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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
It took me a long time to get into the style of this book. It's creative, and I like the characters, and I particularly liked the complexity of the ending, but I was never fully drawn in to the story.
Meet Petra, 12 years old, average intelligence and all around normal girl, if not a bit of a tomboy.
On a normal day for her, her father is returned to her bandaged and blind by two strangers from the castle. Her father was there working on a marvelous clock, for he had a magical gift with working metals and was commissioned by the prince himself. Unfortunately the clock was also meant to control the weather. While this would be perfect for someone of her father's mindset and could be used to make sure their country never has another drought again, it could also be a weapon.
Petra doesn't care about the clock though, she only cares about her father's eyes. The prince wears them as he pleases and doesn't care for them as anything more than a tool and a toy. Petra wants them back for her father and will do whatever she has to.
I cannot relate to Petra, but that doesn't take away from the book at all. This book is a bit dark at times, what with a surgeon magically preserving and removing eyeballs, experimenting on humans, and a prince who is definitely evil at heart. But there is a magic and simplicity to the things that happen and Petra's character.
While a little slow in the beginning, I did like this book and would recommend it to a younger crowd (myself being 23)
On a normal day for her, her father is returned to her bandaged and blind by two strangers from the castle. Her father was there working on a marvelous clock, for he had a magical gift with working metals and was commissioned by the prince himself. Unfortunately the clock was also meant to control the weather. While this would be perfect for someone of her father's mindset and could be used to make sure their country never has another drought again, it could also be a weapon.
Petra doesn't care about the clock though, she only cares about her father's eyes. The prince wears them as he pleases and doesn't care for them as anything more than a tool and a toy. Petra wants them back for her father and will do whatever she has to.
I cannot relate to Petra, but that doesn't take away from the book at all. This book is a bit dark at times, what with a surgeon magically preserving and removing eyeballs, experimenting on humans, and a prince who is definitely evil at heart. But there is a magic and simplicity to the things that happen and Petra's character.
While a little slow in the beginning, I did like this book and would recommend it to a younger crowd (myself being 23)
Another tale that would have been four stars had I read it twenty years ago. I'll admit that I found it a real page-turner towards the end, even though it's clearly for children. I wouldn't mind read the rest of the series if I ever find them on sale.
Petra is a great character. A good choice if you're looking for a children's fantasy with a good female protagonist.
Petra is a great character. A good choice if you're looking for a children's fantasy with a good female protagonist.
I read this because it got Newbery buzz at some point. I thought it took a little longer than it should have for me to get into it, considering that it's junior fiction, but once I did get into it, I thought it was quite engaging. I'm requesting the second volume from my library.
So first off thank you Katelyn for letting me borrow this book, I really enjoyed it and honestly, at first I was kind of scared. When this book started, you soon find out about the magical powers some people possess and sometimes with magical books it takes me too long to really comprehend what kind of magic it is in that book and how they incorporate magic within it. Magic just has SO many aspects, It's hard for me to get accustomed to that books magic but honestly, this was a super easy read and I honestly really enjoyed it.
Second time around: Still such an amazing book, Kaley needs to read it. It definitely takes a good minute to get INTO the story and I find it funny she uses two (or all three) of Tomik’s spheres in ONE chapter after she has many opportunities throughout the chapter. But it was still amazing and but audiobooks take too long sometimes. Oops, don’t care that I gave up listening to the last hour and a half, and just read the last five chapters myself? Pffft no.
Second time around: Still such an amazing book, Kaley needs to read it. It definitely takes a good minute to get INTO the story and I find it funny she uses two (or all three) of Tomik’s spheres in ONE chapter after she has many opportunities throughout the chapter. But it was still amazing and but audiobooks take too long sometimes. Oops, don’t care that I gave up listening to the last hour and a half, and just read the last five chapters myself? Pffft no.
Good, plucky female protagonist. Lots of interesting, imaginative details mixed with some history.
Good book...first in the series. Definitely would recommend to fans of children/youth literature.
Just brilliant. Sometimes, YA is too complicated, or trying to be complicated... and sometimes even repeating some ideas over and over again with an over powered heroine plus a "jaw dropping" twistsss, even with those concepts, they still received five stars and overhyped. That's why I'm reading children and sometimes adult sci-fi novels.
This book is aimed mostly for children, with it's light but quite good plot. The heroine is on par with the villain. And even with no twist in the end, this book is really good. Looking forward towards the next book.
This book have some flaws, the ending, for me became fast paced and the eyes being a just bothers me a bit.
This book is aimed mostly for children, with it's light but quite good plot. The heroine is on par with the villain. And even with no twist in the end, this book is really good. Looking forward towards the next book.
This book have some flaws, the ending, for me became fast paced and the eyes being a
Spoiler
"thing" to wear or lying around, in the Cabinet of Wonders, ohhhhhh the title
I listened to this because I love the Winner's Curse by the same author, but I couldn't get invested in the story and kept spacing out. It was a weird book. Somehow the ending makes me want to listen to the next one in the series, but I don't know if it will be worth it..... (๑•﹏•)