Reviews

The Stolen Lake by Joan Aiken

rebelbelle13's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 

The Stolen Lake is double the length any of the three previous installments in this middle grade fantasy series, and it feels that way. The writing and story is reminiscent of Paul Magrs; many characters to keep track of and a chaotic story with something different happening every page. It was difficult to follow the narrative at times, because so many story points were being introduced constantly. What starts out as a pirate story ends up a twist on the Arthurian legend, involving a 1300 year old queen who eats the bones of children, an epic journey through the mountains, the kidnapping of a princess, man-eating vultures, witches, and the titular stolen lake. I feel as though to really appreciate the scope of this story, it needs to be read multiple times, and character charts and maps made to go along with it. Despite the craziness this book brings, I did have a good time with it. I found myself wanting to turn the page and discover with Dido what was going to happen next. I wish I had read this as a child because I really think I would have loved the fast-paced and fantastical nature of it. I'm excited to dive into the next, after a bit of a break!

 

belgatherial's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-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? No

4.0

leesmyth's review against another edition

3.0

It was enjoyable enough. Some light moments. An unexpected bit of Arthuriana in South America. (For that reason, it reminded me a little bit of That Hideous Strength - where Lewis suddenly infuses the Ransom series with Merlin and Logres.)

luisasm's review against another edition

3.0

This book was much creepier than the other books. I liked it, and it had a lot of surprises!

elentarien's review

3.0

Interesting read. A bit odd. . .stranger than the others. Not sure if I liked it as well, though it was not bad either.

ashleylm's review

4.0

So inventive! What an imagination she has ... it was a pleasure to read an installment set in a very different country than one is used to encountering in fantasy fiction (a South America colonized by the British very, very, early on, rather than the Spanish or Portuguese later). Compared to the last one I'd read (The Whispering Mountain) which seemed rather diffuse, the perspective was largely Dido's (and she made a worthy protagonist) with occasional forays elsewhere, but not too often, and I preferred this more focused approach.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!

quietjenn's review against another edition

4.0

more adventures of dido twite. in this volume, the ship she's on, bound for england, must make an emergency stop in not-south-america, to assist one a tyrannical (and crazy) queen, whose lake has been stolen by a neighboring country. totally absurd and totally enjoyable with very funny bits that left me with a hankering for more aiken and a better knowledge of king arthur's legend.

thrifty_librarian's review against another edition

1.0

I officially give up on Dido Twite and the Wolves series. There was nothing interesting here.

Spoiler

When Dido escaped from the kidnappers, I was a little disappointed.

Nothing new in this story, just the precocious British girl on another boat. And in pants. And then in a dress.

All the jokes come from Dido's lack of education. I think the series must just be outdated. And to be fair I'm not the target audience.

I have [b:The Cuckoo Tree|36641|The Cuckoo Tree|Joan Aiken|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1392261442s/36641.jpg|1425809], but I'll be donating it to my favorite bookstore.

knit_purrrl's review against another edition

adventurous

4.0

lonelyfangirlirl's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0