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nik_payne's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
cmdc325's review against another edition
4.0
Read this book in like 20 minutes. I used to read these book when I was little and it was nice to read it again. I have to read #24 to #32. I recommend this to everyone who read these books as a kid.
librariann's review against another edition
3.0
That'll teach you to go barging into PALACES THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MISSION, Jack and Annie.
nushrika's review against another edition
4.0
Because sometimes I like reading these types of books to clear my mind :)
laura_mcloughlin's review against another edition
3.0
Back to reading out of order. The 6 year old picked it because of the flying lion on the cover, I fully support this choice.
beauty1991's review
5.0
It was really bad how Jack couldn't keep his head straight in this one. He was too worried about the damage that he couldn't focus on the missions. Annie at least was able to keep a clear head.
I'm happy that they figured it out though, just took a little more time than normal.
Can't wait for #6.
I'm happy that they figured it out though, just took a little more time than normal.
Can't wait for #6.
ricksilva's review against another edition
4.0
The Merlin Missions.
This new expansion of the Magic Treehouse series delves deeper into fantasy, bringing in fantastical settings, or in this case, historical settings with magical beings and more spellcasting.
Jack and Annie are being tested to prove their worthiness to train as wizards under the tutelage of Merlin and Morgan Le Fey. They must complete four missions, and their wizard friends Teddy and Kathleen have provided them with a handy spellbook full of magical rhymes. There are ten spells, though, and each may be used only once.
The power level of these stories has been amped way up here. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that Jack and Annie are summoning mythological gods before all is said and done.
Also amped up: The complexity of the plot. And in this story, it works pretty well. The kids arrive in the 18th Century, on Carnival Night. They have a cryptic rhyme to decipher, and a disaster to prevent.
They meet some good supporting characters along the way. A young artist who they encounter was particularly interesting. The pacing is good, a nice mix of excitement and puzzle-solving, but with enough breathing room for the author's love for the city of Venice to really show in the descriptions.
I read this out loud to the Kiddo, and I should note that he particularly loved a scene with quick bits of dialogue and description punctuated by the booming toll of a clock bell striking midnight.
This was clever and fun, and I look forward to more Merlin Missions.
This new expansion of the Magic Treehouse series delves deeper into fantasy, bringing in fantastical settings, or in this case, historical settings with magical beings and more spellcasting.
Jack and Annie are being tested to prove their worthiness to train as wizards under the tutelage of Merlin and Morgan Le Fey. They must complete four missions, and their wizard friends Teddy and Kathleen have provided them with a handy spellbook full of magical rhymes. There are ten spells, though, and each may be used only once.
The power level of these stories has been amped way up here. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that Jack and Annie are summoning mythological gods before all is said and done.
Also amped up: The complexity of the plot. And in this story, it works pretty well. The kids arrive in the 18th Century, on Carnival Night. They have a cryptic rhyme to decipher, and a disaster to prevent.
They meet some good supporting characters along the way. A young artist who they encounter was particularly interesting. The pacing is good, a nice mix of excitement and puzzle-solving, but with enough breathing room for the author's love for the city of Venice to really show in the descriptions.
I read this out loud to the Kiddo, and I should note that he particularly loved a scene with quick bits of dialogue and description punctuated by the booming toll of a clock bell striking midnight.
This was clever and fun, and I look forward to more Merlin Missions.
jessreadsandlistens's review against another edition
4.0
My 7 year old son and I finished this book together. It was an interesting story and I thought the use of history in the storytelling was great. A fun read that also incorporates the imagination AND learning.
sanaa's review against another edition
5.0
I am a full grown adult and read this book decades ago. I cannot even remember the smallest detail of what happened in this book. All I remember is that I constantly checked out this book from the library and loved both the cover and the magical story inside. If I recall correctly this may have been my fave in the series, so for child me I have to rate it five stars. Maybe I’ll do a cheeky reread and see if the magic is still there….