Spring Fantasy Celebration!
Alright, starting Monday we are going to have a SPRING FANTASY CELEBRATION! There are flowers and sunshine and that makes me happy. So, to celebrate I’m going to highlight one of my favorite fantasy authors….Garth Nix. In honor of Spring and my love for Garth Nix novels I shall post every day!
Monday: Review of Old Kindgdom Trilogy
Tuesday: Book Cover Madness
Wednesday: Book Review of Across the Wall
Thursday: Review of the Keys to the Kingdom Series
Friday: Kick off of Friday's weird lists.
There will be a contest on Friday! I will be giving away a free book. My books have been stored at my parents house for several years, and I need to get rid of some of them, and I thought to myself, it would be fun to give them away on my blog! So, this is my first offical blog giveaway! Details will be forthcomming.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Book Review: The Abhorsen Trilogy (Old Kingdom Trilogy) by Garth Nix.
Trilogy Review
The Abhorsen Trilogy (Old Kingdom Trilogy)
By Garth Nix
This series take place in two lands, which are divided by a heavily guarded wall. One land, Ancelstierre, is set in a WWI historical time period and the other land, which is equivalent to a medieval fantasy setting. In the Old Kingdom or medieval fantasy setting things have been declining for centuries. The Royal family has been defeated, charter stones that keep magic balanced are broken, and dead creatures roam the land, controlled by powerful necromancers. There is one, who is called the Abhorsen, who must put these dead to rest, forever.
Sabriel:
Is the daughter of the Abhorsen and she is currently being schooled in Ancelstierre until she is ready to return to the Old Kingdom and take up her role as Abhorsen in Waiting. Yet, she discovers that her father has traveled into death, and is trapped there. She needs to find him and bring him back to the land of the living before his soul becomes forever corrupted. She sets out on a journey to find and save her father, but soon realizes that while he is gone that she is the one responsible for keeping the Kingdom safe from dead creatures and their evil controllers, Necromancers. She meets Touchstone along the way and they must both find a way to keep their country from falling into ruin.
Lirael:
Lireal is a daughter of the Clayr, who just does not fit in. The Clayr have always secluded themselves in the cold mountains, where they gaze into the future, and try to keep the Old Kingdom safe from many arising dangers. She hasn’t received the sight yet, and feels that she is not apart of the small seer community. In the process of time she finds her place as an assistant librarian, in the largest, oldest library in the Old Kingdom. It is more than a simple library, but a complex labyrinth of hallways, and niches. Some that often have nefarious creatures, protecting or being protected. She finds a magical dog, who becomes her loyal companion; together they explore the dangerous and restricted parts of the library. During one night of exploration Lireal finds her true path and must set out into the world to find a young man in a reed boat. Soon Lireal finds out that her country is on the verge of destruction, but a powerful and Ancient free magic creature. She, as the new Abhorsen in Waiting, must help prince Sameth to stop the creature from being released.
The Abhorsen Trilogy (Old Kingdom Trilogy)
By Garth Nix
This series take place in two lands, which are divided by a heavily guarded wall. One land, Ancelstierre, is set in a WWI historical time period and the other land, which is equivalent to a medieval fantasy setting. In the Old Kingdom or medieval fantasy setting things have been declining for centuries. The Royal family has been defeated, charter stones that keep magic balanced are broken, and dead creatures roam the land, controlled by powerful necromancers. There is one, who is called the Abhorsen, who must put these dead to rest, forever.
Sabriel:
Is the daughter of the Abhorsen and she is currently being schooled in Ancelstierre until she is ready to return to the Old Kingdom and take up her role as Abhorsen in Waiting. Yet, she discovers that her father has traveled into death, and is trapped there. She needs to find him and bring him back to the land of the living before his soul becomes forever corrupted. She sets out on a journey to find and save her father, but soon realizes that while he is gone that she is the one responsible for keeping the Kingdom safe from dead creatures and their evil controllers, Necromancers. She meets Touchstone along the way and they must both find a way to keep their country from falling into ruin.
Lirael:
Lireal is a daughter of the Clayr, who just does not fit in. The Clayr have always secluded themselves in the cold mountains, where they gaze into the future, and try to keep the Old Kingdom safe from many arising dangers. She hasn’t received the sight yet, and feels that she is not apart of the small seer community. In the process of time she finds her place as an assistant librarian, in the largest, oldest library in the Old Kingdom. It is more than a simple library, but a complex labyrinth of hallways, and niches. Some that often have nefarious creatures, protecting or being protected. She finds a magical dog, who becomes her loyal companion; together they explore the dangerous and restricted parts of the library. During one night of exploration Lireal finds her true path and must set out into the world to find a young man in a reed boat. Soon Lireal finds out that her country is on the verge of destruction, but a powerful and Ancient free magic creature. She, as the new Abhorsen in Waiting, must help prince Sameth to stop the creature from being released.
