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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I really like the expansion of the world in this one, and the continuing development of the main character - from understanding that she is not evil and moving on to understanding that she is not inherently bad at magic, she's just never practiced properly.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I loved this one almost as much as the previous book in the series. I didn't find the lack of Native Americans insulting as I've some--since Wrede added diversity in the book. As a black woman who reads Fantasy, I find that the general lack of diversity in the genre is sad.
The absence of Native Americans (so far) fits with the story and worldbuilding.
The absence of Native Americans (so far) fits with the story and worldbuilding.
I was obsessed with the first book in this series but as we opened up to the next chapter in the series, I quickly lost interest.
Slower going than the first installment, it seemed that Across the Great Barrier served to get the audience from point A (the end of the first book) to point B (where Wrede wants to the 3rd book to begin). Though book 2 covered fewer years than book 1, they were critical, coming of age years. A quiet book, I still have a hard time figuring out who I might recommend this series to. I should say that I really enjoy the series though.
Life for Eff after her latest triumph has 'mostly' returned to normal. She decides to travel with a professor outside of the Great Barrier documenting the flora and fauna. They discover a new 'beasty" and her brother Lan does something dumb... This book moves slowly, but still maintains some interest. I intend to read others by Wrede to see if I like.
I really enjoyed this. Even more than the first one, I think, although I'd have to reread it to be sure. These are terrific books, but I have to ask, where are the native people? It seems like Columbia was completely empty except for wildlife, which seems odd. Yes it’s fantasy, but it’s very historical American fantasy, and everything is there (slaves, the Civil War, Lewis and Clark, for example) except indigenous Colombians. And I would have really liked to meet them!
I’ve been trying to get a hold of this book for a while and I’m so glad I finally found a library with a copy! This is a great continuation of the Frontier Magic series and it’s nice to see Eff get to grow up and learn a bit more. As always, Patricia C. Wrede has wonderful characterization and world building. I was so pleased in this book that we got to see more of this world and learn more about the different types of magic in it. The way this series plays with real history is so intriguing!
I like that there's continuity from the previous book---in "Thirteenth Child" Eff decides she wants to go out to the settlement lands and work with the wildlife; in 'Across the Great Barrier," she is not only working at the college menagerie, but she also gets to go on a research expedition farther out West. We also see greater development and maturity of her personal and magical identities. I could definitely pick up on a formula Wrede has going with these books; more low-key events towards the first 1/1-3/4 of the book with a couple hints of what may come, followed by more sudden realizations/conclusions and a final magical showdown. The relationships and emotions, as well as frontier and family politics, still play a larger role in the plot and sub-plots, but there is definitely more action and magic in AtGB than TC. I also got a firmer sense of the magic systems. Lan and Eff are both great characters, and Wrede writes them, their relationship and dynamics, and their developments, well. I like the sub-plot with Lan. It helps to flesh out his character and build on his relationship with Eff, as well as provoke growth in Eff herself. The plot was slower than in the first book and occasionally got a little boring. There was a lot of traveling and "We stopped and collected data and samples of plants and animals" sort of descriptions, and the first hints of danger/a big threat didn't come until almost the end of the research expedition. Also, even after Eff has some revelation about the possibility of a connection between Wash's magic pendant and her weird lucid dreams, I still fail to see their relevance to the plot. On a similar note, I didn't like how she never really told anyone about them, despite supposedly having intentions to do so. I still enjoyed reading the book (I was furious when my mom interrupted the last chapter or two, in the middle of an important scene!) and will definitely continue the series.
Not as fabulous as the first book in the series, Across the Great Barrier is still a remarkable book. Only Patricia C. Wrede would think of writing a Western fantasy series.