Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

Jamin P. review of The High King by Lloyd Alexander, March 19, 2008

The book I read, The High King, was great. The time, setting and plot all fit together quite nicely. The story takes place in Medieval Times but it is a fantasy world. Taran, an assistant-pig-keeper, is now a great warrior and he is the leader of an army of horsemen against Arawn-Death-Lord. There is a catch though Arawn has stolen the sword of Dyrawyn- the most powerful weapon in the kingdom of Prydain. Taran and is companions have set out to claim the sword back for the diabolical Arawn. They have to go to Arawn's lair, which is at the top of Mount Dragon. After many bloody battles they are able to retrieve the sword for Arawns Lair. At the end they end of the book some of Taran's companions go to the Summer Country, while some stayed on the now peaceful and prosperous land of Prydain.

Pig boy gets over it, the sword, the girl, the knowledge and the administration job.


Taran finally gets organised as far as the princess is concerned, but, as these things goes, is rudely interrupted by the goings on caused by your usual dark lord of the underworld.

A fantasy hero has to deal with that first, befor eany nuptials, as well as all the nicking off of the supernatural types and a decision for the woman of the piece.

The order came in a few days which was great. The person I orded this for was happy with the book and enjoyed reading it. All in all the order was fast and I was a satisied costomer. Cyndi

The high king by Lioyd Alexa is a wearied book that I wouldn't recommend if you are younger than a 5th grader. There is a guy that is going somewhere. Then there was a ogre and it was green. The guy went somewhere to get someone. He traveled a long way. He was on a horse back. It took him a few days to get there.
The guy was a worer and he was trying to beat someone. The person that he was going to defeat was a ogre. The ogre was as mean as a vicious dog. The guy had a sword and the ogre diden't but it had muscle, and it had friends and the guy diden't. The guy had to fight them off with one sword. It took him like 40min to fight them. After he did that he started going again to where he was going. It took him two more days to get where he was going.
He finally got there and the person wasen't there when he got there.

It is NOT my intent to be inflammatory or insulting with this review. However, as humans, we live and die by comparing and contrasting, so I can't help it if I do so. Please don't shoot the messenger because I rate Alexander's series according to personal standards.

Second, I am not merely reviewing The High King here; this is the best place to review the entire Chronicles of Prydain, and so I shall.

I have also heard a little rumor recently that Alexander's books have been recommended in reference to Harry Potter, and I have nothing against Harry Potter other than it is a lukewarm, morally tepid tale in which the characters, magic and plot are only occasionally consistent; however, the likeness between Harry and Taran are, in short, the difference between heroism by circumstance and heroism by choice.

Now to the review and to more (unintentional) offense: The Chronicles of Prydain slightly resemble (especially in the first part, The Book of Three) The Lord of the Rings because they are both drawn from the same Welsh roots. The Chronicles of Prydain are better, hands down, no questions asked. I have always regarded Tolkien as the untouchable master of Fantasy, until now. Here is why Alexander tops the unbeatable:

1. His characters are closer, more human, and more real. They are all easily accessible. They are all ingeniously well-defined. I am not as well-read as I should be, but I have never read a more likeable, fleshed-out and consistent, large cast of characters. His genius shines through.

2. Where Tolkien is mythology, Alexander is what mythologies are made of. The Chronicles of Prydain cut right to the core of the greatest human stories and their humanity--their sacrifice. The individual acts of sacrifice in each of the books are heartrending, and somehow, almost in an act of divinely-inspired propitiation, heart-mending. Frodo's act of sacrifice at the end of Return of the King pales in comparison to the multitude of sacrificial acts that culminate with Taran's decision at the end of The High King. It is awe-ful.

3. The female characters are superb. Eilonwy is a likeable, strong and strong-willed female who is consistently Eilonwy, the perfect foil to Taran, and perfectly balanced. Alexander did not make her a shrew, a feminist, or anything overboard to the point of ruining the character, the story or the consistency. She is wonderfully written and no less a hero than Taran, though the spotlight is not always on her. Alexander was truly ahead of his time in making a female hero so real, so approachable, so likeable, and truly heroic.

4. The plot is seamless. Books one through five fit together as in a panoramic puzzle, with each thing building on the other. Granted, Tolkien wrote in the style of the medieval, and he did so without flaw, but with Alexander, every scene serves the plot. There is not one wasted word, and few unanswered questions, if any.

5. The plot is character-driven. Unlike Harry Potter, where the deus-ex-machina is unbelievably heavy, the plot in the Chronicles of Prydain is character-driven, and hinges on the characters making the right decision without regard to their personal desires. I have only seen one other author in whose books this trait is so pronounced (see Nicole of Prie Mer: Book One of the Latter Annals of Lystra, to start) and so perfectly wielded. However, it makes for the most satisfying plot resolution possible.

