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Gift of the Unmage (Worldweavers #1)
by
Alma Alexander (Goodreads Author)
Who knew you'd be a true weaver?
Great things have been expected of Thea, the seventh child of two seventh children. Now, with Cheveyo, a mage, Thea has begun to weave herself a new magical identity, infused with elements of the original worlds. But back home, Thea keeps her abilities hidden and attends the Wandless Academy, the one school on Earth for those who have no app...more
Great things have been expected of Thea, the seventh child of two seventh children. Now, with Cheveyo, a mage, Thea has begun to weave herself a new magical identity, infused with elements of the original worlds. But back home, Thea keeps her abilities hidden and attends the Wandless Academy, the one school on Earth for those who have no app...more
ebook, 416 pages
Published
October 6th 2009
by HarperCollins Publishers
(first published March 11th 2008)
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Community Reviews
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was pleasantly surprised. I've really heard nothing about this series, but Alma Alexander is one of my LJ friends, so I was curious, and picked this up at the library. Thea is a "double seventh" - the seventh child of two seventh children, and great things were expected of her. To her parents' and her own great disappointment, however, she has, or seems to have no magical skills at all. So her parents decide to send her away to a special school for the magically challenged.
So far, so familiar...more
So far, so familiar...more
The seventh kid of two seventh kids, the main character whose name I've already forgotten is supposed to have a ton of magic. But she doesn't. So her father sends her away to study with an Anasazi spiritual guide or something and she finds herself and talks with a Spider Goddess who isn't Anansi, because the trickster in the story is a wolf.
But eventually she goes off to a school for people with no magical ability (which is a real rarity in the world, as there only seems to be one school in the...more
But eventually she goes off to a school for people with no magical ability (which is a real rarity in the world, as there only seems to be one school in the...more
Mar 01, 2009
Firekeeper
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
original-innovative-creative
I met Alma Alexander at last year's Portland Kidlit gathering at Powell's. I'd seen the books around, but meeting her prompted me to actually read it. I happened to find this at the library the other day, so I got it. For such a hefty-looking book, it was a pretty quick read--in part because it was so interesting.
It took me a while to figure out whether this story took place on Earth or in some made-up world. It is indeed set on Earth, but magic is commonplace, and other worlds do exist. They'r...more
It took me a while to figure out whether this story took place on Earth or in some made-up world. It is indeed set on Earth, but magic is commonplace, and other worlds do exist. They'r...more
The narration was a bit of overkill, but the plot line was fantastic. I was hooked enough to continue reading the next in the series, Spellspam, which was also great. I never thought of Alma Alexander much before being caught up in other series and authors, but now I'm very excited to read more of her things. The vast amounts of narration was good for me; I need to work on narration as an author myself, and she has her own style which I like very much. Even so, I did get tired of the constant de...more
World Weavers (Gift of the Unmage) is a typical angsty teen novel, but with a very unique magic system. Where magic is commonplace and the world is flushed with it, Thea is unable to use any. She is forced to find her magic by going to the past and meeting the old ones. She then is able to, with a little help from her friends and word processing programs, create new worlds.
The prose while not the greatest ever written is very engaging and kept my interest through the end. It is good enough so...more
The prose while not the greatest ever written is very engaging and kept my interest through the end. It is good enough so...more
Alma Alexander does an excellent job of showing the angst, self-doubt, hurt, and the defiant self defense mechanisms that somebody in Thea's position might struggle with. You understand her anger mixed with sadness, her fear of that look of disappointment in her father's eyes as she fails in magic school, the one he tries to hide. You sympathize with her jealousy of her six older and magically talented brothers (well, there is Frankie but atleast he has some magic, even if he never quite gets th...more
Some nice imagery, and an interesting premise, but also a vague and disjointed story. I wasn't sure whether Thea's world was supposed to be a future version of our world, or an alternate version. It sounded like the Alphiri came from another world (as in another dimension-sort-of-thing), but some passages made it seem like they just came from another planet. These science fiction elements are intriguingly blended with fantasy, but the details could have used some more work.
Thea's father was said...more
Thea's father was said...more
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Jun 13, 2008
Thomas
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Young adult and up
I met Alma at WisCon and appreciated her views of young adult fantasy, so I picked up this book.
First, it is what I would call lore, as much as fantasy. Two settings were used in the story: the desert southwest and the Pacific Northwest.
The story centers on a young girl, born to a family of mages, as the seventh child of two seventh children, one that, in the world of magic, has special meaning. But young Thea can't perform any magic. As a last gasp attempt to awaken her powers, her father sends...more
First, it is what I would call lore, as much as fantasy. Two settings were used in the story: the desert southwest and the Pacific Northwest.
The story centers on a young girl, born to a family of mages, as the seventh child of two seventh children, one that, in the world of magic, has special meaning. But young Thea can't perform any magic. As a last gasp attempt to awaken her powers, her father sends...more
Nov 04, 2012
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
trt-posted-reviews
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
Thea is a double seventh--a seventh child of two seventh children--and so, as soon as she is born, great things are expected of her. Everyone waits anxiously for her sure-to-be powerful magic to reveal itself.
And waits. And waits.
She disappoints everyone with her lack of the magic almost everyone in her world has, even those who can't show it, like her parents. However, in a last-ditch attempt to find Thea's power, her father sends her to another...more
Thea is a double seventh--a seventh child of two seventh children--and so, as soon as she is born, great things are expected of her. Everyone waits anxiously for her sure-to-be powerful magic to reveal itself.
And waits. And waits.
