fantasy – Page 6 – Aussie Reviews

The Wilful Eye and The Wicked Wood, ed by Isobelle Carmody & Nan McNab

‘You are different,’ whispers the princess, almost crouched there, looking up at me. ‘You were gentle and kind before. What has happened? What has changed?’

Whilst the term fairytale may conjure up, for many readers, images of beautiful singing princesses, wicked witches and Disney-esque happy ever after endings, these ancient tales were not intended for young readers. And, says Isobelle Carmody in her introduction to this collection, when they were passed over to children they lost their gloss and their value. In The Wilful Eye and The Wicked Wood Carmody and her co-contributors attempt to rediscover this value with six retellings of six classic tales in each volume.

To label the stories retellings is really an inadequate description both of the concept of the collection and of the work it contains. Each writer has chosen a traditional fairytale and given it their own touch – sometimes set in a modern or futuristic environment , at other times telling the story from a new perspective. The reader will not necessarily easily recognise the original story, and some of the stories may even be new to the reader, but each is followed by an Afterword from the author explaining something of their process and choice.

This is not comfortable reading, but it is not meant to be. Each writer takes their story to depths which will have the reader gasping, or wondering, or pondering even long after the last word is read. Suitable for reading cover to cover, but these collections are probably best dipped into and savoured one at a time. Suitable for older teens and adults.

The Wilful Eye
ISBN 9781742374406

The Wicked Wood
ISBN 9781742374413

Both edited by Isobelle Carmody and Nan McNab
Allen & Unwin, 2011

Gamers' Quest, by George Ivanoff

1: Tark
Tark perched in a tree and waited. He kept his eyes on the path that wound its way through the Forest. He knew it was just a matter of time. All he had to do was wait…and commit highway thievery. he wondered, as he sat on this branch, whether or not the term highway thievery still applied if the perpetration occurred on a path. Pathway thievery? Would that make him a pathwayman instead of a highwayman?

Tark and his friend Zyra are both thieves. It’s what they have to do to survive. Survival in their world is a daily challenge. As if having to thieve wasn’t enough, there is magic and illusion everywhere. They are always on guard, always aware that nothing is quite as it seems. There are rules for the likes of them, rules that preclude them ever becoming more than friends. Tark overcomes a dragon in his quest for riches, but inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he is challenged by the dragon’s wife. Simultaneously, Zyra upsets The Fat Man and the pair are in even more danger. All they really want is a chance to visit Designers Paradise for a short while, to experience a ‘normal’ life.

Gamers’ Quest twists and twists as reality and fantasy combine and separate. The reader is presented with a reality that feels like fantasy and then a fantasy that resembles reality. What if the characters in a computer game were real and the world in which we live was actually part of a game? Where there were tasks to be mastered, tokens of success to be gathered, rewards to be won? This is the rollercoaster of Gamers’ Quest. The only sure thing is the friendship between Tark and Zyra. Together, with their combined skills, they must pit themselves against a changing world, before it is too late. Gamers’ Quest moves at breakneck speed from challenge to reward, from one world to another. Pitched squarely at readers who are computer-skilled, and game fans, it is a wild adventure. Recommended for upper primary to early secondary readers.

Gamers’ Quest, George Ivanoff
Ford St Publishing 2009
ISBN: 9781876462864

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Time of Trial, by Michael Pryor

There was no wind. Not a breeze, a zephyr, a fitful gust, nothing at all. Air is never this still, he thought, not even in a tomb. The thought made him shudder.

Having started university, Aubrey Fitzwilliam is trying to focus on his studies. But soon enough he’s thrust into another adventure. On top of all this, a mysterious stranger has appeared, offering Aubrey the chance of a normal life, but could this opportunity be more sinister than it appears? Aubrey finds himself knee-deep in golems, international mystery, emotions, family, trouble and even ghosts.

Time of Trial is the fourth title in the Laws of Magic series, and is another great fantasy story. With plenty to offer Pryor has no trouble writing a new and inventive story, whilst continuing to follow the themes from the previous book. Time of Trial will be best enjoyed by those who have read the earlier books, though could standing alone.

Great fantasy with a touch of reality.

Time of Trial (Laws of Magic) by Michael Pryor
Random House, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Also in the Series

Blaze of Glory (2006)
Heart of Gold (2007)
Word of Honour (2008)
Moment of Truth (2010)

The Old Kingdom Chronicles, by Garth Nix

Born in the Old Kingdom, Sabriel has not been within its walls for many years. She has lived in the safety of her school, away from the power of free magic. But something has happened – her father, Abhorsen, has vanished and she is the only one who can find him.

