Carly Beth is tired of being so easy to scare, screaming at every little jump scare. And after a particularly mean prank, she is determined to be t Carly Beth is tired of being so easy to scare, screaming at every little jump scare. And after a particularly mean prank, she is determined to be the one doing the scaring Halloween night and not the screaming. A new Halloween shop is in town, and she finds the perfect scary mask. So why was the shop owner so hesitant to sell it to her? I’m pretty sure I read this book back in the 90s, even though I only read a handful of Goosebumps books (I didn’t like reading scary stories very much), since it is early in the series. But I definitely did not remember any of it, so I was in for quite a ride as I read this graphic novel adaptation. And what an adaptation! It flows so well, the art and expressions are top notch, and it has just the right amount of scary vibes to support the scary source material for a mask that fits perfectly. I also liked the nod to R.L. Stine in the masks on the wall, though I can’t say I had an easy time noticing Curly the Skeleton (on a skim back through the book after I had reached the end to try and find him). I did make the mistake of checking the page count before I read it, which meant I spoiled a surprise – but man, would that surprise pack a good Goosebumps punch! It is a solid middle grade-appropriate scare, and I just hope that it doesn’t decide to wiggle inside my brain and appear in my dreams (well, turn them into a nightmare…I’m still not a hug fan of reading scary stories very much, but this was one of those that I thoroughly enjoyed and would eagerly revisit, just like Wait Till Helen Comes). Maybe I’ll even reread it before tomorrow’s Cookies & Comics book club meeting for this book. I cannot wait to hear what the other attendees have to say about it, and share my own thoughts. Hopefully, the cookies won’t be in the shape of monster heads…...more
Most of what I remember of Kel's story from when I last read it (probably around when it came out), is that I didn't enjoy it as much as Daine or A Most of what I remember of Kel's story from when I last read it (probably around when it came out), is that I didn't enjoy it as much as Daine or Alanna's, and the last book or two was too long.
Those assessments now, are different. I suspect part of the reasoning then is that she had neither the Gift nor Wild Magic, and becauseof that, I wasn't as thrilled about her book being longer (Pierce herself acknowledges the effect of Harry Potter which allowed her/writers to be able to start writing longer books). But Kel needs neither magic. She is stubborn, resilient, determined, confident, and truly cares about protecting the "small." This installment sees her through her time as a squire, 3-4 years, to Lord Raoul of Goldenlake, participating in the royal family's Grand Progress around Tortall not only to introduce Princess Shinkokami to the nation as Prince Roald's betrothed, but also to take a census and show the various noble families favor or economical punishment, as well as hold tournaments for knights and squires to test their nettle or settle disputes. And many squires - and knights - have a score to settle with Kel, namely that she is a young woman taking a man's role. But before and after that, Kel and Raoul do much traveling around the country, stopping bandits and helping those who need it with the Third Company of the Own. In all these travels, all these encounters, Kel must not only apply what she has learned from her lessons as a page, but learn in the field and in the tents of campaigns what it means to lead and be one of those who protect and serve.
And that is where Kel shines: in her determination to see right done, and lead by example. These are some of her many strengths, and she becomes an even more solid role model. Not only for readers, but also for young noblewomen who have a fire in their eyes and a desire to protect as well. Her story flew by, not just because I was determined to finish it before the end of the day March 1st, but also by how much happens in her book. Action, emotional growth (hullo, Cleon!), surprise results of the Ordeal, and new adventures see her story fly by faster than Peachblossom can charge or her griffin-fletched arrows reach their target.
Quotes:"Death, even for someone just plain bad, solves nothing. The law says its a lesser wrong than letting them go to kill again, but it sows bitterness in the family and friends. Bitterness we'll reap down the road." -page 100
To have mercy or lack it, you need humanity. -page 174
With their parasites defeated, the remaining Star Shards are moving on with their lives. Or at least, they're trying to. Everything around Tori bec With their parasites defeated, the remaining Star Shards are moving on with their lives. Or at least, they're trying to. Everything around Tori becomes purified, plants grow uncontrollably around Winston, Michael brings rain clouds every morning to southern California, Lourdes leads an unbeatable volleyball team... and Dillon raises the dead. The lines of chance are starting to point to a great disaster, and Dillon needs the other's help to avert it. What he doesn't expect is Okoya, a being older than them, to insinuate itself between them, and he doesn't know how to outsmart it and prevent the end of the world. It might just finally be more than Dillon Cole can read or heal. While this is a complete story as the first is, it also feels a little more like setting up for the final book of the trilogy. The Star Shards' power is growing, and with their power so too do their weaknesses - and their enemies' power - grow. After all, even a star's soul is subject to human hubris. Especially when they not only use their power, but their power influences the people and land around them without conscious will. I had begun to doubt that I had read this book years ago, since the only thing I clearly remembered before starting it again was Lourdes' controlling her volleyball teammate's bodies to make them the perfect winning team. But other scenes whispered of familiarity at the edges. As much as Dillon is seeking redemption by bringing back those who died because of him, I found that his relationship with religion was at a further remove than in the first book. I think that was remarkable because he was still humble and guilty about what he did. And Winston, too, was further removed from his faith due to how much he was learning from reading so widely. I rather missed those parts of their characters, especially when counterpointed with the positions they found themselves in at Okoya's hands. But I guess it also tracks - the more each of their powers' grew, the more they saw the flaws in it. Tori purified everyone and everything around her, to the point that a wanna-be gangster was cleaned up enough not only to become her boyfriend and a respectable citizen, but purified so much that he would barely give her a kiss on the cheek in public. Michael could control the weather with his emotions, but he also couldn't find any love or hate in his heart, only detachment. Lourdes arguably was reveling in her power, from the control she exerted over her volleyball teammates to the petty revenge she took on the cruel popular girls by tweaking their metabolisms so they would get fat. And circling around all of them like a vulture was Okoya: neither man nor woman, wearing a body reshaped and stolen from conjoined twins, with an insatiable hunger that he would use the Star Shards to feed. They ways he manipulated and used them were crafty, and seeing how one by one they fell into his snares just went to show how powerful human hubis is, and that not even the mightiest are wholly immune to it. And these kids are only about 17! A special shout-out: this was originally published around 1999 I think, and Shusterman managed to have an openly gay character, Drew, in his story, who played an important role. And not only that, he was able to double down on it:(view spoiler)[when Michael "fixed" Drew to be straight, it threw off Drew's entire personality and mind, leaving him more broken than when he was gay. I thought it was a good way to illustrate that being gay isn't a bad thing, nor a fixable thing - it is just as integral a part of a person as being trustworthy, or coordinated, or even straight. His publishers sure let him do more than Scholastic did Applegate and Grant with Animorphs. (hide spoiler)] Now if only I could find my original paperback copy of the book I would be happier. I'm certain that Michael used a walkman/portable CD player in the original, not an iPod, for listening to music!
