Critique

I absolutely love this series. What I like about them especially is that they’re totally different from the standard young adult magic book. The winding narrative and voice of the heroine harkens strongly to a Mark Twain, fitting considering the time period the books are supposed to be set in. While the books are loosely connected to each other, each is really a separate story, and Eff is just a regular magician, not some child of promise upon whom the weight of the world stands. It’s refreshing to have a series of magic, fantasy stories that don’t work off of the same formulaic premise.

As to this addition to the series, if it’s possible, I actually like Across the Great Barrier better than the first, which is atypical to most fantasy series. I like that the story doesn’t focus on one single issue, but meanders around, similar to how regular life would go. Eff is a lovable character who you route for, and she always feels very tangible, making decisions that seem in character, and someone who comes across as a very real person.

Critique

I cannot stress enough how much I love this book and this series. I would definitely recommend it to any lover of fast-paced fantasy novels. Certainly stories about aliens, people with superpowers, or even aliens with superpowers are nothing new. However, I feel like the treatment of this is fresh, especially amidst the crowded room that is vampire super power novels. I get a little tired of John (number four) complaining so much, especially about the fact that he’d rather be a regular kid and not have super powers. Get off it already. None of us believe you. That’s why I’m excited to see Six come along and unleash some serious butt kicking. She seems to be far more fond of her super powers than John is. The narrative does a great job of drawing me into the story, the back-story and the overall fantasy. I find myself disappointed at the end when I have to wait another whole year before I can read the next book in the series.

Critique

At first I didn’t know what to think about this book. I was teetering a bit at the beginning, and it felt difficult to follow from time to time. However, as the book continued to unveil, I stumbled less and less and was able to lose myself in the story. Some of the confusion may have stemmed from my lack of knowledge about the Imperial China, but I do feel as though the text could have used a bit more scenery description so that the full breadth of the environment could be taken in. Also, I don’t typically recommend drawings in books, but it would have been incredibly illuminating to see depictions of the various fighting forms being used in order to imagine the fight scenes.

All in all, though, it’s an engaging, original fantasy that’s part historical China and part something of its own entirely. Eon is a believable character, so much so, in fact, that often I found it annoying that she was making choices natural to her personality that were shaping her future in detrimental ways. No criticism of Goodman’s work, certainly. Sometimes characters are like that, and as much as we want them to be different for their own good, they’ll continue making ridiculous choices that mire them further into the very mess form which they’re struggling to break free. I recommend this text to readers 12+.

The other book in this series is Eona.

Critique

I could not have imagined that the sequel to such an engaging book could actually be better than the first. Alek and Deryn are just the type of characters that belong in a story of war, espionage and international intrigue and politics. The setting is perfect, the characters are believable and fun, and the story is almost impossible to put down. Westerfeld has accomplished the perfect balance between telling a great, compelling story with lots of action and danger with character and plot development. Hats off!

Critique

I was really pleased with this sequel. It brings us deeper into the world and the unique fantasy elements that have been created. We get a further glimpse into the recent history of how the Duke came to power, why people are manipulated the way that they are in order to do the terrible things that they do, and that the fight is a full-scale war across the territories, not just in Nya’s own back yard.

Nya is fun as a character and although sometimes it’s hard to believe that she’s able to survive many of the battles she fights, it’s certainly contextual to her special powers, so it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility. I’m excited to see the third in the trilogy and how the story pans out. I hope that more of the far past will be revealed as it pertains to these runes inscribed onto these plates of Pynvium. In fact, my only major criticism would be that I’d love a deeper dive into the fantasy of the world. Where did it come from? How did they discover that people could do this with this special stone, and how did that shape their world moving forward up until the present time?

