fantasy

Book Review: Wizard’s Castle

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Wizard's Castle
Wizard’s Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this so much more reading it for the second time! This delightful fairy tale follows Sophie, who has been cursed by a witch to look old even though she’s only 18. Sophie ends up in the house of the Wizard Howl, where the front door magically opens into four different places.  (This book has also been published as “Howl’s Moving Castle”.)

The world-building is brilliant! The magic system is really imaginative and interesting. The characters have such great dialogue and good development. I just adore this book! Continue reading →

Book Review: The Boy Who Lost Fairyland

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The Boy Who Lost Fairyland
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How to describe the delicious whimsy and melancholy of Valente’s books? It’s impossible to do, but I shall try.
It’s like spiced cinnamon tea served in a golden teacup with all the honeyed tears of your childhood heart when it first broke into pieces. No, that’s not it. It’s like cool peppermint tea in a silver chalice and all your favorite golden words at the bottom… no, no, that’s not it either. It’s like your heart and mind are at war, and when they finally call a truce they sit down for a lunch of memory sandwiches and warm library books baked with pink icing. But it’s all wrapped up in a glittering fairy story, so you don’t mind so much that your heart was just sliced open and your mind picked apart.

This fourth book in the Fairyland series is no exception! I was wary, as many were, since this book is not about September; but I immediately fell in love with the new characters, and cheered them on through their adventures.
This is the story of Hawthorne, who is whisked away to be a changeling and make trouble in the world of men. When he meets Tamburlaine, they become friends and discover that they are not so very different. The two find their way to Fairyland and are immediately roped into a quest. Continue reading →

Book Review: Shades of Grey

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Shades of Grey
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gah! The Ending! What?!? My brain can’t stand it, and my heart is limping along all hurt and crushed and stuff. Dis book!

Okay, let me start from the top. This is the story of a dystopian future world where most people can only see one color or some not any color at all. The Greys are looked down on and oppressed by the Colorgentsia, and everyone’s place in society is determined by the percentage of color they can see.
There’s definitely a “1984-Big-Brother” vibe going on with the government controlling every aspect of the citizen’s lives.
In the middle of it all is Eddie, a high-color Red with a bright future, until he meets and instantly falls in love with a Grey named Jane. Jane is involved with some very deep revolutionary stuff, and Eddie gets dragged into it all, somewhat against his will, but mostly because he’s too good-hearted, kind, and morally upright to cheat and play the system like everyone else does. Continue reading →

Book Review: Looking for God in Harry Potter

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Looking for God in Harry Potter
Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this in-depth analysis of the Harry Potter books, specifically tying together classic Christian themes and symbols. The author has become an expert on Harry Potter and gives lectures at B&N University. He also has a degree in Classical Languages and Literature, so you know he really knows what he’s talking about!

At the time this was written, only the first 5 HP books had been published, so the author also speculates, sometimes with funny results, about what he thought might happen in the final two books. I wish that there were a newer edition of this with thoughts on the final books.

The book begins with a personal story about the author reading HP to his children, and tells how many people in Christian communities have bad-mouthed the books in the past. He addresses concerns some Christians might have about HP enticing children into actual witchcraft, and very thoroughly disproves that notion! He uses Scripture, classic story-telling tools, and quotes from HP to show how the HP books actually give a very clear picture of a Christian world, a loving God, and the everyman’s search for purity through Christ. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Slow Regard of Silent Things

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The Slow Regard of Silent Things
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such a beautifully weird book! In this novella (part of the KingKiller Chronicles), we follow Auri through a week in the tunnels of the Underthing, as she sets her vast home to rights, fixes leaky pipes so that no one comes down to repair them, and scrounges for food and necessities. She explores the tunnels and passages of the Underthing, discovering new rooms and hallways, and even ventures on to the Top of Things.

This is not a book for everyone. It’s very strange. It doesn’t follow a regular plot or have conflict or character development. But its sweetness is in the glimpses of brightness and dark, the silly wisdom of a girl hiding from the world and embracing it at the same time. Auri’s little story is charming and haunting and wild! Continue reading →

Book Review: Emlyn’s Moon

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Emlyn's Moon
Emlyn’s Moon by Jenny Nimmo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is utterly enchanting! I liked that instead of being told from Gwyn’s POV, as the first book was, this one is told from Nia’s perspective. Nia comes from a large family, where she feels inadequate as the middle child. But when she is called upon to reunite a broken family, she has to search deep within herself for the strength and talent that she’s always possessed. Nia helps Emlyn search for his lost mother, and with Gwyn’s magical help, they encounter adventure and mystery beyond the world they know. Continue reading →