Abhorsen:Prince Samth discovered that his friend Nicholas is in a lot of trouble. Originally from Ancelstierre he believes that all the magic in the Old Kingdom can be explained by science. This gets him into trouble when a mysterious guide named Hedge helps him to set up a magical experiment. Little does Nick know that he is unwittingly letting an ancient creature escape, a creature which will destroy the entire world. He also doesn’t know that Hedge is a necromancer of the worst kind and his workers are dead hands. It is now up to Prince Sameth, his cousin Lireal, and her disreputable dog to save the world from this destroyer before it is too late.
I absolutely adore this trilogy! I usually like a lot of characterization in the books that I read. This series has just enough characterization to have round and interesting characters, and so that kind of bugs me, but it is the concept of the entire world that I love. There is the Old medieval fantasy Kingdom and the historical WWI era modern land, and the problems that happen when magic and science in the worlds try to interact. Then there is the land of the dead and Nix fleshes out his underworld so that it feels like an entirely different land. It is unique and new in Danteish type fashion, where it takes concepts from the traditional underworld scene and adds a whole bunch of creative imaginative new stuff. It is the world building talent that really makes him one of my favorite authors. Go read it!
Cool thing is that Nix recently announced that he plans to write two more books in the same world. Also, there are tentative plannings to make Sabriel into a movie. Go read the authors website to find out more info, and some links to read his fiction on-line for free.
Author’s Website: http://www.garthnix.com/
Author’s Website: http://www.garthnix.com/
Monday, April 21, 2008
Book Review: A Love Like Lilly by Kay Lynn Magnum
A Love Like Lilly
By Kay Lynn Magnum
Jamie’s life changes when her grandmother dies. Her grandfather is sad and depressed, and Jamie misses her grandma. One day she goes to help her grandpa clean out the house only to discover an old photo album from the depression. She learns that her grandpa worked in the CCC’s and is only too willing to talk about his experiences. When Jamie learns that her grandfather is dating another widow, seriously, scarcely three months after her grandmother's death, she sets out to interfere, and maneuvers he way into staying at her grandfather’s house for the summer. Instead of stopping her grandfather from dating by distracting him with their newly started oral history project about the CCC’s and meeting her grandmother, and her hostile attitude. Jamie learns lessons about loyalty, friendship, and love.
By Kay Lynn Magnum
Jamie’s life changes when her grandmother dies. Her grandfather is sad and depressed, and Jamie misses her grandma. One day she goes to help her grandpa clean out the house only to discover an old photo album from the depression. She learns that her grandpa worked in the CCC’s and is only too willing to talk about his experiences. When Jamie learns that her grandfather is dating another widow, seriously, scarcely three months after her grandmother's death, she sets out to interfere, and maneuvers he way into staying at her grandfather’s house for the summer. Instead of stopping her grandfather from dating by distracting him with their newly started oral history project about the CCC’s and meeting her grandmother, and her hostile attitude. Jamie learns lessons about loyalty, friendship, and love.
I ended up enjoying this book, although not as much as The Secret Journal of Brett Colton, and When the Bough Breaks. I ended up loving the characters in Jamie’s grandfather’s stories as much as the main characters in the novel. The stories that her grandfather told were fun and entertaining. I also love how the main character, Jamie, was growing and discovering herself in this novel. Though, I was disappointed that in the beginning of the novel the flashbacks to her grandfather’s CCC days were poorly transitioned, and the conversation very info dumpy. Yet, if you read further the transitions grow stronger and smoother, and the story gets more interesting. This, for me, was a decent read. Though I recommend that if you are going to pick up a Kay Lynn Magnum book then go for her other two books first. (They are both wonderful!) For diehard fans of Brett Colton this book has an ad
Author’s Website: http://www.kaylynnmangumnovels.com/index.htm
Monday, April 7, 2008
Linkity Linkity Link
So my friends I redesigned my blog for spring. I had a lot of fun changing it over. I got the template from this fun blog called cute blogs. I thought the idea was cool and so I tried it out.
Go Visit.
