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kitsunesakura's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
annettewolf's review
4.0
This book stayed with me for ages, so much so that when my daughter asked what it's about, I remembered the scenes in the Valley of Fear remarkably well. On re-reading as an adult, these are still fun adventure books, great for kids.
aftanith's review
2.0
Well, here it is. The Balinor installment I’ve been dreading. Maybe six months, maybe a year ago, I started rereading this series. Then I got to page thirty-five of this mess… and started reading the most ludicrous, baffling, and infuriating pro-pseudo-vegetarianism paragraph I’ve ever come across.
There are a lot of reasons for becoming a vegetarian or a vegan. Maybe you have a moral issues with eating meat. That’s great. Maybe you, like me, have moral issues with the meat industry. Or hunting in general. Or, again like me, farming in general. Maybe you have an allergy or have some other physical need for a specialized diet. That’s, in a sense, even more valid of a reason to cut meat/animal products from one’s diet. I will always respect a person’s dietary choices. But I will not respect you if your reasoning is moronic. And holy shit, this passage was the stupidest thing I’ve ever read.
And the funniest part of this is that it isn’t even genuine vegetarianism being screeched about here. I don’t even know what to make of it. Apparently, in Balinor, there’s no goddamn such thing as a carnivore. Just herbivores and—wait for it—insectivores. I’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s just think about the first nonsense for a second.
Holy no. You cannot impose your personal morals on a motherfucking wolf! I don’t care if it talks to you or if it does the freakin’ hula. Wolves, lions, all these carnivores this book has screeching about how eating meat is TOTES EVIL, GUYS! and “NOT [acceptable] HERE IN BALINOR!”… What do you think happens if they don’t eat meat? All together now, class:
They die!
Yeah. They die. But then again, what am I talking about? These things talk. So they’re obviously not lions, wolves, rabbits, etc. They apparently have the completely, 100% human larynxes, tongues, nasal structure, etc. required to speak English. That’s one fucked up wolf, there. So maybe these mindbogglingly non-wolf/lion/etc creatures don’t need meat to survive. But then they’re not wolves/lions/etc, so please stop calling them that. Seriously.
But this brings me to what’s even more infuriating. Carnivores? TOTES EVIL. Insectivores? Nah, that’s cool, bro.
Wait, what? I’m sorry, what? Did I miss a memo or something? You know, the one about how insects are acceptable for consumption, but a chicken deserves to be the top predator of its particular food web? Why are chickens, rabbits, cows, etc. more deserving of, you know, not being eaten than insects (and I’ll just assume you’re include arachnids in there)? Is it because insects aren’t cute? That’s cool. So can I eat the ugly dogs? No? Oh, then maybe it’s because the insects aren’t as “intelligent” as some of the “higher” life forms? So can I eat people with IQs under 100? No? Huh. Odd.
Exaggerated examples? Yes. Do they demonstrate my point? Also yes. I am genuinely confused about the reasoning here. And I’m not—I am not—trying to say that any animal “deserves” in any way to be eaten. Really, I’m saying exactly the opposite: I consider every life—human, bunny, lion, turtle, spider, tree—to be equal. (If you want to put a religious spin on that—I don’t as I’m an antitheist—that would be: all life is sacred.) So I’m positively baffled when another person starts drawing arbitrary lines and categories pointing out which forms of life are “better” than others, and which can be consumed with a clear conscience. I just don’t get it.
But whatever. If you want to pick and choose who’s special and who’s not, that’s your thing. I just don’t want to read about it in my children’s fantasy novel. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
…And then we get to page fifty five. Wherein the TOTES EVIL snake appears. The snake creeps out of the trees, speaking like thissssss, to seduce the other animals into eating meat and losing their voices forever! *le gasp* Disgusting Biblical symbolism for the win! The snake is specifically referred to as “evil” before he even does anything. He just looks “evil”. In other words, every animal is equal, except for insects and the ones with “evil” eyes. I… okay. Sure. It’s not like I don’t get it. Snakes are evil because Garden of Eden, and fruits from Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and naked people, and yadda yadda yadda. All I have to say to that:
“NOT HERE IN BALINOR!”
(See? I can do it, too.) And for added fun, the snake turns out to be Kylie’s shifted form. So… I guess this makes Kylie an allegorical Lilith, with Entia playing Lucifer? Wow, reading these as an adult is an odd experience.
