Book Review: "The Wishlist" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

Meg gets a second chance at Heaven but in order to do so, she must help a grumpy old man named Lowrie. Together they go through his wish list, but it may be harder then it seems when otherworldly forces compete to stop them.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Meg starts out as rather selfish but her victimhood evokes sympathy. She is rather guarded but eventually starts to care for Lowrie. Eventually her arc ends by a complete change of heart about a certain character.

Lowrie is a cranky old man who has a long list of regrets. With each new task on the list, he reveals more about himself by revealing his past. He slowly changes and realizes maybe his life wasn't as bad as he thought and also learns to forgive someone who wronged him.

Finn is an acquintance of Meg's that talks her into helping her with a robbery. He is rather violent and not too bright. He is a two dimensional cartoon character that is basically a pawn of the demons.

Beezlebub works under Satan and communicates with Peter.

Saint Peter guards the gate of heaven like the religious myth says. He is rather cranky because he is stuck with a job he hates.

PACING

The story starts with action but balances it out with slower scenes of exposition between Lowrie and Meg, and between certain demons. There is a surprising amount of action just with the main characters without any interference from the demons.

Also there are hints of something terrible that Meg did to her stepfather all throughout the story. The suspense helps the story. Not to mention that Finn gets has only a week to stop Meg so its a ticking time bomb to the plot.

COMEDY

Colfer has his usual comedic writing and I found most of it enjoyable. I admit some of the conversations between St. Peter and Beelzebub were kind of cheesy (not to mention Satan and dog boy Finn). I much more enjoyed the comic portions regarding Meg and Lowrie.

Also Meg's commentary is charming. In one scene, she points out that old people had their own fashions before Playstation. She says they were sad looking clothes, but they were happy. I had to laugh at that.

MEG'S SECRET

Near the last portion of the book, we discover just what Meg did to get revenge on her stepfather. I suppose it was clever and took a lot of work to do, but I almost expected something darker. I mean, she didn't hurt him, she hurt an object.

I guess she humiliated him, but it never made me go, oh, should she have done that? Might she regret it? No moral dilemma for me, because it was silly, not dangerous.

FOREHADOWING

Meg gets two blue stones early on. But she doesn't understand what they are for until the end of the story when she is told.

MEG'S STEPFATHER

I felt like Meg's stepfather was kind of cartoonish. I would rather there had been something likable about him at one time, that would have made it make sense why Meg's mom liked him.

He was the basic fat, lazy, selfish guy who everyone else thinks is great for some reason, but only Meg knows the truth. I would have rather he had been painted as smart, charming and manipulative. But secretly violent or something. Something deeper. To be fair, turns out he was violent but it's just so Meg can be further justified in her future actions.

CLIMAX

Meg helps Lowrie with his final task and ends up doing another good deed, this one a surprise.

MEG'S CHANGE OF HEART-SPOILERS

Near the climax, Meg heals Lowrie and then for some reason she heals her stepfather. Apparently he saw a glimpse of hell, so she believes he will be a better person. Somehow I doubt it. He would probably just rationalize it away as a delusion. Either way Meg's actions seemed out of the blue.

CONCLUSION

Meg and Lowrie are funny and charming. Their relationship dynamic was the best part of the story. I loved seeing them learn about each other and open up.

But the villains of the story were cheesy and never really threatening.

Also I found Meg's reveal about what she did to her stepfather rather underwhelming and her change of heart near the end felt forced. Like Colfer realized he needed to show how much she had changed.

But still, if you like Colfer and his brand of comedy, you will probably enjoy it. I give “The Wishlist” three stars.

Book Review: "The Hero and the Crown" by Robin McKinley

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

Forgive me. Most of this review has spoilers.

Aerin is a princess who wants to prove she is worthy of her father and her title so she starts dragon slaying. Only it snowballs into more than she expected.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Aerin is the only child of the King of Damar. She is bold and reckless. She is used to being mistreated and whispered about because of her parentage (her mother was called a witch). Even so, she doesn't spend the entire book complaining about how she is a victim. So she comes off as likable in most of the story.

Tor is Aerin's only friend. They grew up together. It's obvious that he has a crush on her, and Aerin supposedly notices their relationship changing. I say supposedly because she mentions it and then promptly ignores him. His role is to teach Aerin swordmanship and inform her about the Hero's Crown. After that, he is kind of useless.

Galanna is Aerin's snobby cousin. She is not just selfish and greedy, but evil, as she almost gets Aerin killed.

Luthe is a inhuman being who becomes Aerin's teacher.

Perlith is a man who has always hated Aerin and is nasty to her all of the time. He is rather two dimensional.

PACING

The pacing is slower, but the first portion of the story is Aerin's childhood so the reader becomes familiar with her personality and her motivations (trying to earn her father's respect and affection). I actually thought this was the best part of the story, because I felt it was the only portion where we learned about a character (Aerin).

ANIMALS IN THE STORY

For the most part, animals are used well. Aerin nurses back an old war horse of her fathers while healing from her own injury. He is her only constant companion, although this is never seen as a detriment (as she seems to have no close relationships with anyone, even Tor).

And yet more than halfway through the books, a herd of wild animals follow her for no apparent reason. Aerin even admits it makes no sense. And when they do serve a purpose, it seems kind of just thrown in there, without any explanation for why: they return to her a lost item.

FLAWS IN STORYTELLING

There is one scene in the book that stands out. Perlith uses magic and Aerin freaks out. I had no idea why. Until it's finally explained that Aerin reacts badly to it and always has. If this was mentioned previously and it was so brief as to miss it, my apologies. But to my knowledge, there was no mention.

So where I should have been shocked and angry at Perlith I was just left confused. The whole scene was obviously supposed to evoke sympathy for Aerin. But how could it? It explained her horror in a paragraph before even explaining why.

It was all jumbled up and felt like an odd mistake for an author to make.

THE LOVE OF A FATHER-SPOILERS

It's a major theme that Aerin wants to prove she is worthy to be a daughter of a king. Mainly this is because of her parentage and how her mother was called a witch who seduced her father. It is the main drive of her childhood, as she lets herself be goaded by Galanna because of it.

But later on it seems to fade away, not because she has learned she has earned it, or that she doesn't need to, she just kind of forgets. After slaying a dragon, her father finds out and is kind of pleased. But her emotions regarding his approval are basically non-existant. And I started wondering what her motivation was.