Typos: "No," said Winston. "We're one of him." - page 125, should be Michael or Lourdes, as they're the only ones in the scene
You power makes you difficult... - page 284 - should be 'Your power'
...into the Underworld... - page 287 - should be 'Unworld'...more
Well, I’d say this book won me over for de Ocampo narrating Marco! He was much more…lively in his portrayal, and I heard a lot more of Marco’s sarc Well, I’d say this book won me over for de Ocampo narrating Marco! He was much more…lively in his portrayal, and I heard a lot more of Marco’s sarcasm and humor coming through in every line, instead of just occasionally. Maybe he got some notes from Sisi Aisha Johnson’s portrayal of him…? It came across that good, compared to what I thought I remembered of his narration for Animorphs #5: The Predator. And there are some doozies of lines in this book – not only in what is said by one character or another, but also in what Marco narrates, the insights he gives, especially on rage and violence and near-death experiences. (Also: I want more audiobooks, please and thank you!!)
Changes between the reissue and the original under the cut. Format: reissue – page number reissue/original if applicable – original
Hello Marco, Rachel, Cassie. Did you lose something? – page 48 (assumed “change” based on de Ocampo’s intonation) – Hello Marco, Rachel. Cassie? Did you lose something?
< Ax, it was just a beetle.– page 73 - < Ax, it was just a cockroach.
de Ocampo’s intonation/stress on “Wolves,” page 106, considering it was Cassie speaking, it came across too strong.
Maria and the three unhologrammed Chee just started. – page 110 - Maria and the three unhologrammed Chee just stared.
Page 116-117: Rachel’s grizzly roars sound more like a grizzly talking, than roaring in rage/frustration. Like when your dog goes “arr arr arroo” to you at speaking volume instead of “AROO! AROO!” at loud volume
…scuffling and scratching. – page 134 - …scuffing and scratching.
Her roars mixed with the endless screams of the alarms. – page 152 - Her roars mixed with the endless scream of the alarms....more
Just when you thought every Animorph was settled in their reason to stay and fight the Yeerks, a wrench get Original April 29, 2015 review here.
Just when you thought every Animorph was settled in their reason to stay and fight the Yeerks, a wrench gets thrown in the operation: Rachel’s dad offers to let her come live with him in his cross-country move. But doing so would mean leaving the fight against the Yeerks behind her, abandoning her friends and her mom and sisters. As she’s grappling with this choice, the Animorphs decide to make another visit to the Yeerk pool. Marco and Tobias have been teaming up on the sly to discover a new entrance to the Yeerk pool, and they’ve found one in The Gap. (Coincidence? I’ll let you decide.) Naturally things do not go as planned. When do they ever? And once the Yeerk pool is involved, the source of so many of their nightmares, things are sure to go wrong. This time, though, they Animorphs are not alone: a being called The Ellimist sweeps in to give them yet another choice, to continue their fight and risk death or worse, or escape it all with their families and a few select people to a safe place far from the Yeerk invasion.
I just wanted to run away but I didn’t think I could, so I was brave because that’s the way I’m supposed to be.
I continually find myself surprised just how heavy these early books are. It’s so clear that these kids are dealing with things no kid should have to deal with, and they’re doing the best they can to manage. But they’re just kids, alone, fighting a force greater than they could ever hope to defeat. And they lose – a lot. The number of solid “victories” they can log are far outnumbered by their losses. They’re getting worn down already, their nightmares are ever more vivid and present and they see the world around them with glazed, exhausted eyes. And yet. Yet they still have meaningful conversations as they try to figure out what to do, conversations which are deep, and nuanced, and show just how much they have grown in these few short months fighting the Yeerks. The maturity, the thoughtfulness, the heart that goes into these conversations simply blew me away. These are kids who are so ready to break, so close to the edge, yet they keep going. They’re still scared, terrified, but the strength these kids have to face their fears, to go on the next mission, and especially to consider so seriously and maturely the repercussions of their decision – to stay or to go – is awe-inspiring. In the face of the losses they’ve already suffered, and the injuries they continue to suffer (view spoiler)[Marco as a gorilla holding in his own guts; Rachel looking at her missing left bear paw, a Hork-Bajir holding his own severed arm: I kid you not, these are actual images related in the book without frills or side-stepping (hide spoiler)], these kids, these Animorphs – Jake, Rachel, Marco, Cassie, Tobias, and Ax – exemplify a bravery that few can ever hope to have, and fewer still ever want to have to summon forth.
Favorite quotes: If I was so brave and tough, why was I imagining a normal life? – page 38
You know, there are days when I just don’t feel brave and fearless. There are days when I just want to […be] a normal kid. But that wasn’t the life I had. Not anymore. – page 48
(view spoiler)[ “This is insane,” Marco said. “It’s like Noah’s ark. The Yeerk flood is coming. Load up the boat.” “No,” Tobias said, staring at the Ellimist. “It’s a zoo. That’s what he has for us – a zoo.” – page 79
But I hadn’t voted. Marco had just assumed…And he was right, I realized with a sick churning in my stomach. Marco was right about me. I had to vote no. If Tobias was ready to stay in the fight, with all he had to lose, I couldn’t do less. – page 81
In my other life I was…a warrior. I risked my life. I fought in deadly nightmare battles against terrible odds. I became so much more than just a kid. – page 97
Just like all the rest of you. I’m scared of what almost happened to me last night. I’m scared just knowing that place exists down there. I’m scared about what happens to me. I just wanted to run away but I didn’t think I could, so I was brave because that’s the way I’m supposed to be. […] And the more exits I see, the more scared I get, all right?” – page 104 (hide spoiler)]
Changes between the reissue and the original under the cut. Format: reissue – page number reissue/original if applicable – original
(view spoiler)[You might be a controller. – page 2 – You might be a controller.
Here’s the thing about elephant trunks: They are so subtle that I can… – page 10/9-10 – Here’s the thing about elephant trunks. They are so subtle that I can…
He calls me Xena, Warrior Princess. – page 13 – He calls me Xena, Warrior Princess.
His body is that of a pale blue and tan deer, or a thin pony. – page 17 – His body is that of a pale blue-and-tan deer, or a thin pony.
See, I’m supposed to be Xena, Warrior Princess. – page 33 – See, I’m supposed to be Xena, Warrior Princess.
He could just not move. […] He could be one of them. – page 36 – He could just not move. […] He could be one of them.
< No more first-period gym class. – page 40 – < No more first-period gym class.
…he tried to eat a stray cigarette butt off the floor.” – page 49/48 – …he tried to eat a cigarette butt out of an ashtray.”
Then, I heard a soft snap. – page 55/54 – Then, I heard a soft snap.
We were stuck to the froglike tongue of the Taxxon, … – page 65/63 – We were stuck to the frog-like tongue of the Taxxon, …
SaladShooters on legs, as Marco said. – page 68/66 – Salad Shooters on legs, as Marco said.
…like Homo sapiens. – page 73/71 – …like Homo sapiens.
– Swer. > – page 85/83 (new version capitalizes extra-large size the first letter of each chapter, and also eliminates any preceding quotation marks/punctuation) – “ – swer.”
Whumpf! – page 88/86 – “Whumpf!”
…for the grizzly is horribilis. – page 91/89 – …for the grizzly species is horribilis.
