fantasy review

Book Review: Tales from Earthsea

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Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Tales from Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #5)
by Ursula K. Le Guin

3 out of 5 stars

These short stories add to the folklore and stories of Earthsea. They range from ancient tales of how the Wizarding School of Roke was first founded to more recent tales that fit in with the timeline of the rest of the Earthsea books. Some are parallel stories to the main books in the series that tell of other characters with similar magic and how their experiences dovetail with the main character’s stories although the characters may never meet.

The writing is excellent and the stories draw the reader into the world of Earthsea. Some of the stories are very sad and full of violence, but others are bittersweet and beautiful. The author does a wonderful job of describing a setting and a new character in a few well-chosen words that immediately connect the reader to the story.

I enjoyed these stories, and they are a wonderful addition to the Earthsea books!

Graphic Novel Review: The World According to Francois

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The World According to François by Vincent Zabus
The World According to François: The Writer’s Secret
by Vincent Zabus,  Renaud Collin (Illustrator)

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Francois is a little boy with a big imagination. He is always writing down stories and telling them to his classmates and teachers, but the bullies in school make fun of his stories and his teachers are exasperated with him. He meets a mysterious woman who tells him that he has a magical power over letters of the alphabet and can command any book to do his bidding. An evil man has seized control of the letters, and only Francois can restore balance to the secret world of authors.

I loved Francois’ character! He has a good heart and enjoys using his intelligence to fantasize about other worlds and magical creations.

Continue reading →

Book Review: A Bag of Moonshine

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A Bag Of Moonshine by Alan Garner
A Bag Of Moonshine
by Alan Garner

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


I loved this collection of fairy tales, rewritten from the folklore of England and Wales. The author has an uncanny ability to mimic the story-telling style of old folk tales, with whimsy and ingenuity.

The black and white illustrations add to the ghoulish atmosphere of the tales, and they are true to the art style I see in so many old fairy tale books from the late 1800s.

The enchantment of these stories lies in the excellent word-craft, and the weird and eccentric characters who populate the world of magic and mayhem. Full of changlings, witches, ogres who spin gold, and the clever youngest brother named Jack, these stories captivate the reader with the magnetic words and witty narrative style.

Book Review: Princess Nevermore

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Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan
Princess Nevermore
by Dian Curtis Regan 

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


In her magic underground kingdom, Princess Quinn has always longed to visit the Outer Earth and gazes up through the bottom of a wishing pool to see ordinary non-magical people just out of reach. When a magic spell sends her to the Outer Earth, she must learn to fit in with the modern world of cars and airplanes, and determine who she can trust with her secret. The Wizard Melikar is working night and day to bring her home, but Princess Quinn is having too much fun in the Outer Earth and questions whether she ever wants to return to her kingdom underground.

I liked the basic plot of this story, and the characters are fairly good with some depth and development. It’s not amazing, but it kept me entertained. The writing is engaging and fairly imaginative, and I liked the clear and tidy style of the narrative. The characters aren’t particularly deep or complex, but they are amusing for awhile.
There is also insta-love that I found annoying, but it IS a fairy tale, so I sort of expected that. Continue reading →