So… here’s hoping the next one won’t be so obnoxious?
There are a lot of reasons for becoming a vegetarian or a vegan. Maybe you have a moral issues with eating meat. That’s great. Maybe you, like me, have moral issues with the meat industry. Or hunting in general. Or, again like me, farming in general. Maybe you have an allergy or have some other physical need for a specialized diet. That’s, in a sense, even more valid of a reason to cut meat/animal products from one’s diet. I will always respect a person’s dietary choices. But I will not respect you if your reasoning is moronic. And holy shit, this passage was the stupidest thing I’ve ever read.
And the funniest part of this is that it isn’t even genuine vegetarianism being screeched about here. I don’t even know what to make of it. Apparently, in Balinor, there’s no goddamn such thing as a carnivore. Just herbivores and—wait for it—insectivores. I’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s just think about the first nonsense for a second.
Holy no. You cannot impose your personal morals on a motherfucking wolf! I don’t care if it talks to you or if it does the freakin’ hula. Wolves, lions, all these carnivores this book has screeching about how eating meat is TOTES EVIL, GUYS! and “NOT [acceptable] HERE IN BALINOR!”… What do you think happens if they don’t eat meat? All together now, class:
They die!
Yeah. They die. But then again, what am I talking about? These things talk. So they’re obviously not lions, wolves, rabbits, etc. They apparently have the completely, 100% human larynxes, tongues, nasal structure, etc. required to speak English. That’s one fucked up wolf, there. So maybe these mindbogglingly non-wolf/lion/etc creatures don’t need meat to survive. But then they’re not wolves/lions/etc, so please stop calling them that. Seriously.
But this brings me to what’s even more infuriating. Carnivores? TOTES EVIL. Insectivores? Nah, that’s cool, bro.
Wait, what? I’m sorry, what? Did I miss a memo or something? You know, the one about how insects are acceptable for consumption, but a chicken deserves to be the top predator of its particular food web? Why are chickens, rabbits, cows, etc. more deserving of, you know, not being eaten than insects (and I’ll just assume you’re include arachnids in there)? Is it because insects aren’t cute? That’s cool. So can I eat the ugly dogs? No? Oh, then maybe it’s because the insects aren’t as “intelligent” as some of the “higher” life forms? So can I eat people with IQs under 100? No? Huh. Odd.
Exaggerated examples? Yes. Do they demonstrate my point? Also yes. I am genuinely confused about the reasoning here. And I’m not—I am not—trying to say that any animal “deserves” in any way to be eaten. Really, I’m saying exactly the opposite: I consider every life—human, bunny, lion, turtle, spider, tree—to be equal. (If you want to put a religious spin on that—I don’t as I’m an antitheist—that would be: all life is sacred.) So I’m positively baffled when another person starts drawing arbitrary lines and categories pointing out which forms of life are “better” than others, and which can be consumed with a clear conscience. I just don’t get it.
But whatever. If you want to pick and choose who’s special and who’s not, that’s your thing. I just don’t want to read about it in my children’s fantasy novel. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
…And then we get to page fifty five. Wherein the TOTES EVIL snake appears. The snake creeps out of the trees, speaking like thissssss, to seduce the other animals into eating meat and losing their voices forever! *le gasp* Disgusting Biblical symbolism for the win! The snake is specifically referred to as “evil” before he even does anything. He just looks “evil”. In other words, every animal is equal, except for insects and the ones with “evil” eyes. I… okay. Sure. It’s not like I don’t get it. Snakes are evil because Garden of Eden, and fruits from Trees of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and naked people, and yadda yadda yadda. All I have to say to that:
“NOT HERE IN BALINOR!”
(See? I can do it, too.) And for added fun, the snake turns out to be Kylie’s shifted form. So… I guess this makes Kylie an allegorical Lilith, with Entia playing Lucifer? Wow, reading these as an adult is an odd experience.
So… here’s hoping the next one won’t be so obnoxious?
jljaina's review
4.0
Re-read Dec 2015
I originally read this years ago and my library did not have the next book. Now I have aquired it but before I continued I needed to rehash some details. I remember the end of this book was very busy but could not quite remember who did what and that is crucial in this one.
