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marypmcg's review against another edition
2.0
The Brightstone Saga is a forthcoming fantasy trilogy from Enslow Publishers. The Brightworking was a relatively light story that was easily digestible and takes place in a world of ancient magic, which I can see appealing to certain students. This could certainly pass as a read-alike for the youngest Harry Potter fans, but lacks the depth those fans may be used to. The story does not waste much time with background and setting details and gets right into the action of the story, but the trade-off here is that the characters seemed undeveloped and it was difficult to tie the story to any larger, meaningful themes, so it fell a bit flat for me. At the same time, there are political sub-plots in this story that are glazed over and may be confusing to the intended (ages 10 and up) audience. For its pacing and appealing subject matter, I am reluctant to score The Brightworking with only 2 stars, but I am hesitant to bump it up to 3 without some more developed literary elements.
On a promising note, there was a preview of the second book in the trilogy at the end, and that seemed as though it may have more intrigue and will go deeper into the characters than the first effort. I'm interested to see how the second installment The Fortune Teller may or may not fill out the larger story of the Brightstone Saga.
On a promising note, there was a preview of the second book in the trilogy at the end, and that seemed as though it may have more intrigue and will go deeper into the characters than the first effort. I'm interested to see how the second installment The Fortune Teller may or may not fill out the larger story of the Brightstone Saga.
benedorm's review against another edition
3.0
The novel tells the story of Mikal, who is "gleaned" from his village in a scene that makes one half expect someone else to Volunteer As Tribute, and then shipped off to serve the Guild of Constant Working (which, I have to say, is one of the best-named organizations I've heard of in a while). While there, he makes a friend named Lyra, becomes apprenticed to a powerful wizard of questionable morals, and becomes part of a sweeping series of events that promise to have Lasting Consequences For Everyone Involved.
The emphasis here is on action. The plot moves forward as quickly as humanly possible, and though the setting is reasonably vibrant, there's nowhere near the attention to world-building or peripheral characters that a fan of Harry Potter or The Hobbit might desire. However, it's impossible to get bored while reading The Brightworking, and Mikal and Lyra practically fly from one adventure to another. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger; books two and three are coming soon, to the point that their ISBNs are already printed on the back cover.
The key here is probably to understand that this novel is published by Enslow, who usually puts out high-interest nonfiction series (Rebels of Rock, People to Know Today, When Wild Animals Attack!). This book seems designed with reluctant readers in mind, from the conceptual level down to the simple, uncomplicated prose. And for that audience, I think it's remarkably successful.
The emphasis here is on action. The plot moves forward as quickly as humanly possible, and though the setting is reasonably vibrant, there's nowhere near the attention to world-building or peripheral characters that a fan of Harry Potter or The Hobbit might desire. However, it's impossible to get bored while reading The Brightworking, and Mikal and Lyra practically fly from one adventure to another. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger; books two and three are coming soon, to the point that their ISBNs are already printed on the back cover.
The key here is probably to understand that this novel is published by Enslow, who usually puts out high-interest nonfiction series (Rebels of Rock, People to Know Today, When Wild Animals Attack!). This book seems designed with reluctant readers in mind, from the conceptual level down to the simple, uncomplicated prose. And for that audience, I think it's remarkably successful.
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