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georgewrfisher's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
scheu's review against another edition
5.0
The story starts out completely basic, then swerves into beauty, then swerves again into a commentary on the tropes of heroic fantasy, all of this years before the big fantasy boom of the late 1970s. I found it refreshing, and frustrating that Chant didn't find more success as an author.
I would have totally left out the epilogue, though.
I would have totally left out the epilogue, though.
ashleylm's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately it's not the sort of thing that grabs me anymore. At age 55 now I'm becoming a lot fussier. I see other reviewers have compared it (mostly unfavourably, though they enjoyed it) to The Lord of the Rings. When I read LOTR, it was captivating—and unlike many, I loved the Shire, the hobbits, and the fuss about the birthday party. By the time Frodo and friends went out on the road, I knew what they were like, and I cared about them and was concerned about upcoming events.
The characters in this book are introduced with what they look like, and almost immediately stumble into a fantasy world, where (of course) despite being in what seems like rural surroundings, they immediately bump into helpful characters (including a princess--what are the chances) who accept them without question and speak English, despite their moon being a different colour.
I mean, that's just annoying.
So three people I don't care about, for no apparent reason, are plunged into an unlikely situation that stays unlikely. There's nothing appealling about it, though I likely would have gobbled this up in 1975 through being starved for fantasy.
I also don't particularly love the tone of the actual sentences, sort of a cross between dry and poetic, but missing the point of what engages a reader (like me). On page 11, by which point I still don't know anything particular about the characters, we get a detailed description of rocks and snow. Maybe they figure later in the story and are important, but I doubt it:
"The path seemed to wind along a mountainside, with the precipice on one hand, and on the other the rockface against which they sat. It was all the same smooth, shiny black rock, streaked thinly with white where the snow had found somewhere to lodge. Mostly the rock was too smooth for it to settle, and it floated in whorls along the ground as the wind blew it."
So there's time for that.
Once they do meet up with the Fantasyland inhabitants, then we get hit with Name-itis, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. I know, I know, LOTR is riddled with names, place names, elven names, historical names, etc., but because of its scale, and because Tolkein was a linguist, it never bothered me in the slightest. But when I read Fantasy now, and the authors lead early on with sentences like "There is neither wall nor gate in the Khentor lands. You are on the Northern Plains, O'li-vanh, in the Realm of Kedrinh, in the land of Vandarei," well, I want to toss the book away (and usually do).
I'm learning Japanese now--that's enough to keep me busy--I don't need to keep track of that much entirely-made-up Geography in what's supposed to be pleasure reading.
So, not for me. On to the next book!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
The characters in this book are introduced with what they look like, and almost immediately stumble into a fantasy world, where (of course) despite being in what seems like rural surroundings, they immediately bump into helpful characters (including a princess--what are the chances) who accept them without question and speak English, despite their moon being a different colour.
I mean, that's just annoying.
So three people I don't care about, for no apparent reason, are plunged into an unlikely situation that stays unlikely. There's nothing appealling about it, though I likely would have gobbled this up in 1975 through being starved for fantasy.
I also don't particularly love the tone of the actual sentences, sort of a cross between dry and poetic, but missing the point of what engages a reader (like me). On page 11, by which point I still don't know anything particular about the characters, we get a detailed description of rocks and snow. Maybe they figure later in the story and are important, but I doubt it:
"The path seemed to wind along a mountainside, with the precipice on one hand, and on the other the rockface against which they sat. It was all the same smooth, shiny black rock, streaked thinly with white where the snow had found somewhere to lodge. Mostly the rock was too smooth for it to settle, and it floated in whorls along the ground as the wind blew it."
So there's time for that.
Once they do meet up with the Fantasyland inhabitants, then we get hit with Name-itis, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. I know, I know, LOTR is riddled with names, place names, elven names, historical names, etc., but because of its scale, and because Tolkein was a linguist, it never bothered me in the slightest. But when I read Fantasy now, and the authors lead early on with sentences like "There is neither wall nor gate in the Khentor lands. You are on the Northern Plains, O'li-vanh, in the Realm of Kedrinh, in the land of Vandarei," well, I want to toss the book away (and usually do).
