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Archive for fantasy

The First Girl Child cover

Review: The First Girl Child

By Jan
 on June 7, 2020

The First Girl Child

The First Girl Child coverAuthor: Amy Harmon;
Genre: YA Fantasy;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Rob Shapiro;
Publisher: Brilliance Audio (2019);
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5).

An excellent coming-of-age fantasy with a lovely romantic subplot (or two). I had to force myself to pause the recording and go about daily life, but I rushed back to the book whenever I could. Excellent characterizations throughout, the complete story in one volume, and a slow burn leads to an exciting conclusion.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and the book hinges on a deathbed curse, an orphan raised in a monastery, and a corrupt king. Lots of honor and clans and swords, an interesting magical system, Nordic mythology, and familial love. No foul language or sex, with applicable violence but not overdone.

Rob Shapiro does a fabulous job with the audiobook narration; it doesn’t get better than this.

Reminded me of:
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
The Once and Future King by T. H. White
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Fantasy Tagged with Amy Harmon, fantasy
The Night Circus cover

Review: The Night Circus

By Jan
 on January 4, 2020

The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern;
Genre: Fantasy;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Jim Dale;
Publisher: Random House Audio (2011);
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5).

Regardless of the gushing reviews and hype about this book, I’m giving it two stars.

This was a tough go for me. I almost quit a few times in the first half of the book, and this is the second time I’ve tried to read this story. One of the problems was, I think, that I chose the audiobook. Yes, Jim Dale is the narrator, and he’s absolutely one of the best. However, the chapters jumped around chronologically, which made it very difficult for me to keep track of the time period. There are a lot of characters, too, which should have been a red flag for me. The second half was much better—things actually started to happen—and I stuck it out.

Yes, the writing is lovely, the descriptions are lush, but I would recommend this book be read, not listened to.

The publisher’s summary: “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will…”

©2011 Erin Morgenstern ©2011 Random House
In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Fantasy Tagged with fantasy