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The Far West (Frontier Magic #3)

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 818 ratings · 168 reviews

When the government forms an expedition to map the Far West, Eff has the opportunity to travel farther than anyone in the world. With twin Lan, William, Professor Torgeson, Wash, and Professor Ochiba, she finds that nothing on the wild frontier is as they expected. There are strange findings in their research, a long prairie winter spent in too-close quarters, and more new...more

Hardcover, 378 pages

Published August 1st 2012 by Scholastic

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Jun 03, 2013 Paradoxical rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reading-list, books-otherwise

What The Far West and the other two books in the Frontier Magic series does best is world building, flat out. The setting that Wrede etches out for us is vivid and gives you the sense of something more than just the information she's giving you. Like there's an entire continent and world out there that hasn't been explained yet or hasn't been touched upon, but you can sense it.

It's immensely interesting. On the downside, the book is rather slow, and the plot kind of inches along. If you're less...more

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May 20, 2013 V. Briceland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Every few months, an Internet controversy arises that requires no more of its participants than to leap upon some minor perceived slight, fan the flames of controversy, and then bask in the blazing hot fires of self-righteous fervor. It doesn't matter if the popular flavor of the month is whether a Disney princess appears in a too-feminine dress on the company's website that none of the shrieking masses visit, or whether a satire site said something unkind about a public figure whose movie almos...more Every few months, an Internet controversy arises that requires no more of its participants than to leap upon some minor perceived slight, fan the flames of controversy, and then bask in the blazing hot fires of self-righteous fervor. It doesn't matter if the popular flavor of the month is whether a Disney princess appears in a too-feminine dress on the company's website that none of the shrieking masses visit, or whether a satire site said something unkind about a public figure whose movie almost no one saw. If the controversy can make a lazy average person feel like an indignant activist between Facebook status updates--without any actual activism beyond foaming at the mouth and pounding on the laptop--everybody wants to dogpile on, say the most unkind things imaginable, and congratulate themselves for 'raising awareness' until the next meaningless auto-da-fé.

Such was the unfortunate fate of Patricia Wrede's The Thirteenth Child, the first novel in the author's trilogy of books best described as Laura Ingalls Wilder meets YA fantasy. Wrede's careful world building in her alternate-universe mid-nineteenth-century America envisioned a continent in which the first inhabitants of the continent were not our American natives, but settlers from both Europe and Africa. Irate Internet dogpilers, in high dudgeon (few of whom had read or intended to read the book) accused her of actual genocide of Native Americans.

It's a shame that the hurtful and irresponsible comments obscured the start of a series that is highly readable and really a fun amalgam of magical youth and frontier narrative. Watching Wrede's heroine Eff mature and come into her own across the series' three books made me race through the books at a fast clip.

My only complaint about the series as a whole is that I wish the sense of place had been even stronger throughout. One of the joys of the Little House books is that so many of the foods the Ingalls eat, the games they played, and even the toys they made for themselves were so commonplace, yet exotic; even the magical landscapes of Wrede's Columbia are rendered almost too matter-of-factly.

Skip the controversy and pick up the books. They're a highly readable commentary on the resilience of the human spirit of exploration, and a gentle affirmation of human dignity, regardless of race.
(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, fantasy-historical, young-adult-fantasy, fantasy-adult

This third volume completes the major plot threads of the first two, but leaves room for future books in the same setting. I would love to see such future books, because I have really become fascinated by the world-building and setup of this series.
Set in an alternate version of America during the 19th century, the series deals with a version of the westward expansion that is impeded by the existence of various unusual obstacles, up to and including dragons.
There seems to be no indication of a N...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Shoshana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this conclusion to the Frontier Magic trilogy! These books are so fun. Like the other two, there's a lot of dawdling in the first half of the books, as Wrede lingers over slow building changes and Eff's daily life as the years go by. Weirdly, this stuff is almost as enjoyable as the second half, where they're actually doing stuff.