What a trip down memory lane! I haven’t read this book since Deathly Hallows came out, but listening to it brought it all back, like no time had pa What a trip down memory lane! I haven’t read this book since Deathly Hallows came out, but listening to it brought it all back, like no time had passed. Bonus, I listened to Stephen Fry narrating it, and it is definitely worth it! British accent for British stories, and it’s Stephen Fry for crying out loud. He did a great job, and by golly if I had to pick just one character he pulled off perfectly, it’s Hagrid. Even though he did everyone well! It was nice going back to the start of the Harry Potter world after so long, and clearly I need to get that re-read of the series going sooner rather than too much later. The big question is, do I go back to my original copies, or they French copies I got last year to read for the first time…? Decisions, decisions…...more
I was surprised I actually recognized this narrator – Ramón de Ocampo – given how few audiobooks I’ve listened to, especially compared to how many I was surprised I actually recognized this narrator – Ramón de Ocampo – given how few audiobooks I’ve listened to, especially compared to how many different authors I’ve read in my life. He did a number of the short horror stories Tor gave away free last year in their Come Join Us by the Fire to promote their new horror imprint Nightfire Books. And here he turns his voice talents to the main voice of humor in the Animorphs group: Marco. For my actual book content/plot reviews, check out my paperback review. While to be nit-picky I’d say I rather expected a not-quite-so-low-pitched voice for Marco, I do think de Ocampo did a good job capturing Marco’s voice. He inserted some emotion into his portrayal of this strategic jokester, complementing the layers we get to Marco in this book as he is about ready to bow out of being an Animorph. Maybe this was because I didn’t have the book open as I listened, but I did have a harder time differentiating when Marco was actually speaking vs his internal monologue at many points, as de Ocampo’s narration did not lend itself to this differentiation. As for de Ocampo’s portrayals of the other main characters, I have this to say for each of them: I liked his quite low, gravelly voice for Visser Three – not quite as frightening as Michael Crouch/Tobias’, but still a solid villain voice. His Ax was probably the next lowest above Visser Three, but with a nice solid sound to it, and something in his delivery worked to portray a bit of alien stiffness in English. Next up the vocal ladder would be Jake, who I found to have a good amount of inflection and tone differences as the situation called for, and relayed some of Jake’s role as leader. Next up the ladder is Tobias, who I’d say was about a half-tone lower than Marco, but had a nice softness to it which speaks to Tobias as the soft-hearted guy he is. De Ocampo’s Rachel sounds a bit softer than Marco, a tiny bit higher pitched, though not much. Cassie is the highest pitch of the group, with a little more breathy-ness added for good measure. For the most part, once I got used to their different voices, it was easy enough to keep everyone straight. As for the icing on the cake… Visser One’s voice. When Visser One first appears, the voice de Ocampo uses is beautifully haughty, and pitched just slightly higher than his Marco voice. As in every other Animorphs book, there are some sound effects in this one too, and I just had to share a couple reactions there: when Jake lets loose a tiger roar, my reaction was definitely “…wut?” – it was neither scary nor convincing in the slightest. As for TSEEER, I appreciated that it was actually pitched a bit higher than Crouch’s narration, and it was not whispery which was definitely a good thing – though I’m starting to think TSEEEER will always sound funny no matter what the voice actors/narrators try, just by the nature of trying to imitate such a fierce, loud, high-pitched animal sound without killing the listener’s eardrums or getting too much louder than the reading level....more
This is a walk down horrible attempted-teen-speak-lingo of the late 90s/early 2000s if I’ve ever read one! (not to mention the ever-shifting nickna This is a walk down horrible attempted-teen-speak-lingo of the late 90s/early 2000s if I’ve ever read one! (not to mention the ever-shifting nicknames the characters use for each other) But the story stands the test of time fairly well, if rather trope-y – twin witches, separated at birth to protect them, “happen” to meet and realize that they are more than they thought – their magic is stronger when they are together. There’s a kidnapped music star, a dark and scary evil uncle, a Doc Brown-esque old friendly warlock, a crew of besties going by the nick name “Six Pack,” and an arrogant witch who has eyes just like the twins. There’s a lot to set up here, and while I wish we got more of a feel for the witch/warlock society, it makes sense that we don’t – this book is about Camryn Barnes and Alexandra Fielding finding each other, accepting that they do not come from where they think they came from (and letting go of what they thought they knew about their families/heritage), and learning how they need each other in their lives, how they felt incomplete before they found each other, and what it could mean for them going forward. It’s pretty solidly teenage fluff, and with so many early 2000s references it’d probably be almost indecipherable to modern teens. StarTacs, Nokias, the use of “cellular” and pagers, references to Powerpuff Girls and Touched by an Angel…In the meantime, the buddy re-read of the series will continue once my reading buddy Naomi is ready for the next book, too!
Commentary on select quotes: …goals were to wup Beth, minimum two out of three… -- page 87 – So that’s how you spell that, ‘wup’? EDIT Nope, it’s a typo per its entry on dictionary.com of “whup”
…and if God had wanted us to actually pick up every call, She wouldn’t have invented voice mail. – page 99 – interesting drop of God as “She” and not the more Christian-centric “He” – no embellishment, just dropped there and the story moves on.
…the phone from ’Cinda and hollered… -- page 300 – That’s a new moniker for Lucinda/Luce, and a strange one at that....more
Second review February 25, 2020 (It’s late and I’m tired and just want to get this review written, so that’s (Original review from April 3, 2015 here.)
Second review February 25, 2020 (It’s late and I’m tired and just want to get this review written, so that’s the reason for the brevity.) Where Cassie finds her reason to fight, despite her pacifist nature. I took way too long to read this – other books/book clubs/buddy reads kept getting in the way… -- so when I finally sat back down and finished it today, I felt like it was one gut-punch after another. The seriousness, the moral quandaries, the little one-liners which actually say so much about these characters, the clues of what is to come that even the Animorphs don’t realize is in their future but will ring so very, terribly true and they’ll barely realize that they have changed so much between now and then.
Yes, but can you decide to do nothing? That’s a decision, too.
You could also say this book sets the stage for every future Cassie book – she struggles to be a decision-maker, with all those responsibilities for others, in this book, and she doesn’t like her decisions resulting in others putting themselves in danger or worse, getting hurt. Even when she really believes in the cause. Even when it is the (only) right thing to do. Marco, despite how much he still doesn’t want to do all this dangerous Animorphs stuff, is still always on-board, and occasionally making excuses as to why he’s so, well, gung-ho about it (‘just to beat Rachel to saying it’, for example) – you can tell he’s in this despite himself, he’s found a calling in strategy for this team, these missions, and he realizes he’s good at it. Cassie’s struggle with morphing intelligent life, but then that beautiful communion she has with the humpback whale, that connection. You know, it’s almost like she has some empathic capacity – being in the dolphin morph only explains so much – she has this incredible ability to read and understand people, to anticipate what needs to happen to get things to work out, sometimes (often?) even before they realize what they want, what they need. I wish they would morph dolphins more often – they are such fun minds/bodies to be in!
World-building forgotten facts and random asides: Marco can’t swim (page 73) Only 3 races still fight against the Yeerks (according to Ax, page 119). Page 118-119: < Yeerks are killers of worlds. Murderers of all life. Hated and feared throughout the galaxy. They are a plague that spreads from world to world, leaving nothing but desolation and slavery and misery in their wake. > One year, maybe two until Andalite reinforcements might make it back to Earth (page 119) Visser Three has a morph from an Andalite moon, the mardrut. I had forgotten how many strange alien morphs he has/we got to see from him so early on! There’s a “broccoli-like” tree/plant in the Dome ship, from the Andalite home world – wonder if it’s what the Mercoa brought with them to Earth which became “broccoli” (see Megamorphs #2 for more on this).