Critique

At first, I didn’t know what to expect from this book. It had gotten mixed reviews for various reasons, especially the ways Kennedy composes sentence structure. However, long, sometimes confusing sentences aside, I feel like the critics were wrong on this one. It’s a wonderfully imaginative book the likes of which we haven’t seen since The Phantom Tollbooth, and in many ways reminds me of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Kennedy not only creates a totally unique world and landscape, but does an excellent job of defining the rules of this world, and describing how everything looks so that you can imagine along with him. My biggest gripe, often, with alternate world fantasy is that the description isn’t enough to really imagine what’s happening.

The characters are endearing, and original in their own right. The Odd Fish are exactly what you think they would be, terribly odd. Odd in everything, in fact, including their topic of study, the way they talk to each other and dress, the house they live in, and even the servants are all giant cockroaches who act like pretentious British butlers. I recommend this to all readers 10+.

Critique

I was thoroughly excited to read this book, just based off of the name and the cover, and although, I would generally not recommend judging a book by its cover, this book proved to be wonderful. The premise is already charming, that there would be need for a governess to oversee children who happen to be raised by wolves. Beyond that, it’s every bit fun that you would expect.

The children adapt and learn quickly, but Wood makes them consistent to their wolfly roots, throwing in squirrel chases and conversations with housedogs. They seem like believable characters, as believable as children raised by wolves can be, I suppose, and all of the other main characters in the story are just as ridiculous but lovable, as any good historical satire of Victorian society would be.

Wood’s writing style reminds me of the dry wit of Roald Dahl, and it’s about time that we had books in that style again. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series as it comes out, and I recommend this to readers 9+, focusing more on 9-12.

Critique

Of the three books so far in the series, this is the one that I have enjoyed the most. The previous two largely take place in the dismal underground worlds controlled by the Styx, but Freefall is a subterranean area completely untouched by these evil humans. Thus, the general mood from the characters feels lighter, and the spirit of adventure is stronger.

(Spoiler alert!) My favorite part, though would have to be once they get to the very center in which is contained a second sun. I couldn’t quite grasp what that would look like as described in the ancient maps that Dr. Burrows references throughout the first and second books, but it makes a lot more sense as the authors describe it. It literally is a sun that formed inside of the earth, and, as such, there is another, smaller world there that is similar to the one we inhabit on the surface.

I didn’t think that anyone could recreate a center of the world fantasy with any originality since Vern’s pretty much covers it, but I think Williams and Gordon have done an excellent job of reopening our imaginations to what may lie beneath our feet. I recommend this fun, entertaining read to readers 12+.

The other books in this series so far are Tunnels (book 1), Deeper (book 2), and Closer (book 4) which has not yet been released.

Critique

Not knowing exactly what to expect in a prequel, I was pleasantly surprised by Fire. Cashore does an excellent job of creating what feels like a very believable world and setting the rules to that world in a tangible way. Ultimately, the best fantasy tells a good story, like any book, and this is a good story. Fire, the main character, is three-dimensional and carries a lot of depth and complexity in her character and conveys a strong arc throughout her journey.

The rest of the elements are also good. There are multiple layers of conflict and subtle plots and themes that weave throughout the larger more obvious ones in a way that makes the story rich. Unlike many of the books in this class, which lack foundation and rely too heavily on fantasy tropes and fast-paced action rather than any level of development, Fire is a tale that speaks to its readers with maturity on topics like self-image and personal responsibility and carries the weight of a story that offers multiple interpretations. I recommend this to all readers 15+.

The other companion novel in this series so far is Graceling (book 1).

Critique

This is a really fun book. Certainly not life changing by any means, but it has all the necessary elements that make up a great spy thriller – action, secret espionage, special technology, likeable heroes, fast-pacing, secret religious societies, a great good versus a terrible evil, pending world destruction, and hints at romance (or just romance in general). The cast of characters is perfect as well, and although they’re a bit stereotypical, it works well for a book like this.

To be honest, this is the first sci-fi/fantasy spy book that I’ve read in a while that I really loved. Not that I’m generally into them, but it could rank among the Dan Brown’s and James Patterson’s, but with a more YA feel. I recommend this to everyone looking for a fun, fast read.