You could say it was protecting her people but this isn't really emphasized. Near the end, her father unceremoniously dies in Aerin's presence. And it just didn't seem like it mattered that much.

POV CHANGES-SPOILERS

There are many moments where we suddenly jump inside another characters head, which I believe happened in the other McKinley book I read. I kind of felt like it was cheating, a poor substitute for the reader having to get to know a characters and see a relationship develop. Instead of seeing Luthe develop feelings for Aerin, we get told his thoughts in one scene. It doesn't make up for anything though, and feels unearned.

LOVE STORY-SPOILERS

Through the first part of the story, Tor is obviously in love with Aerin, but for some reason she is rather dense. She spends most of her time trying to prove herself worthy of her father by perfecting a secret item. She never really confides in him, which feels rather selfish on her part. As Tor goes out of his way to teach her sword fighting, when no one else would.

Anyway, eventually she runs off and meets a strange man who helps heal her, preventing her from dying. She spends 6 months with him, which is basically summarized in a page or so. They don't get on rather well, and yet its obvious that Luthe is supposed to find her attractive right off the bat.

He mentions that her mother told him to watch after her (so he is quite old). He knows all about her, which is kind of creepy, but Aerin doesnt' seem to think so. She doesn't really think at all, actually.

He is instantly jealous of Tor (which is weird, because he has watched her grow up, wouldn't he think of her as a child?) How long has he been thinking of her sexually? You could say he only started to after he healed her and made her inhuman like him, but this isn't really clear.

The whole relationship felt rushed to me. I think it would have have worked better if Luthe had simply been a mentor character to Aerin, especially since she never got the love from her father that clearly motivated her so much.

THAT SECRET RELATIVE-SPOILERS

Luthe sends Aerin to kill her relative who is causing trouble on the country's borders. The king and his men were too dumb to figure this out or something.

He gives her a long speech about how much alike they are, because we haven't seen that a dozen times.

She struggles but kills him rather fast. I didn't feel like she developed in anyway. She just needed to show she could defeat a man who had a magical Crown and not just huge dragons. And she didn't even have her magic potion this time.

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE CLIMAXES

I was kind of confused as to what event was most important. I don't feel that any event seamlessly led to the next. Aerin defeats a relative who is causing trouble (because her father and his army are incapable of doing anything right).

Then goes to battle and helps end it. And then returns home and has to get ride of the dead dragon's head, because everyone else is too dumb to realize it's poison.

I am not going to lie. Before the battle was even over, I was bored. By the time they returned to the castle, I was begging it to be over with. It dragged on far too long and having Aerin have to do everything herself was growing rather tiresome. An ally with a brain would have been a welcome addition.

BUMBLING TOR-SPOILERS

Near the last portion of the book when Aerin is reunited with Tor, she basically does everything. She has to tell Tor to even put on the crown! She has to come up with an idea to move the dragon's head.

Tor just comes off as incompetent at best and stupid at worse. He certainly doesn't deserve to be king. It's quite obvious that Aerin has done everything and the men (from Tor to the King) are incapable of doing anything without her.

As if to make up for his treatment, in the epilogue, McKinley makes sure to point out that everyone loved him and he was a great king. Even though he showed no such competence for the job during the book.

THE FALL OF AERIN-SPOILERS

I am going to get subjective here. This is completely my own view on morality.

I liked Aerin for most of the book. But things slowly changed when she met Luthe.

The romance between Aerin and him feels awkward and forced, while making Aerin look immoral and selfish. She has relations with Luthe knowing she will go back, marry Tor and have his children. And she has no remorse.

Luckily Tor never asks about Luthe, because who wants to be told they were cheated on? Best to pretend if never happened. What a nice guy. And Aerin is so nice that she doesn't tell him, because she doesn't want to hurt him. Even though as far as she is concerned she did nothing wrong. Strange how that works.

Hilariously enough, Aerin says she loves Tor. And we are expected to believe her. She even spins a yarn about how she was afraid and sleeping with Luthe made her not afraid. Or something.

AERIN SUFFERS...ALOT

I can't really call Aerin a Mary Sue, in the fact that she is imperfect. But her imperfections don't ever really cause her any damage other than physical injuries. Yes, she gets sick from the plant she eats, but her father doesn't treat her any differently. She doesn't get blocked off from anyone (not that she had any relationships).

Yes, she suffers great pain after defeating a dragon. But that's kind of it. She does amazing things that no one else can do then suffers great physical pain for ten pages. Gets healed. Goes off and repeats the process. I just never felt like she learned anything.

EPILOGUE-SPOILERS

There is mention that Perlith died but his men respected him and how Galanna is less nasty but still doesn't like Aerin. So character development. I guess. Most of this felt like the author realized mistakes had been made so he better fix them.

Such as: Aerin loved Tor, even though she is waiting for him and her children to die so she can go back to Luthe.

Tor was a great King, even though nothing in the story actually points to him being worthy of the title. In fact, Aerin makes him look like an idiot.

Nothing helps I am afraid.

CONCLUSION

The story is interesting enough at first. I loved watching Aerin heal Tor as well as learn about her past and her desire to please her father. But I am never quite sure of Aerin's motivations as the story progresses and her father no longer feels important. It's like the author forget about what motivated her in the first place.

The relationship between Luthe and Aerin feels awkward and made me lose any sympathy I had for Aerin. Since this is subjective, many readers could still find her likable.

The climaxes were too long and too many. Instead of naturally connecting events, they feel disjointed. Just more ways to show us how amazing Aerin is which only serves to make her less likable and more Mary Sue-ish.

A major fault was no real allies or friends for Aerin other than Luthe and her horse. Everyone is is stupid (Tor), distant (her father) or evil (Perlith and Galanna).

I give “The Hero and the Crown” one and a half stars.

Book Review: "May Bird Warrior Princess" by Jodi Lynn Anderson

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

Years after returning home, May finally makes it way back to the Ever After. There she realizes that they still need her and have hope in her. But she doesn't know if she can defeat Bo Cleevil.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

May is now older and has tried to move on with her life. Basically she has tried to fit in. She no longer talks about what happened to her (after telling everyone the truth and being laughed at).

Pumpkin is the first person May finds in the ever after. He is still upset at her for leaving. But their relationship is easily repaired. Pumpkin still has his childlike behavior but he is useful, informing of her of the whereabouts of her other friends.

