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drlisak's review against another edition
4.0
A little predictable, but a delightful epic fantasy for younger readers.
roshk99's review against another edition
2.0
Decent children's fantasy book, the storyline could be predicted from the first chapter. Eleanor and her husband's betrayal was obvious, and it was only logical to conclude that the person they depicted as bad was actually good. Very simple to deduce the plot and not many unexpected events.
ciaran_chaos's review against another edition
4.0
Good plot, plot twists, interesting characters. Not aimed at my age group, but a younger me would've enjoyed this heck of a lot. Easy read, and for me it has been a good way to get out of my reading slump to be honest. I say, when it took me a month to finally finish it (not book related -just had heck of a lot going on and got distracted by other things)
I quite liked the characters and the plot keeps you interested. At first I thought the memory loss was just a tool so the author didn't have to write too much about the characters' past out of laziness, but realised soon enough that it is not.
I quite liked the characters and the plot keeps you interested. At first I thought the memory loss was just a tool so the author didn't have to write too much about the characters' past out of laziness, but realised soon enough that it is not.
lazyowl's review against another edition
4.0
I actually bought this book for my son, but started reading because I had run out of books for myself to read and thought it looked interesting. I didn't have high expectations, I knew it was aimed at a much younger audience.
Nonetheless I enjoyed reading this book and I think it would present lots of unexpected twists and turns for that younger audience.
Therefore I have rated it 4 stars, based on the age bracket book is aimed at.
Nonetheless I enjoyed reading this book and I think it would present lots of unexpected twists and turns for that younger audience.
Therefore I have rated it 4 stars, based on the age bracket book is aimed at.
frostlywild17's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
stephee's review against another edition
3.0
Three stars is probably a bit unfair as this is probably aimed at a younger audience than I'm used to. A good fantastical adventure where the children have all the brains and courage. I found it kind of reminiscent of the Narnia chronicles and will probably read the rest of the series to see how it ends.
bex77's review against another edition
2.0
I found the concept of this book quite intriguing. Honestly, I still do. However, this was yet another example of poorly executed, but fascinating premise.
The book was broken up into three sections,which I thought was distracting and unnecessary. Very rarely should books be chopped up in this manner. The sections were broken up by the current location of the characters. This would have made sense if each section focused on a different character or if it was a book that switched between time-periods. But it was a book about a journey, so the sections severed the seamless quality you would want in that kind of story.
My other issue with the book was its lack of depth. I understand this is book written mainly for children, but they should be given more credit. This was a story that was hinged on the concept of truth versus lies and yet this was barely addressed. The story left an opening for several questions like, "What is truth?" "Is truth relative, or not?" "Is there ever a time where lying could be justified?""Does truth change?" These questions and several others came to my mind, in the sense of wondering how the author would handle it. How was he going to approach these issues? Short answer; he didn't. He simply ignored these questions. I understand he was not writing a moral thesis, but wouldn't the characters be asking some of these questions after what they'd been through? I'm not saying I expect the author to have made some great point about how you define truth, but his characters should have at least considered the subject. Then, instead of indoctrinating children, or assuming they can't understand, you are opening a door for them to ask questions and think independently.
I know I'm starting to rant, so I'll move on. The plot also lacked depth. It was predictable, but interesting. The only problem was the characters were flat and everything was too rushed to be believable. In a story that follows a familiar pattern, the characters have to carry the book along. Unfortunately, they just didn't do that for me.
Rating: PG for mild violence
The book was broken up into three sections,which I thought was distracting and unnecessary. Very rarely should books be chopped up in this manner. The sections were broken up by the current location of the characters. This would have made sense if each section focused on a different character or if it was a book that switched between time-periods. But it was a book about a journey, so the sections severed the seamless quality you would want in that kind of story.
My other issue with the book was its lack of depth. I understand this is book written mainly for children, but they should be given more credit. This was a story that was hinged on the concept of truth versus lies and yet this was barely addressed. The story left an opening for several questions like, "What is truth?" "Is truth relative, or not?" "Is there ever a time where lying could be justified?""Does truth change?" These questions and several others came to my mind, in the sense of wondering how the author would handle it. How was he going to approach these issues? Short answer; he didn't. He simply ignored these questions. I understand he was not writing a moral thesis, but wouldn't the characters be asking some of these questions after what they'd been through? I'm not saying I expect the author to have made some great point about how you define truth, but his characters should have at least considered the subject. Then, instead of indoctrinating children, or assuming they can't understand, you are opening a door for them to ask questions and think independently.
I know I'm starting to rant, so I'll move on. The plot also lacked depth. It was predictable, but interesting. The only problem was the characters were flat and everything was too rushed to be believable. In a story that follows a familiar pattern, the characters have to carry the book along. Unfortunately, they just didn't do that for me.
Rating: PG for mild violence
cmbohn's review against another edition
3.0
A new boy arrives at the orphanage, but he can't remember anything about his past. All he knows is that his name is Marcel. Marcel quickly makes friends with an odd girl named Bea. Upstairs from their rooms is a strange wizard with a terrible beast. When Marcel and Bea steal a mysterious book, they learn that everything Marcel has been told about himself is a lie. They try to figure out how to use the book to discover the truth, but it will be a long more complicated - and more dangerous - than they expected.
I don't want to give too much away, but I did really enjoy this book. Marcel and his new friends are fun characters and the plot was suitably entertaining. The end sort of sets up a sequel, so some of the loose ends may be tied up there.
I don't want to give too much away, but I did really enjoy this book. Marcel and his new friends are fun characters and the plot was suitably entertaining. The end sort of sets up a sequel, so some of the loose ends may be tied up there.