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chiparoo's review
medium-paced
2.5
Of all the books I read last year, this is the one I most... Forgot. After reminding myself what it was about, I now remember that I found it a little hard to follow and it just didn't grab or excite me.
kraley's review against another edition
3.0
I was looking at the ratings and it seems that the younger the reviewer, the more stars they gave it. Perhaps it is because I have read A LOT of fantasy, but this was just ok for me. I liked the world the author created. It was innovative, but not really fresh. I felt like the places where we wanted a deeper understanding of the world, Constable skipped over what could have been interesting. The societies she created were very two dimensional, as were her characters and their struggles, but for a debut novel, it was ok. I will probably read the other books in the series, but only if I have nothing else in my TBR pile. this would be fine for kids 10+ to read.
lievemealone's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved the idea behind the magic, but I felt the villain was a really one-dimensional character. He just wasn't compelling and we didn't know enough about his motives for him to be a truly effective villain I think.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
I am not sure what brought this book to my attention, but I am very glad I read it. It is perfect for middle grade readers not yet ready for the dense works of Tamora Pierce or Phillip Pullman. There is just a hint of romance, not enough to get in the way of the main character's, Calwyn's, development as she learns the powers of different chantments. It is unheard of for anyone to master more than one, yet she finds it natural to be able to control first ice, then wind, etc.
She saves the life of Darrow and then travels with him to battle Samis, the chanter who used to be Darrow's best friend, but now wants him dead. Samis wishes to rule Tremaris and become the Singer of All Songs but he is selfish and cold.
As they follow Samis, their group grows collecting new members and having adventures.
She saves the life of Darrow and then travels with him to battle Samis, the chanter who used to be Darrow's best friend, but now wants him dead. Samis wishes to rule Tremaris and become the Singer of All Songs but he is selfish and cold.
As they follow Samis, their group grows collecting new members and having adventures.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second time I've read this, and while I still like it a lot, it undoubtedly suffers by comparison with many of the things I've read in the intervening years. I originally read this pre-2006, and doing my MLIS (for which I read a lot of children's and YA books) and becoming a children's librarian thereafter means that I've read a lot of other really good children's and YA fantasy since then. That said, this is a fine world, and although I find the character development a little lacking, it's still a fine book.
kaatiba's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good, the story builds on itself as it goes along, world-building was fairly nice. The dialogue was awkward/cheesy at times, and the romance was unconvincing and frankly unnecessary. But I look forward to the sequels!
mterry's review against another edition
4.0
The story is so original and captivating. This first book sets up a wonderful world and introduces a great cast of characters. The second books takes us even further into this world and introduces more characters and customs. The expanse of the world and magic is very captivating and well thought out. The third book in the series is a little more disappointing. By this point, it is easy to figure out where the story is going, it is just the getting there. My biggest complaint is that the main female character, Calwyn, gets very depressed and pines after a boy for pretty much the whole book.