments

Regular readers know that I have read a lot by L. M. Montgomery—in fact, every novel, short story, journal and letter available! One of her last books, Jane of Lantern Hill, was also the very last novel of hers I read. I only read it once, and that was several years ago, so it seemed like time for a revisit.

The book opens in Toronto, where Jane lives on the very bleak Gay Street with her domineering grandmother and lively but dominated mother. Under her grandmother’s critical eye, Jane is awkward, unsure and lonely. Jane always believed her father was dead…but in fact her parents simply live apart (not divorced, mind you!) and one day a letter arrives from her father. He wants Jane to come live with him for the summer on Prince Edward Island. And there, of course, Jane finds her true home and her true self.

This book has all of Montgomery’s charm and beautiful descriptions, painting a world that invites the reader in. Jane is another plucky Montgomery heroine, one with more challenges and more character growth to go through than many of the more fortunate ones—who began life on Prince Edward Island! Jane is less of a dreamer and very much a homemaker, delighting in cooking and tidying her house and planting her garden. Somehow Montgomery makes it sound so charming that of course Jane loves doing it all (and I say that as someone who wants to shake Wendy for doing very similar things in Neverland!) Continue reading “Book Review: Jane of Lantern Hill” →

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)” →