Another fun book for the series. So far I have really enjoyed this little series by Mary Stanton. This book continues to follow Arianna (goes by Ari) as she and the Sunchaser (whom she calls Chase) go to Castle Entia, in the Valley of Fear, to retrieve her scepter. Castle Entia is home of the Shifter. Arianna is still struggling to accept her role as Princess of Balinor and is torn between that destiny and the idea of just leading a simple life and letting go of her past.
The story also continues to have Linc (the dog), Dr Bohnes, Toby, and the ever annoying brat Lori. We also get introduced to Dill and Basil in this book. They are a pair of foxes who accompany Arianna to the Valley. The ending was unexpected and has me looking forward to the next book in the series. These books are perfect for the older child or youth. A fun series with story and character. Even I, as an adult, enjoy them for a short change of fantasy pace.
Lori pulls some really stupid stuff in this volume that costs the group dearly. I cannot decide if I want to see her grow up of just leave the story. Toby, while a bit rude, is actually on of my favorite characters and I wish he had a larger role in this book. The foxes are fantastic with bright personalities that jump of the page. This book reminds my heavily of the Narnia books with a dash of juvenile Lord of the Rings.
I originally read this years ago and my library did not have the next book. Now I have aquired it but before I continued I needed to rehash some details. I remember the end of this book was very busy but could not quite remember who did what and that is crucial in this one.
Another fun book for the series. So far I have really enjoyed this little series by Mary Stanton. This book continues to follow Arianna (goes by Ari) as she and the Sunchaser (whom she calls Chase) go to Castle Entia, in the Valley of Fear, to retrieve her scepter. Castle Entia is home of the Shifter. Arianna is still struggling to accept her role as Princess of Balinor and is torn between that destiny and the idea of just leading a simple life and letting go of her past.
The story also continues to have Linc (the dog), Dr Bohnes, Toby, and the ever annoying brat Lori. We also get introduced to Dill and Basil in this book. They are a pair of foxes who accompany Arianna to the Valley. The ending was unexpected and has me looking forward to the next book in the series. These books are perfect for the older child or youth. A fun series with story and character. Even I, as an adult, enjoy them for a short change of fantasy pace.
Lori pulls some really stupid stuff in this volume that costs the group dearly. I cannot decide if I want to see her grow up of just leave the story. Toby, while a bit rude, is actually on of my favorite characters and I wish he had a larger role in this book. The foxes are fantastic with bright personalities that jump of the page. This book reminds my heavily of the Narnia books with a dash of juvenile Lord of the Rings.
ktbergs's review
4.0
This book is where the series really gets going! Arianna and crew are on the next leg of the journey to reclaim the throne of Balinor - acquiring the Scepter that was entrusted to her shortly before the Great Betrayal. There is much more suspense and action, as well as dark characters and the first hints of battle. Once again, Dr. Bohnes serves as a "well that was easy" device in the plot, but seeing as she is able to do magic, it isn't totally unrealistic in the construct of the story. I do wish that the whole time traversing through the Valley of Fear was a bit longer. You can tell that Stanton drew inspiration from Lord of the Rings throughout the whole description of the Valley, and Lady Kylie definitely made me think of Nagini from HP. Anyway, I can't wait to read #4, which was my favorite book in the series. Let's see if it holds up!
daydreamer0626's review
4.0
This review is going to be short and sweet, much like the book itself. It was a great continuation of the series with a great cliffhanger for an ending :) Loved this series as a kid and I continue to love it (probably enough to force it upon my future children)
havoc's review
2.0
I received this series of books as a child through some program where they sent me one each month, and I remember enjoying them. I'm currently going through my bookshelves rereading books that I'm ready to pass on to new owners.
The story isn't too original, a magic kingdom at war with a lost princess as the heroine, but there's nothing really wrong with it, especially since it is for children.
With Chase's horn returned in the last book, it is now time for the group to go retrieve the Princess' scepter. My problems with Lori continue but now it's not entirely her fault. Lori tells one of the Shifter's minion their plans, but she is unaware that this person is evil because no one bothered to tell her (and she's dumb).
I've also noticed that the climaxes of these book are pretty rushed and underwhelming.
There are worse books for a young reader, but there are also better. If you or your child is a horse lover, maybe give this series a try, if not, keep looking.