Favorite quotes: < I’m going in. > [Rachel said.] < Oh, there’s a big surprise, > Tobias said with weary affection. – page 68 – awww so cute, “weary affection”!
I felt the terrible hatred surge in me again. But I didn’t want to end my life that way. I would not die with hate in my heart. That would be one victory I could deny Visser Three. – page 137/135
[Jake] met my gaze. “We do understand what’s at stake. And we’ll do whatever we have to do to win.” – page 145/143
Changes between the reissue and the original under the cut. Format: reissue – page number reissue/original if applicable – original (view spoiler)[Look left. Look right. Sniff sniff sniff the air. -- page 5 – not italicized in the original
…I finally land I’m in Sesame Street talking to Elmo. I’ve had weird dreams about that woman who lifeguards at the beach… -- page 14 -- …I finally land I’m in Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood talking to King Friday. I’ve had weird dreams about that woman on Baywatch…
[Marco] wears his brown hair long… -- page 17 – Huh, I picture him with black hair all the time, admittedly probably because of his likeness on covers… (not changed from original to reissue)
Jake pulls out a videocassette, Marco calls it a “piece of prehistoric technology”, Jake justifies “Not everybody has DVR” / Marco watching reruns of Sesame Street where “it was a sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away.” And Jake asks to use Rachel’s mom’s old VCR. – page 18 – Jake still pulls out a videocassette, Marco asks if they’re going to watch a movie, Jake says it’s not a movie / Marco watching taped reruns of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood where it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and Jake asks Rachel if they can go downstairs to use her VCR.
“Maybe we could try calling a psychic hotline,” Marco suggested. “Hi, is this Madame Zora?... – page 29 -- “Maybe we could try calling Psychic Friends,” Marco suggested. “Hi, is this Psychic Friends?...
I did some homework on the bus (math, gag, yuck!) and listened to music. -- Page 47 -- I did some homework on the bus (math, gag, yuck!) and listened to my Walkman.
…when did redtails start… -- page 57 -- …when did red-tails start…
It’s called echolocation. – page 66 -- … It’s called echolocation.
We were steaming through the water… -- page 68 – why “steaming” and not the more logical “streaming”? They even kept “steaming” in the re-edition.
And little ones? – page 76 – And little ones?
Is that a Jujube? > -- page 91 – Is that a Jujubee? >
…so cute in spandex,” – page 95 -- …so cute in Spandex,”
Come on, Cassie, I told myself, morph. Do it. This is no place for a person. – page 101 -- Come on, Cassie, I told myself, morph. Do it. This is no place for a person.
< I am Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. > -- page 115 -- < I am Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil. >
Let the Grand Animorphs (re) Read of 2020 begin! And where better to start with than #1 The Invasion, right? Only logical. My review from my 2015 r Let the Grand Animorphs (re) Read of 2020 begin! And where better to start with than #1 The Invasion, right? Only logical. My review from my 2015 re-read is here. Since most of these reviews will end up over my old reviews, these will likely be short. If I’m to remain sane, that is. Time will tell. Animorphs will tell me what to do…At the very least, I will try to offer up THE book quote for the ones I don’t have – in 2015, I pulled usually 1 quote from each book which epitomized it as best as possible, and I’d like to make sure all of the books have at least one of those by the end. This time around, I read the 2011 re-issue, which cleaned up 2 KAFUs that I recalled (Elfangor and Visser Three meeting “again” not for the first time, and thought-speak only being possible in morph, not out of morph). I’m not generally huge on lenticular covers (nostalgia for the win!), especially as mine is missing the lenticular so I just have Jake mid-green anole morph. But I think it’s also quite fitting, as their mid-morphs stages are so often crazy bizarre and sometimes rather horrific if you think about it? And the flip morph in the corners are gone! But the text is so very clean, and the book is nice and sleek – I love that they kept the original font inside, or at least one close enough to the original. It’s practically a hallmark of Animorphs for me – if another book used this font, I’d probably immediately think of Animorphs even if the story is completely unrelated. Anyways, a lot goes down in this book: the future Animorphs Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Marco and Tobias meet Prince Elfangor the Andalite, and with his dying moments he gifts/curses them with the ability to morph and the knowledge that parasitic aliens called the Yeerks are on Earth and infesting humans to take over all of humanity. They witness his horrific death at the … hands … of Visser Three, the only Yeerk with a morph-capable Andalite host body. The kids are traumatized, and must decide if they are willing to take up this mantle, to fight when they can trust no one, when they do not know when help will come. But someone must fight, if there is to be any hope for humanity until the Andalites can come save them from the Yeerks. Marco creates the name “Animorphs” for them, and they test out their first morphs. They also learn of the Yeerk pool to which every Yeerk must return every 3 days to feed, and give themselves their first mission: learn about The Sharing and attempt a rescue mission to the Yeerk pool. Not even two hundred pages, and we have such great character development for each Animorph. Tobias is all ready to take on the task of fighting the Yeerks, Marco is dead-set against it, and the others fall somewhere in between. And for each one, we see the seeds of who they are, of who they will become through all this – what move them, what motivates them, what keeps them going. The little clues are everywhere, and make each Animorphs so distinct from the other. It is so clear that they are very different people with very different histories, and they are each unique. No easy consensuses here. No simple choices. It is all so real - there’s no sugar-coating here, and yet everything is digestible. Not always tasteful, but when is war ever completely tasteful, right? Odds and ends: Let it be known: Marco is from Day 1 the Designated Driver of the Animorphs – the difference between a golf cart and a bumper car is that you are trying not to hit things! (I’m not convinced he every really understood that…) (view spoiler)[I might also have teared up this time around at the very end, when Jake has tears streaming down his face and Tobias watching him with his hawk eyes. (hide spoiler)]
I think this book’s quote will be: That was before. […] I’m going to fight.
But another quote/line I just liked, for old times’ sake:
Being an animal could be a nice way to escape from all your troubles. – page 108
Typo? …to take over the earth. – page 120 – I think ‘earth’ should really be “Earth”...more
This was the first book I ever "read" as a kid.... as in my parents thought I was actually reading it, until they realized that I just had it memorizeThis was the first book I ever "read" as a kid.... as in my parents thought I was actually reading it, until they realized that I just had it memorized, right down to when to turn the pages!...more
Thanks to a windfall of reading time, I essentially read Abhorsen over the course of two sittings! And could have easily done it in one, which is h Thanks to a windfall of reading time, I essentially read Abhorsen over the course of two sittings! And could have easily done it in one, which is how engaging and action-packed this installment is. Abhorsen has enough action packed into it for both itself and Lirael. While I will concede that the characterization and character evolving that Lirael and Sameth go through during Lirael is arguably necessary to understanding who they are come Abhorsen, it was really nice to finally see action, to see them actively pushing, fighting, strategizing, and most of all, embracing the paths they are meant to walk. Reading Lirael here reminded me strongly of Sabriel in her book, stepping up to the challenges and dangers presented, knowing it is up to her decision making and actions to save the day – she’ll have help too, of course, but when it comes down to it, Lirael will make all the difference. Or will she?
