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ladytiara's review
4.0
Loved this one. Review to come.
Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC.
Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC.
select52's review
5.0
Wonderful story. I won this from a Goodreads giveaway. So glad I did. I loved it. Going to hand this off to another parent with school age children.
spilled_ink_on_pages's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
booklover160's review
3.0
Overall pretty good but kinda preachy and roundabout.
Prince Alphonsus was found by the Empress and her wife with a clock in his chest. He grows up a happy, curious child until faced with an adversary who craves love, mistaking it for power. As the prince is on the run from the man hunting him down, he runs into a young girl sent on a gruesome task of her own; to kill the supposed evil sorceress in the woods. But absolutely nothing is as it seems, and everyone must learn for themselves just what the truth is.
This was fine. I liked Alphonsus; he was sweet and kind and when he called himself a coward I got sad because I didn't think he was at all. He learns a lot about trust and fear and believing in himself. I liked Esme after a while; she was so annoying and self-righteous up until the end and then I think she learned the biggest lesson and lost the most. I liked everyone else just okay. We don't really get to know much about anyone else. Like, who was the Maiden??? Was she like Guntram and MADE from a spell? Or where did she really come from? And like what happened to Esme's father? And what happens to the Empress after her connection with the Maiden died?
The writing was well done except for a few moments where it just sounds really childlike. Like the book is talking to a child; which is mostly fine because this is geared toward middle schoolers. But it pulled me out of the story because it doesn't talk down to the reader all the time.
Overall, okay for middle schoolers who are fans of fantasy but maybe not the best selection for older kids. Still a good story.
Prince Alphonsus was found by the Empress and her wife with a clock in his chest. He grows up a happy, curious child until faced with an adversary who craves love, mistaking it for power. As the prince is on the run from the man hunting him down, he runs into a young girl sent on a gruesome task of her own; to kill the supposed evil sorceress in the woods. But absolutely nothing is as it seems, and everyone must learn for themselves just what the truth is.
This was fine. I liked Alphonsus; he was sweet and kind and when he called himself a coward I got sad because I didn't think he was at all. He learns a lot about trust and fear and believing in himself. I liked Esme after a while; she was so annoying and self-righteous up until the end and then I think she learned the biggest lesson and lost the most. I liked everyone else just okay. We don't really get to know much about anyone else. Like, who was the Maiden??? Was she like Guntram and MADE from a spell? Or where did she really come from? And like what happened to Esme's father? And what happens to the Empress after her connection with the Maiden died?
The writing was well done except for a few moments where it just sounds really childlike. Like the book is talking to a child; which is mostly fine because this is geared toward middle schoolers. But it pulled me out of the story because it doesn't talk down to the reader all the time.
Overall, okay for middle schoolers who are fans of fantasy but maybe not the best selection for older kids. Still a good story.
ellbo_oks333's review
4.0
for fans of Howl's Moving Castle and the Iron Giant meets a world of magic and kingdoms.
brandypainter's review
4.0
I've always enjoyed Farrey's books, and they are great to have has recommendations for middle schoolers who can't get enough fantasy. This is a wonderful, twisty tale of family, community, nation, and how the history we are taught forms and shapes us, and therefore can be used to manipulate us. The book is a puzzle where all the pieces lock firmly in place by the end, and though I had figured much of it out, it did not detract from my enjoyment of watching the characters unravel the mysteries of the pasts. It even made me cry a little in the end.
The development of the foil characters of the prince and his antagonist was truly well done.
The development of the foil characters of the prince and his antagonist was truly well done.
katieproctorbooks's review
4.0
This took a while for me to get into, but I ended up really liking it. The audio production was great, but I probably should’ve read it with my eyes to get the full magic.
the_knitting_librarian's review
4.0
What a wonderful middle grades fantasy novel. Prince Alphonsus is rescued within the palace walls of Rheinvelt by Empress Sabine, who decides to raise him alongside her wife, Imperatrix Dagmar. An onyx maiden arrives in Somber End, terrifying the residents. The maiden is tamed by Guntram, a young boy who has lived a terrible life and seeks acceptance, love, and ultimately, power and control. Alphonsus has a secret though, a clock within his chest that on one fateful day, starts turning counterclockwise. In a quest to find out the maker of the clock, Alphonsus will meet new friends and encounter bitter enemies as he eludes Guntram’s pursuit for revenge. A tale of magic, lies, and sacrifice kept me reading until the end. A must read for middle grade fantasy readers.
shrrawat's review
5.0
After reading so many children's fantasy books, it's rare to find one that keeps me guessing as to how things will turn out to the very end. But "The Counterclockwise Heart" did exactly that.
