Title: In the Hand of the GoddessAuthor: Tamora Pierce
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 264
Why I read it: 2nd in a series
Grade: B
Synopsis:
Still disguised as a boy, Alanna becomes a squire to none other than the prince of the realm. Prince Jonathan is not only Alanna's liege lord, he is also her best friend -- and one of the few who knows the secret of her true identity. But when a mysterious sorceror threatens the prince's life, it will take all of Alanna's skill, strength, and magical power to protect him -- even at the risk of revealing who she really is...
Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's second adventure continues the saga of a girl who dares to follow her dreams -- and the magical destiny that awaits her.
Alanna's journey continues...
My review:
So far, I've found the books in this series to be way too short. There is way too much story in here to be packed into a 264 page book with big words. Large amounts of time in the story are just skimmed over, and I turn the page (or move on to the next paragraph) to find out that months have passed.
That being said, the writing is well done and interesting. I find myself really drawn to the character of Alanna, and although she can be frustrating at times, I just really like her. In fact, I think all the characters are well done, even the evil ones. Sometimes it's hard to really get a feel for the characters, but that's because the book is just too darn short. I want more! But even things that would normally turn me off--a talking cat (or at least a cat that Alanna alone seems to be able to understand) would usually drive me batty, but I didn't mind her here at all.
I think this series would be a wonderful one for young girls (and boys) just getting into reading. They seem to be quick, easy reads with lots of fun and adventure, although the characters do sleep together (off screen), so that's something to be aware of. Overall this is a fun read for fantasy readers, and a great way to pass a couple of hours.
6 comments:
Being too short was one of my complaints too but Pierce does deliver with book 4 - it is nice and long with plenty of action.
Oh, I'm glad the 4th one is nice and long! I've got the third one from the library, but need to put number 4 on hold. Sometimes a really quick read is good, but if the writing is good, I want to enjoy it for awhile!
Brenda - an award for you!
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-monster-award.html
I LOVE these books! The next quartet is pretty awesome too (Immortals - Wild Magic). I also liked Protector of the Small, but not quite as much. From what I can tell, Tamora's publishers told her to keep the books small when she wrote these. Her books got longer when she graduated to YA with Trickster's Choice. She wrote something in the dedication thanking JK Rowling for indirectly convincing her publisher that children will read longer books. :)
Wendy--thanks for the award! That's always appreciated. :)
Em--I'm planning to read the other series by Tamora Pierce, too. I'm glad she started writing longer books, but I wish those publishers would have let her do longer in the first place!
Great review! I'd like to read more from this author! I'm stopping by from the book blogger hop!
Post a Comment