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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Though it stands well without having read the first, this was definitely a "middle book," and it was missing some of my favorite characters. I still can't get past the sadness that is a world without popcorn, ketchup, or chips (to put it obliquely).
Enjoyed this. Not as much as #1, but most definitely enough to be excited for #3.
This gets a resounding meh from me. Like the first, it's an interesting concept and an interesting world, but in this one.... almost nothing actually happened until the last ~30 pages, andn even that was over so fast it was somewhat anti-climactic. I suspect this one is mostly positioning the characters for stuff that is going to happen in the third book, but I don't think I'm going to bother finding out.
This series has really had its own distinct voice and throws more into the mix than most fantasy books try and do. The joke I've been making is that if you like "Little House on the Prairie" and Fantasy then you should give this series a read. But I think that does a bit of a disservice to the world that the author has created.
She has a very strong concept of the world, its history, and the underpinnings of how everything comes together which allows all of these elements to come out in the background and not be the focal point of the narrative. Plus it creates situations where as the reader you want to go down side-alleys and paths that the story doesn't because so much of the world is interesting and you want to know more.
I'm not sure I would recommend the series if you are looking for high-adventure or a mile-a-minute action. Things in the story come in their own time and you can be almost halfway through the book before you realize that the "adventure" hasn't even started yet.
She has a very strong concept of the world, its history, and the underpinnings of how everything comes together which allows all of these elements to come out in the background and not be the focal point of the narrative. Plus it creates situations where as the reader you want to go down side-alleys and paths that the story doesn't because so much of the world is interesting and you want to know more.
I'm not sure I would recommend the series if you are looking for high-adventure or a mile-a-minute action. Things in the story come in their own time and you can be almost halfway through the book before you realize that the "adventure" hasn't even started yet.
This book is an easy enjoyable read and a great sequel to 13th child. Eff continues to grow up and learn about her magic and the world around her. I love Wrede's old west with magic.
“You made a bad choice, and some of it can’t ever be fixed. But you have a lot more choices coming up. The important thing is to try really hard not to make another one this bad, ever again.”
I really enjoyed seeing Eff entering adulthood. In contrast to the chronically self-deprecating protagonist we saw in [b:Thirteenth Child|5797595|Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic, #1)|Patricia C. Wrede|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328840173l/5797595._SY75_.jpg|5969561], here is she is beginning to become more sure of herself (although she still has a ways to go), and has realized that one of the biggest obstacles to her magic in the past was her own conviction that she was destined for evil.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the scientific excursions that Eff and the rest of the gang undertook. I loved seeing the different schools of magic and the magical world shown from a scholarly perspective, which framed them in a way that isn't typically used in fantasy novels.
Finally, I was incredibly interested in Lan's storyline-it was fascinating to see the tables turned from the sibling dynamic in the first book.
Overall, this was a really fun, easy book that I flew through in a couple days. I wish I had continued with this series when I was younger (I'm really not sure why I stopped) because I think I would have absolutely loved it.
see my review of Thirteenth Child for a list of characters
Additional characters:
Prof. Torgeson - one of the professors who manage the menagerie, employs Eff on her survey of the fauna and flora west of the Great Barrier Spell
So, when reviewing the previous book I hoped that the character would grow in this book, and she did. Like, I could hardly put this book down. Much more was done with the interesting world that was created, the protagonist was less of a shrinking violet, and everyone who was previously perfect got some humanizing flaws .
Now I'm excited to see what happens next!
Spoiler
(Lan!)Now I'm excited to see what happens next!
The sequel to 13th child is every bit of a page turner as the original. This time you are following the heroine into adulthood where she must decide what to do with her life. Learning how paying close attention can avert disaster and ultimately being brave to follow your own course not the ones others want you to follow.