Eff is a great character, and there are several other characters who get some more arc in this book, which is great. I also love the way Wrede has layered and b...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Dr. Starr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like the other two books in this series, The Far West is a kind of meandering, episodic tale unlike most YA fantasy. It takes some getting used to, but if you loved the Anne of Green Gables series or Little House on the Prairie growing up, it has a similar old-fashioned feel. The concept is brilliant--fantasy plus the Old West--and doesn't go as steampunky as you might expect. The magical systems in the story are fascinating, though the end of this book (supposedly the last in a trilogy) leaves...more

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Nov 14, 2012 LauraW rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Again, this is a rather strange concept for a book. It is akin to steam punk, but the emphasis is on an alternate history of the US frontier, based on magic and the continued existence of animals known to have gone extinct in North America. As a story, this is a meandering tale that never really develops tension or progress (though there is action with animals and with magic), but, for some strange reason, it pulled me in anyway. I have had a hard time wanting to finish quite a few books lately...more

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Oct 21, 2012 JoLee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, childrens-young-adult

A few weeks ago I went to the library to pick up a few things from the hold shelf, and there, on the new books shelf, sat about half a dozen titles that I've been longing to read. Sounds like an ideal situation right? The problem is that I've been doing almost all my reading while I feed the baby and the small e-reader is better adapted to that situation. So, I sadly faced all these books that I didn't think I could get through, but how could I pass them up. In the end I picked two. I decided if...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, sf-f-goodies, romance, historical-fiction

It is always fun to revisit Wrede's alternative US frontier.
Francine, known to all as Eff, is such a wonderful young woman. She has been on several excursions beyond the Great Barrier now, helping with research for the local college. She is developing her magic talent. She is also being slowly driven crazy by her family! Plus, her personal life has become very interesting--she has a serious suitor (or two).
When a new, large-scale, expedition to the far west is announced, she wants nothing more t...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the third book in the series. I liked the first book (Thirteenth Child), really liked the second book (Across the Great Barrier), but The Far West is probably my favorite. It may not be everyone's cuppa tea, because the pacing is at times slow, covering quite a few years. But I like Eff, who is a fascinating heroine as she is a complicated, adventurous woman who tries to balance what she wants with her love of her family. I also appreciate that Eff is adventurous (and can shoot pretty we...more

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Aug 08, 2012 John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-ya, sf-fantasy

Eff joins an expedition trying to reach the Rockies, and along with discovering even more kinds of deadly magical creatures deepens her own magical abilities while participating in a massive collective spell to head off a disaster that is brewing for all of her family and the settlers back home. None of this even begins until halfway through the book, though, and while I do enjoy Wrede's leisurely, amiable style of story spinning the chapter after chapter of mundane activities and explication be...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Andree rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

I love this series. I think I'm going to have to buy it.

Sorcery and Cecilia might still be my favourite book (co)authored by Patricia Wrede, but as a series? This one is far superior (and not just because the second book in the Sorcery series is less than awesome). It just, it really works. And it's all that I've ever wanted in a fantasy series.

There is no love triangle. There is no, "We are all of a sudden facing overwhelming odds." There is still drama. It is really interesting. I just, I real...more I love this series. I think I'm going to have to buy it.

Sorcery and Cecilia might still be my favourite book (co)authored by Patricia Wrede, but as a series? This one is far superior (and not just because the second book in the Sorcery series is less than awesome). It just, it really works. And it's all that I've ever wanted in a fantasy series.

There is no love triangle. There is no, "We are all of a sudden facing overwhelming odds." There is still drama. It is really interesting. I just, I really like the way it all works together. And really, I think it all comes down to balance. This is a really well balanced book (and series). Everyone gets to be competent. Everyone has their moments of being less than awesome. No one is perfect. And this is a book that treats its women really, really well.

