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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Enjoyed it but you feel the book is just getting going and it ends. This story could have been great in a book twice the length.
It plays the same trick as the first book, which is to say that Alan Garner has chosen to tell a fairly standard middle grade fantasy book in prose that's a bit too good for the concept. He manages to successfully evoke a mystical atmosphere and he can even inject energy into scenes which lesser authors might have fumbled, but it lacks the focus necessary for an excellent sword and sorcery story, and his characters lean a bit too hard into archetype to be engaging. It hits some impressive highs courtesy of Garner's talents, and I think I like it more than the first book, but it's not quite as refined of a vision as I would have liked. It's almost there, though.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Much more interesting than Weirdstone, which felt a bit thin to me. Garner makes his fantasy elements organic in a way that not all authors do when calling on British folklore. We don't need crystal towers and lost lands, just the moon shining down on the track and turning it to silver before our eyes. Beautiful first American edition (1967), published by Henry Z. Walck, if anyone remembers them, and printed on real paper that ensures this copy will endure for another fifty years. Thank you, ILL.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fabulous - mysterious and ever more intriguing delve into another world that exists alongside this one.
mysterious
fast-paced
As brilliant as "Weirdstone", this sequel expounds on the events detailed in the first novel. The events are terrifying, exhilirating and sometimes almost heart-stopping.
The author has produced a series of masterpieces in these two novels. I suspect that both will be regarded as literary classics in the very near future.
The author has produced a series of masterpieces in these two novels. I suspect that both will be regarded as literary classics in the very near future.
I actually preferred this to the first in the series--it may be because I felt a little more attached to the characters and immersed in the world at this point. I did find the ending slightly abrupt--and a little too easy. It seems like what "saves the day" should be a little more complex or at least more involved than blowing a horn to be truly satisfying. Overall a very pleasant read, though
https://littlefrogscribbles.wordpress.com/2016/05/01/the-moon-of-gomrath-alan-garner/