Lucius has a role to play as well. He keeps the group from being spotted by vampires in the city and comes up with an idea to sabotage the bad guys. Also he causes Pumpkin to be jealous of him. Thereby causing May to reassure Pumpkin of her affection to him.

Bo Cleevil makes a cameo in the story, as well as appearing near the end. He is interesting and very chatty with May. He appears to no one else.

PACING

The pacing is slower, but for obvious reasons. We get a recap of what happened when May came home and how she lives now, with her new school and her relationship regarding her mother.

We don't get back to Ever After until 33 pages in, at chapter 5. Everyone is reunited until halfway through the book. There are some cliffhanger chapter endings that help push the story forward.

MAY & HER MOM

It's interesting to note that things have only improved between mother and daughter because they don't talk about what May thinks happened to her. May goes to an all goes school and keeps her head down. I suppose it would have been un-moving if they had resolved things as it would have happened all in the past tense (May explaining what had happened, instead of the reader watching it happen in real time).

But May's mom just feels incompetent. Her daughter really believed she went to another world. Doesn't she need help? Like some therapy or something? Not talking about it doesn't solve the problem. If anything, I could have seen that happened to the point where the relationship between May and her mom was brought to a breaking point. Instead it is just similar to their relationship at the beginning of book one. May keeps her head down.

MAY'S LIFE

So May has kind of become a celebrity because of her crazy story. The other girls are nice to her. So I guess that resolves her issue of not having any friends. But they don't feel like friends, not in any real sense. They have no bearing on the story and May certainly doesn't frame them as important.

In reality I would expect they would treat her like she was a freak, who got kidnapped and abused but made up a stupid story that no one believes. But perhaps that would be too dark for a kids' book? Although I don't think so.

CLEEVIL'S NOTE

May finds a note from Bo Cleevil shortly after she returns. I thought it should have helped the pacing, by putting some sense of urgency to the story. But I didn't really feel it. Or that much panic from May. But to be fair her emotions are put into turmoil soon after, when she learns about the death of a friend.

THE TWIST-SPOILERS

May finds out something less than halfway through the book that shocks her. Turns out she has passed away. I would think this would deeply depress her and make her question going on to attempt to fight Bo Cleevil. But she gets over it quite fast. Although later on when she is angry, she mentions the fact that she is dead to shut everyone up. So it's possible she is just keeping her anxiety inside. It would make sense, since that is how she functions back home.

PROBLEM FIXED-SPOILERS

You would think dying would be a permanent situation. After all, throughout all of the books, no one has even spoken of anyone returning back to life after death. Not even a rumor or something to set up the aftermath of the story.

Basically May's new friend, Bertha, says she has some special potion that will make her alive again. I know there would probably be a way for May to go home (staying dead would be too dark for this series). But it felt unreal.

Like, wait, that exists? And no one said anything? Did no one know? Wouldn't the existence of such an item be hard to attain or hard to keep a secret?

Hinting at it's existence may have motivated a distraught May to carry on. But perhaps the author thought keeping it from her but showing her fight would reveal her true growth as a character. Either way, it was rather hard to believe.

SEND FOR HELP-SPOILERS

May hopes that all of her allies will come to her aid. But everyone abandons her, making her angry and hopeless. But this doesn't last long, when Lucius puts in a suggestion of his own on how to fight back.

THE MAN IN THE GARDEN

After May is forced to go to a fancy party, she meets a strange man outside in the garden. They have a philosophical conversation about never feeling you belong, about returning home. He says that May looks lost and she asks him about the Bridge of Souls (a place where no one returns from). She asks if you cross it, you stop being afraid. And he inquires to what she is afraid of. He then tells her that she will never be afraid with him before vanishing.

This kind of conversation had depth that surprised me. It reminded me of their previous meeting. And although I liked it, it did feel out of character in a world where most characters are quite cartoonish, including the tactics of the villain. Obviously Cleevil believes he is doing right, as we all do. But if that were so, wouldn't he have some loyal band of followers? Wouldn't there be more convincing propaganda than Cleevilville signs?

I almost felt like the villain they had been describing thus far was not this man. Not that I expected May's friends to know of him much. But perhaps they should have met someone who didn't completely fear him.

THE LADY-SPOILERS

The Lady says May will fail.

Wait, didn't she say that last time? Perhaps I got the two books mixed up. Most likely.

Either way, May gets more mad but the Lady always seems rather uncaring. She is certainly no mentor. But something comes out of the meeting, as May wishes she had lived more and asks the Lady about the Bridge of Souls. Which indicates the Ever After isn't a permanent afterlife, but more of a limbo. And there is something else beyond. But no one knows what.

BROKEN UP-AGAIN

Somber Kitty and May get separated again. Which is beginning to feel repetitive.

UNLIKELY ALLIES-SPOILERS

In the beginning, May is kidnapped. Her kidnappers actually come back to help her near the latter portion of the story. They fill the gap her older friends left when they sent letters of rejection.

MAY'S ROLE

May takes the role of leadership again. Three years have passed, but she still remembers how to be bold (even if she isn't back home) and she is the one who comes up with the idea on how to rescue her friends. As well as directing Pumpkin to help her.

She still has growing up to do, as she gets angry at everyone and snaps at Pumpkin in one scene. She even runs off alone to see the Lady (she is hoping for help).

She is certainly the hero of the story, even being the one to figure out how to open a hidden door.

CLIMAX

May ends up alone, with all of her friends no longer able to help her. So she stands up to Bo Cleevil on her own but not before another conversation where he tries to persuade her to join him.

This would have been more convincing if she hadn't seem him do so many bad things, but it was still interesting, as he says he feels empty. He calls her unique and says she will never feel small if she sides with him.

In the end though, she gets help from a friend and Cleevil is finally vanquished. And to bring things full circle, she uses balloons, like she did as a child.

BO CLEEVIL'S PLAN-SPOILERS

Turns out Bo Cleevil wants to send people back to earth to take it over. He actually succeeds partly. It would be interesting to see a world where May is proven right. People would certainly look at her differently. But instead we see that no one really cares about her, now that ghosts have been proven to be real. I was kind of disappointed at that.

CONCLUSION

May wrestles with her feelings of anxiety but still takes risks for her friends. In this, she develops but I still feel her relationships were lacking. Fabbio and Bea don't feel important. And her relationship with her mother is something that resolves itself outside of the pages. Or so I assume.