6. The characters are hopefully complex and dynamic. I have never read of so many characters that are redeemable--and indeed, we see many of them redeemed. I can only hope to look on life with the optimism that Alexander must have had. His characters, even many of his bad ones, are so lovingly handled, I must hope that my Author chooses to deal with me so mercifully. The Mercy offered in these books goes beyond the pity offered to Gollum and into the redemptive work of One who can transform lives. It is extremely powerful, and the same reason so many of the minor characters are beautifully real and dance off of the pages.

I could go on and on, and fortunately for you, I won't. I am so lucky to have found these books. I hope many receptive hearts will continue to find them for several generations. May Alexander rest peacefully, and I hope that somehow, somewhere, he knows that his Taliesin is smiling.

I was a bit disappointed with this book because there was not as much action as in most other Star Wars books.
Twelve-year-old Obi -Wan is an exceptional student at the Jedi Temple, although his anger sometimes clouds his judgment. Only a few more weeks until his thirteenth birthday and then forced to leave the Temple, he has one last chance to be a padawan. When Jedi Master Qui-Gon-Jin arrives, Obi-wan is hopeful. Unfortunately, Qui-Gon is skeptical and rejects Obi-Wan. Though Fate has placed them on a same trip to Bandomear, Obi-Wan is to farm and Qui-Gon is on a mission.
I would only recommend this book to Star Wars fans because you have to know who a lot of people are such as Master Yoda and Master Windu. Other than that, it is a fairly good book.

Even though this is a young readers book(ages 9-12), any fan of the Star Wars series will enjoy this well told story about the little known history of Obi-Wan Kenobi's teenage years.
The story revolves around the trials and tribulations of Obi-Wan's struggle within to control his emotions and immerse his mind and body ionto the Force. Realizing the reality that he won't be chosen as a Padawan Learmer before the age limit deadline, and will become a member of the Agro-Corps, using the Force to help grow food on planets that struggle to do so.
The ever stubborn and persistent Kenobi learns that Qui-Gonn Jinn, a well respected Jedi Knight is coming to the temple to view the young students who are eligible for apprenticeship, he tries his hardest to impress the Jedi Knight. Even though Qui-Gonn is slightly impressed by young Kenobi, he refuses to take him as a Padawan because his first students fall to the Dark Side has left him skeptical of taking another.
The two find themselves traveling together on a freighter to a small mining planet, Obi-Wan to join the Agro-Corps and Qui-Gonn on Jedi business. Trouble arises and thus begins the first adventure of the two classic heroes.
As I said before any Star Wars fan can enjoy this book and the entire series is just as compelling.
Enjoy and May the Force be with you!!!

In the starwars movies obi-wan is over 70 years old-in this book he is 12. Obi-wan is not even a jedi yet. It is a real prolgue. If I did not read these books and then i saw the phantom menace it would not be as good. I reccomend to any starwars fan if you like the movies you will like the books more.

One of my favorite characters in the Star Wars Episodes I, II, III, and IV has been Obi-Wan Kenobi. My second favorite character is Qui-Gon Jenn. The Jedi Apprentice Series answers many of the questions that one might have wondering through their minds about these two characters. Some of these questions being how do you become a Jedi Apprentice, what was Obi-Wan like growing up, how does he learn to use the force and did Obi-Wan ever get to experience falling in love etc...? Dave Wolverton starts this series off with Book 1 and Jude Watson writes Book 2 -18. Both writers are good but Jude Watson is the one who bringing to light the emotions and bonding experiences between the Jedi Knight and his Apprentice. Their adventures together are interesting and imaginative leaving you wanting to know what's in the next book.
The Jedi Apprentice series was written for young teens, but it is enjoyable for all ages. These books are what I call easy reading, because you can finish it in just a few hours or faster if your a quick reader. I personally bought the Rising Force out of curiosity about Obi-Wan's character and to find answers to the questions that ran through my own mind after seeing episode III. I decided to buy the whole series to keep for my future grandchildren, so they too will know what isn't told in the movies about the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jenn, his Apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and the force that souranded their lives.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Jedi student hoping to be chosen as a Padawan by a Jedi Master, particularly one named Qui-Gon Jinn. But after proving his anger can get the better of him, he is not chosen as a Padawan. Instead he is sentenced to be a farmer on planet Bandomeer (yawn!) But he is stranded on a mysterious planet with Qui-Gon and the ship passengers. It leads to an unexpected adventure with Qui-Gon... This is an extremely poignant adventure with action and peril. I'd recommend it for any kid over 10 years old, maybe for some adults. I'm serious! Even if you think Star Wars is the most stupid thing ever, you'll love this book. Probably the second best in the whole series. It just rocks! Why? Because author Dave Wolverton comes up with excellent alien characters and writes about them with great poignance. And the Jedi wisdom written down in the book rings true. Overall, a smart mini novel. It rocks.