She disappoints everyone with her lack of the magic almost everyone in her world has, even those who can't show it, like her parents. However, in a last-ditch attempt to find Thea's power, her father sends her to another...more
Feb 03, 2008
April Helms
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children, young adult
One of the fliers I saw for this book stated "Look Out, Harry Potter. The Yanks Are Coming." But while this book was good (excellent, even) it actually reminded me more of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Series, with more of a Native American twist instead of Welsh lore. Thea, the seventh child of two seventh-child parents, was expected to be a mage with tremendous power with such a promising background. To her family's disappointment, it seems she has no magical ability whatsoever. Thea's fat...more
The two halves of this book are harshly incongruous. Alexander draws a beautiful picture of Native American theology into the beginning of the book, then thrusts the reader into a (poorly imitated) Rowling-esque world.
The story is enjoyable, but requires the above-mentioned mental shift mid-book. If the book had continued in its "Grandmother Spider" vein, it would've kept my initial 3.5 star rating.
The story is enjoyable, but requires the above-mentioned mental shift mid-book. If the book had continued in its "Grandmother Spider" vein, it would've kept my initial 3.5 star rating.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book started out very Harry Potter-esque. Then the majority of the book was spend on whimsical soul-seeking journeys and pipe dreams. Suddenly, at the end of the book, the author introduces and antagonist and grants Thea a stupid power that saves everyone but no one knows it, (and frankly, it's hard for the reader to believe she did anything great either).
Okay book, lame in the end.
Okay book, lame in the end.
Thea is a Double Seventh, the seventh child of two parents who were themselves seventh children, and the hope of her abilities has haunted Thea all her life. The irony is that she is incapable of doing any magic. Before she is sent away to a special non-magical school, her father sends her into the desert to meet with a shaman. It is journey with the shaman and later with Grandmother Spider, that Thea's learns she does have the power to do magic, but she chooses not too.
I enjoyed this because i...more
I enjoyed this because i...more
I loved this book. Such a fun mix of ancient lore with a close to modern times. It had a truly intersting take on magic and life. I enjoyed the take on religoin that was in there. Not pushed yet not ignored. The role the comperters played was so right. Not going to say more. But it was just a good book. I must get more worldweaver books.
I'm surprised that I had never heard of this book before. It was a surprisingly good first volume of fantasy for young readers that successfully used American Indian mythology in a way that captured the essence of the stories without blatantly co-opting them or being offensive.
Double Seventh, the seventh child of two parents who were also seventh children.
Amazing magical ability. As the world watches, Galathea Georgiana Winthrop fails every assignment, every exam, and every teacher that tries to find out her magical gifts. As a last resort her father sends Thea back in time to a Anasazi elder who doesn't exactly teach but simply walks...
When Thea returns with still no signs of her magic, she is sent to the Wandless Academy, a school for the magically inept.
There in a...more
Amazing magical ability. As the world watches, Galathea Georgiana Winthrop fails every assignment, every exam, and every teacher that tries to find out her magical gifts. As a last resort her father sends Thea back in time to a Anasazi elder who doesn't exactly teach but simply walks...
When Thea returns with still no signs of her magic, she is sent to the Wandless Academy, a school for the magically inept.
There in a...more
It took me a while to read the book, I wasn't into the story and to be honest I kind of got lost with the jumping between worlds and the explanation on how it was possible in the book. I'm still undecided whether to finish the series or not.
Thea is the seventh child of Paul and Ysobel Winthrop, both of whom were seventh children. In the world of magic and fantasy, the “double seventh child” is endowed with special gifts and powers. Try as she might, Thea couldn't perform magic tricks. She faces many challenges: she wants to please her parents, fulfill the expectations of her special place in the family, and enjoy her friends.
Although the book is first and foremost a fantasy novel, it is also a superb “coming of age” story whose ma...more
Although the book is first and foremost a fantasy novel, it is also a superb “coming of age” story whose ma...more
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10275089
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10275089
Dec 31, 2009
Sheralyn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorite,
clean-teen
Very impressive writing. I found a couple of things that could have been introduced better, but a very good mix of magic, Indian lore and the new age of computers. I really enjoyed the read.
Thea is a Double Seventh--the seventh child born to two seventh children--and great magical things are expected of her. As she grows, however, she is unable to do the most simple and mundane magic. Sent away to a time past, Thea learns about her true magical abilities, and of a threatening danger to her world.
This was pretty good, but definitely a confusing book. I couldn't really follow along with a lot of the 'mystical' components, and when the technology aspect came in, I was completely lost....more
This was pretty good, but definitely a confusing book. I couldn't really follow along with a lot of the 'mystical' components, and when the technology aspect came in, I was completely lost....more
Writing is a bit cumbersome and Alexander gets a bit "preachy" at times, but overall enjoyable and I will read the next one.
If you liked Harry Potter then you might like the first in this series about a young teen girl who has yet to find her powers and is sent off to an ancient time to try and find them.
Nice, well-written, unique YA fantasy. Recommended!
This book was amazing. I'm glad I took a chance with it.
A unique fantasy that had me hooked start to finish.
amaxing...imagination.
Whew! I finally finished this book! It seemed to take forever - I just never got into it, I guess. It was weird, and jumped from world to world and was pretty confusing. I'm all for suspending reality when reading novels, but I just couldn't get into this one. Bummer. I won't be reading the rest of the series...
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ALMA ALEXANDER is a Pacific Northwest novelist who writes for both adults ("The Hidden Queen", "Changer of Days", "The Secrets of Jin Shei", etc.) and YA audiences (the Worldweavers trilogy, "Gift of the Unmage", "Spellspam" and "Cybermage").
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate histor...more
More about Alma Alexander...
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate histor...more
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