I'm learning Japanese now--that's enough to keep me busy--I don't need to keep track of that much entirely-made-up Geography in what's supposed to be pleasure reading.
So, not for me. On to the next book!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
bakudreamer's review against another edition
2.0
Read this but I don't remember a single thing about it ~ other than the Frazetta dustjacket
tweedledelirium's review against another edition
4.0
This was really good - it's a shame it's out-of-print, because it's one of those lesser-known fantasy gems. The author has quite a rich voice, and the way she demonstrates the evolution and turmoil occurring within one of the main characters is very thought-provoking and realistic. Excellent book, overall.
arthurbdd's review against another edition
3.0
Alright as far as this sort of "kids from our world drawn into fantasyland" yarn goes, and a good deal grimmer than such fare usually is - but with two of the three kids not actually having all that much to do during the story aside from wander around and observe other people doing things, it feels less than the sum of its parts. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/one-of-these-siblings-is-not-like-the-others/
octavia_cade's review against another edition
4.0
I have to admit it took me a while to get into this story of three kids transported to a magic land, but by the end I was enthralled. It's not really a children's book, and the religious roots are quite clear. Atheist as I am, that doesn't really bother me - it's just another mythological tradition - for legend and myth are the lifeblood of this story, running close under the surface. In many ways it reminds me a little of Narnia (especially The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) but there's no denying that Chant's work is far kinder, subtler, and more intelligent than Lewis' - more affecting as well. That's not a knock against Lewis, as I'm extremely fond of Narnia, but the two worlds are really written on two very different moral levels.
I'm going to have to find myself a copy.
I'm going to have to find myself a copy.
bridgett's review
3.0
3.75 stars
Don't let the tacky 1970's cover of this out of print book put you off!
This is an extremely well written high-fantasy book, written in a style between The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. I'm amazed this book has been allowed to go out of print, and if I could buy a beautiful new hardcover of this book, I would.
I love that this story (1 of 3 set in this world) was written by a woman, which was quite rare for the fantasy genre of the early 1970's.
It's a great story, but I do have a few criticisms. My biggest criticism is that in this story, there is a powerful enchantress who is forced to make the cliched choice between her own power and a man. She sacrifices her powerful position in the world of magic for the sake of love. As a female reader, I want more of my female characters, especially those written by a female writer.
This book does have echoes of Christian theology, particularly in the last half of the book. It was interesting picking it out within the tangled pantheistic world of the story.
I agree with a criticism I've seen elsewhere, that there are some very interesting characters introduced, who shine brightly for a few chapters, and then all but disappear for the remainder of the story. I would have liked those characters to have remained a permanent part of the plot.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It's been so long since I've read epic fantasy and this is a beautiful example of the genre.
Don't let the tacky 1970's cover of this out of print book put you off!
This is an extremely well written high-fantasy book, written in a style between The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. I'm amazed this book has been allowed to go out of print, and if I could buy a beautiful new hardcover of this book, I would.
I love that this story (1 of 3 set in this world) was written by a woman, which was quite rare for the fantasy genre of the early 1970's.
It's a great story, but I do have a few criticisms. My biggest criticism is that in this story, there is a powerful enchantress who is forced to make the cliched choice between her own power and a man. She sacrifices her powerful position in the world of magic for the sake of love. As a female reader, I want more of my female characters, especially those written by a female writer.
This book does have echoes of Christian theology, particularly in the last half of the book. It was interesting picking it out within the tangled pantheistic world of the story.
I agree with a criticism I've seen elsewhere, that there are some very interesting characters introduced, who shine brightly for a few chapters, and then all but disappear for the remainder of the story. I would have liked those characters to have remained a permanent part of the plot.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It's been so long since I've read epic fantasy and this is a beautiful example of the genre.
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