The Statue of Athena is from the National Archelogical Museum in Naples, if you ever go to Pompeii do not leave Italy until you go here! It has all the mosaics and frescos from Pompeii in there. Plus, a bunch of georgeous statues from the Villa of the Papyri in Hereculeneum. It also has a few of the Papyri scrolls there too. Anyway, I saw this statue there last year and fell in love with it. So...hence the blog design.
Thirdly, J. Scott Savage is doing a blog tour, and I would like to let you all know about it for very self interested reasons. I get a free ARC if I do. Plus, I get an extra book to give away in a contest. Then there is the fact that I'd get to do a Q&A blog with the author himself. Is that not cool enough to blog about? I surely think it is! So, go to his blog to find out the details of how you can participate too! Link. Oh, look! I just finished reading his first book House of Secrets two weeks ago and wrote up a review this weekend. Enjoy! (I promise the timing was in no way planned. I read the book for the winter reading challenge.)
Go Visit.
The Statue of Athena is from the National Archelogical Museum in Naples, if you ever go to Pompeii do not leave Italy until you go here! It has all the mosaics and frescos from Pompeii in there. Plus, a bunch of georgeous statues from the Villa of the Papyri in Hereculeneum. It also has a few of the Papyri scrolls there too. Anyway, I saw this statue there last year and fell in love with it. So...hence the blog design.
Thirdly, J. Scott Savage is doing a blog tour, and I would like to let you all know about it for very self interested reasons. I get a free ARC if I do. Plus, I get an extra book to give away in a contest. Then there is the fact that I'd get to do a Q&A blog with the author himself. Is that not cool enough to blog about? I surely think it is! So, go to his blog to find out the details of how you can participate too! Link. Oh, look! I just finished reading his first book House of Secrets two weeks ago and wrote up a review this weekend. Enjoy! (I promise the timing was in no way planned. I read the book for the winter reading challenge.)
Friday, April 4, 2008
Book Review: House of Secrets by Jeffery S. Savage
House of Secrets
Jeff Savage
Shandra Covington returns back to her Grandmother house because she left it to Shandra in the will. She arrives in town to apprise the house, and hopefully learn more about her elusive past. When exploring the old house she finds a dead body. She reports to the police and finds herself accused of murder. When Shandra is acquitted of all charges she determines to solve the mystery and digs up the town’s old secrets. Shandra discovers more and more about her mother and her grandmother as the longer she hangs around the town. She is excited to find out information about them even when their story brings her pain.
Yet she isn’t out of danger. The citizens of the town have theories about the body that was found in the house. Rumors and theories start spreading around, and Shandra is determined to find the truth. When she learns who the killer is she may not survive long enough to tell what she knows.
I liked this book. I thought it was a good read and really got into the story. Occasionally, I was jolted out of the book because Shandra’s characterization felt strange to me. Sometimes she acted too girly when my impression of her was more tomboyish. Other than that I really liked it. The series kind of reminds me of Lynn Gardener’s Gem series, and it is kind of funny they have several similarities. Both main characters have disappeared fathers for instance. I guess beyond that not much is similar except for the fact both are small, spunky, first person woman narrators. Not my favorite read of the year, but still it is an engaging mystery read with a few surprising twists. I actually did not guess the killer, which made me happy cause I like to be surprised.
Jeff Savage
Shandra Covington returns back to her Grandmother house because she left it to Shandra in the will. She arrives in town to apprise the house, and hopefully learn more about her elusive past. When exploring the old house she finds a dead body. She reports to the police and finds herself accused of murder. When Shandra is acquitted of all charges she determines to solve the mystery and digs up the town’s old secrets. Shandra discovers more and more about her mother and her grandmother as the longer she hangs around the town. She is excited to find out information about them even when their story brings her pain.
Yet she isn’t out of danger. The citizens of the town have theories about the body that was found in the house. Rumors and theories start spreading around, and Shandra is determined to find the truth. When she learns who the killer is she may not survive long enough to tell what she knows.
I liked this book. I thought it was a good read and really got into the story. Occasionally, I was jolted out of the book because Shandra’s characterization felt strange to me. Sometimes she acted too girly when my impression of her was more tomboyish. Other than that I really liked it. The series kind of reminds me of Lynn Gardener’s Gem series, and it is kind of funny they have several similarities. Both main characters have disappeared fathers for instance. I guess beyond that not much is similar except for the fact both are small, spunky, first person woman narrators. Not my favorite read of the year, but still it is an engaging mystery read with a few surprising twists. I actually did not guess the killer, which made me happy cause I like to be surprised.
