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doc_k55 's review for:
The Emerald Atlas
by John Stephens
Kate, Emma and Michael have grown up as orphans - although they are convinced their parents are still alive. When fate drops them at an orphanage run by Dr. Stanislaus Pym, they discover that there really is magic in the world, and embark on a quest to find and control an ancient book, save a town, and defeat an evil witch.
This was on a list of YA books to read, and I am constantly on the lookout for my kids, so I borrowed it from the library. It was slow going at the beginning - and there was a lot of action, but I didn't care much about the characters or the outcome of the action - and then the antagonist was introduced, and the conflict escalated. Once that happened, the book took off - but it took about 40% of the book before that happened. That's a shame, because once it picked up, the book flew and I really enjoyed it. Constant action, all sorts of magical variants on things, an underground world, time travel, ancient times, modern times, new magical creature, fascinating magic skills, life-or-death battles, etc. There are a few things that are tamed due to the target audience (eg character deaths) but otherwise, the last 60% was fabulous. For kids: it's really too complex for younger kids. I think this is best suited for 9-13.
This was on a list of YA books to read, and I am constantly on the lookout for my kids, so I borrowed it from the library. It was slow going at the beginning - and there was a lot of action, but I didn't care much about the characters or the outcome of the action - and then the antagonist was introduced, and the conflict escalated. Once that happened, the book took off - but it took about 40% of the book before that happened. That's a shame, because once it picked up, the book flew and I really enjoyed it. Constant action, all sorts of magical variants on things, an underground world, time travel, ancient times, modern times, new magical creature, fascinating magic skills, life-or-death battles, etc. There are a few things that are tamed due to the target audience (eg character deaths) but otherwise, the last 60% was fabulous. For kids: it's really too complex for younger kids. I think this is best suited for 9-13.