Lirael and Sameth both really came into their own in this book, not only into themselves, but also into who they will be: the holders of the mantles of Abhorsen/Remembrancer and Wallmaker, respectfully. We see them both grasping at, understanding, and coming into these roles, with all the difficulties each role presents. But we also see that these difficulties are exactly the right ones – where Death and being Abhorsen-in-Waiting froze Sameth in terror, being the first Wallmaker in millennia does not daunt him and he feels, well, comfortable in following that path – it is a path that suits him, mind and soul. As for Lirael, she no longer seeks Death for herself, but ventures into it willingly to accomplish what needs to be done, to protect the ones she cares about. She hangs on to Life, and to the brightness and bonds that make it up.
I was also happy to see that Nicolas Sayre was back, though not at all happy about the circumstances. Unrelatedly, the prologue tore me apart, and really sets up just how high the stakes and the costs of everything Hedge is masterminding are. The Disreputable Dog is wonderful as always, and Mogget is just full of surprises.
Finishing this has me wanting to jump right into Goldenhand… which I’ll likely start tomorrow! It also has me wanting to read more Old Kingdom stories, like the collections of short stories that Nix has written, to spend much more time getting to know the Old Kingdom and its inhabitants. The world is so rich, and promises so much magic and adventure and interesting characters to discover – it’s simply wonderful!
Typos: …so it would much harder to force back… -- page 263 – should be, “would be much harder”
Favorite quotes: “So I’ll do that, and I’ll do my best, and if my best isn’t good enough, at least I will have done everything that I could, everything that is in me. I don’t have to try to be someone else, someone I could never be.” – page 59
“Why didn’t you tell me this before!” “Because you were not strong enough in yourself,” explained the Dog. “You did not know who you are. Now you do, and you are ready to know fully what we face.” – page 165
“What will I tell her parents if… if she doesn’t…” “I don’t know […] I have never known what to tell anybody. Except that it is better to do something than nothing, even if the cost is great.” – page 209
(view spoiler)[But [Sameth] could feel the Charter strongly, almost as clear and present as it was in the Old Kingdom, though it was somehow inside him as much as it was outside. – page 288 – I wonder… does this mean that Wallmakers are kind of like Charter Stones, with the Charter running inside them, accessible at all times? (hide spoiler)]
But she had to do what must be done, regardless of the risk. – page 310 ...more
Buddy read continues with Naomi, though I got rather ahead of her, as she’s not projected to finish this for a couple more days (come on girl, read Buddy read continues with Naomi, though I got rather ahead of her, as she’s not projected to finish this for a couple more days (come on girl, read it at home too, don’t make me wait!! :p ).
If I couldn’t put down The Opal Deception, I really couldn’t put down The Lost Colony. Which is only tangentially related to the fact that I had about 5 hours worth of bus rides and a two hour flight to fly through most of the book over two days. Learning that there is an 8th group of the People, demons, including a subset of demon warlocks who were essentially wiped out when they transported the demon island to Limbo to protect them from humans after the huge war that drove the People underground in the first place, was absolutely thrilling! (Inhales after that long sentence.) Their culture took a much different course of evolution than the rest of the People, as they were out of time, and it mostly stands on its own (I had a few doubts about the efficacy of their civilization, but we can let that slide). Plus, now Holly and Mulch are on their own, running their own P.I. office, with mixed results. I mean, after saving the world repeatedly with huge human-People adventures both above- and below-ground, going to a quiet life of bounty hunting petty criminals is definitely less than thrilling.
Good thing things never stay quiet for long for Holly and Artemis (especially Artemis – he just can’t leave well enough alone, can he?). Soon enough Holly and Artemis’ worlds meet again, and this time there is someone else who has learned of the existence of the People, and more specifically the demon world… no less than a twelve-year-old genius herself, a French girl named Minerva! Has Artemis met his intellectual match? Will she be the one to finally outwit him? Or will Artemis and Holly pull through to save the day? What will be the consequences and cost of this new, inter-dimensional adventure?
By now, this series has completely wrapped me up in its magic, and I am so thoroughly enjoying myself – plus, it just keeps getting better and better! First Artemis’ family is reunited, then Artemis starts realizing that a life of crime is not quite as fulfilling as a life of doing good and enjoying family time over criminal pursuits, then we learn about the existence of demons and demon warlocks…One thing after another, the world gets richer, the characters get more complex (and not just because of puberty ;) ), the game keeps changing, and I’m wondering where all this is going to go, and just what the ramifications of Artemis’ little sneak-thievery will be…
Namely, (view spoiler)[that Artemis took a little magic into himself during the ride through that tunnel to Limbo, realized that magic used to be a part of the human mind/skills as well, and managed to keep it. Will his magic be self-generating like the demon’s magic seems to be? Will any of the rules in the Book become applicable to him? Honestly that has me more intrigued than the fact that now Minerva is one year older than him and she waited for him for three years to come back, and that it is inevitable that they will become boyfriend/girlfriend. Even though I am excited that he’s finally found someone to challenge him, and with whom he can make and laugh at intellectual jokes. I’m also glad someone (Minerva) other than the reader figured out Artemis’ pseudonym scheme when he writes up papers – I thought his little plays on words were rather clever too, and enjoy seeing all the different ones he comes up with. But really, magic. At Artemis Fowl’s disposal. This is going to be brilliant! Even if Holly thinks it would be too much for the world to handle, Artemis Fowl, reformed criminal mastermind, with access to his own magic… what plans will he come up with next with his new abilities? (hide spoiler)]
Quotes/commentary: “Times are changing, demon,” [Minerva] snapped. “Children are a lot smarter than they used to be. We’re writing books, mastering computers, tearing apart scientific myths. Did you know that most scientists won’t even acknowledge the existence of magic? Once you add magic into the energy equation, nearly all the current laws of physics are shown o [sic] be seriously flawed.” […] “I am exactly the right age for this project,” added Minerva. “I am young enough to believe in magic, and old enough to understand how it works.”– Chapter 8 page 21/62
Typos:
A huge, muscular man: forties, Hugo Boss suit… -- Chapter 1 page 2/23 – But…Butler aged 15 years, so he should look like he’s in his mid-fifties now… Unless, of course, the fairy hair color and such is still working? Yeah, that would explain it.
…blaster, which had been on her hip, until recently. – Chapter 2 page 14/55 – that second comma isn’t really necessary.
…in a electric toy car… -- Chapter 7 page 13/41 – “a” should be “an”
…said Mulch, glad he still had the tiny spark of magic necessary to speak French. – Chapter 7 page 13/41 – But Mulch gave up his magic, so I thought even talking in tongues would be impossible for him…?
Mud grass and insects were… -- Chapter 7 page 34/41 – should be “Mud, grass and insects” at the very least, though I’m rather partial to the Oxford comma, which would give “Mud, grass, and insects”
…just like the one described in three of Lady Heatherington Smythe’s Hedgerow… -- Chapter 8 page 1/62 – Not at all sure what the “three of” is doing there, as it makes no sense to me.
“From the acred book…” – Chapter 8 page 9/62 – “acred” should be “sacred”
“How do you think we knew where to find you.” – Chapter 8 page 13/62 – I think that sentence should end with a question mark, not a period.
…laws of physics are shown o be seriously flawed.” – Chapter 8 page 21/62 – “o” should be “to”
“Comprenezvous, Monsieur Kong?” – Chapter 10 page 16/26 – should be “Comprenez-vous”
…and his and of thugs, and… -- Chapter 11 page 7/29 – second “and” should be “band”
…but Abbot looked nothing like his.” – Chapter 12 page 11/43 – “his” should be “this”
“So, back in Hybras. I just kind of held… -- Chapter 12 page 11/43 – I think this should be one sentence, not two; change that period to a comma.