(view spoiler)

Seriously enjoyed this whole series.(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

The third and final novel in the Frontier Magic trilogy is the story of a journey both literally and figuratively. When the story begins, Eff Rothmer is twenty and working as an assistant to Professor Torgeson at the university in Mill City. Mill City is at Columbia's Western edge of civilization right up against the Great Barrier Spell, a magic spell concocted by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to keep magical creatures out of the East. But 83 years have passed and settlements have exten...more The third and final novel in the Frontier Magic trilogy is the story of a journey both literally and figuratively. When the story begins, Eff Rothmer is twenty and working as an assistant to Professor Torgeson at the university in Mill City. Mill City is at Columbia's Western edge of civilization right up against the Great Barrier Spell, a magic spell concocted by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to keep magical creatures out of the East. But 83 years have passed and settlements have extended 100 miles west of the Great Barrier even though it is much more dangerous out there.

A journey is being planned to explore further west - perhaps, all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Eff is excited about it but doesn't think she has any hope of going along. Her brother Lan who is a powerful magician and a double seven (seventh son of a seventh son) has been invited as has her brother-in-law Brant who was a hero of the previous successful McNeil Expedition. Also going is Roger Boden who is Eff's suitor, even though she turned down his proposal, and her best friend William Graham who is a student of magic. This expedition is being partially financed by the Cathayan government and their representative is Adept Alikaket. When she is asked to go along as an assistant to Professor Torgeson, she is excited, scared and eager but she also recognizes the danger. After all, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was lost when they tried to explore.

This story has excitement, adventure and even romance. Magic is woven into this story in many ways. Most people have the ability to do magic. It is taught in their schools. Eff does have problems with the most common form of magic - the Avrupan. Her spells have a tendency to go wrong. She has been studying the Aphrikan system of magic since she was young and using it to tweak her Avrupan spells. She is also eager to study the Cathayan system of magic while on this expedition. The expedition encounters many new creatures on their journey including many magical creatures like the Medusa lizards which can turn living creatures to stone, steam dragons and rock dragons, and large fox-like animals that can use magic to hide themselves from view.

One of the strengths of this story is the world building. Wrede has built a complex and consistent world where magic is well-integrated into a landscape the will be familiar to many people who live in the Midwest of the United States. This is not high fantasy but rather frontier fantasy. There are many parallels to the time of the Westward Expansion of the United States but tweaked, as Eff tweaks her magic, to allow for the smooth integration of magic.

Another strength of this story are the many, well-rounded characters who inhabit this world. From the bossy older sisters to the single-minded professors, the characters have depth and are all interesting. Eff is strong-minded, curious, adventurous and determined but also self-effacing and modest about her magical gifts. Her brother Lan is bright and magically talented but also impulsive and a little arrogant.

During this journey, Eff grows up, comes to terms with her own unique magical abilities, finds her life partner and her life's work. It is a great conclusion to a fascinating fantasy series. I strongly recommend reading the whole series - Thirteenth Child, Across the Great Barrier, and The Far West - to explore a very creative world and meet many fascinating people.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 kvon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Number three, and there's enough closure and looseness that I don't know if it's the end of the series. Eff continues to grow up, and has to deal with interfering family, and romantic interests, in a manner of grace and forthrightness that makes for a good role model. She continues to explore both her physical and magical world. Wrede's world building continues to be consistent, in an America without Indian place names, and the evolution of magical creatures.

I think the thing about first person...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, magic, scifi-fantasy, ya, au, author-created-their-own-world

I finished reading The Far West yesterday. First off this is probably one of my favorite books of the year. I couldn’t devour the pages fast enough; I honestly wanted to call into work just to finish it. In fact I was late picking up my boyfriend so I could do just that.

Some points I would like to touch on.

1) The author always manages to give off that warm happy fantasy feel with her writing; like I want to snuggle down into the story and that it should never end.

2) In this series Ms. Wrede does...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Anne Osterlund rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Eff has dreams. Of a forest. And mountains. And choices.

