Reviews

The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French

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skittyrreads's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Decided to start this series as a nostalgia read- this was always my least favourite in the series as a child and I stand by it. The plot is simple enough and while there is a lot of character and charm I find Gracie to be a little boring and I dislike that her and Marcus are just instantly friends. Other than that it's a decent read, and I find the world to be interesting enough.

myreadingiserratic's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

A really great middle grade fantasy. Good plot, good characters and an all round good time. I had fun

pwbalto's review against another edition

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4.0

Here's a new fairy tale that blends the best of the old - castles, princes, talking animals - with some of the traits of good modern kids' fiction. Notably humor, gender parity, dimensional villains. Also, adore this illustration style.

jeanettem's review against another edition

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5.0

I know this book is intended for a younger audience, but it was a lot of fun, with something new and exciting happening on every page.

When I read this, I had a cold and didn't want to invest in an intense story at the time, so picked this one up and it proved to do wonders for mood.

Lighthearted and fun, filled with a crazy witch, magic, an young orphan's escape from her cruel adopted family, princes being turned into frogs, more magic and sillyness, definitely something I would have loved to read when I was young!

sean67's review against another edition

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3.0

The first book in a series from French. To be honest sometimes this style of book grabs me, but generally speaking I can find it difficult to A) get into and B) maintain interest.
This was the case with this one, it was hard work, I got there and I will continue with the series, but I think i will be finding it difficult to connect totally. We live and learn and you never know what will happen with the next book.

nerfherder86's review against another edition

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4.0

What a fun story! This reminded me of a Disney movie, with broad caricatures for characters (the main baddie could almost be Cruella deVil!) and witty dialogue, and narrow escapes. Lady Lamorna (that baddie I mentioned) is a sorceress who wants a new dress--a dress of black velvet with skulls and spiderwebs and spooky stuff on it. But after it's ordered she realizes she has no money! So, what's an evil witch to do? Why, cast some spells and do a little kidnapping and hatch an evil scheme, of course! She's really good at turning people into frogs, so... look out, princes of the five kingdoms. Meanwhile there's also a Cinderella-like story going on with our heroine Gracie Gillypot, who is rescued from her mean stepfather's dungeon by--a talking bat? Marlon is my favorite character in the book, but he's followed a close second by Gubble the befuddled troll who keeps literally losing his head. A quick funny goofy read. Suitable for grades 4-6.