First Impressions: Counting Stars by Michele Paige Holmes
Counting Stars By Michele Paige Holmes.Jane was hoping for a date---maybe even a boyfriend. What she wasn't expecting was Paul Bryant's completely original and sincere pick-up line: Hi. I'm Paul. I have terminal cancer. My wife was killed in a car accident, and I'm looking for a woman to raise my children.It was never Jane's plan to fall in love with a dying man and his two infants. But her seemingly simple decision to date someone outside her faith leads to one complication after another. With the stakes this high, is choosing to help Paul a choice to be alone forever?And how can Paul feel so confident that this woman---who's never managed to keep a checking account for more than six months---should be the one to raise his children?How can something that seems so unbelievably insane feel so completely right?Sometimes love is found in the least likely places, and the greatest blessings are discovered while counting stars. (back liner of book)
Alright, I totally adored this book. I haven’t been liking a whole lot of romance novels lately, but this book was so awesome! I picked up the book and couldn’t put it down. I love how the conflict is so fantastic, yet still so real and relatable. The main character is easy to identify with, and completely charming. I love how the author shows that she is a romantic diehard through and through. I also love her sister! She’s classic. All the characters are wonderful in this story. I also love that the creepy side love interest character totally becomes fleshed out and interesting at the end. Something I really didn’t expect. I totally rooted for this book when I heard it was nominated for the Whitney award. I really wanted this great book to win because I loved it so much! So, I was delighted to find out that Counting Stars took the Whitney award home this year. I highly recommend this sweet and well-written book to all. I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Author's blog: http://www.michelepaigeholmes.com/
Blogger's Note: This post concludes the First Impression series. I don't have anymore, so I'll try to add new interesting things on Fridays. Thanks!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Book Review: Saboteur by Dean Hughes
Sabatour
Dean Hughes
Andy Gledhill is called into a top secret meeting, and is offered a job as a spy in France. His interviewer doesn’t feel like he is up to the job, that he is too soft, but Andy is determined to serve his country. His family lives in the little town in rural Utah, in which he always wants to stay. He realizes that he cares deeply for Whisper, his childhood friend. She wants him to commit to her before he leaves to work with the French Resistance behind German lines, but Andy feels hesitant with his future so uncertain. He asks his brother Flip to take care of her while he is gone, and watch out for her. Andy’s family must face the changes that come to them during the war, and worry about lack of contact they receive, because of the nature of his duties.
First off, I love Dean Hughes! He is an able and awesome writer, but this wasn’t my favorite book of his. As always, his characterization is top-notch, but his pacing was off. It took me a while to get into this book, because it moved so slowly at the beginning. I thought the book would be mainly about Andy’s experiences, but Flip and Whisper take up an equal, if not more, amount of the book. I loved the middle of the book when Andy started getting more involved with the resistance movement instead of just going through training and hiding out in attics. I also loved the spontaneous car trip that Flip, Whisper, and their Japanese friend take. So, I don’t know if I would recommend it or not. I thought the writing and characterization was good, but the plot could use a little tightening up.
I got to take a writing class for children from Dean Hughes and he really is an awesome person. Go read his books! He’s written over 90 now, most of them are written for children. Since most LDS people know him for his excellent Children of the Promise series they don’t realize they he wrote in the YA/Children’s market long before he ever wrote the series.
Dean Hughes
Andy Gledhill is called into a top secret meeting, and is offered a job as a spy in France. His interviewer doesn’t feel like he is up to the job, that he is too soft, but Andy is determined to serve his country. His family lives in the little town in rural Utah, in which he always wants to stay. He realizes that he cares deeply for Whisper, his childhood friend. She wants him to commit to her before he leaves to work with the French Resistance behind German lines, but Andy feels hesitant with his future so uncertain. He asks his brother Flip to take care of her while he is gone, and watch out for her. Andy’s family must face the changes that come to them during the war, and worry about lack of contact they receive, because of the nature of his duties.
First off, I love Dean Hughes! He is an able and awesome writer, but this wasn’t my favorite book of his. As always, his characterization is top-notch, but his pacing was off. It took me a while to get into this book, because it moved so slowly at the beginning. I thought the book would be mainly about Andy’s experiences, but Flip and Whisper take up an equal, if not more, amount of the book. I loved the middle of the book when Andy started getting more involved with the resistance movement instead of just going through training and hiding out in attics. I also loved the spontaneous car trip that Flip, Whisper, and their Japanese friend take. So, I don’t know if I would recommend it or not. I thought the writing and characterization was good, but the plot could use a little tightening up.