Then the news arrives that there is to be an expedition. Farther west than anyone has ever traveled before. Her twin brother, her brother-in-law, her would-be fiancé, and her childhood friend, William, have all been invited.

But Eff is the one with the dreams.

This is the third novel in Patricia C. Wrede’s Frontier Magic series. A wonderfully written story of an alternate-fantasy history in which Columbia (aka America) has hardly been settled...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Meg rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Far West
OR
How The West Was Won and HOLY CRAP WHERE DID THESE DRAGONS COME FROM?

I finished this book and all I could think was "Wait, is that it? There's going to be more, right? RIGHT?"

Currently, I haven't found an indication either way as to what Wrede is working on or plans to do. The epilogue in this book, though, has a worrying sort of finality, putting a "and then they lived happily ever after" feel to it. And I really hope its not the end, because the plot doesn't have the same level o...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Adela Bezemer-Cleverley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book I've read by Patricia C. Wrede other than The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which are one of my favourite fantasy series ever. The Far West is a lot different from those books though, in writing style and tone as well as content. I still enjoyed it, but I can't put it on par with those lovely and entertaining dragon books.

The biggest differences I noticed in writing style were that The Far West has a lot more technical talk and a lot less imagery than The Enchanted Forest C...more This is the first book I've read by Patricia C. Wrede other than The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which are one of my favourite fantasy series ever. The Far West is a lot different from those books though, in writing style and tone as well as content. I still enjoyed it, but I can't put it on par with those lovely and entertaining dragon books.

The biggest differences I noticed in writing style were that The Far West has a lot more technical talk and a lot less imagery than The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. It was like an explorer's log rather than a fairy tale--yes that's exactly what it was. Which is why I can't really say that I have a favourite character or that any part made me cry or gasp or turn the pages faster. But I didn't dislike it! It's just very different. In terms of tone, it's a lot more serious than The Enchanted Forest Chronicles... actually nothing funny or random happens in it. But that's okay.

One thing I love about this book is the world in which it is set. It's like an AU north america, with magic and a dangerous unmapped West (they want to reach the Rocky Mountains). There are place names that match up and some that almost match up and others that are just made up--there are also characters, past and present, who are named after real historical figures, such as Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln.

I also enjoyed the descriptions of magic throughout the book. Some of the things were similar to things that happen in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, like creatures and spells that can drain magic, and magic being a part of the world around that can be shaped and manipulated by skilled magicians. I also really liked the way it was described when Eff would go deeper into the magic, lose herself in it, in order to boost the other magicians' power and tweak spells, etc. If you think about it too hard it doesn't make sense, but something about the description made it very easy to visualize what Eff might be seeing.

I was thinking as I came near the end of the book that I was going to have to say in this review that the ending was anticlimactic--because they (spoilers) didn't reach the Rocky Mountains, and there wasn't any sort of big battle or anything (other than the one with the rock dragons). But then I finished it and realized what kind of book it was (like I said before, an explorer's log) which is one that doesn't need a climax. Plus the ending was satisfying and well wrapped up.

Now, quotes. I have two! Here they are:

' "It's hard to walk away from what you know, even when you're positive you're heading for something better."' --pg. 159

' "You Avrupans, you fill a bucket with water and think you know the river. But if you take the river to pieces, it isn't a river any longer."' --pg. 209

And with that, I bid you adieu.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, library-book, alternate-history

Thirteenth child Eff Rothmer continues to work with the animals brought back from the other side of the Great Barrier. When an expedition to try to reach the Rocky Mountains is formed, she is eventually added to the support staff of the magical contingent. The other groups in the single expedition are survey and military.
She even gets to witness a team of Hijero-Cathayan practitioners.
One of the expedition's main goals is to return. Several previous expeditions set out, but only one returned. In...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

First, I love Patricia Wrede's fantasies. I especially loved her Lyra stories, so when the Frontier Magic series came along I was sure I would enjoy them too. Overall, I have not been disappointed.

That said, I am torn between rating "The Far West" a 3.8 or 4.0.

