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kelleemoye's review against another edition
3.0
A fun fantasy with some new ideas. Sometimes predictable, but overall, a great ride.
stuhlsem's review against another edition
4.0
This is my favorite J fantasy of the week.
Nicholas (Kolya) is just a regular kid whose mother died mysteriously years ago and whose father is an unsuccessful Las Vegas magician and whose grandfather is always having cryptic arguments with said father. Like I said, just a regular kid. On his 13th birthday, his grandfather kidnaps him to take him to a real fortune teller, who can see that Nick has magical powers that are in great demand. His mother's family, led by the famous (and very successful) Las Vegas magician Damian, adopt him, and he moves to a fancy hotel, where he meets his cousin (yay! a friend!) and eats caviar and cream cheese (and he's upset about this. silly kid). Of course, there are bad guys, and they try to kill Nicholas and Isabella (the cousin). However, because of their talent and chutzpah, the children win out against the old, wise, and powerful bad guys.
It was cute. I'm going to read the rest of them.
Nicholas (Kolya) is just a regular kid whose mother died mysteriously years ago and whose father is an unsuccessful Las Vegas magician and whose grandfather is always having cryptic arguments with said father. Like I said, just a regular kid. On his 13th birthday, his grandfather kidnaps him to take him to a real fortune teller, who can see that Nick has magical powers that are in great demand. His mother's family, led by the famous (and very successful) Las Vegas magician Damian, adopt him, and he moves to a fancy hotel, where he meets his cousin (yay! a friend!) and eats caviar and cream cheese (and he's upset about this. silly kid). Of course, there are bad guys, and they try to kill Nicholas and Isabella (the cousin). However, because of their talent and chutzpah, the children win out against the old, wise, and powerful bad guys.
It was cute. I'm going to read the rest of them.
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
Yeah, sure it's a bit Harry Potter-ish, but if you can look past that and get into the whole Russian history and magic-is-real and the Las Vegas setting, it's really quite good.
abigailbat's review against another edition
2.0
On his thirteenth birthday, Nick discovers that he possesses magical powers and that he's part of a long line of magicians dating back to ancient Egypt. The neat thing about this book was Nick's Russian lineage and the details of Russian culture that are inserted throughout. Unfortunately, the book fell flat for me and, although it was action-packed, I never really came to care about any of the characters. Hand this one to Harry Potter- and Percy Jackson fans who just can't get enough magic.
Full review on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/06/magickeepers-eternal-hourglass.html
Full review on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/06/magickeepers-eternal-hourglass.html
nathyvhb's review against another edition
3.0
Not an epic plot, but I like the use of the Russian culture and history. Nice story, maybe I’m even going to read the next book
elevetha's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the incorporation of the historical characters. That was very interesting and fun to read. However, the rest of the book, as I remember it, was not quite as intriguing.
iraboklover's review against another edition
3.0
Hmmm...alur cepat, petualangan yang tidak terlalu menegangkan, pertempuran yang tidak terlalu seru, dan seperti kebanyakan cerita fantasi...tokoh utamanya terlihat payah dan tidak bisa apa-apa...padahal sudah berulang kali diberi tau kalau dia sebenarnya punya kekuatan hebat...hedeh capek deh.
Satu-satunya yang aku suka dari buku ini adalah ceritanya yang bernuansa Rusia dan Las Vegas. So, I like it :D
Satu-satunya yang aku suka dari buku ini adalah ceritanya yang bernuansa Rusia dan Las Vegas. So, I like it :D
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
The Eternal Hourglass by Erica Kirov is the first of the Magickeepers series. Nick Rostov lives with his father in a crappy room in one of the older Las Vegas hotel. He's starting the summer off with a bad report card, and another birthday by himself.
Except this time, his grandfather appears on his thirteenth birthday with the offer of a new life, new powers, an extended family he didn't know exists and, of course, new responsibilities. He's also moving to another hotel — this one a palace and magic school in disguise, all run by his extended and apparently massive family.
How Nick reacts (or doesn't) to suddenly being thrust into a magical lifestyle is another bone of contention. Harry Potter fans seem to respond with more enthusiasm to Nick just blindly accepting his new life. Personally I have problems with the set up for both books — but here Nick, despite his crappy hotel apartment, does seem to have a good relationship with his father. I find it much harder to believe that he would just happily up and leave for such an extended period of time to go learn magic with relatives he didn't even know existed. Granted, he's still in Las Vegas, but I think he'd be motivated to find a way home.
