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careinthelibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is brilliant, but of course it is. DWJ doesn't miss. These characters are so quirky and multi-faceted and show growth in under 200 pages. They make some pretty serious mistakes that have major consequences.
A fascinating world I can't wait to continue exploring in The Drowned Ammet. A North and a South divided where the South is ruled by authoritarian lords. The people oppressed and craving freedom. A North full of rebels and culture.
There isn't a happy ending, it's more complex and nuanced for that. There's death that hits close to home in this short fantasy story. Really intense stakes for our band of travelling musicians. Moral complexity to the characters' actions that raise some internal concerns.
Cart and Cwidder will be celebrating 50 years in publication in 2025 and it is a gem to be celebrated. It felt like coming home even though it's my first time venturing into Dalemark. DWJ makes me feel safe and comfy in her confident skill.
A fascinating world I can't wait to continue exploring in The Drowned Ammet. A North and a South divided where the South is ruled by authoritarian lords. The people oppressed and craving freedom. A North full of rebels and culture.
There isn't a happy ending, it's more complex and nuanced for that. There's death that hits close to home in this short fantasy story. Really intense stakes for our band of travelling musicians. Moral complexity to the characters' actions that raise some internal concerns.
Cart and Cwidder will be celebrating 50 years in publication in 2025 and it is a gem to be celebrated. It felt like coming home even though it's my first time venturing into Dalemark. DWJ makes me feel safe and comfy in her confident skill.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and War
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
As. Book for young and young adult readers, it has a feel that that is similar to other adventure tales written in the 1970s, but it's notable for a few things. There are characters of various ages and they are each lovingly crafted with their own values, feelings, secrets and goals (even the family horse). Adults and children alike, make their own mistakes, and character growth feels organic and honest. As this is an imagined world the author is free to describe her characters' differing cultures, ethnic diversity and social class, and tell a coming of age story where these influences help to build the character of children brought up in a nomadic lifestyle.
-edit to add- Huw Parmenter does a marvellous job of narrating this audiobook, with some very moving scenes, and he has a fair go at singing the songs in it too.
As a musician, I value the whole idea of creating things and influencing the world with music. I picked up on the very early hints about a character being musically gifted, as it felt very familiar to me. This the story is told through the eyes of children, the political machinations are simplistic and easy to get a gist of. Characters do die, but it's not so dire (or convoluted) as Game of Thrones. I see a similarity to stories like Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda, though I think this tale has a little more meat on its bones.
All in all, I give it an extra half star for good pace and feel, and likeable characters.
-edit to add- Huw Parmenter does a marvellous job of narrating this audiobook, with some very moving scenes, and he has a fair go at singing the songs in it too.
As a musician, I value the whole idea of creating things and influencing the world with music. I picked up on the very early hints about a character being musically gifted, as it felt very familiar to me. This the story is told through the eyes of children, the political machinations are simplistic and easy to get a gist of. Characters do die, but it's not so dire (or convoluted) as Game of Thrones. I see a similarity to stories like Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda, though I think this tale has a little more meat on its bones.
All in all, I give it an extra half star for good pace and feel, and likeable characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, War, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty
soph22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
millow333's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death