The Frontier Magic series is YA, alternate earth, historical frontier fantasy. The Far West is the third book in the series.

The story is excellent.The characters remain true to the personalities the author set from the beginning. The plot...more First, I love Patricia Wrede's fantasies. I especially loved her Lyra stories, so when the Frontier Magic series came along I was sure I would enjoy them too. Overall, I have not been disappointed.

That said, I am torn between rating "The Far West" a 3.8 or 4.0.

The Frontier Magic series is YA, alternate earth, historical frontier fantasy. The Far West is the third book in the series.

The story is excellent.The characters remain true to the personalities the author set from the beginning. The plot moves at a quick pace, never bogging down, even in the middle and it left me hoping for a 4th book in the series.

That said, why not give it a 4 or even a 5 star rating? Because the ending felt rushed and 1) left me with unanswered questions (not plot but detail questions) and 2) a huge lack of reactions for many characters that left the ending feeling flat for me.

(story reveals to follow!)

For instance:

A discussion takes place between a character who left society for a year or two with a small group and people and what it felt like to then return and a character who might be doing the same thing. When character two returned, I expected to see a reaction, the emotions, upon that return. That didn't happen.

There were two places where major events happened, the one above included, where the emotional reactions were glossed over or not shown. I have to say, I felt cheated.

There are other instances where questions were raised part way through the story and made to feel important as the protagonist makes note to follow up and ask questions about the incident, but then nothing more happens. It's never mentioned again. For instance, she see magic for the first time as a series of colors. She didn't know it was possible and realizes those who use only Avrupan magic can't see it. She makes a mental note to ask some people question later. If she did, it wasn't on the page!

There's not a lot of this, but there was enough to add up and make the story end not as satisfying as I'd have liked.

I think I need to rate this 3.8.(less)

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Apr 09, 2013 Nonny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books, 3-stars, alternate-history, dragons, feminism, magicians-etc, poc, ya-fantasy, ya-steampunk, young-adult

I really loved the previous books in this series, except for the lack of Native Americans, which is something that still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth as a woman with Cherokee ancestry. (There's a lot of older posts on this controversy, if you care to look it up.)

This series has held a lot of charm, though, being an alternate history with magic that reads quite a bit like Little House on the Prairie with magic. This book, while enjoyable, felt slower paced than previous works, and I expected...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Deena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bosler, fantasy-paranormal, ya

It is my understanding that this was to be the last title in the series - but it's definitely written with the possibility of more titles, or a spin-off series/trilogy.

This book does something that feels fairly unusual to me these days. It covers a fairly long period of time, but isn't written in "real time." I know that lots of other books span generations, etc. - but I rarely read those. Lately it seems that everything I read takes place in a short time: days, weeks, etc. So in some respects i...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Libby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, girl-power, young-adult-fiction

This is the third in Patricia Wrede's Frontief Magic series. I enjoyed all three, but not to the same level that I usually enjoy Wrede's work. Her writing and world building is excellent. She creates an intriguing, alternate America where dangerous magical animals keep settlers from exploring too far to the West. The complexity of the magic system and culture she introduces is impressive.

However, with the focus on world building, I feel the character development suffers. I am a character reader....more

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Nov 07, 2012 Hanh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wraps up the trilogy set in an alternate America (called Columbia, yo) where magic is a skill like any other, with different schools of thought, theories, practices. Frontier era (hence the subtitle) so there's definitely a feeling of exploration, expansion, adventure and the unknown. Protagonist Eff is now 20 and is as practical and unsentimental as I want her to be. She outgrew the self-pity of childhood and focuses on the task at hand, which comes in handy when her unique brand of magic helps...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Michael Benedetto rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a nice continuation of the previous. It answered some questions while still masking more. It never lost it's quality or feel and the lore got deeper and more detailed and intriguing. I would hope there will be more entries into this universe, though maybe from a new character (one that had an interest in history our exclaiming the technical aspect of magic.) I do hope that this isn't the last we see of Eff Rothmer and her brother and other recurring characters. It would be a shame...more