Sabriel is the first in the Old Kingdom trilogy, rereleased together in one volume for the first time. The first instalment, published in 1995 was the winner of an Aurelis Award and was followed by Lirael (2001) and Abhorsen (2003). All three stories have been widely acclaimed and much loved by fantasy readers worldwide.

This weighty offering is a boon for collectors, especially those who perhaps enjoyed the individual titles but don’t have them in their home libraries. It is also a wonderful opportunity for new readers to discover this outstanding trilogy.

Great stuff.

The Old Kingdom Chronicles: Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen, by Garth Nix
Alllen & Unwin, 2009

The Whisperer, by Fiona McIntosh

He sighed. ‘I heard him again.’
‘Who?’
‘The Whisperer…I’ve got to help him.’
‘What?’ Tess exclaimed. ‘You don’t even know who he is. Or where he is!’ She put a hand on his arm. ‘Griff, you don’t even know if this is something in your imagination.’

Griff has long had a special, secret ability: he can hear what other people are thinking. But now this ability is taking a strange turn, with Griff hearing cries for help, and even holding conversations, with someone he has never seen or met. Griff knows he must find and help the Whisperer, even though he has problems of his own.

Griff and his friend Tess, and her collection of magical creatures, are on the run from a greedy circus master who wants to use them both for money making schemes. If they stop to help the stranger who whispers in Griff’s head, they risk their freedom, even their lives. But Griff feels he has no choice.

Meanwhile Lute, the Crown Prince of the realm, is under attack from his Uncle Janko, who wants to seize the throne by murdering both the King, Lute’s father, and Lute himself. Lute is on the run, in the company of bandits. When Lute and Griff meet, both their lives will change forever.

The Whisperer is a wonderful fantasy read set in a realm sprinkled with magical creatures and magical forces, where unlikely heroes come together to ensure the triumph of good over evil. There is plenty of action, with both Lute and Griff, and their respective companions, on the run and in danger for most of the book.

Suited for readers aged 9 to 12, and perhaps a little older, this is a riveting fantasy read.

The Whisperer, by Fiona McIntosh
Angus & Robertson, and imprint of Harper Collins, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Puzzle Ring, by Kate Forsyth

Hannah Rose Brown was not quite thirteen years old when she discovered her family was cursed.
The day she first heard about the curse of Wintersloe Castle was the day her life was slashed in two, as if by a silver sword. Behind her was an ordinary life, just like any other girl’s. Ahead was a life shadowed with mystery and menace and magic.

Hannah has never met her father, who disappeared the day after she was born. So, when a letter comes from her great-grandmother asking her and her mother to come to Scotland, Hannah is determined to go.

In Scotland Hannah discovers that not only is she the heir to a castle, but that her family has been suffering a mysterious curse for over four hundred years. Only the person who finds and solves the puzzle ring can lift the curse. Hannah is determined that she will be the one.

The Puzzle Ring is a wonderful time-travel fantasy, taking readers from Australia to Scotland, then back in time to the days of Mary, Queen of Scots. Hannah befriends three children her own age (all born in the same Scottish town as Hannah within days of each other) and the four work together to find the pieces of the puzzle ring, save Hannah’s father and restore the family’s good fortune.

The Puzzle Ring is an absorbing blend of action, fantasy and mystery, with the different threads coming together in a satisfying resolution. Suitable for upper primary aged readers.

The Puzzle Ring, by Kate Forsyth
Pan Macmillan, 2009

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Worldshaker, by Richard Harland

But Lumbridge lunged for Col again. Taken by surprise, Col took a backward step. His foot hung over empty space – the open manhole!
He tried to grip onto Lumbridge, who staggered. For one second, he stared into Lumbridge’s small, piggy eyes and nostrils trickling blood. He never knew what went on in that second behind those eyes. Was it deliberate or accidental?
Both of Col’s feet now hung over empty space. Lumbridge raised his arms, broke Col’s grip and dropped him down into the hole.

Colbert (Col) has led a sheltered existence. At sixteen years of age he has been cafeully groomed and trained to believe the tales his grandfather tells him about the way society operates. Aboard the huge juggernaut Worldshaker, Col and his family hold privileged positions. Grandfather Sir Mormus is the Supreme Commander, and he has just anointed Col as his successor. Col has no reason to question anything.

But when Col meets a ‘Filthy’ – a girl from the lowest class hidden way beneath decks – he starts to realise that not all is as it appears. Long lead to believe that Filthies are subhuman beings, he realises that they are, instead, very human, and badly mistreated by Col’s people. He also realise that the version of history on which their society is based is also a lie. As he starts to wonder who and what he can trust, Col’s privileged position becomes shaky and he must choose between the life he has had and what he starts to believe might be a better life for all.

