The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

My 6th grade daughter loves this series and I told her I would read a book of her choosing, so here I am. This isn't my normal style, and it's been a while since I read something targeting this age range. My struggle in forming an opinion is mostly from my attempt to account for those 2 facts.

This is a well written juvenile fantasy. I'm not familiar enough with the middle reader market to know exactly, but I think it's target audience is something less than 6th grade, but it's hard to tell. I tried to think of what I was reading in 6th grade and if it was similar, but I had a hard time coming up with anything.

Pros: Solid fantasy plot. Bloody succession war leads to a prophecy about a child (children in this case) that would save the world. The twist: everyone is a dragon. It's well written, and the plot moves along fairly well. Characters have unique traits and histories.

Cons: the personification of dragons is over the top. The have scrolls, manipulate objects such as chains with their claws, and are surrounded by "human" artifacts such as thrones, iron bars, and wires. They have conversations, engage in politics, but it's OK to eat a live animal, or kill another dragon. Sometimes you kill the other dragon by humanely snapping its neck, while other times you bite and claw it to death. It's just strange, strange enough to be distracting.

If I was in grade school, would I keep reading? Probably. But can I say that this is a great book? No, it's good, and I get the appeal, but it's not a classic. The real question: what do I tell my daughter about my opinion of her favorite book?

Let Sleeping Dragons Lie by Garth Nix

Let Sleeping Dragons Lie by Garth Nix
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmm, I need to go back and read my review of the first book. I might be at risk of repeating myself. This book was entertaining at a juvenile level. While maintaining a simple plot with simple goals, the authors were able to maintain a storyline and set of characters that appealed to their audience.

The best thing about this book is actually the epilogue. This postscript kicks off the next conflict, which was set up by both book 1 and 2. If not for that I think I would be done with this series, but now I might consider reading one more. Time will tell.

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read my thoughts from my 2009 reading here.

The Shadow Rising has a lot of spreading plot lines. The cast is on the move and there is more character development for everyone. Still the pace keeps up, as much as it can with all of the relationships that need to happen and with all of the conversations that need to take place. I liked learning about the Aiel, and find their cultural uniqueness to be both creative and intriguing.

What do I want to know now? What is to the east of the Waste? And across the Aryth Ocean? If the whole world is at stake, and we are aware of those other lands, they have to be brought into the story at some point. Perhaps the Seanchan will resolve one of those. ..

Who is the most annoying character? Nynaeve. She is so whiny and obnoxious. I understand that characters need room to grow. Especially this early in a series of this scope, but enough already. I'm ready for her to grow up. She is like that exasperating teenager that you want to grow up and move out, even though you still love them and want to see them succeed...

This book is still a solid 4 stars for me. Due to previous readings, and the reputation of this series as being slow and boring, I didn't know if I would still be handing out 4 stars at this point. I'm pleasantly surprised.

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

View my 2009 review here.

Book three had me worried as it bogged down a bit in the middle. I know that a slow down is coming in the series, and so I am probably super sensitive to it. By the end, however the action was right back on track. The fix to keep the action going was to include a few time jumps--Mat and Thom on the ship to Tear, Moiraine and company's hike to Tear, etc. If only he would continue to do this as needed in the future books... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Other than the scare regarding pace, this was a great book three. The plot continues to build, and the characters we already know are growing, and their personal conflicts are also growing. It is a little frustrating that they fail to see the roles the Forsaken are taking all around them, but I'll admit that that is both purposeful and masterful on the part of the author. We need that discordance for the series to stay interesting and emotional. Otherwise it would wrap up too neatly in each book.

I've already rushed headlong into book four (finished the first chapter at least) so lets see if my reading pace can also be maintained before I start complaining about the pace of the story :)

Physik (Septimus Heap 3) by Angie Sage

Physik by Angie Sage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked a lot of things about Physik. I liked the character development. I liked the way it drew in past minor characters. I like the the Alther/Alice storyline. But it still isn't a 5 star book. There is one major flaw for me, and that is its disconnected plot. Sure, characters and plot lines are related, but I don't see the larger conflict. Is the series ultimately going to be about Simon vs Septimus? Is DomDaniel coming back (I thought he was thoroughly killed in the last book)? I don't see the larger conflict, and so I don't know where things are heading. Yes, as a stand alone book, this one is decent. Yes, Sage builds on her fantasy world very well here, given her audience. But the still leaves something lacking, and that something is huge. We need an overall conflict to tie this series together. I'm interested to see where she takes it in the next book.

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven 4)

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maybe I'm being too free with my stars on this review, but I am really enjoying this series. It has also been a while time since I have taken time out to read a whole series for recreation, so Fablehaven may be benefiting from my overall love of reading as a hobby, especially in this genre.

So Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary has a couple of intriguing developments, including the big shocker at the end, which I won't discuss here. But I can talk about how well Brandon Mull positions Vanessa throughout the series. She keeps being relevant, but completely unresolved from a reader's point of view. She is like the Snape of Fablehaven, and Snape was a key to the Potter series...

I also like that Mull is not hesitant about diving deeper and deeper into the Fantasy world he has created. For most of the book Kendra and Seth are in a fictional setting, which Mull has complete artistic control over, yet we identify with them as contemporary school children. It is a well thought out plot. I'm looking forward to the finale.