Scan barcode
changeablelandscape's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I read this once or twice back in middle school and liked it well enough, although the 2nd book of the trilogy was always my favourite, and it was fun to revisit! I had forgotten that Florian & Justin show up in this book, and as a young teen I *totally* missed all the French Revolution parallels, but this time through I could see what Alexander was doing and enjoy it on an adult level as well as delighting in The Feelings.
kstring's review against another edition
3.0
First Lloyd Alexander book for me, and I loved it! I read it on the recommendation of a friend. It was a good story, and very short, which is a golden combination I think.
micho_214's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
paisleypetty's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pagesofpins's review against another edition
4.0
This book has so much going for it; instead of just the good vs. evil element, we have two sets of good guys who disagree on how to fix the kingdom, and all the tension thereof. There's also a seldom found recurring theme of human failing; Theo wants to be just, but isn't sure how to do that, or how to reconcile his own sins with his disdain for other people's. What appealed to me when I read it as a child was the cast of characters, and I still really enjoy Mickle and Theo and their friends.
Things that just don't hold up: The Count's schemes are often so ridiculous that I don't think they would fool a child, let alone an adult. The rabid Trebezonian bit was especially terrible. I also can't believe that Carrabas would try a bunch of dopey schemes to gain the throne instead of just killing the king and queen and making it look like an accident. Nor do I believe that he wants it so badly when he already basically rules the kingdom. Nor is the king's cloud of grief a believable reason for him to be so easily tricked all the time. So, some storyline troubles for sure, but a lot of great lines and moral grey areas for kids to contemplate.
Things that just don't hold up: The Count's schemes are often so ridiculous that I don't think they would fool a child, let alone an adult. The rabid Trebezonian bit was especially terrible. I also can't believe that Carrabas would try a bunch of dopey schemes to gain the throne instead of just killing the king and queen and making it look like an accident. Nor do I believe that he wants it so badly when he already basically rules the kingdom. Nor is the king's cloud of grief a believable reason for him to be so easily tricked all the time. So, some storyline troubles for sure, but a lot of great lines and moral grey areas for kids to contemplate.
ndmetal's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thirtytwobirds's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as Prydain, but still a good, quick, fun story.
wbain's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
abcastro's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a Prydain fanatic so it was only natural to look into Lloyd's other works. For one thing, this book has a good atmosphere that I’m actually going to try and reimagine some of the places described in Minecraft. Lloyd has a strong knack for his characters, he knows how to write them, Theo (the main) may come off as wimpy at first and I hate that kind of style after reading Crispin (I hated that book) but Lloyd does it right and doesn’t go down that route, I could even see some parallels from Prydain.
One complaint I have about the villain is that he doesn’t suspect what’s coming, however I will say that I really respect the author for having the exact plan in mind I had while reading this for the characters, because often I’ll say “why didn’t they just do this?” as a sort of plot/loop hole but then seeing it actually happen and fill in that gap is really satisfying.
While I’ll say I liked Prydain more than this, there are still 2 more in this series that I'll get to reading eventually so we’ll see where it goes but I that doesn’t mean it ends on some kind of cliffhanger, it could be independent if it wanted. The beginning and end are the most strong, after a little bit, it starts to lacking in some places but it brings it right back, it does however represent how Theo seemed lost during that part and also focused on another person's story but they eventually collide making for a payoff.
4/5 from me.
One complaint I have about the villain is that he doesn’t suspect what’s coming, however I will say that I really respect the author for having the exact plan in mind I had while reading this for the characters, because often I’ll say “why didn’t they just do this?” as a sort of plot/loop hole but then seeing it actually happen and fill in that gap is really satisfying.
While I’ll say I liked Prydain more than this, there are still 2 more in this series that I'll get to reading eventually so we’ll see where it goes but I that doesn’t mean it ends on some kind of cliffhanger, it could be independent if it wanted. The beginning and end are the most strong, after a little bit, it starts to lacking in some places but it brings it right back, it does however represent how Theo seemed lost during that part and also focused on another person's story but they eventually collide making for a payoff.
4/5 from me.