Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic Books - Page 12

The Sweet Far Thing

Libba Bray

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 125 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Angieville: THE SWEET FAR THING 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

And so ends the trilogy that began with A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy), continued with Rebel Angels (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy), and concludes in this final volume, THE SWEET FAR THING. I liked the first one well enough because of its unique blend of a wild, magical, mythical realm barely constrained behind stiff Victorian curtains. I really got into the second one as the plot became more complex, Gemma came into her own powers, Felicity and Ann's stories became more layered, and poor beautiful Pippa was relegated to the Realms indefinitely. When I saw how thick the third one was, my eagerness ratcheted up a notch. After all, I have been sitting around lately asking for longer books. Suddenly, here one is.

Unfortunately, 800 pages later, the best thing about it remains the first four words, it's lovely title, taken from a poem by W.B. Yeats. And it does capture the extremely bittersweet feel of the last portion of the book. But somehow this installment failed to capture my imagination. It frustrated me more than anything. Instead of making good use of everything she fought for in Rebel Angels (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy), Gemma spends the entire novel trying to decide whether or not to do what she decided to do at the end of the last book. Not until the final pages does she get a grip on herself and do what needs to be done. I thought we were done with crippling indecision in the previous books. I wanted the Gorgon to just let loose and throttle her! Meanwhile, Felicity and Ann are apparently thirteen again and spend the majority of their time being petty and distrustful, backstabbing Gemma whenever they get the chance. Pippa is the most interesting of the original friends, munching on the berries of the dead in all her Miss Havisham glory. But her path is extremely predictable. And Kartik? Fiery, beautiful Kartik? Sigh. The end to his story had far too much in common with Merlin's fate for my taste. I will say that the scene where Gemma and Kartik place their hands inside the stone was achingly beautiful. But, as with much in this hefty book, it was too little too late and I'm left feeling sad. Wishing, somehow, it could all have gone differently.

Editorial Review:

IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a
laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.

The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.


From the Hardcover edition.

How to Find Flower Fairies

Cicely Mary Barker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautiful book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a gorgeous book. The pop-ups are intricate and there are lots of beautiful details. It encourages the reader to look closely to find things. It uses different fonts which is great for children learning to read and write cursive. Would definitely reccommend and buy again.

Editorial Review:

"Children, the knowledge that I am passing to you is precious and must be carefully guarded…"

After centuries of being hidden from human sight, the Flower Fairies allowed Cicely Mary Barker a glimpse into their enchanted fairy world in Fairyopolis. Now you can continue the adventure with this spectacular new novelty book where every page unlocks the secrets behind the magical places the fairies call home. Five eye-popping spreads include intricate three-dimensional pop-up images of flowers and trees that magically open up to reveal the secret homes of the fairies. Lift-the- flaps, booklets, maps and other ephemera provide interactive fun on every page leading up to a stunning surprise on the final spread.

Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven) (Fablehaven)

Brandon Mull

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fablehaven:Grip of the Shadow Plague 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Brandon Mull continues to surprise me with his latest installment of the Fablehaven novels. His writing is simple but continues to captivate attention. And yes, questions are finally answered. There is however, the on going plot to save Fablehaven from immediate distruction, But there are many sub-plots and twists that add to the novel as a whole. I am a fan and will continue to read Fablehaven and look forward to Mull's next installment. This book is for people of all ages and (in my opinion) will captivate audiences over the years to come.

I enjoyed reading it as much as my kids! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I think earlier reviews have covered the basic plot and premise. I wanted to share our experience with the book. We read the first together this summer as a fun way to past the time, but as the characters grew and the new world opened up, we couldn't put it down. My 11 year old volunteered to cook so that I wouldn't have to stop reading it aloud. The plot is surprising and the characters grow in realistic ways. I found the internal consistency to be good and vocabulary was delightful. We enjoyed them enough from the library that we have bought them to have at home and read again. The questions in the back are great for discussions and offer chances to invite parents to observe their children make tough choices. My husband overheard us reading, and has asked for regular updates on the plot. Good for you, Brandon, for successfully writing a series that appeals to so many readers. Keep writing! We can't wait for the next installment!

Editorial Review:

In the third volume, the peril escalates as an unexplained darkness infects the creatures of Fablehaven.

Coraline Graphic Novel

Neil Gaiman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 351 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

UNFORTUNATELY ORDERED THE WRONG VERSION OF CORALINE )<: 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

My daughter and I had a long car trip this summer in which we listened to a library audio copy of Coraline (charmingly illustrated by Neil Gaiman himself) and absolutely LOVED the story. So, for Christmas, I had decided to give her a beautiful hardbound copy of the book to read together.

UNFORTUNATELY: this graphic hardbound novel is like a comic strip version of the novel. DO NOT BUY THIS UNLESS YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THE BOOK PROPERLY. It would be more suitable as a keepsake or extra copy, but the regular text novel is too good to miss. The description here on Amazon was confusing enough to make ME think that this would just be an extra snazzy version of the novel with SOME illustrations thrown in. NO. It's ALL comic strips all the time.

Sorry, but I'm a little miffed at Amazon, NOT the book. A little more information would be nice on these kind of top sellers (at the very least, we could expect that kind of service). As a very loyal amazon user, I am highly displeased at times with the lack of description on some items, and this is the worst thus far.

