Sauvain’s (Collegium Sorcerorum: Thaddeus of Beewicke, 2011) second fantasy installment features a foursome of heralded, first-year Collegium students who discover their abilities through a series of unexpected adventures.
Talking statues, Lilyput the goblin and eerie laughter from the mysterious Minaret of Power welcome first-year students—Thaddeus of Beewicke, Anders of Brightfield and Rolland of Fountaindale—to the Collegium. While the first volume of Sauvain’s epic fantasy detailed the journey to the Collegium, the second depicts the young sorcerers as they learn hand-to-hand combat and grapple with hostile upperclassmen. Rolland, nicknamed “Prince of Thieves,” finds trouble from the start: He’s pinned to the wall by upperclassmen and later accosted by a demon for using sorcery on campus. Each time, ever-loyal Thaddeus comes to his brethren’s aid. Rolland’s knack for acquiring trouble adds flavor to the storyline, but the thief’s pronounced ability to stir trouble is also a catalyst that helps readers understand the depth of the main characters’ friendship. Dismayed by the popularity of their first-year peers, upperclassmen challenge Thaddeus and company to a game of “Pila Ludere”—a form of soccer using a dragon’s bladder—on Halloween night. Sauvain uses this match as an opportunity to introduce fairies and elves, who help even the odds against the older sorcerers. As the contest nears an end, Thaddeus blacks out and finds himself in a faraway land called “Locus Lapidum Pendentium,” or the place of hanging stones. The baffling history of this desolate region inevitably links the Minaret of Power, the Cin empire, Master Silvestrus and the Collegium. Perhaps the most intriguing deviation from Sauvain’s debut novel is the integration of Zoarr, Prince of Mauretesia, and his unique love–hate relationship with Rolland. Throughout the book, Zoarr, a member of the senior class, strives to prove his loyalty to Thaddeus, Anders and especially Rolland. While Sauvain’s strength is his ability to create dynamic characters, including animals such as talking bird Pscittica and golden dog Bellis, he leaves readers desiring more scenes that shed light on the mystery behind the Minaret of Power. Sauvain dedicates the last 50 pages to explaining the role of each character and clarifying the terminology.
A strong cast of characters and an intriguing storyline overshadow the sometimes abundant use of foreign terms known as “Lingua Imperatoria.”Pub Date: April 19, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615584515
Page Count: 493
Publisher: Louis Sauvain
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A novel tells the story of two spirited girls who set out to save a lame foal in 1952.
Mary, age 12, lacks muscle control of her legs and must use a wheelchair. Her life is constantly interrupted by trips with her widower father to assorted doctors, all of whom have failed to help her. Mary tolerates the treatments, hoping to one day walk unassisted, but her true passion involves horses. Possessing a library filled with horse books, she loves watching and drawing the animals at a neighboring farm. She longs to own one herself. But her father, overprotective due to her disability and his own lingering grief over Mary’s dead mother, makes her keep her distance. Mary befriends Laura, the emotionally neglected daughter of the wealthy neighboring farm owners, and the two share secret buggy rides. Both girls are attracted to Illusion, a beautiful red bay filly on the farm. Mary learns that Illusion is to be put down by a veterinarian because of a lame leg. Horrified, she decides to talk to the barn manager about the horse (“Isn’t it okay for her to live even if she’s not perfect? I think she deserves a chance”). Soon, Mary and Laura attempt to raise money to save Illusion. At the same time, Mary begins to gain control of her legs thanks to water therapy and secret therapeutic riding with Laura. There is indeed a great deal of poignancy in a story of a girl with a disability fighting to defend the intrinsic value of a lame animal. But this book, the first installment of the Dream Horse Adventure Series, would be twice as touching if Mary interacted with Illusion more. In the tale’s opening, she watches the foal from afar, but she actually spends very little time with the filly she tries so hard to protect. This turns out to be a strange development given the degree to which the narrative relies on her devotion. Count (Selah’s Sweet Dream, 2015) draws Mary and Laura in broad but believable strokes, defined mainly by their unrelenting pluckiness in the face of adversity. While the work tackles disability, death, and grief, Mary’s and Laura’s environments are so idyllic and their optimism and perseverance so remarkable that the story retains an aura of uncomplicated gentleness throughout.
A short, simple, and sweet tale about two friends and a horse.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Hastings Creations Group
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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