On a night filled with mysterious events, young baby Alphonsus is found wailing behind the walls of the castle at Rheinvelt with a mysterious clock embedded in his chest and a prophecy written on his bassinet. Adopted by the wise, strong Empress Sabine, the circumstances surrounding his discovery is kept secret from the superstitions of the people. That is, until Alphonsus's tenth year when his clock starts backward, and he is forced to find out what this means for him and his empire, and how he might fulfill the prophecy of his birth. Along the way, he meets Esme, an arrogant Hierophant girl with her own mission: to hunt down the evil sorceress Nachtfrau that cursed her people on their flight from Rheinvelt ten years ago.
Fantasy has come to the point where we are familiar with the standard tropes associated with the genre. In order to stand out in today's time, authors typically have a unique world that sucks the reader in, or they must do their best to subvert tropes that keep the reader engaged. Farrey does the remarkable job of having both present in "The Counterclockwise Heart." While the book starts out with the standard fantasy formula (mysterious orphan, vague prophecy), there are enough additional elements added to create a sense of originality to the story.
For example, in any other fantasy novel, Esme and Alphonsus would perhaps be of enemy peoples, spending pages trying to get along with one another and work together. But this is not the case. Our two protagonists are not friends when they meet, but neither are they enemies. Their interactions as they develop and find their connection read the way of two cordial strangers, which they in fact are as they meet. Not only does this save the reader a lot of time to get invested more in the plot, it also saves the author time to expand their characters in other ways that pay off.
In short, "The Counterclockwise Heart" reads as an exciting and thrilling middle grade fantasy that can entertain even adults if they give it a try. This is my first time reading a work by this author, but I will definitely be on the lookout for others, assuming they are all this engaging.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads giveaways. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
On a night filled with mysterious events, young baby Alphonsus is found wailing behind the walls of the castle at Rheinvelt with a mysterious clock embedded in his chest and a prophecy written on his bassinet. Adopted by the wise, strong Empress Sabine, the circumstances surrounding his discovery is kept secret from the superstitions of the people. That is, until Alphonsus's tenth year when his clock starts backward, and he is forced to find out what this means for him and his empire, and how he might fulfill the prophecy of his birth. Along the way, he meets Esme, an arrogant Hierophant girl with her own mission: to hunt down the evil sorceress Nachtfrau that cursed her people on their flight from Rheinvelt ten years ago.
Fantasy has come to the point where we are familiar with the standard tropes associated with the genre. In order to stand out in today's time, authors typically have a unique world that sucks the reader in, or they must do their best to subvert tropes that keep the reader engaged. Farrey does the remarkable job of having both present in "The Counterclockwise Heart." While the book starts out with the standard fantasy formula (mysterious orphan, vague prophecy), there are enough additional elements added to create a sense of originality to the story.
For example, in any other fantasy novel, Esme and Alphonsus would perhaps be of enemy peoples, spending pages trying to get along with one another and work together. But this is not the case. Our two protagonists are not friends when they meet, but neither are they enemies. Their interactions as they develop and find their connection read the way of two cordial strangers, which they in fact are as they meet. Not only does this save the reader a lot of time to get invested more in the plot, it also saves the author time to expand their characters in other ways that pay off.
In short, "The Counterclockwise Heart" reads as an exciting and thrilling middle grade fantasy that can entertain even adults if they give it a try. This is my first time reading a work by this author, but I will definitely be on the lookout for others, assuming they are all this engaging.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads giveaways. All thoughts and opinions are my own.