This book was recommended by a friend who has it and reads it to her granddaughter. I bought it to give as a gift to my granddaughter, but was so thrilled at the charming and spectacular content, I have kept it for myself. The pop ups have such amazing color and are on heavy enough paper that it should last a long time. I have been a great fan of all the Oz books (which I Have, some printed in the early 1900's) and believe this will be a great addition to my collection.
Sincerely, Lise Jones

My father got my sister and I some beautiful fairy tale popup books from Europe when we were children. We have never seen a popup book come even close to the details in those books. I took a chance after reading the reviews and ordered the Wizard of Oz popup for my sister for Christmas. Well, it comes very close to the books we had as children. Its very entertaining, even for us "older" kids.

Purchased item for my niece who adores the wizard of oz. The item was as described. Shipped promptly and she LOVED it.

I BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR A 2 MONTH OLD BABY FOR WHEN SHE GETS OLDER.I OPENED THE BOOK WHEN IT CAME IN THE MAIL AND I FELT LIKE A LITTLE KID IT WAS SO AWESOME. EACH PAGE IS FILLED WITH AMAZING DETAIL. IT WILL REALLY PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE

I was gifted this book about 4 or 5 years ago and my family has really enjoyed it over those years. I recently ordered another one for a friend as a Christmas gift. My copy has held up (made in South America), I am apprehensive about the newer one because it is made in China.

I never did truly see the point of this novel, but hey, it was fun and everyone loves dinosaurs. I think it's a good project for writing, and I like the admittely contrived concept of looking at everyone's thoughts. But aside from that, why?

While the bonus installments of Animorphs are K.A. Applegate's chance to shine (a.k.a. Visser, Megamorphs #1) they can also spell disaster. And this book spells every letter. It's as though Applegate rubbed her hands and said, "Here's my chance to put in every random idea I've ever had along with ten hours of research on dinosaurs. No, make that five hours." And she does.

The adventure in the book starts with some of the Animorphs stuck in a dinosaur. Yep, that's right. Inside a dinosaur. It is as ridiculous as it sounds. From there, they venture into the land of dinosaurs trying to find one another. The dinosaurs range from huge deadly raptors who are conveniently acquired, to Stegasaurus who are being zapped by evil ant aliens.

To try to divert attention from the convenient ways all six Animorphs can come away unscratched by a massive T-Rex, Applegate puts in big crabs with about twenty eyes. Oh, and they invented broccoli. They're named Mercora. Their enemies are lots and lots of evil ants called the Nesk, which are the pitifully two dimensional race who tries and fails to be as interesting as Yeerks.

Are these elements not ridiculous enough for you? There's more. They make dinosaur sandals. They steal nuclear weapons that happen to be invented back in that time. And somehow they all survive when a massive meteor hits the world and kills everything.

Sometimes Applegate goes a step too far in the absurd (though occassionally enjoyable) ideas throughout her Animorph series. Time of the Dinosaurs goes an entire staircase. Only die hard Animorphs fans should read this. And even then, remember that this is a bonus installment not part of the main series essential to understand the plot line... thankfully.

This book starts out with a kid seeing a submarine crashing at the bottom of the ocean. His name is Marco and he is the prankster of this group of special humans. They are Andalites,which have the power
to gather animal d.n.a. and they change into animals.Jake is the leader
then there is Cassie,Ax,and Rachel. Well they go to save the people in
the sub,While they are saving the day nuclear sub blows up and they get blown back to in time with the dinosaurs.While they are there they

encounter two alien species one friendly one not so friendly. So they create another explosion and they go home

megamorphs
the book i read was the animorphs: megamoarphs in the time of the
dinosaurs. the book starts out with Marco on of the five animorphs
talking about a nuclear sub that sank in the ocean. so he talks to his
friends and they go to the sunken sub and boom it happens if you
want to find out what happened read the book . but they wake up
and there in the time of the dinosaurs and all of their morphs are to
weak for them to use in that world so they have to get new morphs
but how. when they wake up tobias and Rachel were eaten by a
dinosaur and the rest of them are being chased by another dino.
they reach land and demorph and they relies that this is real and
that they might not go home. But they knew that tobias and werenýt
going no matter what because they were eaten as you now know.
Now the remaining animorphs decide that they need to get a fire
going to survive and keep other animals away. but what they dont
know is that tobias and rachel are still alive and are trying to get out
of the dinosaurs stomach. And back at camp a t-rex shows up and
they run they thought that the fire would keep the dinosaurs away .
to find out what happens in the rest of the book youýll have to read
the book but on my opinion the book was one of the best iýve ever
read on a scale of one to ten it was definetly a nine.