Surprisingly, Bo Cleevil could have had a very interesting relationship with May, had he been given the chance. He was certainly the most interesting character in the series. A shame he is presented so cartoonish through his minions. But the story basically follows the same trajectory of the other two. So if you liked it, you should like the conclusion. I give “May Bird Warrior Princess” three stars.

Book Review: "May Bird Among the Stars" by Jodi Lynn Anderson

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

May and her friends continue on to seek out the help of the Lady. Once they do, they attempt to send May back home, even if that means having to go the heart of danger to do so.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

May is still the leader of the group, although she still doubts herself. As well as the abilities of others (particularly Pumpkin). And her doubts are not at all illogical or just her feeling sorry for herself. You can't help but feel for her when she finally meets the Lady.

Pumpkin is still rather cowardly. But he does want to help, just like before. He even surprises everyone one time.

Bea doesn't' seem to play a big role, but she is important to the story as she gives May a reason to be bold and develop as a character.

Fabbio doesnt' have much of a role. Although he does help coax Pumpkin into leaving his horse behind.

The Bogey has elements of humor (which isn't hard when you think of 'boogy' and disco music). But he still feels threatening.

PACING

There are many chapter endings that cut off at the right time. For instance, May and her friends get carried away by poltergeists. In another they fall through a trap.

FABBIO & BEA

We get a short portion of the story where we learn when Bea met Fabbio. He was crying over his men's death and she ended up asking for him to come along and find her mom. It was a short paragraph and I was hoping for more. It was probably just a recap from the first book that I barely noticed the first time around.

AN OUTSIDER?

When May and her friends meet Zero and other poltergeists, they stay for a few days, enjoying a rest. But it's said that May still feels like an outsider, because she always has been. But I feel like this kind of just inserted there, to remind us how she had no friends back home.

She made friends with Bea instantly, proving that she simply hadn't met the right person. And she clearly has an important role in the group by the end of the first book. I wish her role as an “outsider” had been more obvious, spread out with hints all over the first book and into this one.

BEA AND HER MOM-SPOILERS

May takes on another role of leadership when she discovers where Bea's mom may be. She eventually inquires about her and takes Bea to see her. I like how bold May has become. And she doesn't seem to realize it.

I like how no one had to point it out and it was a natural progression.

THE LADY

When May meets the lady she is surprised by her strange manner. She was the one who asked for May's help but her diagnosis is grim. And although she gives May directions on how to return home she doesn't seem to care that much about May, personally.

I wasn't sure what I was supposed to think of her, except for her diagnosis (which I expected to be either deceitful or something that motivated May to thwart).

Although I thought her description of Bo Cleevil was interesting and rather philosophical (which I wasn't expecting).

THE RETURN OF LUCIUS

Lucius returns and eventually forgives May. He plays an important role as he teaches May a skill that helps her in a crucial moment.

He is not really a love interest, as May is still young and has other things to worry about. But their interactions are often charming as they clash and obviously have little experience with the opposite sex.

A BIG SURPRISE-SPOILERS

May discovers that she is not the only live on in the Ever after, there are actually lots of them. And they have hope that May will help defeat Bo Cleevil. But she isn't so sure and wrestles with her own doubts by this time.

THE USELESS GIFT-SPOILERS

May uses the bow and arrow she received from the Lady only to have the arrows limp uselessly to the ground, like flowers. It's not her lack of skill, as she can shoot them just fine.

THE STRANGER

May ends up being separated from the group and meets a strange man. Later on it's revealed who this was, and I wasn't surprised. But I was still pleased. Because the conversation she had with him was both interesting and ambiguous, I just wish it had been longer. It was obvious who he was but I didn't mind that much.

COMMANDER BERZERKO

A new villain who is cat-like is sent after the so called the “wild hunters” to hunt down May. Unfortunately she is kind of cheesy. I didn't really feel entertained by her even though I think her existence may have supposed to have been kind of humorous (since she becomes aware of Somber kitty, and cats are supposed to be extinct).

A MYSTERY-SPOILERS

When May and her friends get separated in a cave, May ends up seeing an older version of herself. Its interesting as we don't know why. And May doesn't share it with anyone else. Although when Arista shows up out of the blue to explain it, it felt kind of awkward.

Although it served another purpose, mainly Arista revealing that the Lady knows about everything (including the disastrous events that May has gone through). May gets upset that the Lady hasn't helped at all.

DEATH OF A VILLAIN

When Bo Cleevil realizes one of his servants failed him, he kills him, right in front of everyone, including May. But it isn't violent or gross (which is expected as this a childrens' book) but I felt like it was kind of anti-climatic. And other dies, too, but I didn't really care. I guess because this character was so cartoonish.

CLIMAX

May approaches her exit only to find it doesn't seem to exist. She ends up escaping the Bo Cleevil with the help of all her friends and figures out the truth about her doorway home. But she debates about if she should leave, which is probably the climax of her character development (more so than her bravery and leadership roles).

CONCLUSION

May is still likable and develops at the climax. It feels natural and not rushed, as May has fought with her self doubt throughout the entire series.

The pacing is decent and the story is full of strange and silly characters (sometimes to its detriment, like the villains).

I actually feel like it is slight improvement on the first story. Although there are some of the same problems (mainly side stories I don't really have any interest in).

I thought the Lady added some interest by being such an ambiguous character and appreciated her description of Bo Cleevil.

I give “May Bird Among the Stars” three and a half stars.

Book Review: "May Bird and the Ever After" by Jodi Lynn Anderson

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

May has her own problems to deal with, like fitting in. But when she accidentally gets transported to the land of the dead, called the “Ever after” she discovers she is in danger. And she has to get home as soon as possible. But this is harder than she thinks.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

May is a quiet, introverted girl who would rather spend time with animals than people, or in the woods than at the mall. She has little confidence in herself and knows that other kids think her weird. She is set up pretty early as a victim, not just of the teasing of other children but the attempts of her mom to help, which harm more than anything.

Pumpkin is a house ghost who has lived in May Bird's house for a long time. He is called so for his weird shaped head. He is rather dramatic and cowardly. Even so, he does seem to want to be friends with May and attempts to help her.

Fabbio is a dead soldier who has taken it upon himself to look after a young girl named Bea.

Bea is a young girl who has spent her afterlife trying to find her mother. This is of the utmost importance to her.

