A fitting end to a greatly enjoyable series. As ever Kellen and Reichis find themselves in great peril and must use all their wits, strength and friendships to make it through. I really loved that the main character didn’t have special gifts; he was the opposite of the chosen one, and his journey and growth were more about confidence and wisdom than the attaining of skills or gifts. It is very funny and full of heart.
Set in a post-catastrophic Edinburgh (near future or alternate?) The Library of the Dead is about Ropa, a fourteen year-old ghostalker of Zimbabwean heritage – count me in! While trying to make a living and care for her grandmother and sister, Ropa takes messages from ghosts to their families. She hears that someone is doing something terrible to children, and this sends her on an adventure that brings her to an amazing library, new friends, magic, and much danger. It had a slow start, but I am fully on board for the series.
In the early 20th century January Scaller lives in a great house full of treasures, a ward to Mr Locke for whom her father works. One day she finds a book that tells an extraordinary tale of other worlds, and January is drawn out of her sheltered life and into great danger and adventure. With a story within a story, it reminded me of The Starless Sea( though a little less convoluted and grown-up), and it had elements of Sorcerer to the Crown as well (though not as funny), both favourites of mine. It is beautifully atmospheric, gorgeously imaginative, and gently romantic, with strong female characters, loyal friends (including a dog) frightening villains, and and an intriguing mystery.
After a simple mistake, Kellen is brought before the Daroman queen to be executed, but finds himself, and his squirrel cat business partner, embroiled in the court’s affairs. This is the second last book in the series, and not my favourite. Some beloved characters were completely absent, I didn’t really understand the political intrigue, and some truly awful things happened. That said, it is usual for YA series to get darker as they go on, and there was still a lot to enjoy. I am looking forward to the final book.
The second book in the trilogy, this brought more character development and an expansion of the glorious world building. It took me a while to get through this, as with the first one, but I did find it compelling. It’s dark, complex, intricate with a lot of heart, and I look forward to the final book.
This is like what life would have been like for Hufflepuff students whose names we never knew. While Harry Potter and friends were off saving the world, they just had to get on with high school. It’s about a group of teenagers just about to finish school, dealing with family problems, mental health challenges, relationships, and planning for the future, while the “indie kids” have to save the world from supernatural forces. I found it a funny, touching, and hopeful book about friendship and growing up.
Saeed and Nadia live in an un-named city, and fall in love as it falls to militant rule. As the world becomes more and more full of unrest, doors begin to appear that take people from their unstable homelands to safer places, and Saeed and Nadia escape to Mykonos, London, and California. The elements of magical realism, are only elements; it is a story of a relationship, of connection, of how migration, in all its forms, changes places and people, of the tenacity of the human spirit. The writing is beautiful, I often wanted to read it aloud, and while I found that the middle section dragged significantly, there were also moments of real insight and clarity.
Much more like a non-fiction history book, this is the background story of Tolkien’s world, from the beginnings, to the end of The Lord of the Rings. Not something I race through, it is a leisurely read to dip into for magical history of a beloved story world.
Pip is a young girl living in a hot, dusty, mining town. She misses her best friend, and her mother’s boyfriend is stealing their happiness at home, so she spends her time at the waterhole. One evening she finds a small, sick dragon, and knows she has to save him. It is a magical tale, though it feels completely realistic. Is about friendship, family, safety, loss, loneliness, and hope. It deals gently with domestic abuse, is heartwarming, and with a beautiful sense of place.
This is the story of five sisters who come together when their father (and King) has been placed under a curse. The sisters are all quite different from each other and trying to discover their path in life. It was a great read and would suit anyone who was looking to try a fantasy novel for a first time, as although set in a fantasy world it was easy to navigate and had a great story to get lost in.
rrlreads 