I got to take a writing class for children from Dean Hughes and he really is an awesome person. Go read his books! He’s written over 90 now, most of them are written for children. Since most LDS people know him for his excellent Children of the Promise series they don’t realize they he wrote in the YA/Children’s market long before he ever wrote the series.
Friday, March 14, 2008
First Impressions: Sheep's Clothing by Josi S. Kilpack
First Impressions
This is a little series that details my experiences reading books for an hour a day in the library. I read the book either until I became disinterested in it or until I finished it.
Sheep’s_Clothing
By Josi Kilpack
Kate is a good mother, who has a lot of work on her plate with six children. She is determined to be a wonderful mother, who nurtures and takes care of her family. Yet, she can’t seem to figure out how to relate to her teenage daughter Jessie. They struggle to communicate and show one another how much they care. Jessie pours out her negative feelings to a friend she met on the Internet, and finds sympathy and support. Her friend introduces Jessie to her cousin Colton, and they begin to chat as often as they can. Jessie sneaks into her family office at odd times, isolates herself from her old friends, and progressively falls deeper into the trap set by an experienced Internet predator. When Jessie’s parents find her missing with a note on her pillow they don’t know where she has gone, or if they will see her again.
This is a little series that details my experiences reading books for an hour a day in the library. I read the book either until I became disinterested in it or until I finished it.
Sheep’s_Clothing
By Josi Kilpack
Kate is a good mother, who has a lot of work on her plate with six children. She is determined to be a wonderful mother, who nurtures and takes care of her family. Yet, she can’t seem to figure out how to relate to her teenage daughter Jessie. They struggle to communicate and show one another how much they care. Jessie pours out her negative feelings to a friend she met on the Internet, and finds sympathy and support. Her friend introduces Jessie to her cousin Colton, and they begin to chat as often as they can. Jessie sneaks into her family office at odd times, isolates herself from her old friends, and progressively falls deeper into the trap set by an experienced Internet predator. When Jessie’s parents find her missing with a note on her pillow they don’t know where she has gone, or if they will see her again.
I loved this book! I finished it as soon as I could because I had to find out what happened. I was so creeped out by how realistically this guy manipulated Jessie. I also love how the characterizations in this book are so real. I love how the author makes Jessie’s problems real, and that she isn’t just a cardboard cut out teenager. You can sympathize with her viewpoint. It doesn’t have the cliché teen rebellion feel to it that gets rehashed over and over. I also love that you get to see the trials that Kate is going through. The reader understands her motivations and realizes that she is not a perfect mother, but loves her family so much. Over all, the book was really well written and touched on an important and pertinent topic. I highly recommend it.
This book has also been nominated for a Whitney Award.
Author Website: http://www.josiskilpack.comAuthor Blog: http://www.josikilpack.blogspot.com/
Sunday, March 9, 2008
First Impressions: Desire of our Hearts by Sariah S. Wilson
First ImpressionsThis is a little series that details my experiences reading books for an hour a day in the library. I read the book either until I became disinterested in it or until I finished it.
The Desire of our Hearts by Sariah Wilson
This story is a fictional account of Alma’s experience in the court of King Noah. He falls in love with a girl named Sam, who refuses to like him, but he decides he will win her over anyway.
This is really terrible, but I have to be honest about how I felt about his book. I read it for 15 min. and hated it. I enjoy romance novels, but some romance novels are just…over the top. This was over the top in a bad way. How do I begin? My cynicism kicked in when the line, "then he saw her" appeared. He is in love already and we don’t even know what this person looks like! That annoyed me because I don’t believe in love at first sight. The love was too magical and too instant. He hadn’t even said one word to her. Later Alma has to confront Amulon because he tries to carry the girl Alma loves to his chambers and rape her. In this confrontation Alma totally comes off looking weak. He makes a threat that is empty, and then uses the “you’ll regret it later” speech to get him to cooperate. Alma doesn’t convincingly show that he has power over Amulon in my opinion, which makes his character incredibly weak. Yet he’s supposed to be the most favored in King Noah court? Then to add to that annoyance the girl cries in Alma’s arms after he rescues her, and then she agrees to let him walk her home! So, I’m not convinced that Alma’s rescue equals total trust on the part of a girl who almost got dragged off by another evil priest of Noah so recently. It was so fake and contrived just for the romance of it that I couldn’t read another instant and put it down.