It was hat stupid demon N’zall. -- Chapter 12 page 15/43 – “hat” should be “that”
…years of working with Artemis and, indeed Holly, he had unconsciously adopted… -- Chapter 12 page 22/43 – strange comma usage here. Suggestion: Artmis and, indeed, Holly too, he had... or Artemis and also Holly…
Artemis tried, closed his eyes and concentrated. – Chapter 16 page 4/31 – This is a strange sentence construction. Suggestion: Artemis tried, closing his eyes and concentrating. Or: Artemis tried. He closed his eyes and concentrated.
…He’s calls me every day. – Chapter 16 page 18/31 – Should be “He calls”...more
If book 3 had me thinking stakes were upped and things were getting serious even a little, this is where everyth Buddy read continues with Naomi!
If book 3 had me thinking stakes were upped and things were getting serious even a little, this is where everything really starts coming together. Consequences are real, Artemis is working with far less information than he used to have, and Opal is a crazy-brilliant-mad villainess with a penchant for twisting others and enjoying their suffering. (Sorry, did that get a little dark there? Well, that’s how it was.) If the first three books were rather light with small doses of seriousness shadowing everything, things hit the fan here and mortal prices are paid. This is getting serious, y’all, no fooling.
I could not read this fast enough, to see how things were going to work out, if Artemis would remember what he needed to remember, how Holly would manage with the LEPrecon chasing her instead of supporting her (not that anyone other than Foaly and Commander Root was actually helpful to her…), and to just what levels of brilliant insanity Opal would fall down to. Lesson: never underestimate a brilliant and mad pixie. Things will not go well if you do.
Plus, I loved just how much deeper the characterization of everyone got in this – Artemis, Holly, Butler, and yes, even Opal. The stakes were ramped up, the costs were high, but the return was also quite high, too. The only reason I didn’t jump right into The Lost Colony after this great installment was that I was busy meeting up with friends and exploring Prague and the Czech Republic while I had the opportunity.
Commentary on quotes: Butler paid a Polish businessman two thousand euro for his first-class ticket [on Aer Lingus]… -- Chapter 6 page 19/37 – I’m not sure what name change rules were in 2002/2003, if a complete name/person change was possible, but I can be reasonably sure that paying the businessman alone would not work. Butler would have had to pay him off and pay the airline for the name change and ticket transfer. Yes, I keep track of when authors (seem to) mess up information about airline travel; it’s my prerogative as a former travel agent :)
“Okay. But if we don’t make it, I’m sorry you don’t remember. It’s good to be with a friend at a time like this.” Artemis squeezed her shoulder. “If we make it through this, we will be friends. Bonded by trauma.” – Chapter 7 page 59/86 – That last bit, “Bonded by trauma” had me think immediately of the close bonds woven between the Animorphs with all the trauma they go through together over the course of the series…
Artemis smiled to himself. It seemed as though good was a more powerful motivation than bad. Who would have thought it? – Chapter 9 page 13/25
Typos: Hidden beneath a tray of vacuum nozzles, was a color monitor… -- Chapter 1 page 16/34 – (Unnecessary) pausing comma alert!
“If you don’t have the stomach for it, centaur. I’ll do it myself.” – Chapter 5 page 11/35 – Should be one whole sentence, not two.
…the range of the Artemis’s microphone. – Chapter 6 page 21/37 – remove the second “the” there.
Chix hovered even higher for a long moment, his wings whipping the air into currents. – Chapter 7 page 39/86 – If memory serves, I thought Chix wasn’t going to be able to fly again after the wounds he sustained…?
Or is just the usual moaning? – Chapter 10 page 32/89 – should be, “Or is it just the usual moaning?”...more
Though, I guess I can’t really call it a lark, seeing as what happens to Butler in the very beg Another fun lark with Naomi for this buddy read!
Though, I guess I can’t really call it a lark, seeing as what happens to Butler in the very beginning… which, oddly enough, the results of that event were what I remembered most about the series, and pretty much the only clear detail I remembered from when I first read in it what, 15 years ago? Each book, each new criminal plan has consequences hitting closer and closer to home for Artemis, and this one is arguably the one that hits the closest to home and will have the most effective repercussions on Artemis’ way of life. (Or will it? We are talking about Artemis Fowl the Second, after all!)
Despite some of the gravity of the situations Artemis & Co. find themselves in, for the most part, I felt more like I was on a fun romp with this book too. The crazy plans, the impossible odds, Artemis’ I-know-your-plan-and-I’ve-planned-for-it-even-though-you-think-I-can’t-figure-it-out attitude, everything is on point in this book. The humor, the plotting, the interactions between characters, and the addition of character background details, and of course the whole crazy plan to get back the C Cube, it is all a lot of fun. It’s just the event with Butler at the very beginning and then the People’s decision about Artemis at the end which mark some very serious notes, and will have some pretty big ramifications for all involved from here on out. But knowing Artemis, he’s got it all figured out anways – after all, there are more books to come!
Favorite quote: “And one more thing. About my name. Artemis. You were right in London, it is generally a female name. After the Greek goddess of archery. But every now and then a male comes along with such a talent for hunting that he earns the right to use the name. I am that male. Artemis the hunter. I hunted you.” – Chapter 10 page 54/67 – LOVE this icing on the cake!
Typos: Spiro had learned early in his career, that businesses allied to the… -- Chapter 5 page 6/26 – remove comma (it’s not even the “pausing comma” I’ve run into before, by a Scottish author. Are weird comma usages like this just something the Irish or Brits in general enjoy employing or something, or is this a real typo??)
…explohduh. dunno wha. – Chapter 8 page 11/49 – “dunno” should be capitalized: “Dunno”
You sound like ome cartoon character. – Chapter 8 page 18/49 – “ome” should be “some”
And second, Holly who was lying shielded in an overhead locker, would have… -- Chapter 8 page 30/49 – there should really be a comma after “Holly”
…pulling onto the motorway. – Chapter 9 page 8/66 – Okay, not really a typo, but a difference between British English and American English. The former uses motorway, the latter uses highway.
“Spiro spends millions n a security… -- Chapter 9 page 46/66 – “n” should be “on”
… in spite of he helmet’s… -- Chapter 9 page 65/66 – “he” should be “her” or “the”
“We have very Phonetix project… -- Chapter 10 page 45/67 – “very” should be “every”
…version of the Phonetix hone before… -- Chapter 10 page 45/67 – “hone” should be “phone”
“After that you’re n your own.” – Chapter 11 page 10/16 – “n” should be “on”
“Good. Remember, if the People ever do need help. I’m available.” – Chapter 12 page 24/29 – The second period could be better as a comma, though it’s not exactly wrong as it is.