Sorry, but this book is definately only three stars. It all starts out when Marco hears about a sunk sub and the Animmorphs go to investigate. Something goes wrong and suddenly they find themselves in preostoric times!

I don't like this book because: a)It has the whole Sario Rip thing that was already put in another book. b)When they find themselves stuck in the Creostastes(sorry, don't know how to spell it) Period, there's another alien speices. I don't like that whole thing, along with The Mutation #36, and c)How it ended was very, very predictable. I don't know about you, but I knew that the comet was going to blow them back to their own time sooner or later.

Sorry Applegate, but you couldn't give us another winner like THe Andalite Chronicles (I have a review there, too)

Me and my sister have read this book over and over since we were quite small, I still adore it, it seems like every time I read it I discover something new. Wonderful book to read aloud! I hope you enjoy it as I have!

This is an amazing fantasy/mystery/romance. It is about a girl who is slowly unravelling the mystery of her mother's past and her future, after they move to a beautiful and mysterious country estate in England. The story is very original and filled with symbolism.
I definitely recommend reading it. I gave it 4.5 stars, rather than 5 because I am extremely picky about what I consider a 5 star book. The only qualm I had with this book was that the romance seemed a bit shallow. It was based almost entirely on a fate they seemed unable to escape, and instantaneous sexual attraction. The sexual content is a bit mature for teens too.
Aside from that, I really liked it.

ISBN 0380732289 - With teens the target audience, and with teens largely able to pick their own reading material without mom and dad nosing in, let me at least note that the sex scenes aren't as bad as romance novels for the grown-up audience, but they're there.

Clare and her mother, Frances, have some trouble getting along lately, partly because of the boy Clare's been dating. Once somewhat idealistic, Clare has taken up Adrian's opinions, which tend toward the "every man for himself", greedy sort. This is a little thing compared to what's coming next - Frances has taken a job as a private nurse and tells Clare, basically, that she ought to stay behind in London. Clare, however, makes up her own mind (for once) and decides to go along to Ravensmere, where her mother will be caring for 87 year old Mr. Aylward. Slowly, long-hidden truths begin to come to light.

So many things Clare thought she knew - from where her mother was born, to her own name - turn out to be half-truths or outright lies. Frances had spent Clare's entire life protecting her from Ravensmere and the legacy that will be hers, no matter what she does. With a history that might well go back tens of thousands of years, Ravensmere and the families tied to it protect a secret so powerful that the head of the Aylward family and his bride, always a Kenward daughter, must protect it with their lives.

Really well done, with a nice build up (that others found too slow) that leaves you wondering where everything is headed. As the secrets are revealed to the reader, and to Clare, understanding begins to dawn - but the real secret is beyond your guessing. You're going to have to read it to find out!

On the negative side, there's not much. At one point Clare snaps "Cat fleas don't live on humans." at Roger Fletcher, which is just stupid, since there's no such thing as "cat fleas" and fleas DO live on humans. And I hate to say it, but the ending wasn't as well done as the rest of the book. If Clare and Mark hadn't actually SAID what it was that they were sworn to protect, I'd still have no idea. Don't let that scare you off, though, because this one is one you'll be sorry to miss out on!

This is my favorite book ever. Mystery, intrigue, incredible plot and character development, romance, it's got it all! Liz Berry is a great author.

An intricate web of lore, romance, and mystery, this novel raises some interesting thoughts about the pressure of inheritance and the suffocating nature of responsibility. The plot is well thought out and mysterious, and as a reader you can feel yourself being slowly sucked into the story, lured by the many cryptic clues that lead up to the climax.

Ravensmere, the old country estate that is the setting of the story, is so deeply saturated with history and emotion that it is almost like a character, too alive and potent to be merely a part of the scenery. It creates a mysterious, intoxicating mood for the book simply through its presence, and provides the perfect location for a subtle mystery story.

In much the same way, Clare Meredith provides the perfect heroine for such a story. She is sharp, level-headed and sensible, believable and realistic, just like any ordinary person until she comes to Ravensmere and discovers her seer-like powers and bizarre connection to the estate and its puzzling past.