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Feb 05, 2013 scarlettraces rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, yay-for-libraries

these might be among my favourite Wrede books yet, and considering how much i love the Mairelon books and Sorcery and Cecelia, that's quite a call. the pleasure in these is less the plots (which the Far West acknowledges by not even getting started out to the said far west until a decent way into the book) than Eff's patient investigations into her own and others' magic. i almost don't need her to save the day by using what she's figured out since the journey is so interesting, although it's alw...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Ellie (a.k.a. QE3) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not very enthusiastic about this cover!

*UPDATE: READ*

Well, it was pretty good. Not as good as the first two, I think, but it wasn't disappointing.

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Aug 14, 2012 Kristin Norwood rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked this book. The writing is great and I love Eff. My only problem is that I love feeling a lot of excitement while reading a fantasy adventure, and I don't always with this book, but even in that I'm torn. The story is told first person by Eff, and she is level-headed and pretty calm. I love that Patricia Wrede stays true to her character and doesn't step out of character to drive up reader anticipation, but at the same time I want to feel more while I read. I adore Eff for being so...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Carolina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this conclusion to the trilogy. This alternate version of the U.S. 'west' with its magical wildlife is fantastic. The books are a bit slow in parts but never boring. Overall great books, especially the first one and this one.

SPOILER ALERT: While I love that Eff and William ended up together I wish it hadn't happened so suddenly. It felt a bit rushed and I didn't get to relish that satisfying feeling of the main characters finding each other. While I know this wasn't a romance novel and i...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Teresa Carrigan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Excellent YA fantasy. This is the third in the Frontier Magic (trilogy? series?). I could see this being the last book; the epilogue wrapped up the loose ends very nicely, but it did leave room for another book too.

You probably want to read the books in the proper order. First one is "Thirteenth Child" and second is "Across the Great Barrier". Main character is female, and a school girl in the first book but about 18 in the second books and 21 or 22 at the end of the third book. The setting is p...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Yune rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Third book in the Frontier Magic series. It wasn't terrible at all, just lackluster. As you'd expect, Eff heads out West again, although it takes her a good chunk of the book to even start thinking about setting off. Overall, the pacing felt off: plodding at times, and yet the expedition (which takes two years) seemed over awfully quickly. Old friends are revisited, and there was even some relationship development, but it felt perfunctory to me.

I think I'm going to bail on the rest of the series...more

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About Patricia C. Wrede

Patricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her se...more Patricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her second book at once, having become permanently hooked on writing by this time.

Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.

Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).

In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.

Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cats, Merlin, Brisen, and Nimue. She has no children, but as of this writing, she does have four nieces and four nephews ranging in age from seven months to twelve years old and in geographical location from Maine to Alabama.
She has published twelve and a half books:
Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, The Seven Towers, Talking to Dragons, The Harp of Imach Thyssel, Caught in Crystal, Snow White and Rose Red, Dealing with Dragons, Mairelon the Magician, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, The Raven Ring, and a collaboration with fellow Minneapolis author Caroline Stevermer, Sorcery and Cecelia, as well as a collection of short stories titled Book of Enchantments. She is also part of the Liavek shared-world anthology. (less)

More about Patricia C. Wrede...

Books by Patricia C. Wrede

Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)

Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #2)

Calling on Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #3)

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Quotes from The Far West

“It took us most of the morning to put together the letter she sent to the Frontier Management Department, and I learned a lot about how to be frigidly polite and still leave somebody feeling like they'd been spanked.” — 7 people liked it

“Sometimes I couldn't help thinking that the unluckiest thing about being the thirteenth child was having all those older brothers and sisters telling me what to do.” — 3 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: The Far West Goodreads rating: 4.02 (818 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13356208-the-far-west?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333330584l/13356208.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13356208-the-far-west?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede[/url]

The Far West (Frontier Magic #3)

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