These same typos were in both the original hardcover and my ebook copy, at least (page numbers correspond to the hardcover) :
P. 81 "I was eleven. after all" – should be: “I was eleven, after all.” P. 155 "now it is more philosophical that financial" – should be “than” not “that” P.194 "he had taking an unwitting bite of" – “taking” should be “taken”...more
I’m doing a buddy read of this series with my friend Naomi, so prepare for a flood of reviews of it while I catch up writing them today :)
While I’m doing a buddy read of this series with my friend Naomi, so prepare for a flood of reviews of it while I catch up writing them today :)
While book 1 did a lot of setting up, by The Arctic Incident we’re familiar with the world and especially how Artemis, Butler, Holly, Mulch, Foaly, and Root operate. Some of what makes this fun is just how much more involved Artemis gets with the People, and how they even are starting to warm up to him despite themselves. It is once again pretty non-stop action, with some rather dangerous moments coupled with some brilliant plans (but then, what other sort of plans do you expect out of Artemis?) What I really liked is just how much more solidified the characters felt in this book, and how their interactions together are evolving, how they’re coming to understand each other. One thing that had me a little less than thrilled, shall we say, is that while I was reading the passages I got the urgency of the situation in Haven over saving Artemis’ dad, but by the time we got back to the Arctic, I was asking myself why exactly they had to go all the way back to Haven to fix things there before going back to save Artemis’ dad – they had already been nearly in place in the Arctic, after all, and with no small amount of difficulties. But all in all, I rather enjoyed the book, and hopped right into book #3 once I finished.
Typos:
In fact, her father, Ferall Koboi’s, dream daughter would… -- Chapter 5 page 3/10 -- superfluous commas, remove the second and third ones.
Description of Butler’s appearance in Paris -- Chapter 6 pages 17 & 22 out of 33 – For him to head towards the Saint Germaine area, and have the bridge support be 200 meters from Notre Dame Cathedral, that places him under Pont Saint Michel. For Notre Dame to be behind him, the Eiffel Tower would be a little to his left, but mostly ahead of him. But, I don’t think he can see the Eiffel Tower from ground level there; too many buildings in the way. Yeah no, just checked with Google StreetView to confirm my memories of when I was there, and there’s five-story buildings in the way which would block all view of the Eiffel Tower. But there is a café on Rue Bonaparte (Le Bonaparte), which is across the street from the Église de Saint Germain des Près. But the terrace area faces the buildings which face the church, and there are trees there, so I’m not sure just how good of visibility that is for seeing the balconies…
Butler wasn’t unduly concerned, nevertheless he slid a … -- Chapter 6 page 25/33 – Comma isn’t the right punctuation here. It should be a period, ideally, or maybe a semicolon would be acceptable too.
“Excusez moi,” said…. Chapter 6 page 25/33 – missing a dash, should be “Excusez-moi”
Cudgeon met with General Scalene, in a secret chamber… -- Chapter 7 page 14/18 – I think it would be better to remove that comma.
The manservant smile. – Chapter 9 page 13/30 – should be “smiled”
…said Foaly, activating a switch, that sent an infrared signal… -- Chapter 9 page 17/30 – Remove the second comma
At least they had communications, the shuttle had its own local intercom. – Chapter 11 page 15/42 – The comma should be a semicolon, or maybe even a colon could do the trick (I’m not always 100% on the rules between the two…)
Mikhael could barely breath. – Chapter 14 page 13/22 – “breath” should be “breathe” ...more
What a lovely collection of samples and snippets and sometimes full poems/short stories by Roald Dahl. It is nicely divided into four themes: Anima What a lovely collection of samples and snippets and sometimes full poems/short stories by Roald Dahl. It is nicely divided into four themes: Animals; Magic; Family, Friends and Foes; and Matters of Importance. Through these areas, we get a good glimpse at the diversity of Dahl’s writings, all of which are accompanied by lovely illustrations by Quentin Blake for the most part, but also by Raymond Briggs, Babette Cole, Posy Simmonds and Ralph Steadman.
Having previously read The BFG and maybe a couple other of Dahl’s works (it has been a long time, okay?), I felt myself thrown right into the whirlpool of craziness that is Dahl’s written universe, and with the illustrations that to me at least were so emblematic and in line with his writing. Normally I don’t pay as much heed to illustrations as I should, but there is really an atmosphere with the illustrations of Dahl’s work, and it is simply fabulous.
To go back to Dahl’s writings in general, I found myself continually impressed by his creativity – with words, with language, with style, with tone. Just the names of different candies and bizarre beasts and creatures alone was entertaining! There is nothing quite like the names he has come up with, even if we don’t know what something looks like or how something tastes, the word(s) itself (themselves) portray the feel of the appearance, the flavor, the essence of it.
Reading this gave me the desire to go back and read more of his children’s work, but even more than that, his more auto-biographical works such as Boy and especially My Year. His life seems absolutely fascinating, and the excerpts we have in this Treasury are just teasers of the breadth of his skill at his craft.
I only wish there had been a little more editorial narration/inserts, like the first couple of pieces by his editor and daughter, to better frame the sections of the book – like mini-introductions to each section. Seeing Dahl through is work is marvelous, but there is also something very precious in seeing him through the eyes of those who worked and lived closest to him for very long periods of time.
Favorite quotes: No book ever ends When it’s full of your friends -- page 91, from “The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me”
But sometimes mysteries are more intriguing than explanations[.] – page 196, from “The Minpins”
And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. – page 197, from “The Minpins”
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like so long as somebody loves you.” – page 238, from The Witches, “The Heart of a Mouse”
[Referring to how he’s made the original Grimm version of Hansel and Gretel less gorey:] It might have been okay, who knows, If there’d been humour in the prose. Did I say humour? Wilhelm Grimm? There’s not a scrap of it in him.) – page 359, from Rhyme Stew, “Hansel and Gretel”
When you grow up and have children of your own do please remember something important
a stodgy parent is no fun at all
What a child wants and deserves is a parent who is
SPARKY
-- page 375, from Boy
I had learnt even at that tender age that there are no secrets unless you keep them to yourself, and this was the greatest secret I had ever had to keep in my life so far. – page 388, from My Year
Typo: “ The point is this. – page 221 – remove extra space after quote/before start of sentence. “Well thrown,sir!” – page 318 – missing spaces around the comma...more
“[…] And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are. All we can say is that this is a good deed, beca“[…] And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are. All we can say is that this is a good deed, because it helps someone, or that’s an evil one, because it hurts them. People are too complicated to have simple labels.” – [Mary said] page 398
Just as this book is too complicated to have a simple analysis. There are questions of good and evil, of awareness and innocence, of destiny and fate, of choice and lack thereof, of love and hate, of truth and lies, of joy and sadness, of grace and knowledge, and so much more. It is really a rich world, a rich read, and a deep exploration of what it means to be human, to be aware of oneself, the value in relating stories (true or not), and always questioning who you are, what you are doing, and why things are the way they are. The story challenges you to be consciously aware of yourself, of the things you believe and why, and to question everything around you so that you can truly gain wisdom from what you learn from within and without.
What’s more, is it does not shy away from showing diversity and diverse (sometimes even divergent) ideas – rather, Pullman makes a point of having antagonistic characters show why they think what they do, how they came to think that way, and how they can still change and grow with the reveal of new information. We can see in Father Gomez the extreme of unquestioning and blind belief/faith, in both Mary Malone and Lord Asriel a search for wisdom and an openness to embrace it, and between them, Mrs. Coulter, who travels along the path between the two extremes. Those are just the adult examples of the journey that Will and Lyra take, from the innocence and lack of self-awareness of childhood to a hard and painfully-earned wisdom of life and love, self-awareness, and the decision that they want to make their own choices for their lives instead of being beholden to the designs of someone or something else. And that with the ability to make their own choices, that they will have to make some very hard ones, ones that will demand more of them than they have already given, sacrifices that will rip them apart from the inside out.