The only major flaw that I discovered upon reading the novel was that it took a while to get into. Nothing really happened within the first hundred pages to capture my interest. The plot only really starts speeding up after Clare meets Mark, and even then it could be quite slow-moving at times. Rather then hauling the reader in with explosive action or suspense, the author relies on her elaborate plot with its many mysterious references to draw your attention.

I loved this book, the entire series is amazing. I cannot wait until I read the next one.

Tamora Pierce is an excellent writer. All of her books really put you into the stories and make you feel as though you know the characters personally. This book is no different.

PAGE is the second installment in Tamora Pierce's PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL quartet and it improves on the already fantastic opening novel FIRST TEST. This particular series is again set in the enchanted kingdom of Tortall and features Keladry of Mindelan, now eleven years old and still as determined as ever to become a knight. In FIRST TEST, Kel successfully undergoes a probationary year which had been unfairly imposed upon her by the conservative training master Lord Wyldon, who doesn't believe that women are cut out to be knights. However, Kel truimphs over every test put in her path and Lord Wyldon has no choice but to add her officially to the ranks of pagehood.

PAGE chronicles Kel's three eventful years as a page. Here, she faces a diverse and ever escalating gamut of challenges, from battle lessons to physical tests of endurance and strength, from suffering growing pains (she develops a crush on a friend) to enduring the persisting scorn of several of the male fraternity, and, on one peril-fraught occasion, fighting for her very life as she and her fellow pages must face off against desperate bandits. And then, finally, there's the all-important and extremely difficult fourth-year exam, which will determine whether she'll advance to squirehood, the next rung up to knighthood. But an unexpected, catastrophic event will transpire which will endanger her chances of even attending the test and will pit her against her greatest weakness. Once again, Kel is well served by her fruitful time spent on the Yamani Islands as she habitually makes good use of the adopted martial training and the poise she had learned from her Yamani instructors. Also, now in her second year, Kel has garnered enough friendships amongst her peers that she doesn't feel quite so isolated. Her horse Peachblossom and her helpful flock of sparrows again prove to be invaluable. Meanwhile, her mysterious, unidentified benefactor pleasantly continues to present her with inestimably practical gifts.

As ever, Kel continues to champion the underdog and the helpless. Here, she takes into her care the homeless and homely but ingratiating mutt Jump (never mind that she's not allowed to have pets) and hires into her service the timid maid Lalasa, who had suffered ill-treatment in her past. Kel aims to foster a confidence in Lalasa by instilling in her a belief in her own worth and by teaching her various martial arts moves for self-protection. Kel also continues her informal evening hall patrol as she keeps a watchful eye out for her nemesis, Joren, and his disagreeable clique of hangers-on, who revel in the abuse of the hazing ritual, too often unlawfully beating up on smaller, newer, and younger pages.

Kel persists in being one of the better young heroines out there. I really liked her in FIRST TEST and, here, she's even more appealing. Unlike Alanna, Tamora Pierce's first heroine, Kel isn't imbued with a magical power and doesn't attempt to hide her gender. Kel is a GIRL and very proud to be one, and she doesn't take short cuts. Pierce nicely depicts sequences of Kel stubbornly working hard to better herself as she stoically suffers every bead of sweat, bruise, and ache brought on by her training. Thus, the reader actually ends up cheering all the more for the approbations she does receive.

By the way, I don't mean to knock Alanna. I also enjoyed the quartet of books about her. Her achievements are what made Kel's endeavor here possible. But, yeah, when you get right down to it, Alanna has a supernatural ability while Kel remains a regular human girl. To get even more nerdy, it's kind of like comparing Superman to Batman. Anyway, if you've already read FIRST TEST, I won't have to talk hard and fast to convince you to read PAGE, or the subsequent novels. I'm in the middle of reading SQUIRE right now, myself. And that one, so far, is even marginally better than FIRST TEST and PAGE.

I gave the first of this series 5 stars, and reluctantly subtract one for the execution of her second. The premise is sound - she planned to deal with Kel as a child, a Page, a Squire, and finally as Lady Knight, but the pace and high drama of this book left many things feeling a bit rushed.

Firstly, expect the content to be notably more mature than in First Test. Kel deals with hitting puberty, hitting boys, being hit by boys, and a brutal regimen of forcing down her phobias. This, in addition to intense training, having (and dealing) with crushes on her fellow Pages, and proving over and over and over that she can and will "run with the big boys."

Despite cramming several years worth of experience (literally) into this book, Pierce does an admirable job of containing and streamlining it. The years are well defined, and the individual 'quests' are tightly written and clear. This book also handles the development of Kel's unique abilities in command. Her growing sympathy for commoners and the weak is showcased in a series of growing climaxes. The ending sequence is especially well-done, and younger readers will be very impressed with Kel's maturity and self-sacrifice.