Here magic is hidden in plain sight by making it part of the Las Vegas kitsch. It's not a separate world of wizards and witches vs. muggles. Instead, it's a world of creative camouflage. Except — and this is such an overused trope — as soon as the main character has begun to come into his or her powers, the EVIL forces come out of the woodwork. As a reader, I'm tired of this plot. Learning to handle a sudden influx of power should be dangerous enough by itself. There doesn't have to be a BIG BAD lurking around every corner; all it does is get in the way of character development and world building.
The Eternal Hourglass did not work for me. Nick was too passive a character. The inky shadows of BIG BAD, while visually interesting, were more of a distraction from potentially difficult character building opportunities or more complex world building. I wanted a better blending of Nick's personal story, the Russian family history of using magic, and Las Vegas's own checkered history. Unfortunately, none of those pieces came together, leaving me wishing I'd spent my time reading something else.
Except this time, his grandfather appears on his thirteenth birthday with the offer of a new life, new powers, an extended family he didn't know exists and, of course, new responsibilities. He's also moving to another hotel — this one a palace and magic school in disguise, all run by his extended and apparently massive family.
How Nick reacts (or doesn't) to suddenly being thrust into a magical lifestyle is another bone of contention. Harry Potter fans seem to respond with more enthusiasm to Nick just blindly accepting his new life. Personally I have problems with the set up for both books — but here Nick, despite his crappy hotel apartment, does seem to have a good relationship with his father. I find it much harder to believe that he would just happily up and leave for such an extended period of time to go learn magic with relatives he didn't even know existed. Granted, he's still in Las Vegas, but I think he'd be motivated to find a way home.
Here magic is hidden in plain sight by making it part of the Las Vegas kitsch. It's not a separate world of wizards and witches vs. muggles. Instead, it's a world of creative camouflage. Except — and this is such an overused trope — as soon as the main character has begun to come into his or her powers, the EVIL forces come out of the woodwork. As a reader, I'm tired of this plot. Learning to handle a sudden influx of power should be dangerous enough by itself. There doesn't have to be a BIG BAD lurking around every corner; all it does is get in the way of character development and world building.
The Eternal Hourglass did not work for me. Nick was too passive a character. The inky shadows of BIG BAD, while visually interesting, were more of a distraction from potentially difficult character building opportunities or more complex world building. I wanted a better blending of Nick's personal story, the Russian family history of using magic, and Las Vegas's own checkered history. Unfortunately, none of those pieces came together, leaving me wishing I'd spent my time reading something else.
breeoxd's review against another edition
4.0
A nice, light read meant for middle schoolers. Nothing game- changing, but enjoyable enough to be a pallet cleanser from the non fiction run I've been on.
Like many fantasy books, Nick has a nice ordinary, if not ideal life and then finds out, whoops!- he has a magical destiny. Unfortunately he and his magical famiky are under attack by dark forces that he needs to fight (despite practicing magic a week or so.)
I greatly enjoyed having run-down Vegas setting the scene here, and some of the descriptions of magic (that family tree!!!!) Were really quite interesting. I could have gone without quite so much Russian heritage however. Despite the author actually being part Russian, it was so full of sterotypes that it bordered on appropriation. I do understand this was meant for middle schoolers, so it was simplified. I guess not much to be done there.
Be on the watch for lots of historical cameos.
Like many fantasy books, Nick has a nice ordinary, if not ideal life and then finds out, whoops!- he has a magical destiny. Unfortunately he and his magical famiky are under attack by dark forces that he needs to fight (despite practicing magic a week or so.)
I greatly enjoyed having run-down Vegas setting the scene here, and some of the descriptions of magic (that family tree!!!!) Were really quite interesting. I could have gone without quite so much Russian heritage however. Despite the author actually being part Russian, it was so full of sterotypes that it bordered on appropriation. I do understand this was meant for middle schoolers, so it was simplified. I guess not much to be done there.
Be on the watch for lots of historical cameos.
mycouscous's review against another edition
I tried, I really did. Except every step of the way felt like it was trying to write the next Harry Potter...but with Russian culture thrown in! And after I'd checked it out, I'd read the blurb on the back: What would you do for an hour glass that could stop time? I kind of shrugged and thought, "Not much" and let the story peter out for me. I won't be finishing it.