Somber Kitty is May's only friend. She originally didn't like him, as her previous cat had died and she didn't wish to try and replace him. He is protective of his owner.

Lucius is a young boy that May meets. She works hard to encourage him when she learns about his circumstances.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH MAY?

May's mom spends most of her time worried about May, and I didn't quite get why. The main problem is that she has no friends. But her mom never thinks that its the other children who may be the problem.

Maybe some are bullies; Maybe she generally has nothing in common with them. Perhaps she is a tomboy in a school of girlie-girls? She does live in a small town after all. Her mom's concern didn't seem warranted until later when May starts having very strange behavior (which she has never had before).

May's mom says something about May needing to be somewhere more “average” and May thinks she means she wants her to be more “average”. Just why does May's mom not like her daughter's eccentricities? I wish this had been delved into more.

MAY'S DAD, WHERE IS HE?

May is raised by her single mom. But there is no reference to a dad, not one. I found that odd, seeing how no child is unaffected by the loss of a parent. It needn't have been a big part of the book, just a simple sentence, referencing that he had passed away in an accident, or they had divorced when May was still a baby. Or something. The complete ignoring of such an important topic (again, it didn't have to be, but it could as least clarify the matter).

If this had been mentioned, it could have added dimension to May's character. Maybe her mom was much more feminine, as opposed to May's boyish characteristics. Or maybe it's not that, it's the fact that her mom is much more practical and routine, while May is whimsical and imaginative.

May could easily dream of a father she had never met and idealize him, thereby putting a wall between her mom's attempts to help her.

FRIENDS NOW?

There is a moment where May almost touches some water, only to have Pumpkin stop her by yelling at her. He says touching it will transfer you to another place, a dangerous one. He admits he was supposed to tell her about it. It was such a dramatic reveal that when he asks for a hug afterwards, I just thought it was awkward. Like Pumpkin was mentally slow. I didn't know what to feel about him.

PACING

The pacing isn't the fastest. But the story doesn't take too much time to explain May's problems about fitting in and her Mother's worries. We see them evolve, becoming much more extreme until we know something must happen. And before that, we get a short history of the house, and how people have disappeared.

To be fair, after the story gets into full swing, many of the chapters cut off at exciting parts. This does help push the story forward at certain points.

A GUIDE FOR MAY

Both Pumpkin and Arista (his master) serve as guides to May. Pumpkin helps her get to Arista and escape those chasing them. While Arista informs May about the danger she is in and why.

MAY AND BEA

When May meets Bea, she realizes she is nothing like all of the girls she knows. And that she already feels comfortable with her. I felt like this was lazy. May was young and had been hurt before. She had never had a real friend, so most likely she would be defensive, detached, or hesitant to trust anyone.

HOPE FOR MAY-SPOILERS

The main goal of the story is to get to the Lady, the one who sent May the letter asking for help. Apparently only she can help get May home and all of her hopes rest in her. Only she sounds kind of scary, or at least intimidating.

But before that we have another task, which is the main thrust of this story, to attain a book.

ARTISTIC DIFFERENCES

This is a subjective note, and has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the story. It was just something strange that I noticed. The art on the cover and throughout the book does not match. Not even close. The cover art features a cartoonish, big eyed May, who looks anxious, with her arms crossed. Her hair is loose and wild.

However, in the book, the art is rather serious looking. May has straight black bangs and a straight bob, reminiscent of a Japanese school girl.

It was just such a contrast. Every illustration looked serious and eerie. While the cover art is whimsy and childish. I only mention it because it was so incongruous. It seemed to represent a completely different interpretation of the story. More in line with Coraline than May Bird.

KITTY'S STORY-SPOILERS

The story is mainly on May, but there are a portion of short scenes where we see where Somber kitty is and what he's doing. Turns out he was worried about May, so he followed her.

To be honest, I didn't have much interest in his stories. Some of the humor was odd to me, and I kept wondering why we needed this cat at all. I just didn't care what happened to the cat, as bad as that sounds.

HUMOR

The story, in general, doesn't take itself too seriously. Yes, May is in serious danger, but the story never gets too dark. And it doesn't deal with too serious issues (this can be a strength or a weakness). There were plenty of moments that made me smile. And the humor was original and inserted at the right parts, for most of the time.

THE BETRAYAL

Turns out a character that May meets ends up betraying her near the end of the book. I wasn't shocked, as this character didn't seem completely caring. He hadn't put on a big act, so I wasn't taken aback at this reveal. There were a few hints, but nothing overwhelming I suppose.

FORESHADOWING

There is a good use of Somber kitty, that reveals why he was so important. Even if his story portions were rather dull to me. Also, May has a piece of quartz in her pocket that is revealed to be of use. Sure enough, May gets to use it, allowing her to show initiative and bravery. And letting her happen to the story, and not the story happen to her.

MAY THE HERO

In the beginning of the story, May gets a letter, asking for help. She is surprised and intrigued that anyone would think she could be of use. But when she enters the Ever after this only adds to her anxiety. She is no hero. She isn't remotely brave. She can't even get herself to be bold and make friends.

So an inner conflict is set up already. We wonder how May will change, if it will be hard and if she will fight it.

A SECRET-SPOILERS

May doesn't tell Pumpkin that she got a letter from the Lady, asking for help. I thought this was presented in order for him to find out later, and his trust in May would evaporate. Or it would at least cause some tension. But this doesn't materialize. Maybe it was just supposed to show May's hesitation at being seen as some sort of hero.

THE VILLAINS

The villain of the book is Bo Cleevil. But the Bogey, a creature that works for him is in charge of hunting down May. We don't really see either of them and sometimes they are talked about with some humorous aspects. Which kinds of detracts from taking them seriously.

CLIMAX

With our group fully formed, they are hunted down by dogs, only to have the day saved by a surprising ally. They continue on to meet the Lady and plans are made for May to escape which wont happen until the sequel.

CONCLUSION

May is a likable character and the world that Anderson creates is original and full of humor. The pacing is slightly slow at first but doesn't bother me. My main problem is the lack of depth in relationships, mainly being between May and her mother, but also between May and Bea. There wasn't really time to form a relationship with Lucius.

I give “May Bird and the ever after” three stars.

Book Review: "Spellfall" by Katherine Roberts

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Natalie is a normal girl until she gets involved with a crazy group of people who believe magic is real. The only one who can help her is the son of a member, a boy named Merlin. But he seems far too afraid to do anything, so it's up to Natalie to convince him. But is the group crazy, or a real threat?

