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daniella84's review
4.0
Overall, I liked this book. I liked how Riq went through a more personal journey and you saw more of his caring side. I also liked that the SQ were harder to find and that they didn't find the Hystorian until most of the way through. This gave more twists and turns to the plot. This said though, I believe that Riq and James found their way off the mainland too easily, I mean a canoe in a tree? Really?
Anyway, I also enjoy the fact that the online aspect is a crucial part of the storyline. They go onto another break that is described in the book but only played through online. Though this might be a problem for people without online access or who borrow the book and are unable to use this feature; there is a brief description in the book that follows. It is also made so that the online and book adventures flow on nicely and for the people that do not complete these adventures online there are no new characters or crucial story lines that will impact their understanding.
I can't wait to head to Japan online and am happy to wait for the next book.
Anyway, I also enjoy the fact that the online aspect is a crucial part of the storyline. They go onto another break that is described in the book but only played through online. Though this might be a problem for people without online access or who borrow the book and are unable to use this feature; there is a brief description in the book that follows. It is also made so that the online and book adventures flow on nicely and for the people that do not complete these adventures online there are no new characters or crucial story lines that will impact their understanding.
I can't wait to head to Japan online and am happy to wait for the next book.
reason23's review
4.0
The third book in the Infinity Ring series. If you're unfamiliar with it, the books are all written by different authors and included online game codes to do in between. Sadly, the games no longer exist, but the books do explain what was missed.
This third installment has been my favorite so far. I'm not familiar with the author of this one, but I may look her up to see what else she's written now. Our journey through time and space has brought us to 1850 to ensure the Underground Railroad is able to continue its mission. I like that the books are short. It's a great series for kids and adults who don't have a long attention span when reading. But without the follow-up game, it's hard to get excited about continuing. I would love to know more about samurai in Japan. But that's the story that took place in the now deleted game. I have no way of knowing where Dak, Sera, and Riq are heading in book 4 until I read it. So it will likely be put off while I catch up on some other books. But this book has encouraged me to continue on with the series for a little while longer.
This third installment has been my favorite so far. I'm not familiar with the author of this one, but I may look her up to see what else she's written now. Our journey through time and space has brought us to 1850 to ensure the Underground Railroad is able to continue its mission. I like that the books are short. It's a great series for kids and adults who don't have a long attention span when reading. But without the follow-up game, it's hard to get excited about continuing. I would love to know more about samurai in Japan. But that's the story that took place in the now deleted game. I have no way of knowing where Dak, Sera, and Riq are heading in book 4 until I read it. So it will likely be put off while I catch up on some other books. But this book has encouraged me to continue on with the series for a little while longer.
jscarpa14's review against another edition
4.0
The first thing I'm going to say is that I still hate the way this series is set up and the gap between books. Eventually I'll probably cave and go to the website to see what I'm missing, but that day isn't today. I still think you shouldn't have to visit a website in order to receive the complete story in a book series. That said this installment of The Infinity Ring series is another winner in my book.
Unlike Ryan, McMann returned to a more familiar period of history in her story as Sera, Dak and Riq visit 1850 and see the beginnings of the Underground Railroad. Most readers who remember their history classes are going to recognize multiple historical characters and the scenario depicted here. What really makes this book special isn't that it repeats things that a lot of people know, it's the way it makes you feel them. Most people can look backward at the time of slavery and think that's atrocious and not be able to understand how any human being can consider another human being to be property. If someone can't look back and do that in my personal opinion they probably need a lot more help than reading a book can give them. What most of us can't do is really understand how horrible it felt to be a slave, to be treated as if you were cattle. Some of us, myself included, doesn't understand what's it's like to look back at their ancestry and know that they were property and how that makes a person feel. Call me an ostrich but I've always been one of those people that never wanted to look at their family tree close enough to know if they owned or were slaves because I've never wanted to face the idea of coming from that of either knowing I had ancestors that never knew what freedom felt like or more likely knowing I had ancestors that stole that knowledge from someone else. The idea of actually knowing for sure that I probably came from someone who did something like that and didn't see anything wrong with it makes me feel kind of dirty inside, like there's a portion of my blood that's tainted. Instead I choose not to know for sure and hoping those I came from weren't a part of that.
The thing is a large portion of the world's population has no choice but to face the reality that one of their ancestors was treated as though they weren't even human. People who aren't in that group of having no choice but to know can't really understand what it's like for their contemporaries who do know. Through Riq's experiences in the book we not only get a small taste of what it feel like to be in that group of the population, to have stories passed down to you about the atrocities your ancestors faced, but they also get a heartbreaking portrayal of what it might feel like to be one of those ancestors. Sera, Dak and Riq find themselves walking almost immediately into a trap when they first arrive at their destination. Because of that trap, Riq is kidnapped by slave traders and barely escapes being sold into slavery. There are multiple scenes in the book where he almost doesn't escape. McMann does this amazing job of putting the reader into Riq's head and making you really ache for him. While Ryan brought Sera to live and made Riq seem so much more human, McMann picked up that growth and Riq and made him not only human but this admirable, flawed, somewhat broken character. She helps you to understand Riq's past actions and the ones he makes in the story. She really brings to live the plight of someone whose ancestors were slaves and the plight of the slaves themselves back in 1850. She manages to do this without crossing into territory too dark for a young reader while still making an adult reader want to cry for this character and not only what he's been through but what he might have to go through because of his actions to correct history. She presents a very real fear for Riq's future which hopefully future series writers will address. I just really can't find words to express the connection she makes you feel to Riq in this book.
