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THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER

From the Chronicles of Narnia series , Vol. 3

More English make-believe and symbol-ridden adventure in a sequal to The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian; The Return to Narnia in which Lucy and Edmond Pevensie, this time with their spoiled cousin Eustace, journey again to fantastic Narnia for rousing and wonderful times. They journey with young King Caspian, Captain Drinian of the Dawn Treader the talking mouse Reepicheep and others to aid the six lords who had been betrayed with the death of the former king, Caspian's father. Their way takes them to much lands as the Lone Islands where they restore the lost Lord Bern's lands, usurped by the evil slaver Governor Gumpas; they fight such perils as a horrible sea monster. In the end it is Reepicheep who gets his wish—of sailing to the eastern end of the world to find happiness in the country of Narnia's former here, the wise Lion Asian. And in a moment filled with the sadness of departure tempered by the wisdom of growing up, Lucy, Edmond and Eustace return to their own—Eustace, as it was later implied by his elders, much improved by the influence of those Pevensies. Fine fantasy.

Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1952

ISBN: 978-0-06-023486-7

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: April 10, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1952

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THE LAST DRAGON ON MARS

From the Dragonships series , Vol. 1

Fast-paced dragon flights and mid-space fights—plus underdog heroes who are easy to root for.

A tenacious 13-year-old battles to save Mars, the only home he knows, in this series opener.

Lunar Jones, called “Dad” by the other orphans at the understaffed, underfunded Martian Relocation Clinic, is a scrapper in the dying Mars settlement, which is ironically named Harvest. Although the atmosphere supports human life, Martian plants, animals, and weather pose threats to survival, and the salvagers risk their lives with every expedition. A century ago, people killed Ares, Mars’ King-Dragon, hoping to make the planet “a paradise. A second version of Earth.” But that plan backfired. After a bloody attack by a rival salvage group, Lunar regains consciousness in an underground bunker, under the care of Gen. John Poppy, who’s secretly rearing a dragon named Dread. Poppy has rallied a group of young people with assorted special skills. Soon Dread will choose his dragoon, the human he bonds with for life. In the world of the story, which is reminiscent of Mad Max and Star Trek, each celestial body has its own dragon avatar. The backstory is fairly well developed, and the short chapters are packed with action. Lunar and some other key characters show positive growth, while the minor characters feel more like types. Lunar presents white; there’s some diversity in race among the supporting cast.

Fast-paced dragon flights and mid-space fights—plus underdog heroes who are easy to root for. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9781665946513

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Aladdin

Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024

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THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

From the School for Good and Evil series , Vol. 1

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.

Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.

Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and  her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013

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