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Natalie is a young girl living in a small town. She is rather ordinary and has a stepmother and stepbrother. She is portrayed as being easily bullied.

Merlin is the young son of a powerful caster. He isn't very good at magic himself though. His only friend is his familiar, a rat and he spends most of his free time playing computer games. Because he has spent his whole life being verbally abused by his father, he isn't confident or brave. Most of the story he is portrayed negatively.

Lord Hawk is Merlin's father, named so for his familiar. He constantly abuses his son and named his as a joke. He is uncaring and cruel.

Jo is Natalie's only friend. Because of her size she isn't easily bullied, as she is rather tall. And she is more bold than her friend. She ends up being quite clever and helping develop a plan.

Tim is Natalie's stepbrother. He is rather nasty to her. He doesn't seem to like having a stepfamily and doesn't like referring to his stepfather as his dad. After an experience with magic he plays a more important role.

Mr. Merlin has a secretive past but currently spends most of his time being unemployed and drinking. He may have been close with Natalie at one time, but we don't learn about their past relationship much. He explains about the Boundary between this world and Earthhaven, so he serves that purpose as well as helps Tim figure out how the tree of Oq might be destroyed.

PACING

There are multiple stories going on at once. The main being Natalie's story, the second being Jo's and Tim's story. But their are not many cliffhanger endings that push the story, nor do the separate stories feel like puzzle pieces that must end up together.

FORESHADOWING

There aren't a lot of hints of what's to come. Not where Tim's negative feelings come from. Not as to how close Natalie was to her mother and how she used to be close to her father. Not that Merlin has potential.

Jo mentions that Natalie's dad used to sell weird stuff; Tim mentions Natalie's mother's death; Natalie is the only one who sees the sparkles on a spell.

It just doesn't feel like puzzle pieces begging to come together. Or curiosity and suspense urging the reader on.

AN IMPORTANT TOPIC-SPOILERS

There is a scene were Tim mentions that Natalie's mother died by drowning. It's done in an offhand way and feels out of the blue. I was shocked. I kept thinking, maybe they should have hinted about her mom dying dramatically. But not given the details. How can I shocked by a revelation if I don't even know there is a secret?

VICTIM COMPLEX?

In the beginning of the book, we get hints that Natalie's life is unfair. Her stepbrother is seen bullying her (and it's implied this is the norm). And her father drinks far too much, so she rarely talks to him. I was annoyed at first, but to be fair, this isn't brought back throughout the story. Tim does say something quite nasty and rather unbelievable. But later on he changes. Her father might have neglected her, but he changes. And this isn't even emphasized.

RELATIONSHIPS

The relationships between the characters don't seem that deep. And they don't all have to be. I didn't expect the relationship between Jo and Natalie to be that deep, because they spend most of the book apart.

But what I did expect was a closer relationship with her father. Maybe some recollections of how their relationship used to be. And how she felt abandoned by him since her mother died. I mean, Tim is the only one who reveals to be upset with the marriage. What about Natalie? Maybe she had some hopes it would cure her fathers alcoholism. But it didn't. Did she like her stepmom right away, or did it take time?

I know how difficult remarriages are for children, but we take almost no time plumbing this issue. And even when we do, it's just Tim blurting out his feelings in one, long paragraph.

I do like when characters share their feelings but it was all exposition (as opposed to hints throughout the story where we figure out his true feelings). And with a character he barely knew, someone he probably wouldn't confide in. Perhaps it should have been revealed that they had talked some in the past, and that Jo secretly had a crush that motivated her to try and talk to him.

TIM AND JO

Tim and Jo eventually end up working together to look for Natalie. Although we learn about Tim throughout this time and his character grows, we learn next to nothing about Jo.

We still only know that Natalie was bullied awhile back, and Jo protected her. And that's how they became friends. What the two have in common is that both believe they are responsible for what happens to Natalie. I thought this confession was good, because it kind of bonded to characters, that otherwise, don't know anything about each other.

NATALIE AND MERLIN

Merlin and Natalie's relationship starts out rocky. Merlin is too scared to help her and Natalie thinks he is crazy for believing in magic. Not to mention being party to her kidnapping.

Eventually he helps her but I never really felt like he earned her respect. Even though she sometimes worries about him, Natalie still says and thinks rather mean things about him. She bullies him into coming with her and comes off as annoying. Even later on, when witnessing a death, she thinks Merlin was just being wimpy by warning her about unicorns.

Also, he almost dies and right after she jokes about it, asking what it was like to watch himself go under water (since he can see through his familiar's eyes). That was just strange.

NATALIE AND HER MOM-SPOILERS

Eventually, Natalie gets reunited with her mother. Turns out that dead Spell ladies and lords end up going back to the tree called Oq. The reunion is shocking and overwhelming for Natalie, who knew her mom to be dead.

But the problem for me was that we don't learn anything about their relationship. Like how old Natalie was when she died. Or what her mother was like. Or how her mom's relationship with her dad was. We don't even learn that Natalie's mom was blind until Mr. Marlin mentions it to Tim. It just felt like no effort was put into it. I mean, I get that her mother is barely in the story, but she was a crucial part of it. And probably a big motivating factor to Natalie.

NATALIE & HER DAD-SPOILERS

Natalie and her dad's relationship is nonexistant. So I expected to learn more about their past relationship at least. But not only don't we learn about that but we don't even see Natalie reunite with her father. At the end of the book, there is no scene with them seeing each other for the first time. Not even a conversation with them later on. Instead, the author emphasizes Natalie's relationship with a talking dog she has known for a few days.

MERLIN'S SKILLS & DEVELOPMENT

In the beginning, we learn that Merlin loves computer games. This doesn't seem important, and it's not talked about through most of the story. Until we near the climax and suddenly it is shoved in, to finally make use of Merlin. It felt kind of like a last ditch effort to make him important. Not that he didn't do anything throughout the story. He helps Natalie in two other instances. It just feels played down by Natalie, like he barely helps. Or he does but he's still a wimp.

Also, when he sees his dad again, Merlin explains he has learned about computers so he can cure Oq, because she is like a computer. But this doesn't really make sense, as he is still terrible at magic and never improved his skills throughout the story. He is suddenly just better. I get that having him defeat his father would be poetic, but it also should be believable.

