Scan barcode
cazinthehat's review
5.0
Re-reading before the final installment, a copy of which is currently sitting on my shelf... eep!
...and it's every bit as good as I remember! The bit in the cramped tunnel is still so scary, I must have had nightmares as a child.
...and it's every bit as good as I remember! The bit in the cramped tunnel is still so scary, I must have had nightmares as a child.
nicki_in_nz's review against another edition
3.0
I don't think I read this as a child, though I know I did read some Alan Garner books. It's too similar to Tolkein for me and nowhere near as atmospheric as I hoped. But then maybe you have to read it as a child :)
mxknits's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
yellowhighwaylines's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
bookherd's review against another edition
3.0
A spooky short novel about a pair of children who turn out to have an ancient, magical stone that holds the key to the freedom and happiness of the world. It has themes of sacrifice and bravery, and also of people being connected to their place in the world through generations. It was reminiscent of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings for me, but with a different flavor that I identify with Alan Garner.
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition
5.0
I'll keep this at 5 stars. It's nice to revisit a childhood/youth favorite and find you still love the story. I'm rereading these because I just got Boneland, the 3rd book in the Tales of Alderly series. The Weirdstone is such a great YA quest book. It does have one of the shortest denouements I have ever seen, so it's nice that the story continues in another book.
dar_muzz's review against another edition
3.0
I read this by request since it was my spouse's favourite childhood book.
quesarah's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
carmelade6645's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
cathodg's review against another edition
5.0
The Tales of Alderley are children’s fantasy novels written in the 1950s and 60s by Alan Garner. Despite critical success Garner actually grew to dislike his characters and the third book in the series wasn’t released until 2012!
Upon reading these books my first thought was how had I not read them when I was younger. They are a fantastic introduction to the fantasy world for children and I can’t believe it has taken me so long to stumble across them. Set in and around Macclesfield and Alderley Edge in Cheshire the books rely heavily on the folklore and landscape of the area and having grown up not too far from the area myself I definitely connected with the setting of the story.
So what is the story?
The Tales of Alderley tells the story of two children, Colin and Susan who are sent to stay with old family friends whilst their parents are overseas. Living on a farm in a quiet rural area of Cheshire the children naturally begin to explore the fields and woods and in doing so come to realise that the world they know is shared with wizards, shape shifting witches, dwarves and other magical creatures. The first book focuses on the lost Weirdstone of Brisingmen, key to protecting the world of humans and good magic from the evil spirit Nastrond. When it falls into the wrong hands the power of dark side begins to grow and Colin and Susan find themselves caught up in a great quest to take back the stone and quell the forces of darkness once more. In the second book some time has passed since the great battle and Colin and Susan have had no contact with the world of magic. But times are changing and the elves need Susan and Colin’s help with an unknown evil power in their own lands. In helping the elves, Susan is left vulnerable to other older dark powers roaming the Cheshire countryside. A struggle between old and new magic is taking place and the children get caught very much in the middle of it.
You can’t help but smile when you begin this book and find the “obligatory” map laying out the key places of the story. I read this book in a mere couple of days, and would find myself caught up reading chapter after chapter. It is a natural page turner with fantastic chapter cliff endings keeping you reading on. Whilst there is complexity to the story it is not overwhelming and at roughly 300 pages long they are considerably shorter than many fantasy novels making them perfectly accessible to children new to the genre. I also found that having children as the central characters kept a good level of mystery and fantasy to the back story of characters, motivation and plot development without becoming too complex or weighty. But don’t be worried that in doing that it loses any depth or darkness, I’m sure if I had read this as a child I would have been hiding under the covers insisting that I was ok whilst secretly dreading turning the light off.
Whilst written for children I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. So whether you’re looking for a light fantasy read for yourself or something to get your children interested I would highly recommend these books.
Upon reading these books my first thought was how had I not read them when I was younger. They are a fantastic introduction to the fantasy world for children and I can’t believe it has taken me so long to stumble across them. Set in and around Macclesfield and Alderley Edge in Cheshire the books rely heavily on the folklore and landscape of the area and having grown up not too far from the area myself I definitely connected with the setting of the story.
So what is the story?
The Tales of Alderley tells the story of two children, Colin and Susan who are sent to stay with old family friends whilst their parents are overseas. Living on a farm in a quiet rural area of Cheshire the children naturally begin to explore the fields and woods and in doing so come to realise that the world they know is shared with wizards, shape shifting witches, dwarves and other magical creatures. The first book focuses on the lost Weirdstone of Brisingmen, key to protecting the world of humans and good magic from the evil spirit Nastrond. When it falls into the wrong hands the power of dark side begins to grow and Colin and Susan find themselves caught up in a great quest to take back the stone and quell the forces of darkness once more. In the second book some time has passed since the great battle and Colin and Susan have had no contact with the world of magic. But times are changing and the elves need Susan and Colin’s help with an unknown evil power in their own lands. In helping the elves, Susan is left vulnerable to other older dark powers roaming the Cheshire countryside. A struggle between old and new magic is taking place and the children get caught very much in the middle of it.
You can’t help but smile when you begin this book and find the “obligatory” map laying out the key places of the story. I read this book in a mere couple of days, and would find myself caught up reading chapter after chapter. It is a natural page turner with fantastic chapter cliff endings keeping you reading on. Whilst there is complexity to the story it is not overwhelming and at roughly 300 pages long they are considerably shorter than many fantasy novels making them perfectly accessible to children new to the genre. I also found that having children as the central characters kept a good level of mystery and fantasy to the back story of characters, motivation and plot development without becoming too complex or weighty. But don’t be worried that in doing that it loses any depth or darkness, I’m sure if I had read this as a child I would have been hiding under the covers insisting that I was ok whilst secretly dreading turning the light off.
Whilst written for children I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. So whether you’re looking for a light fantasy read for yourself or something to get your children interested I would highly recommend these books.