The High Lord (Book sent by www.writeaway.org.uk)

Author: Trudi Canavan

Genre: Fantasy

Age Range: 12+

Theme/Subject: Magic, Politics, Guilds

Publisher: Atom

ISBN: 9781905654093

Synopsis:

The Ichani are coming! The black magicians of Sachaka know of Imardin’s magicians and their weak, lesser magic. Led by an old enemy of the High Lord, they intend to build a force great enough to wipe out the whole city of Imardin. It will take all of Sonea’s guile and cunning, along with her companions, to defeat them. Will they be strong enough or will the land of Kyralia finally fall to black magic?

Review:

This is the final book in the trilogy which began with ‘The Magician’s Guild’ and followed with ‘The Novice’. With ‘The High Lord’, Canavan uses her ability to suck you straight into the story and sets a fast pace in this final instalment (600+ pages). With her cast already comfortably assembled, Canavan utilizes the multitude of story-lines to keep the pace and rhythm of the adventure at a speed that makes for an enjoyably quick read.
The story sees Sonea reluctantly having to learn Black Magic and exiled with Akkarin, the former High-Lord of the Magician’s Guild. As the plot grows, Akkarin shows Sonea why he has been learning the dark arts and reveals the hidden threat that has been plaguing her city for the past five years. Sonea must embrace all that she has hated about the High Lord in order to help him stand a chance of stemming the tide of destruction that heads towards the city and people she loves so much. Together they must track down the rogue black magicians that mean to destroy the magician’s guild and all it stands for.
Canavan comes far more into her own in this book and seems to have a greater grasp of her characters and novel’s pace. It is nice to see the list of characters from the first book grow stronger here and become far more involved as the novel progresses. Previously, I had complained that the other instalments of the trilogy lacked the ‘action and adventure’ they stated they had, but ‘The High Lord’ is brimming with it. Whilst still managing to increase your care and involvement for the main characters, Canavan also injects a pace that builds up to a huge speed half way through the book, leaving the final 300 odd pages a real roller-coaster of a read.
Having completed the trilogy I would advise any confident Year 6 pupil or teenager who is interested in going down the fantasy route to give this series a go. Although the pace of the first two books is rather slow, the characters and intrigue built up is enough to keep you wanting to return to the land of Kyralia. Such a trilogy can also help pave the way for young teens who may want to go on to explore other excellent fantasy writers such as Raymond E. Feist and Tolkein. I recommend Canavan’s trilogy heartily; a great stepping stone into an extensive genre.

Shadow Forest

Author & Illustrator:

Genre: Humour, Fantasy, Spooky

Age Range: 9+

Theme/Subject: Bravery, Bereavement, Norway, Folklore

Publisher: Corgi

ISBN: 9780552555630

Synopsis:

After a disastrous accident ruins a perfect day for Samuel Blink and his sister, Martha, both siblings find themselves flown off to the deepest, darkest ends of Norway to live with their Aunt Eda, whose obsession with smelly cheeses is rivalled only by her fear of the Forest that lies on the borders of her house. It is a Forest full of trolls, huldre, pixies, witches and worst of all, the Changemaker himself. Dare Samuel enter within ? It seems he has no choice but to.

Review:

When I first started this book I found myself enjoyably caught off-guard by the shocking and rather sad beginning: this was a good way to grab that reluctant reader early on (Not that I am one!). Both children find themselves whisked to Norway to live with their Aunt. From here, the story of the ‘Shadow Forest’ unravels at a comfortable pace. The tale itself is a very good one but I found that the authorial intrusions, dotted throughout the story, did not work for me. When we jumped out of the world and into the author’s thoughts (taken up by chapters), the story momentarily lost its flow. I understand that Haig was trying to add a little Snicket-like humour into the telling, but I feel he would have done better omitting it. The story is good enough to stand on its own two legs and I couldn’t help but want to explore and know more about the Forest itself. On saying this, I hope Haig leaves the forest to the reader’s imagination and never writes a sequel.

The story deals with the adventure Samuel goes on in which he attempts to retrieve his mute sister from the clutches of the sinister Changemaker. He conquers his fears and with the help of a special book, is able to tackle the denizens of the Forest. Throughout the pages, we get parallel stories and flashbacks from Martha as well as Aunt Eda and the Changemaker. This shift from different storylines works very well and helps create a sense of pace and excitement throughout.

I would recommend ‘Shadow Forest’ in many different ways. It’s not a book that will stay with me forever, but it is a well-written little story and a complete break from a lot of the same conventional rubbish that is out there at the moment. Haig has the ability to become a solid and exciting writer for those readers who enjoy an adventure that isn’t too predictable and isn’t too cozy. This is a great book to read tucked up at night or have read to in class. A good present and a book aimed at a budding a reader or an accomplished one who wishes to be whisked away to a Norway filled with rather nasty fairies.

Mr. Gum and the Power Crystals

Author: Andy Stanton

Illustrator: David Tazzyman

Genre: Humour, Nonsense

Age Range: 7+

Theme/Subject: Good versus Evil,

Publisher: Egmont

ISBN: 9781405228176

Synopsis:

Mr. Gum is up to his dastardly tricks again ! This time he is enlisting the help of a windmill ! Well, an evil spirit trapped within a power-infused windmill. If Mr. Gum can gather the power-crystals in time and store them within the windmill then all of Lamonic Bibber is doomed. Only Polly, Old Granny and Alan Taylor (the Gingery-type bread being) can stop them…oh, and a donkey named Barcelona Jim.

Review:

I read this book shortly after the ‘Goblins’ one and although that one was funnier, ‘Mr. Gum and the Power Crystals’ is actually funny but with the a worrying hint of a story trying to creep in through the door in the background. Again, all the elements of what makes Stanton so funny are here: a ridiculous story idea, hilarious conversations (I particularly liked Nicholas de Twinklecakes) and the welcoming play on the English language and all its pot-holes. Examples are numerous, from the huge range of text-sizes and font-styles to sweet play on words:
‘With a grimace, Polly took the coloured stones from her skirt pocket. She could not believe she had once thought them beautiful like a goose on a hill. They had brought nothing but trouble and now she could barely bear to bear them in her bare hands.’
See. Silly. And that’s the milder stuff.
Stanton’s ‘silly’ humour will appeal to struggling readers who need something really short and easy to read, as well as a book small in size with a simple and engaging storyline. The pace is quick and therefore short amount of reading will seem rewarding. This series allows reluctant readers to see that some stories are allowed to be fun, quirky and nonsensical.I would recommend this book to readers who like a touch of the ridiculous as well as those who might have not gotten into reading on a regular basis. The light-hearted humour of these books consistently bring a smile to my face and help me understand that the world doesn’t always have to be as serious as I often