NATALIE'S DEVELOPMENT

Natalie starts the story rather ordinary and kind of scared. She has only one friend and that was made from being protected from a bully. The height of her strength is her anger expressed at her captors. And her ability to make Merlin help her escape. By the end she is brave and bold, willing to do anything to protect Oq. So what's the problem, exactly?

There just doesn't seem enough moments where she struggles, or even fails, and has to try again. Or when she gives up and needs encouragement. Yes, she does show courage and stand up to the council. That is an important scene. But after that she is pretty much done with developing. She is the one who wants to escape. She is the brave one while Merlin is still the weak one.

SORRY ABOUT THAT-SPOILERS

Mr. Marlin actually leaves his stepson to have his memory erased. It was so sudden and shocking that I couldn't believe it. I disliked the man before but now I loathed him. It didn't feel like the intent was to the reader to hate him, because there doesn't seem like any attempt to redeem him later on.

And when he and Tim get reunited later on, he makes a weak apology. And Tim seems fine with it because his stepfather looks pathetic. There. End of that problem.

K'TANAQUI

K'tanaqui is a magehound that has human intelligence. She communicates telepathically with Natalie. I assume this is because of the relationship that she had with Natalie's mother. And the dog is helpful, serving as a guide. She is also brave.

But I didn't like her. The simple reason being the way she speaks. She sounds strange, her “r” sounds being rolled. So everything is like “brrreak” and “thrrrall stone”. It was obnoxious and never absent. I would have tolerated it if it was much less frequent.

There was a part in the story where Natalie has to leave the dog behind and is upset. But I couldn't care less.

IF YOU HAVE TO SAY IT

When Jo and Natalie are reunited Jo eventually says that Natalie has changed. There is no acknowledgment from Natalie and no introspection. That might have been nice. But I don't like when a character has to point it out. I want the reader to slowly see the transformation for themselves. Having to point it out, makes it seem like it's not obvious enough. The author is making a neon sign: “look here, in case you didn't notice!”

Also when Tim and his stepfather are reunited, Tim forgives his father and is kind to him. He remembers what his mom said about crises bringing families together. Again, don't say it. Just show it.

EARTHHAVEN

The world of Earthhaven is full of details. We learn a lot through Mr. Marlin, how he used to find old spells that were still “live” (meaning working) and sell them. He was called a Thrall.

And through the council we learn about the tree called Oq, and why it is so important. Also about the fate of Spell ladies and Spell lords.

We meet unicorns, who are more than what they seem. And we learn some about the type of government they have. It's not Diana Wynne Jones level detail, but it's enough to make the world feel real.

We also learn that every caster has a familiar, and they can see through their eyes.

THE COUNCIL OF OQ

When Merlin and Natalie meet the council it is interesting to eventually learn that we cannot trust them. Their treatment of Merlin makes this obvious, as they want to torture him. Perhaps it would have been more interesting if they had been deceptively charming (like many politicians are).

On a separate issue, when a woman puts moon flowers in Natalie's hair that make her sleepy, her mom explains she probably meant well, because Natalie was so distraught. But Natalie takes it to mean she cannot trust the woman. She completely ignores her mother's words.

CHANGE OF HEART-SPOILERS

A woman who is a member of Lord Hawk's spellclave ends up turning on her master. I didn't really know her so was I was surprised. Although in the few scenes she is in, she seems hesitant to use Natalie, since she is so young. I would have liked to get to know her so her decision to help Natalie would have meant more.

NATALIE'S DAD

I don't really feel like there is enough development in Mr. Marlin. Yes, he stops drinking and goes out searching for Natalie. And then he promptly abandons his stepson.

Yes, he apologizes but he doesn't seem to change that much. There is no gradual realization on his part that he has been a horrible father and husband. No awe of his change or forgiveness of his past sins by Natalie. He should be important, as he does play a part in the plot. But not enough thought went into him.

THE IGNORANT COUNCIL

When Natalie gets to talk to her mother, she asks her daughter for help. Turns out the council is rather insulated and not realistic. Basically their a bunch of lifetime politicians who don't think they can ever be wrong about anything. And it's the job of the little people to obey them unquestioningly.

Certainly this is believable, as politicians tend to surround themselves with people who worship them. But there were a few scenes with them that were rather cartoonish. I would rather have seen how manipulative they could be, and see regular people in Earthhaven being fooled.

CLIMAX

Nat and Jo learn about what the spellcave intends to do to the tree. Merlin is requited by Oq to help protect it. A war breaks out between the council and the Spellclave when the spellclave attacks. Merlin confronts his dad and then gets a teaching job. Natalie is reunited with an old friend.

CONCLUSION

Most of the characters are likable, Mr. Marlin being the exception. Although Natalie is mean to Merlin for too long.

The world is detailed enough and the story, while not too fast paced, is still interesting and moves fast enough.

Although attempts are made at depth for some characters (such as Tim) for others not so much. And I wish I could have learned more about Natalie's past relationship with her mother and father. And perhaps even some more about Jo.

I give “Spellfall” three stars.

Book Review: "The Blue Sword' by Robin McKinley

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Harry is settling into a new, quiet life with her relatives when she is swept into a strange world of the highlanders. She is suddenly forced into a new role she doesn't understand. And a strange new ability.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Harry is supposedly a tomboy who isn't that close to anyone. Her parents have passed on and she barely knows her brother. She has an interest in the land she now lives but doesn't seem to have many other interests besides that. I wasn't sure what motivated her. With no close family members, I expected her to feel adrift, without any real idea of what she should do. Perhaps depressed or confused. But she seemed bored at the most. Once in a while they would show her angry, or think about being angry.

Corlath is the young king who kidnaps Harry. We don't learn much about him. In the beginning, we only get a hint. Turns out he has had many lovers in the past (so they think he has romantic feelings for a foreigner and are appalled.) Much later on we learn he has no siblings and his parents are dead. He is close to his men. There are few short scenes with his perspective, but we learn nothing of importance about him.

Mathin is Harry's teacher. His family has bred horses.

Colonel Dedham is an older man that Harry meets in the first part of the book. He seems to be the only person she has any real relationship with. But he only seems to be there to give her information about the countries history. And of course, so he can come back later and be useful.

PACING

Probably the weakest part of the story. I read fifty-eight pages before Harry was kidnapped. And although I wanted to believe I had read crucial information before then, I found it doubtful. Maybe the stuff where she leaned about the country's history and wars.