In my reading experience of this, I was intensely attuned to the ever-shifting world views of consciousness and innocence, of the power of the Authority and the Church and the power of self-attained wisdom, the comparing and contrasting of the world of the Church and the world free of the Church. This is an epic fantasy in that regard – the fantastic rests not on fantastic events (though of which there are many!) or outright “magic”, but on fantastic structures and more subtle ebbs and flows which create the essence of a world, of a society, of a life. It is a huge structure, populated with characters ranging from average to special, each with a role to play in discovering as many of the hidden nooks and crannies which allow the structure to stand and support every new addition to it.
For me, this was no light read – the base world building was done in The Golden Compass, the non-stop action was in The Subtle Knife, and the deep thought/reflections and truly meaningful events – as well as all the endgames -- are in The Amber Spyglass. This is the chess game being played between one experienced player and one novice, yet the outcome is anything but what is expected in such a match. The novice offers up many more surprises than the expert can anticipate or even counter, all the while learning at a frightening pace – and without ever realizing it – how to achieve victory, and only when the final checkmate has been placed, will the novice understand just what they have accomplished through it all, for better or for worse.
Favorite quotes and selected commentary:
[Balthamos of Baruch:] “Of course I read his mind. Wherever he goes, my heart goes with him; we feel as one, though we are two.” – page 20 – Taking a cue (again) from Animorphs, with Gafinilan and Mertil in The Other (Animorphs #40), about the angels’ relationship, which is confirmed not many pages later.
Page 87: the priest uses past tense for his father, but present for Will’s. Automatic assumption that Will’s father is alive because of Will’s youth?
Their kind would have regarded the comparison as a mortal insult, but they were able to conceal themselves at least as well as rats. – page 106 – Nice acknowledgement of the Gallivespian’s differing culture from our own.
So they had language, and they had fire, and they had society. And about then [Mary Malone] found an adjustment being made in her mind, as the word creature became the word people. These beings weren’t human, but they were people, she told herself; it’s not them, they’re us. – page 109 – Yet, this is still a hard concept for us to grasp, even today, among the many different humans of the our world.
At first she felt that [having two hands with which to tie knots and more] gave her an advantage — she needed no one else — and then she realized how it cut her off from others. Perhaps all human beings were like that. And from that time on, she used one hand to knot the fibers, sharing the task with a female zalif who had become her particular friend, fingers and trunk moving in and out together. – page 114
There was a dream that had occupied [Lyra] for a long time, and now it had returned, and little whimpers of pity and rage and Lyratic resolution shook her […] – page 133 “Lyratic” an actual word, or referring back to Lyra?? (Unless, it’s taking advantage of the fact that Lyratic is an anagram of clarity, and refers back to both “clarity” and “Lyra”?
(view spoiler)[ “[…] Maybe sometimes we don’t do the right thing because the wrong thing looks more dangerous, and we don’t want to look scared, so we go and do the wrong thing just because it’s dangerous. We’re more concerned with not looking scared than judging right. It’s very hard.” – (Will explained) page 172
As [Mary Malone] lay in the fork of the great branches, she felt a kind of bliss she had only felt once before, and that was not when she made her vows as a nun. – page 244 – Given the “not” part, I wonder what the bliss event was… I am inclined to think it could relate to the ‘complete opposite’ of being a nun (orgasm?) EDIT: after finishing, I’m inclined to think that it is instead her moment at the science conference with marzipan reminding her of the marzipan moment of her childhood, only now there was Alfredo Montale on the other side of the marzipan.
[…] and [Lyra] felt a wish in her heart to have a child of her own, to lull and soothe and sing to, one day, in a voice like that. – page 248 – Good way to drop the little clues that Lyra is indeed “changing” – growing up.
[…] the only creature they saw was a toad as big as Will’s foot, which could only flop in a pain-filled sideways heave as if it were horribly injured. It lay across the path, trying to move out of the way and looking at them as if it knew they meant to hurt it. “It would be merciful to kill it,” said Tialys. “How do you know?” said Lyra. “It might still like being alive, in spite of everything.” “If we killed it, we’d be taking it with us,” said Will. “It wants to stay here. I’ve killed enough living things. Even a filthy stagnant pool might be better than being dead.” “But if it’s in pain?” said Tialys. “If it could tell us, we’d know. But since it can’t, I’m not going to kill it. That would be considering our feelings rather than the toad’s.” – page 248-249 – Way to just bombshell-drop a commentary on euthanasia, Pullman!
[A young woman who had died as a martyr centuries before came forward.] She looked around and said to the other ghosts: “When we were alive, they told us that when we died we’d go to Heaven. And they said that Heaven was a place of joy and glory and we would spend eternity in the company of saints and angels praising the Almighty, in a state of bliss. That’s what they said. And that’s what led some of us to give our lives, and others to spend years in solitary prayer, while all the joy of life was going to waste around us and we never knew. “Because the land of the dead isn’t a place of reward or a place of punishment. It’s a place of nothing. The good come here as well as the wicked, and all of us languish in this gloom forever, with no hope of freedom, or joy, or sleep, or rest, or peace. “But now this child has come offering us a way out and I’m [287] going to follow her. Even if it means oblivion, friends, I’ll welcome it, because it won’t be nothing. We’ll be alive again in a thousand blades of grass, and a million leaves; we’ll be falling in the raindrops and blowing in the fresh breeze; we’ll be glittering in the dew under the stars and the moon out there in the physical world, which is our true home and always was. “So I urge you: come with the child out to the sky!” – page 286-287
“[…] though how a woman of your intelligence hoped to remain hidden is a mystery to me.” – page 292 – This can be taken two ways: one, that Father MacPhail thinks she is not smart enough to have managed to hide away sufficiently by the very fact that she is a woman despite all her accomplishments thus far, or two, that she is very smart and it was silly of her to think, knowing all she does about the Church and its methods, that she could actually keep ahead of them long enough to keep Lyra out of danger until the danger was passed.
Page 348: Why can the ghosts still see Specters, if the ghosts have nothing that the Specters want?
Page 351: I think I remember Will making it his mission after all this to close all the open windows between worlds. Maybe Lyra will join him?
Will said to his father’s ghost, “You said I was a warrior. You told me that was my nature, and I shouldn’t argue with it. Father, you were wrong. I fought because I had to. I can’t choose my nature, but I can choose what I do. And I will choose, because now I’m free.” – page 373
Moved by compassion for the state they were in, Mary first meant to embrace [Will] as well as Lyra. But Mary was grown up, and Will was nearly grown, and she could see that that kind of response would have made a child of him, because while she might have embraced a child, she would never have done that to a man she didn’t know; so she drew back mentally, wanting above all to honor this friend of Lyra’s and not cause him to lose face. – page 381
The wonder was in her [Mary], and the skepticism was in the world, and the coolness was in both. – page 385
page 446: I find it interesting that Pantalaimon's form is named - a pine marten - but Kirjava is only ever described, not named: sounds to me like she is a black panther. (hide spoiler)]
Typo: A soon as they came… -- page 244 – should be As soon as…...more
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