Saturday Feb 04

Posts Tagged ‘magic’

« Older Entries

A Librarian Reads The Light Fantastic

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

The Light Fantastic continues the adventures of Rincewind and Twoflowers that began in The Color of Magic. This time Discworld is threatened by a new red star that is growing larger everyday.

Readers may recall that Discworld is a flat world held aloft on the backs of 4 elephants who are themselves standing on a giant space voyaging turtle. This turtle seems to be heading for a disaster involving a collision with the aforementioned star. If the star consumes the turtle all of Discworld would be destroyed.

But the magical book known as the Octavo has other plans. Somewhere in Rincewind’s mind is the eighth ancient spell. It is up to Rincewind and Twoflower to bumble there way across Discworld (again) and this time everyone’s life depends on their ability to not do what people expect them to.

Recommended for anyone who loves a good laugh or enjoys fantasy. Appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in A Librarian Reads | No Comments »

A Librarian Reads Inheritance

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Inheritance is the conclusion of the Inheritance Cycle that began with Eragon. This series of books is set in a world where dragons and their riders once kept the peace until they were betrayed by one of their own. Now the world’s hope rests in a young boy and a newly hatched dragon. Over the course of their adventures they find many allies. In this final book Eragon, the dragon Saphira, Roran and the Varden are continuing their quest to overthrow the mad King Galbatorix.

I don’t wish to spoil the book for anyone so I just give my general response about the book.

My first question I had when I began reading is could Paolini pull off a satisfying conclusion when he has built up Galbatorix as an unbeatable bad guy over the last three books. In my opinion Poalini succeeds. I think Poalini has definitely matured as a writer and this latest book shows off his skills very gracefully. The battles are epic, the heroes heroic, and Eragon is powerful yet vulnerable. The book was a very satisfying read, and I will admit I stayed up most of the night to finish it.

So if you are fans of the series I think you will love it. If you haven’t read the series yet but love fantasy I recommend you give it a try. The series, and this book, is appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in A Librarian Reads | No Comments »

A Librarian Reads Tender Morsels

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Tender Morsels is a reimagining of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale called Snow-White and Rose-Red. Margo Lanagan takes this short tale and gives it such a breadth and depth that you are bound to the characters and their life journeys. But this new version is just as dark as it is enchanting.

The story starts out with a young girl named Liga. She lives with her father in a run down cabin in the forest near the village. But Liga’s father is not a nice man. He routinely sexually assaults her and goes to the village witch for potions that will cause Liga to miscarry. Liga is young and naive and doesn’t understand what is going on with her body or why her father is so horrendous. Soon she learns that she is pregnant again and decides to hide the fact from her father. When he discovers it he runs to the witch again for stronger potions but on his way back to Liga he is run over by a carriage and dies.

Now Liga is alone except for a new baby daughter. One day she is discovered in the woods by a gang of young men from the village. Liga hides her baby and tries to hide but the boys find her and force themselves upon her. Afterwards she has had too much pain in her life she decides that she and her baby shall leap off a nearby cliff and end it all.

As she is ready to kill her child she is stopped by a glowing magical creature. Liga is given two magic gems, a white one and a red one. The creature instructs her to plant one on either side of her door and she will be troubled no more. Liga does as she is told and on the next morning discovers that her cabin looks brand new and all traces of her father are gone. Everyone in the village likes her and the families of they boys who raped her have vanished as if they were erased from the world.

Liga discovers that she is pregnant again, from the group of boys, and decides to raise her two daughters in the wonderful new world where peace and tranquility reign.

Unfortunately for Liga the world hasn’t changed. She has been unknowingly transported to a magical paradise. The real world still exists and people will find a way to intrude on Liga’s happiness. When that occurs will Liga and her daughters be strong enough to experience the pain and ugliness that only the real world can provide?

Tender Morsels is a superb book and I highly recommend it to everyone. Due to some of the early scenes it is appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in A Librarian Reads | Comments Off

A Librarian Reads the Warlock

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

The Warlock by Michael Scott

This is the fifth and next to last book in the series so I won’t touch upon the plot so as not to give away spoilers. If you are reading this post you are probably fans of the The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. The Warlock continues the adventures of Sophie and Josh and makes up for the disappointment that was the previous book, The Necromancer.

The characters discover lots of secrets and there is plenty of plot twists. But what I enjoyed most is the fact that most of the characters, and especially Sophie and Josh, actually grow as people. In the last book the characters were static and moved around only to set up the next book in the series. So it is a happy surprise and this fifth book exceeds expectations. The Warlock also has made me excited for the conclusion in the Enchantress, out sometime next year.

The Warlock is recommended for fans of adventure and fantasy and appropriate for all ages.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A Librarian Reads | Comments Off

A Librarian Reads Akata Witch

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Sunny is a Nigerian American. She had lived in the United States until she was 9 when her parents quickly moved back to Nigeria. Now she is 13 and is growing up. She goes to school but is often picked on because of her skin color.

See, Sunny is an albino. She has pink eyes, and pale white skin even though she is from African descent. The kids in her class tease her and call her ‘akata witch’; a very offensive term that is used for African-Americans.

One day after a fight she befriends Orlu, a boy who stood up for her and tried to protect her. Orlu soon introduces Sunny to ChiChi, another girl in their neighborhood. Chichi doesn’t attend school and lives in a small unkempt house. Orlu and Chichi share a very special secret; they can practice juju, a kind of magic. They think Sunny can too.

Soon Sunny is initiated into the hidden world of magic. She begins to attend magic school and learns about her spirit face, juju knives, and masquerades that can summon dark spirits.  The three of them are soon joined by another boy named Sasha who is also from America. What the four of them do not know is that the magic elders plan for them to defeat an evil sorcerer who is murdering children in order to summon an evil spirit.

Can Sunny learn enough magic in time to help her friends? And if she does will she be brave enough? Sunny will have to truly know herself to do her best, but how do you do that when you are just a thirteen year old girl in a new magical and menacing new world?

Akata Witch is a beautiful book about magic, mysticism and discovering your family roots. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about other cultures or who loves magic and fantasy. It is appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in A Librarian Reads | Comments Off

« Older Entries