The author’s prose is fine and she tried hard to set up a nice setting with lost of nice description, but she just couldn’t sell me on Alma’s character or the romance. In spite of my bad first impression it has been nominated for a Whitney finalist for 2007 in the Romance/Woman’s Fiction.
Author’s website: http://www.sixldswriters.blogspot.com/
Author’s blog: http://www.sariahswilson.com/
This story is a fictional account of Alma’s experience in the court of King Noah. He falls in love with a girl named Sam, who refuses to like him, but he decides he will win her over anyway.
This is really terrible, but I have to be honest about how I felt about his book. I read it for 15 min. and hated it. I enjoy romance novels, but some romance novels are just…over the top. This was over the top in a bad way. How do I begin? My cynicism kicked in when the line, "then he saw her" appeared. He is in love already and we don’t even know what this person looks like! That annoyed me because I don’t believe in love at first sight. The love was too magical and too instant. He hadn’t even said one word to her. Later Alma has to confront Amulon because he tries to carry the girl Alma loves to his chambers and rape her. In this confrontation Alma totally comes off looking weak. He makes a threat that is empty, and then uses the “you’ll regret it later” speech to get him to cooperate. Alma doesn’t convincingly show that he has power over Amulon in my opinion, which makes his character incredibly weak. Yet he’s supposed to be the most favored in King Noah court? Then to add to that annoyance the girl cries in Alma’s arms after he rescues her, and then she agrees to let him walk her home! So, I’m not convinced that Alma’s rescue equals total trust on the part of a girl who almost got dragged off by another evil priest of Noah so recently. It was so fake and contrived just for the romance of it that I couldn’t read another instant and put it down.
The author’s prose is fine and she tried hard to set up a nice setting with lost of nice description, but she just couldn’t sell me on Alma’s character or the romance. In spite of my bad first impression it has been nominated for a Whitney finalist for 2007 in the Romance/Woman’s Fiction.
Author’s website: http://www.sixldswriters.blogspot.com/
Author’s blog: http://www.sariahswilson.com/
Here is a link to several favorable reviews on Desert Book:
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Book Review: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Book of a Thousand Days
By Shannon Hale
Dashti is a mountain maid, who is forced to travel to the city to survive after her mother dies. She is a common mucker, but one that is gifted with healing songs. She trains to be the Princess’s maid-in-waiting as a result. She arrives in the princesse's room and discovers that she is banished to live in a tower for 7 years. Dashti, just as loyal servant should, vows to go with her and be her friend. At first Dashti is thrilled to have so much food in the cellar, and to have time to write. She delights in the surroundings, which provide her with more than she ever has had before. Then the rats come and start to eat the food that is to last for seven years. To add to this the princess’s suitors start to come visit. One proves to be a boon and the other may just be the source of their destruction.
This was another wonderful book from Shannon Hale. I love her writing. Though I still think Goose Girl and Princess Academy are my favorites. I love the strength and courage of Dashti in this book, her optimism, and her simple plain goodness. I like how Hale’s characters show a love for nature that replenishes their spirits and courage. I too feel the same connection with the nature and beautiful things around me, and so I relate to them well. The story differs from her other books slightly, as it is written in a first person diary format. There are even illustrations, for Dashti (the author of the diary) has artistic talents. I would recommend this book to all.
Once again Shannon has an awesome website and lots of details on all of her books there: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_b1000.html
By Shannon Hale
Dashti is a mountain maid, who is forced to travel to the city to survive after her mother dies. She is a common mucker, but one that is gifted with healing songs. She trains to be the Princess’s maid-in-waiting as a result. She arrives in the princesse's room and discovers that she is banished to live in a tower for 7 years. Dashti, just as loyal servant should, vows to go with her and be her friend. At first Dashti is thrilled to have so much food in the cellar, and to have time to write. She delights in the surroundings, which provide her with more than she ever has had before. Then the rats come and start to eat the food that is to last for seven years. To add to this the princess’s suitors start to come visit. One proves to be a boon and the other may just be the source of their destruction.
This was another wonderful book from Shannon Hale. I love her writing. Though I still think Goose Girl and Princess Academy are my favorites. I love the strength and courage of Dashti in this book, her optimism, and her simple plain goodness. I like how Hale’s characters show a love for nature that replenishes their spirits and courage. I too feel the same connection with the nature and beautiful things around me, and so I relate to them well. The story differs from her other books slightly, as it is written in a first person diary format. There are even illustrations, for Dashti (the author of the diary) has artistic talents. I would recommend this book to all.
Once again Shannon has an awesome website and lots of details on all of her books there: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_b1000.html
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