The period in history chosen is amazing because she's chosen a time period where a few people start to see right from wrong and who eventually go on to make the rest of the world see. The civil war time period and that preceding it has always been one of my favorites in history because I like the bits of history that aren't just about disasters but when what I personally believe is the good guy eventually wins. So much of life doesn't work like books, just because you're the one in the right doesn't mean you're the one who will prosper, to me the moments in history where despite the loss it emulates books and the good guys win are my favorites. So I really enjoyed the way McMann brought the reader right into that conflict and not just the conflict but that giant ball of feelings you don't get to read about in the history books.
With each addition to the series that I read I have a new favorite and I certainly hope that continues as the series progress. This particular installment is highly recommended.
Unlike Ryan, McMann returned to a more familiar period of history in her story as Sera, Dak and Riq visit 1850 and see the beginnings of the Underground Railroad. Most readers who remember their history classes are going to recognize multiple historical characters and the scenario depicted here. What really makes this book special isn't that it repeats things that a lot of people know, it's the way it makes you feel them. Most people can look backward at the time of slavery and think that's atrocious and not be able to understand how any human being can consider another human being to be property. If someone can't look back and do that in my personal opinion they probably need a lot more help than reading a book can give them. What most of us can't do is really understand how horrible it felt to be a slave, to be treated as if you were cattle. Some of us, myself included, doesn't understand what's it's like to look back at their ancestry and know that they were property and how that makes a person feel. Call me an ostrich but I've always been one of those people that never wanted to look at their family tree close enough to know if they owned or were slaves because I've never wanted to face the idea of coming from that of either knowing I had ancestors that never knew what freedom felt like or more likely knowing I had ancestors that stole that knowledge from someone else. The idea of actually knowing for sure that I probably came from someone who did something like that and didn't see anything wrong with it makes me feel kind of dirty inside, like there's a portion of my blood that's tainted. Instead I choose not to know for sure and hoping those I came from weren't a part of that.
The thing is a large portion of the world's population has no choice but to face the reality that one of their ancestors was treated as though they weren't even human. People who aren't in that group of having no choice but to know can't really understand what it's like for their contemporaries who do know. Through Riq's experiences in the book we not only get a small taste of what it feel like to be in that group of the population, to have stories passed down to you about the atrocities your ancestors faced, but they also get a heartbreaking portrayal of what it might feel like to be one of those ancestors. Sera, Dak and Riq find themselves walking almost immediately into a trap when they first arrive at their destination. Because of that trap, Riq is kidnapped by slave traders and barely escapes being sold into slavery. There are multiple scenes in the book where he almost doesn't escape. McMann does this amazing job of putting the reader into Riq's head and making you really ache for him. While Ryan brought Sera to live and made Riq seem so much more human, McMann picked up that growth and Riq and made him not only human but this admirable, flawed, somewhat broken character. She helps you to understand Riq's past actions and the ones he makes in the story. She really brings to live the plight of someone whose ancestors were slaves and the plight of the slaves themselves back in 1850. She manages to do this without crossing into territory too dark for a young reader while still making an adult reader want to cry for this character and not only what he's been through but what he might have to go through because of his actions to correct history. She presents a very real fear for Riq's future which hopefully future series writers will address. I just really can't find words to express the connection she makes you feel to Riq in this book.
The period in history chosen is amazing because she's chosen a time period where a few people start to see right from wrong and who eventually go on to make the rest of the world see. The civil war time period and that preceding it has always been one of my favorites in history because I like the bits of history that aren't just about disasters but when what I personally believe is the good guy eventually wins. So much of life doesn't work like books, just because you're the one in the right doesn't mean you're the one who will prosper, to me the moments in history where despite the loss it emulates books and the good guys win are my favorites. So I really enjoyed the way McMann brought the reader right into that conflict and not just the conflict but that giant ball of feelings you don't get to read about in the history books.
With each addition to the series that I read I have a new favorite and I certainly hope that continues as the series progress. This particular installment is highly recommended.
froydis's review
4.0
I really enjoy this series! This was a poignant one, as it was such a personal adventure for Riq. I love how this series changes history around so the kids have to put it back the way we know it. I think this is a fantastic read for any kid, but especially those who enjoy history.
akayeh's review
4.0
Another Mex-Aud Lib suggestion request granted!
Wish you could ever go back in time and undo something? What if you could? Interesting premiss, isn't it? Only here the history you know might not match and just what misstep needs correcting can get confusing!
Wish you could ever go back in time and undo something? What if you could? Interesting premiss, isn't it? Only here the history you know might not match and just what misstep needs correcting can get confusing!
archvine18's review
3.0
I find it annoying that I need to continue the story online because I just skipped the online stories for the next books.
yapha's review
4.0
What if the Civil War lasted for 15 years? What if the Underground Railroad was nothing more than a footnote in history? This is the world that Riq, Dak, and Sera must save us from as they travel back in time to 1850. As they fight to correct history, we also learn more about Riq and his own family stories, and why this mission is vital not just to the world as a whole, but to him personally. The third book in the Infinity Ring keeps the series going strong. A must read for historical fiction, as well as science fiction, fans. Recommended for grades 4-8.