The story isn't too original, a magic kingdom at war with a lost princess as the heroine, but there's nothing really wrong with it, especially since it is for children.
With Chase's horn returned in the last book, it is now time for the group to go retrieve the Princess' scepter. My problems with Lori continue but now it's not entirely her fault. Lori tells one of the Shifter's minion their plans, but she is unaware that this person is evil because no one bothered to tell her (and she's dumb).
I've also noticed that the climaxes of these book are pretty rushed and underwhelming.
There are worse books for a young reader, but there are also better. If you or your child is a horse lover, maybe give this series a try, if not, keep looking.
jolovestoread's review
2.0
2.5 Stars overall. (I really need to get out of the habit of half starring...) Okay 2 stars! I've become quite generous with my ratings, but for a book I very nearly gave up on, I need to be harsher with. It just doesn't deserve to be a 3 star-er when I didn't enjoy it very often.
I don't have nostalgia for this series like other pre-teen horse novels I'm reading. I picked this up in my early years of high school but had too many other things to read instead of continuing this series.
This book dawdled in places and was too short in others. Around the 60-70% mark I was going to abandon it, I even picked out my next book but didn't open it. I finished it the next morning with a clear and rested mind, however it still shouldn't have taken me four days to finish at 133 page book. The starting was interesting, but when they arrived at the village before the big climax it dawdled.
The interesting part of the novel - traveling through the Valley of Fear - took only 20 pages, when I think the story would have benefited from longer. Those were probably the most interesting pages for me, and could have been extended instead of other scenes.
The ending also felt rushed. I don't understand why or how they ended up back through the gap. And also the purpose it serves for the plot. Arianna and Chase aren't even freaking out about leaving their friends in the Shifter's land, let alone getting back to stop the war. I know the endings have to be made to tie in and have the reader feel satisfied, however more explanation could have been necessary. Like the pair have to do training together before they can take on the shifter.
It bothered me how mean everyone was to Lori. She's the typical human side character who is drawn into the strange world and doesn't want to be there i.e. the BRAT. However I didn't think her behaviour was unbelievable or un-relatable. I totally sympathised with her and I judge many of the minor animal characters for not. Don't even get me started on Dill and Basil. What a WASTE. The constant arguing between the pair could have been good married-old-couple character flaws, but it was WAY overdone.
Arianna was my second favourite character to Lori. I loved how she didn't want to be a princess especially since she doesn't have her memories back. It was super relatable coming into the time period she is.
Overall I will re-read, perhaps not in a hurry, but hopefully the next volume will be better. I do like the sound of the farm beyond the gap.
I don't have nostalgia for this series like other pre-teen horse novels I'm reading. I picked this up in my early years of high school but had too many other things to read instead of continuing this series.
This book dawdled in places and was too short in others. Around the 60-70% mark I was going to abandon it, I even picked out my next book but didn't open it. I finished it the next morning with a clear and rested mind, however it still shouldn't have taken me four days to finish at 133 page book. The starting was interesting, but when they arrived at the village before the big climax it dawdled.
The interesting part of the novel - traveling through the Valley of Fear - took only 20 pages, when I think the story would have benefited from longer. Those were probably the most interesting pages for me, and could have been extended instead of other scenes.
The ending also felt rushed. I don't understand why or how they ended up back through the gap. And also the purpose it serves for the plot. Arianna and Chase aren't even freaking out about leaving their friends in the Shifter's land, let alone getting back to stop the war. I know the endings have to be made to tie in and have the reader feel satisfied, however more explanation could have been necessary. Like the pair have to do training together before they can take on the shifter.
It bothered me how mean everyone was to Lori. She's the typical human side character who is drawn into the strange world and doesn't want to be there i.e. the BRAT. However I didn't think her behaviour was unbelievable or un-relatable. I totally sympathised with her and I judge many of the minor animal characters for not. Don't even get me started on Dill and Basil. What a WASTE. The constant arguing between the pair could have been good married-old-couple character flaws, but it was WAY overdone.
Arianna was my second favourite character to Lori. I loved how she didn't want to be a princess especially since she doesn't have her memories back. It was super relatable coming into the time period she is.
Overall I will re-read, perhaps not in a hurry, but hopefully the next volume will be better. I do like the sound of the farm beyond the gap.
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