I get the author was trying to show us that Harry really had nothing to cling to. Her parents were dead. Her brother barely knows her. She doesn't have any deep friendships. But they could have told us that in a only a few pages.

KIDNAPPED...I GUESS

If you woke up to find yourself being kidnapped you would probably freak out. And then maybe calm down when they threatened you and refused to tell you why they took you. They might just kill you if you're not worth the trouble, right? You would probably still feel terrified, and think up all kinds of reasons as to why they would want you. Maybe prostitution. Or slavery. Maybe you're a hostage for money?

Luckily Harry only cares about not being made a fool of. She shows she can sit up and withstand long rides on a horse. That'll show those kidnappers! And then she worries about getting their respect when she finally gets to ride a horse herself. And she doesn't bother trying to escape. Or thinking of trying to escape. Or asking what they plan to do with her.

When she eventually does ask why she gets war horses and a sword, the story is almost halfway done. Shouldn't she have been concerned to why she was kidnapped, I don't know, slightly more?

AN EMOTIONLESS HEROINE

I never understand Harry's motivation. Nor what tied her down. She seemed to have no real history and no real past relationships. She felt like she was just made up and born at the beginning. I wanted to know more about her parents and her childhood. But her references to her relationship with her brother were vague and uninspiring.

I guess its good that she isn't overly portrayed as a victim. She has no inheritance because she is female, but the story doesn't go out of its way to make her seem helpless. She doesn't seem angry. But she doesn't really seem like anything. She is supposedly smart, since her friends seem shallow and dumb. That's pretty much why they are there, I guess. Also, she is revealed to be plain looking. So I guess, she must be smart. And athletic.

Whenever she showed emotion, it came out of the blue and felt fake. Like her crying about a story; her anger at her brother; or her anger at Corlath's stubbornness. I feel like the author was trying hard to show she had spirit, but only because he forgot about it in the previous eighty pages.

NO GREAT REVELATIONS-SPOILERS

Harry learns some things, but never anything important. When she learns that was lied to about her heritage, it doesn't really matter. When she learns why she was kidnapped, it doesn't make her angry or scared. Even when she learns Corlath loves her, there is no disblief (since he never showed any affection for her other than sympathy, and that was once).

Even when she learns a man named Tom previously liked her, she seems disconnected.

ANOTHER CULTURE

Harry goes from living in one culture, to another that is supposed to be completely different. It's ruled by a king and believes in magic. And yet there aren't any real differences.

There are no cultural misunderstandings; no practices that seem superstitious (its all backed up by real magic), silly, old fashioned, bigoted, or sexist. Although there is a reference to Coriath seeming kind of bigoted, it's never really brought up. And he is certainly never called out for it. Since his people were the indigenous race, I guess racism towards Harry's race is acceptable.

I felt this was unrealistic, as we all have things we learn about other cultures, often cultures we love, that are sexist or racist. And yet Harry notes no real problems.

A TEACHER

The only other character that Harry gets to know is Mathin, her teacher. He is an older man and we don't learn much about him until much later. Turns out his family has bred horses for generations. I think he has a family. But that's basically it. The usual archetypal relationship is just not there. He isn't loving and full of wisdom. He isn't mysterious with secrets to tell. He is just there so Harry can magically (rather easily) transform into an amazing warrior.

A HORSE & A CAT

Harry ends up with her own horse and a large cat as a friend. For some reason the author goes back and forth, calling the horse by his original name and his translation. It confused me, and for a moment I wondered who she was talking about. Took a few more switches to realize she was referring to the horse.

I love animals in stories because they almost always make the main character likable and sympathetic. But I didn't feel that in this case. I didn't really get the point of the cat. Although he was slightly amusing at times.

A WARRIOR-SPOILERS

After Harry gets a vision of war, she learns she has kelar, which means her ancestors were in common with Coriath's people. She is trained to use a sword and ride a horse while using it. But she is all very indifferent to it. She just says she learned to use it and rely upon it, but not love it like her heroes in children's books. But I never felt her frustration. She should have demanded to know exactly why she had to learn. But she just goes along without a care in the world. And after struggling to mount her horse, everything comes easily. She even admits to being “amazed at her own agility”.

EARNING A SASH

After training with her teacher for six weeks Harry has to fight to earn her sash. It's what proves you have the right to carry a sword. Harry barely has to try in order to win. Eventually she gets annoyed, and then she wins. I just felt like everything came easy for her. She does mention how surprised she was is at how athletic she has become. But none of it feels real.

RELATIONSHIPS-SPOILERS

There are only two people in the entire book that Harry has the chance to have any relationship with. Her teacher, and the king. This makes sense at first, after all she cannot speak their language. But soon she is fluent (another task that seems to come quite easy to her) and there is no excuse for the lack of characters for her to have a friendship with.

Any pretense of relationships are completely unbelievable. Harry hears a story told and bursts out crying and Corlath holds her. It felt completely inconsistent with Harry's character, which is rather stoic and uncaring about being kidnapped. And Corlath seemed to feel nothing at all when it came to Harry. At most he felt annoyance.

They literally have one scene were Corlath shares something about himself. One.

DEDHAM-SPOILERS

When Harry see's Dedham again, he kisses her on the mouth. We don't know why. He had no romantic relationship with her and is much older. It was random and had no effect on Harry or the story.

THE BLUE SWORD

Harry meets a random man who asks how she feels. Which is odd since he is a stranger. She had previously had no real relationships where someone could ever ask her this. So perhaps the author threw this in so Harry could reflect on her feelings. Then he gave her a sword. Also we learn slightly about Corlath, but not much.

CLIMAX

Harry sneaks off and some others come with her (she had no relationship with them prior). I didn't understand why they came. She eventually meets Dedham and defeats an army. The pacing is slow. Corlath shows up and they admit they love each other, besides the fact they have had barely any conversations and barely know anything about each other.

CONCLUSION

The idea is interesting, although not original. But Harry isn't likable, consistently portrayed, or shown with any real flaws. She has no real struggles, and when the author remembers, she suddenly inserts a sentence about her being terrified. Even though she never showed it previously.

The pacing is far too slow and even the battle scene at the climax dragged on too long.

The so called romance between Harry and Corlath was non-existent. Forget romance, they weren't even friends. But to be fair, I found it interesting sometimes. I just got fed up near the climax.

I give “The Blue Sword” one and a half stars.