Again, I find that Pierce writes extremely appropraitely for the age-level (estimating by Kel's own age, the pre-teen market) and I find that her focus on morality and strength of conviction in difficult circumstances is fitting for younger readers. I wholeheartedly suggest these books for parents wishing to instil those ideals in their children, in addition to reading them because they are simply VERY nicely crafted books.

**Lastly, as I warned for First Test = Parents who are very careful of the sexual, homosexual, or magical encounters their children have - PLEASE read these books before handing them over to your kids. I personally see nothing wrong with her handling of delicate issues, but you might. And to set your child on a series of entertaining books, and then later ban them for dealing with unfortunate subjects - this makes rebellious and NEEDLESSLY unhappy children. Please, if you are sensitive to sexual references (including a brief mention of homosexuality and extremely frank dealings with rape) and/or the use and presence of magic, please make sure YOU read this first.

Keladry of Mindalen has passed her test and is now a full page, dreaming of becoming a knight. Kel is keeping up with life but it's getting hard. She still has to handle to fact that many, many people are still mad about her becoming a page. While she deals with this she is trying to maintain her training. And ALSO trying to deal with her feelings for her best friend, Nealan of Queenscove. In other words life is hectic for Keladry of Mindalen.
In this book there is a part where Keladry shows her skills and leads her friends out of a sticky situation where they're trapped by a group of bandits while the pages are on a little 'field trip'.

"Ladies have no place bearing arms..." I've said it once and I'll say it again...that's WRONG!

I hope you'll read this book, 'Page'. I'm sure you'll love it.

My daughter hasn't made it to this book yet but she is looking forward to it!

Song of the Wanderer by Bruce Coville is a great fantasy book. I definitely recommend it to people who LOVE using there IMAGINATION. The story begins when a girl named Cara is in the wonderful yet dangerous land of the unicorns, Luster. Cara was summoned by the queen of the unicorns to find the wanderer(Cara's grandmother) so that the queen(Arabella Skydancer) can rest in peace. Soon after that meeting Cara sets off on her mission to find her grandmother. The night she set off she had a dream of her many times great grandmother (that hates unicorns) Beloved, contacts Cara in her dream. The next day Cara, Moonheart, Belle, the squijem, and Finder set off to M'Gama's mountain. Cara and the rest of the group follow M'Gama's servant deep down into the mountain, to the point that they are almost under the surface of the earth to do a spell that will help tell the way to the gate that leads from Luster to Earth. Also M'Gama will do something that will surprise you. Trust me.
This paragraph is just about a character that comes later in the book. That character is Lightfoot. Lightfoot is a smart alec, cocky little(well he is not really small he actually is a rather large unicorn) that is also very sweet and protective of Cara. He risk's his life for Cara at one point in the book. And you will find out in what way. Oh and you will find that a unsuspecting person will finally meet Cara. And all you need to do is read the book to find what adventure lies in it. I'm not going to you what is going to happen in the rest of the book.

After picking up Into the Land of the Unicorns: The Unicorn Chronicles when it was first published, I very impatiently waited for this title to be released. My best friend and I read it over and over -- my copy was so worn I went through several rolls of tape repairing it. Finally, on a trip with my high school honors society, I picked up a replacement AND the sequel! That night, I burned through the book in about half an hour. Yes, at the age of 16, I was reading a book aimed at children. I am that hooked. If a third is ever released, I'm going to buy it as well.

The new cover art is impressive, but it kind of ruins the imagination to actually SEE Cara. The imagery in this book, however, puts the art to shame. This is by far the most cleverly-written tale I have laid hands on.