Editorial Review:

When Coraline steps through a door in her family's new house, she finds another house, strangely similar to her own (only better). At first, things seem marvelous. The food is better than at home, and the toy box is filled with fluttering wind-up angels and dinosaur skulls that crawl and rattle their teeth.

But there's another mother there and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and all the tools she can find if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

This beloved tale has now become a visual feast. Acclaimed artist P. Craig Russell brings Neil Gaiman's enchanting nationally bestselling children's book Coraline to new life in this gorgeously illustrated graphic novel adaptation.

A Clockwork Orange (Norton Paperback Fiction)

Anthony Burgess

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 619 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good but have to work to get into 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is very good. It hass undertones as to the situations that are presented in society now even though it was written so long ago. The disregard of youth for the laws that are put in place to protect them and ourselves leads to their inability to function in society and their eventual decomposition to vagrants that put weight on the already weighted prison system. Upon finding a seemingly just punishment and solution the spin doctors find a way not only to persecute the "afflicted" youth but also use it to defeat their own enemies. Very good book however the slang that he was praised for using and developing was very difficult to get into. It actually made me not want to read it at first but getting into it and eventually learning it allowed me to really enjoy the read.

Editorial Review:

In this nightmare vision of a not-too-distant future, fifteen-year-old Alex and his three friends rob, rape, torture and murder - for fun. Alex is jailed for his vicious crimes and the State undertakes to reform him - but how and at what cost?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 460 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A wonderful book 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is about Charlie, a generous boy whose family is very poor. Charlie hopes to win admission to Wonka's fabulous chocolate factory which is finally open to five people. I enjoy how Roald Dahl describes imaginary characters and the interesting machines in the factory. At the factory, Charlie meets four other children who have one thing in common: they all represent naughty children in one way or another. The other children can be described as sassy or obsessed or bulging or lazy. They are all extremely unhelpful, and they expect other people to do all the work for them. Charlie is different. He is helpful, and he works hard to make his family happy. I think that there should be a scene that shows Charlie making a good choice in the factory instead of just standing there watching other kids make bad choices. I think that the book is good for readers in second to seventh grades because it is a complicated story with exciting and unpredictable characters. I liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so much that I chose to read the sequel!

Editorial Review:

The gates of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory are opening at last . . . and only five children will be allowed inside.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Book 5: The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)

Rick Riordan

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Editorial Review:

The prophecy surrounding Percy's 16th birthday will be revealed in this final book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series...

The Wrinkle in Time Quintet Boxed Set (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, An Acceptable Time)

Madeleine L'Engle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Time Quintet consists of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. The digest box set features the art of Taeeun Yoo.
A Wrinkle in Time is one of the most significant novels of our time. This fabulous, ground-breaking science-fiction and fantasy story is the first of five in the Time Quintet series about the Murry family.
A Wind in the Door—When Charles Wallace falls ill, Meg, Calvin, and their teacher, Mr. Jenkins, must travel inside C.W. to make him well, and save the universe from the evil Echthros.
A Swiftly Tilting Planet—The Murry and O’Keefe families enlist the help of the unicorn, Gaudior, to save the world from imminent nuclear war.
Many Waters—Meg Murry, now in college, time travels with her twin brothers, Sandy and Dennys, to a desert oasis that is embroiled in war.
An Acceptable Time—While spending time with her grandparents, Alex and Kate Murry, Polly O’Keefe wanders into a time 3,000 years before her own.

Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, Book 1)

Rachel Caine

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 53 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Rachel Caine does it again! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love the Weather Warden series so picked up Glass Houses, despite it being a YA novel. Like the Weather Warden series, it is fast-paced, tautly written, with excellent characters you care about. Rachel Caine is an amazing writer. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is the explanation for Claire's sticking in Morganville. If any real young girl were violently attacked in her dorm - and had parents that were still around - she would have called her parents immediately and LEFT. If Caine had said that Claire didn't have parents or anyone to really turn to, or even if there were some invisible force keeping her in the town (a vampire power of some sort) I would have believed it more. Throughout the whole book I kept wondering, why don't they just LEAVE? Again, a simple vampire ability to keep people in the town would have been more satisfying than the weak reasons given in the book. That said, it was a terrific read with great characters and I'm definitely getting the rest of the series.

Editorial Review:

From the author of the popular Weather Warden series. Welcome to Morganville, Texas.

Just don't stay out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero.

When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

Eragon (Spanish Edition)

Christopher Paolini

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2694 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

One of the Best Reads Since Dracula 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I was recommended this book by a friend who had read it. I saw the movie first (I don't recommend that one) and wanted to know what the story was really like. I bought this one and consumed it in five days. My imagination was going wild as I read this, fueled by Paolini's vivid descriptions.

About a year ago, I read Dracula, and since then I haven't read a book that had me as gripped as this one did. I definitely recommend this one to all.

Editorial Review:

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.

“An authentic work of great talent.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic with his precocious debut.”—People

“Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid.”—Booklist, Starred

“An auspicious beginning to both career and series.”—Publishers Weekly

A New York Times Bestseller

A USA Today Bestseller

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A Book Sense Bestseller