Worldshaker is a gripping fantasy, set in a reality which is at once familiar and alien. Worldshaker is a juggernaut which travels the world with its cargo of escapees from a world torn apart by war. The upper classes are determined to maintain their privileged position and there is a very rigid social structure which is accepted as important to the survival of all. Col’s position high within that structure makes him an unlikely candidate to be involved in its overthrow, and the friendship that leads him to this point is riddled with humour and tension, as he comes to understand the ways of the filthies and learn from them.

Likely to appeal to readers aged 13 and over, this is a real page turner.

Worldshaker, by Richard Harland
Allen & Unwin, 2009

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Witches Incorporated, by K. E. Mills

That’s it. I’ve done it. I’m a real live janitor.
He wasn’t ready. He didn’t know nearly enough. The international law, the restricted incants, the seventeen volumes of case files that didn’t even scratch the surface of the Department’s work over the past ten years. He’d barely absorbed any of it. All was chaos in his head, facts and figures tumbling like leaves in a windstorm. He didn’t know enough yet to be let loose on the world.

Gerald Dunwoody is now officially a janitor, and off on his first assignment – a case of espionage with international consequences. His friends Melissande and Bibbie are on a case of their own. They have started a new witching agency, and they, too, have their first big job. Unfortunately, it seems Witches incorporated and Gerald’s assignment may be about to step into each other’s territory. Soon, though, stepping on their friends’ toes might be the least of their worries.

Witches Incorporated is an exciting fantasy novel set in a fantasy world where witches and wizards play key roles. Gerald is a wizard who has newly discovered powers, and must learn how to use and control them. His friends have problems of their own. Melissande is a princess who has turned her back on royal life and both she and her partner, Bibbie, must battle the restrictions of being female (or ‘gels’) in a male-dominated society. Reg, the third in the Witches Incorporated agency is a bird who not only talks but was also once a human queen.

Aimed at an adult readership, this series is especially likely to appeal to the crossover market of older teens and slightly older, with its blend of characters and issues common to members of that age group. The second in the Rogue Agent series, the title can also stand alone.

Witches Incorporated, by K. E. Mills
Harper Voyager, 2009

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Shadow Queen, by Deborah Kalin

I put out a hand to steady myself as the vision took me. The parquetry floor washed to black…As if sparked by the hard glare, a fire burst and waged through the room, the flames hot enough to crisp bones and raise the smell of marrow burning to cinders. And me in the middle, wrapped in the black shroud of the dead.

Matilde has been groomed to take over as Queen of the Turasi, but two years past her coming of age, she is still waiting for her grandmother to hand over the reins. Now, though, a threat to her future – the return of her long-exiled Aunt Helena – whose sudden return hints at a plot to overthrow. When Matilde has a vision of impending doom, she feels powerless to stop it from happening, and when the court is attacked, is thrown into a struggle for life, and to reclaim the throne she knows should be hers.

Shadow Queen is a brilliant fantasy novel from a first time author. Matilde is at times feisty, at others extremely vulnerable and even naive, and is supported by a range of characters both opponents and allies, though at times it is difficult to tell which are which. The reader is drawn into her battle and cares what happens to her and her friends, willing her to win against seemingly insurmountable odds. The first instalment in new series The Binding, Shadow Queen will have readers eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Shadow Queen, by Deborah Kalin
Allen & Unwin, 2009

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Stone Crown, by Malcolm Walker

Emlyn’s phone rang. The screen displayed his sister’s number. Pocketing it, he moved on. His only thought now was running and evasion, but there was nowhere to go. Ahead, the bridge was a dark throat in the snow. He was being swallowed. Something terrible was about to happen.

When Emlyn’s mother moves him to a small Scottish village, Emlyn finds himself drawn to Sleeper’s Spinney, an ancient site connected to the time of Arthur. Beneath the ground twenty wooden horseman are entombed, hidden from the world. When Emlyn discovers the figures, he unleashes a chain of events which sees his life threatened. Together with his friend Max (Maxine) he is threatened by the keepers of site who will stop at nothing to get back the figure which Emlyn has in his possession.

This figure is no child’s toy or statue. The spirits of Arthur and his loyal guard have been trapped in the figures for centuries, imprisoned by the magic of the lady of the lake. As Emlyn and Max uncover the truth, they are also challenged with the decision of whether or not to free the men’s spirits.

This is a revision of the Arthurian legend in a unique setting, and with the multiple perspectives of two modern day teens and one of the trapped warriors. Both of the teens have problems of their own to deal with, and as the story unravels they must question the legend of Arthur as much as the reader will. This is no noble King putting his life on the line for his people – rather this Arthur is both the victim of a lost childhood manipulated by Merlin, and a power-mad adult unaware of the machinations of those around him.

The Stone Crown is a fantasy which will intrigue teen and adult readers.

The Stone Crown, by Malcolm Walker
Walker Books, 2008