After being cast into the mysterious land of Luster not too long ago, twelve-year-old Cara Diana Hunter is finally just moments away from meeting the Unicorn Queen - Arabella Skydancer. During her time in Luster, while Cara has missed Grandmother Morris dearly, she has made friends with mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes - from Thomas the Tinker to Lightfoot the Unicorn, and a squirrel-like creature called Squijum to the half bear/half human Dimblethum, and many, many more. But the time has come to buckle down and complete the mission at hand to save Luster forever as we know it. The Unicorn Queen has reached old age. She is fading slowly but surely; however, she refuses to say farewell to her friends and family until she has had the opportunity to see Grandmother Morris - aka The Wanderer - one last time. This is where Cara enters the story. It is the Unicorn Queen's request that Cara, along with a glory of unicorns - Moonheart, Finder, and Belle. Together, Cara and the glory of unicorns - along with Thomas the Tinker and Squijum - will make their way back to Earth, in order to save Grandmother Morris from Beloved and the rest of the Hunter's, and return her to her rightful home right here in Luster. Cara is convinced that, with the assistance of her strong, and powerful friends, the task will be simple. However, she soon realizes that heading back to Earth and locating Grandmother Morris is a much more difficult task than she ever could have imagined. For one, their days are numbered before the dynamics of Luster shift for Autumn, and make it impossible to re-enter Luster in the same location where they departed. Two, the companions will have to find a way to make it to the back of the dragon, Ebillan's cave, in an attempt to reach the secret door that bridges the gap between Earth and Luster. And three, with various moments of contact with the wicked Beloved, Cara has no idea what to expect when she takes her first steps back onto Earth's soil. She's also reluctant to find out. As much as she wants to see Grandmother Morris again, she can't help but feel nervous about leaving the quiet, shimmery world of Luster. But, alas, Cara accepts the task, and begins her journey. This time, however, the journey is much more tiring than her first travels through Luster. With a request to pay a visit to the Geomancer, M'Gama, Cara visits the magician of sorts, where she is given provisions and protection to help her during her quest. But her time with M'Gama is not nearly as important as her time with Grimwold, the individual who records all of the Unicorn Chronicles, and has a very special story waiting for Cara and her companions when they arrive at his front door during their journey. With Grimwold and M'Gama's instructions and information close at hand, Cara sets her mind on accomplishing her task, and finding Grandmother Morris. But through battles with vicious delvers, and encounters with enough mythical creatures to make your head spin; Cara becomes to wonder whether she'll be able to accomplish her task in the set amount of days, or if she'll be the ruination of Luster altogether.

I absolutely adored Bruce Coville's INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, which I read a little over a year ago. However, upon beginning SONG OF THE WANDERER, I quickly realized that, as fabulous as its predecessor was, it couldn't hold a candle to the magic and adventure found within the pages of SONG OF THE WANDERER. Coville has returned with the rest of Cara's story, painting Cara, once more, as an understanding, brave, kind individual; whose loyalty to her Grandmother, her friends, and the secret world of Luster is admirable; while her determination to complete any task that may find its way to her is thrilling. The fact that, like with INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, Coville has kept many secondary characters around, and introduced many more only adds to the excitement of the tale, and makes it impossible to stop reading. The Squijum is still one of my favorite characters. His constant ramblings are humorous; while his ability to brighten the mood in any situation makes him a much-needed character. Thomas the Tinker is also a fun individual. The fact that he owns a caravan that can be folded into the size of a piece of paper adds a little magic to the story; while his protectiveness over Cara makes him appear quite similar to a father-like character, whom you can't help but love. I was absolutely ecstatic to see that the faces of Lightfoot the Unicorn and the Dimblethum made appearances throughout SONG OF THE WANDERER, as they are two very important characters whom I certainly wouldn't want to see cut from the story. Coville's descriptions of the vicious delvers, and their surprise attacks send shivers up your spine; while the stories that Grimwold recants regarding Unicorn history are absorbing, and hard to resist. Coville's lyrical writing takes you on a whimsical adventure that won't soon be forgotten!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I thought this book was really great. Bruce Coville did a great job with this book as he did with the last one. Cara is one of my favorite book characters and I just loved all the twists this book had. Thses books are not your average unicorn books! Some good news for anyone who has already read these books and want to know if there's more there is. Book 3 is supposed to come out around April 2008 and called Dark Whispers. There will also be a book 4.

I loved this book. I am hoping for a realtionship between Daine and the Numair. I loved the story line and the plot was quite interesting. I cant wait to read the fourth of this series.

This book is no disappointment for anyone who likes Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. A great read. Recommended for anyone looking for adventure. This book, of course, is a sequel, and is well worth reading. Tamora Pierce does not disappoint with her intriguing plot, life-like characters, thrilling adventures. Brilliant cover art for this edition. As usual a wonderful installment in her Tortall adventures.

Ever wished you could trash an empiral palace using dinosaurs? Then this book is for you! Animal lovers unite to take out the bad guy.

I have read this book many times in the past years. Finally being able to own it is great! It has a good storyline and well-thought-out characters. I've loved these books since I was a kid and I hope others read them as well!

Daine and her teacher Numair Salamin are sent to Carthak as part of the peace legion. But although Ozorne says that he didn't attack Tortall Daine can tell that he's up to something. She can feel it.

In this book Daine is captured by...sorry I won't tell you. Numair tries to save her and...another thing I won't say. Ozorne is growing powerful and Daine see's her power growing in strange ways. Are these powers good or bad?

