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foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
3.0
A picaresque novel for children, packed with incident and daring deeds. Though some of the luck and kindness the main character encounters may seem unlikely to the reader, as well as the unlikelihood of his various schemes, this is still a very enjoyable and exciting novel that I would recommend to anyone who likes adventure. Aiken's understanding of the individual and the details she uses to evoke 19th century Spain help to elevate this beyond the level of a Boy's Own type of story into a compelling and clever narrative.
emmaconstantly's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
christinecc's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
High adventure on the high seas (and also: trauma that haunts you for life!)
I came to Joan Aiken via Calmgrove.wordpress.com's numerous posts about her Dido Twite series about an alternate version of England and a young girl's many adventures as she makes her way back to her friends and defeats plots against the king. It's a fantastic series (and those posts are well worth the read), so I thought I should try Aiken's Felix Brooke series. After all, I love Aiken and I love adventure. Why not?
Felix Brooke is a young boy in Galicia whose mother died when he was young and whose father has never shown hide nor hair. Felix lives with his mother's family. His grandfather, the governor, is a stern old man who has outlived nearly all of his children. Needless to say, raising a mischievous grandson like Felix is no small task. And Felix is too young to see this! (It doesn't help that other adults around Felix have less than kind regards for him, e.g. his mean aunt, a fire and brimstone tutor, and so on.)
When Felix loses a good friend and finds himself without allies, he decides to take off and find his father's family in England. For that, Felix must travel through the mountains and fields to reach a port and set sail. He meets danger, friends, feuds, duels, and hidden treasure along the way.
Is it a gripping read? Absolutely. Are some of Felix's tribulations harrowing? Yes, yes they are. Felix tells us as much. A near escape from death. The sight of a drowning man sinking beneath the waves. Nightmares about suffocating underground. Good grief, Joan Aiken did not tone this down for the children, and that's probably part of what makes her work so affecting. I particularly love how Aiken has her young protagonists struggle to understand older people and finally grow into better, happier versions of themselves. The character of Sam, a young sailor with a tragic past and unbelievably sunny disposition, is one of the best members of the cast, and I'm a little sad at the thought that he may not return in other books.
I am genuinely excited to read the next two installments, not just for the adventures they promise, but for the moving endings that Aiken never fails to provide.
Recommended if you like high adventure, pirates & thieves fiction, and friends overcoming danger together.
I came to Joan Aiken via Calmgrove.wordpress.com's numerous posts about her Dido Twite series about an alternate version of England and a young girl's many adventures as she makes her way back to her friends and defeats plots against the king. It's a fantastic series (and those posts are well worth the read), so I thought I should try Aiken's Felix Brooke series. After all, I love Aiken and I love adventure. Why not?
Felix Brooke is a young boy in Galicia whose mother died when he was young and whose father has never shown hide nor hair. Felix lives with his mother's family. His grandfather, the governor, is a stern old man who has outlived nearly all of his children. Needless to say, raising a mischievous grandson like Felix is no small task. And Felix is too young to see this! (It doesn't help that other adults around Felix have less than kind regards for him, e.g. his mean aunt, a fire and brimstone tutor, and so on.)
When Felix loses a good friend and finds himself without allies, he decides to take off and find his father's family in England. For that, Felix must travel through the mountains and fields to reach a port and set sail. He meets danger, friends, feuds, duels, and hidden treasure along the way.
Is it a gripping read? Absolutely. Are some of Felix's tribulations harrowing? Yes, yes they are. Felix tells us as much. A near escape from death. The sight of a drowning man sinking beneath the waves. Nightmares about suffocating underground. Good grief, Joan Aiken did not tone this down for the children, and that's probably part of what makes her work so affecting. I particularly love how Aiken has her young protagonists struggle to understand older people and finally grow into better, happier versions of themselves. The character of Sam, a young sailor with a tragic past and unbelievably sunny disposition, is one of the best members of the cast, and I'm a little sad at the thought that he may not return in other books.
I am genuinely excited to read the next two installments, not just for the adventures they promise, but for the moving endings that Aiken never fails to provide.
Recommended if you like high adventure, pirates & thieves fiction, and friends overcoming danger together.
penwiper's review
2.0
The story itself isn't too bad, although there's a lot of "and then this miraculous happened, because I was nice to so and so" or "this person died right in front of my eyes and I remember it forever. Did God really want that to happen?" and a whole lot of "grass is greener" and "maybe most of these people weren't as bad as I thought. Maybe it was just me?"
Probably a younger reader would enjoy it more.
iceangel9's review
3.0
The first book in a new trilogy. Felix is the orphan son of a Spanish aristocrat and an English soldier. When he discovers a clue to the location of his father's family in England he decides to secretly leave his grandfather's home in Spain and travel to England to locate his father's family. Boys will enjoy this story.
nigellicus's review
5.0
Felix sets out from his unhappy home in northern Spain to travel to England in search of his father's family with nothing more than a handful of words deciphered from his Father's unreadable letter. With only a stubborn mule for company he crosses the mountains and has one adventure after another, with only his wits and ingenuity and a talent for music to win him through. From feuding villages to trapped oxen to a forbidden duel, from jail to a strange mountain village to danger on the sea, this is a thrilling and exciting tale filled with unexpected encounters and marvelous characters.
singinglight's review
3.0
Felix is the half-English grandson of a Spanish aristocrat. His mother died when he was born and his family scorns him. With his two friends and protectors in the household dead, he sets out for England to find his father’s family. I was honestly surprised by the major twist in the story. But I had a hard time believing it. Still, Aiken’s characters are vivid enough that I might keep reading (apparently it’s a trilogy). [Feb. 2010]
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