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kivt's review against another edition
3.0
Much better than the prequel, though the ending floundered.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
3.0
Sort of in the middle as the Lyra mysteries go, better than some, but definitely not the best--that would probably be [b:Shadow Magic|5886131|Shadow Magic|Jaida Jones|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255574395s/5886131.jpg|6058383], IMHO at least.
violinknitter's review against another edition
3.0
Much better than Wrede's first book. The characters are still not quite as distinct & fun as the ones in her later books, but a much more readable book on the whole. I love seeing how my favorite authors grow over the course of their careers.
debyik's review against another edition
4.0
Daughter of Witches is the second book in the Lyra series by Patricia C. Wrede. The first three books are considered standalone’s set in the same world around the same time period. There are some mentions of characters from the other books as well.
In a city called Drinn where magic not allowed, three magical strangers meet a servant girl named Ranira and offer her a chance of a new life. Ranira’s parents were burned at the stake for practicing magic and she has to live with that shame every day. The strangers arrive during the Midwinter Festival which is the worst time for visitors to come to Drinn. As the strangers try to save Ranira from her abusive owner, they reveal their magic and attract the temple guards attention. They must now all run for their lives and Ranira will need to unleash the power inside her that cost her parents their lives.
The overall pacing is a little slow with a lot of wandering/waiting, which was a bit odd as they were basically running for their lives. I also noticed that the term “witch” was used quite often. With that said, the ending of the book was rushed, it would have been nice to have had a bit more time in the story at the end.
Personally, I liked the first book in the series better but I also enjoyed this one and will continue with the series.
4 stars
I have a YouTube channel, 'BookandBuJo'. Check it out - BookAndBuJo - YouTube
In a city called Drinn where magic not allowed, three magical strangers meet a servant girl named Ranira and offer her a chance of a new life. Ranira’s parents were burned at the stake for practicing magic and she has to live with that shame every day. The strangers arrive during the Midwinter Festival which is the worst time for visitors to come to Drinn. As the strangers try to save Ranira from her abusive owner, they reveal their magic and attract the temple guards attention. They must now all run for their lives and Ranira will need to unleash the power inside her that cost her parents their lives.
The overall pacing is a little slow with a lot of wandering/waiting, which was a bit odd as they were basically running for their lives. I also noticed that the term “witch” was used quite often. With that said, the ending of the book was rushed, it would have been nice to have had a bit more time in the story at the end.
Personally, I liked the first book in the series better but I also enjoyed this one and will continue with the series.
4 stars
I have a YouTube channel, 'BookandBuJo'. Check it out - BookAndBuJo - YouTube
xeni's review against another edition
3.0
The second book of the Lyra series was a lot faster paced and more of "one plot" than the first of the series.
Other than that, you can tell that it was written for a childrens/young adult audience. A lot of details are lacking, and the plot is simple. The whole design is simple and straightforward, but that is what makes Wrede's books so fun to read on a rainy afternoon.
Other than that, you can tell that it was written for a childrens/young adult audience. A lot of details are lacking, and the plot is simple. The whole design is simple and straightforward, but that is what makes Wrede's books so fun to read on a rainy afternoon.
elentarien's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. Did not realize it was part of a series until I looked here. So it's stand alone.
This book was not a bad read. Fairly interesting, kept a good pace and did not drag. Sort of classic 80s/90s fantasy (not a bad thing. I happen to like the style. lol).
It is definitely not one of Wrede's best books. It's fairly obvious one of her earlier books and her style has grown and matured quite a bit through her career. However, it was not bad, either. I liked the concept. The characters were interesting. However. . .the book felt like a short story. There was not much detail, character growth was minimal - Ranira was really the only one who 'developed', Shandy got a little, but not much. The general story itself felt like. . .the start of a story - without actually giving us the story. I mean, it was all there, intro-plot-flight/quest-climax-resolution-wrapup. . .but it did not FEEL like it went anywhere for some reason. I'm not sure if this is because the whole thing took place over a few days - or whether there just was not a lot of detail, or there could have been more to the story - but it really did feel more like the START of a big adventure than a big adventure in it's own.
I agree with other reviewers that the whole 'veil' thing was handled a bit oddly. Perhaps given the times it was written in, but I do feel it could have been handled a bit better. Such a thing as women wearing veils/dressing a certain way COULD very well be a cultural thing as much as anything. (Yes, in real life it's OFTEN used to keep women down - but it's not always) Sometimes such a thing could just be the way fashions have developed in that area - for - whatever reason. This was not explained, or explored before the 'scorn' for the veil was displayed. It sort of felt like if someone came to our culture and declared that wearing shoes was horrible and 'backwards and something to be scored - yet. . .we always wear shoes, its normal, and we wouldn't really NOT want to. (Ok, maybe shoes is a little dramatic, but still. :D) So, yeah, I do think this could have been handled a little better.
The point where Ranira decides to remove her veil and not wear one was not as bad as I feel the other reviewers took it. I did not feel she removed it because of 'freedom' or scorn. . .so much as the last vestige of a culture/life she decided to cut ties with and leave behind. Her life in Drinn was hardly wonderful, and being ruled by a Temple that was rather sinister - this made sense, especially after all she went through. The veil, I felt, was just her last 'symbol' of what she was leaving.
But yeah. All in all an interesting read. Not impressive, but not bad. I might read the rest if I come across them. The world seems fairly interesting.
This book was not a bad read. Fairly interesting, kept a good pace and did not drag. Sort of classic 80s/90s fantasy (not a bad thing. I happen to like the style. lol).
It is definitely not one of Wrede's best books. It's fairly obvious one of her earlier books and her style has grown and matured quite a bit through her career. However, it was not bad, either. I liked the concept. The characters were interesting. However. . .the book felt like a short story. There was not much detail, character growth was minimal - Ranira was really the only one who 'developed', Shandy got a little, but not much. The general story itself felt like. . .the start of a story - without actually giving us the story. I mean, it was all there, intro-plot-flight/quest-climax-resolution-wrapup. . .but it did not FEEL like it went anywhere for some reason. I'm not sure if this is because the whole thing took place over a few days - or whether there just was not a lot of detail, or there could have been more to the story - but it really did feel more like the START of a big adventure than a big adventure in it's own.
I agree with other reviewers that the whole 'veil' thing was handled a bit oddly. Perhaps given the times it was written in, but I do feel it could have been handled a bit better. Such a thing as women wearing veils/dressing a certain way COULD very well be a cultural thing as much as anything. (Yes, in real life it's OFTEN used to keep women down - but it's not always) Sometimes such a thing could just be the way fashions have developed in that area - for - whatever reason. This was not explained, or explored before the 'scorn' for the veil was displayed. It sort of felt like if someone came to our culture and declared that wearing shoes was horrible and 'backwards and something to be scored - yet. . .we always wear shoes, its normal, and we wouldn't really NOT want to. (Ok, maybe shoes is a little dramatic, but still. :D) So, yeah, I do think this could have been handled a little better.
The point where Ranira decides to remove her veil and not wear one was not as bad as I feel the other reviewers took it. I did not feel she removed it because of 'freedom' or scorn. . .so much as the last vestige of a culture/life she decided to cut ties with and leave behind. Her life in Drinn was hardly wonderful, and being ruled by a Temple that was rather sinister - this made sense, especially after all she went through. The veil, I felt, was just her last 'symbol' of what she was leaving.
But yeah. All in all an interesting read. Not impressive, but not bad. I might read the rest if I come across them. The world seems fairly interesting.
karenina4777's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25