While Daine is here she meets Kaddar the prince of Carthak and maybe, just maybe they can do something to stop the war and to defeat Ozorne...

Please read this book. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It has magic, fantasy, action, adventure and a touch of romance.

Good as a present. Interesting books, but don't buy them if you are going to read them 3+ times. Soft cover break down fast. Spend extra money for hard cover.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a very interesting book that captures your imagination from the very beginning until the very end. This book starts out like every other Harry Potter book, but you quickly get involved in the plot. Early in the book you discover Harry's parents died (which is one of the main secrets of the Harry Potter series). Many new characters are introduced into the book. Some of them become instant favorites and you immediately hate. J.K. Rowling makes the new characters seem believable even though they are strange and mysterious. One of the new teachers was one of Harry's father's friends, so Harry quickly becomes friends with the teacher and finds out many things of his father. Before the year ends, Harry is forced to confront the man who is supposedly responsible for his parent's deaths, but the mortal combat ends in a conclusion that you would never suspect. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too.

i think that Harry Potter set really influences people and that reading ability and helps you enter a new world of adventure. Both intense and somewhat humorous, Harry Potter captured the hearts of adults and chilren. This site personally ASSURES you for the BESt quality of any new coming books with a Great Low price. For any readers out that, I say BUY IT!!!!!

It was b4 the release of the 1st harry potter movie that prompted me to read the books. At the time, it was big news about the upcoming movie, everybody was talking about it. So i was just really curious about the books and wondered why they're so famous. And i went to the library and borrowed the 2nd book, and once i started reading it, i couldn't stop laughing nor could i stop reading. cuz it's just so good! you can just totally put urself into the book, it's like a whole new world. it's just like "magic"!!lol. and then i read the 1st and the 4th book in one week. now i've read all of them so far and i've also seen the first and the second movie just tonite. and i can't wait to read the 5th one. if u haven't read any of the harry potter books, u should. they're awesome. really!!

My two children have already worn out a set of hardback Harry Potter books, so I don't know why I thought a paperback set would survive any better. Maybe I thought since they had read the others at least three times each that this set wouldn't get the same wear. I was wrong. My children (and husband) keep reading these books over and over. And the books are starting to fall apart. When they wear this set out, I'll get the best hardback set I can find! If your set won't get this kind of wear, it is a fine set.

Butcher is a wonderful writer and this book continues the trend. Not Gone with the Wind or Tale of two Cities. But as far as crime/investigator novels go it's wonderful.

As in the previous entries in this entertaining series, this one displays characteristic wit, imagination and skilled use of language. The whole series impresses me as a cut above many competing fantasy works, and the portrayal of magic as an emotional effect, drawing on a person's moral character, is refreshing and novel. I look forward to future volumes.

These books were great! If you love science fiction you will love these books. The author is funny, witty and holds your interest from cover to cover. I ordered the complete set and read through it in a week! I hope they bring the television series back to SciFi. It is more entertaining a series that SciFi brought back, Dr. Who, or as I call it "the doctor's non habit forming sleep remedy"! I'm going to reread them soon since I enjoyed them so much! I'm sure there were things I missed on the first go around. I'm also looking forward to the next book in the series.

This series just keeps getting better. Thoroughly enjoyed it and highly anticipate the next book. Thank you Mr Butcher for your entertaining books.

White Night is the ninth volume in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, and the first real follow-up to the events in Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6). This novel follows Harry Dresden's search for a serial killer who is stalking Chicago's lower-level magical practitioners. This search has Harry crossing paths with the White Court of Vampires, Johnny Marcone's mafia family, the renegade Black Council, and maybe even his vampire half-brother Thomas. There's also a very important development concerning Harry and his demonic head-guest Laschiel that came as a big surprise (to me at least).

Butcher's memorable characters and fun dialogue make this an easy book to jump into, but the story is almost too convoluted to follow. There are too many players, too many motives, and too little time spent on resolution of the various plot threads. By the time the inevitable battle royale rolls around, you just want to get it over with and make sure Harry is still standing when the smoke clears.

I haven't been this unimpressed with a Dresden Files novel since Blood Rites, which might mean it's the subject matter that's leaving me cold, not the author. It's hard too care too much about White Court intrigue when two of the three major players are introduced (and summarily dispatched) so late in the story. There's also my standing gripe with Butcher's tendency to describe everything his characters wear and eat in great detail. It's just not relevant to the story, and I can't figure out why he gives it so much attention.

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound as they say. White Night isn't the best Dresden Files novel, but it's still a decent read and doesn't diminish my overall affection for and enjoyment of this series.