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38th out of 369 books
—
187 voters
The Robe Of Skulls (Tales from the Five Kingdoms #1)
Trouble is brewing in the first book of the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series.
The sorceress Lady Lamorna wants a skull-studded gown of deep black velvet but finds her treasure chest empty of gold. That doesn't stop her from kidnapping, blackmailing, and using more than a little magic to get what she needs. Will all her best-laid plans be foiled by the heroic Gracie Gilly...more
The sorceress Lady Lamorna wants a skull-studded gown of deep black velvet but finds her treasure chest empty of gold. That doesn't stop her from kidnapping, blackmailing, and using more than a little magic to get what she needs. Will all her best-laid plans be foiled by the heroic Gracie Gilly...more
Paperback, 1st Edition, 200 pages
Published
June 4th 2007
by Walker Childrens
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Nov 10, 2012
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
trt-posted-reviews
Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com
Just above the town of Fracture lies a ghastly castle with an even ghastlier occupant, Lady Lamorna, who is just plain freaky. Her latest wish is a magnificent black velvet gown that is studded with skulls. When she goes to pay for it she finds that her treasure chest is empty. Instead of canceling her order, Lady Lamorna concocts a plan to pay for the dress.
Her plan includes a couple of members of the royal party, some frogs, and blackmail.
Then there is G...more
Just above the town of Fracture lies a ghastly castle with an even ghastlier occupant, Lady Lamorna, who is just plain freaky. Her latest wish is a magnificent black velvet gown that is studded with skulls. When she goes to pay for it she finds that her treasure chest is empty. Instead of canceling her order, Lady Lamorna concocts a plan to pay for the dress.
Her plan includes a couple of members of the royal party, some frogs, and blackmail.
Then there is G...more
In the time that we've had no Good Reads, I have started a new book! This book, nobody has really heard about. I'm still trying to figure out if this book is part of a series or not. Well, by now, your probably wondering what book I'm about to write about. Robe of Skulls! Yes! That is the book I'm reading! The Robe of Skulls, is by Vivian French. Very fancy name, right? The authors name contributes to how fancy this book is. While I'm talking about what's so fancy, I might as well tell you abou...more
Oct 02, 2008
Mary
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
4th-7th grade fairy tale fans
Shelves:
ya,
children-s
Lady Lamorna - a down on her luck sorceress - orders a new robe of skulls from the Ancient Crones and then has to figure out how to pay for it. With a little help from her troll slave, she decides to turn princes into frogs, then offer her services (at a steep price) to their families in order to change them back.
In the meantime, Gracie Gillypot longs for a better life away from her nasty stepfather and her evil stepsister, Foyce. With the help of a talking bat, Gracie escapes her stepfamily an...more
In the meantime, Gracie Gillypot longs for a better life away from her nasty stepfather and her evil stepsister, Foyce. With the help of a talking bat, Gracie escapes her stepfamily an...more
In a very Tim Burton-y world, an evil sorceress wants a new outfit. (That's her in the outfit on the cover.) Unfortunately, somebody has swiped all her gold--a mystery which (**spoiler alert!**) is never solved in this book--so to pay for the dress, she has to raise some more cash. She hatches a fiendish plot, and with her slave troll, leaves her castle for the first time in ages.
French creates a pretty interesting fantasy world and put some fun bad guys in it, but then doesn't seem to know what...more
French creates a pretty interesting fantasy world and put some fun bad guys in it, but then doesn't seem to know what...more
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Lady Lomorna wants a magnificent custom made dress, but she finds that she doesn't have any money to buy it. There is also Gracie Gillypot, a girl who is treated like a slave by her stepdad and evil stepsister, Foyce, who is also a werewolf. Then there is curios Prince Marcus, whose brother, Prince Arry will be the future king of their kingdom. To fix their problems, they all set out on journeys, but in the end, their journeys will link, and create one major problem. In the end, Foyce is punishe...more
“The Robe of Skulls” has a very neat plot with several interesting characters: Gracie and Prince Marcus, Lady Lamorna and Gubble, Foyce and Mange (Gracie’s step-sister and father), not forgetting the two bats, Marlon and his daughter Millie who serve as guides and protectors. The wicked Lady Lamorna is short of cash and devises a cruel plan to generate income; her cunning plan is taken over by the even more cunning Foyce. At the same time Gracie escapes from her unpleasant home situation and mee...more
Sep 29, 2012
Wandering Librarians
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
action,
adventure,
audio-book,
boy-appeal,
fantasy,
friendship,
good-for-anyone,
humor,
journeys,
middle-grade,
series
When thinking of this book, the phrase "delightful romp" comes to mind. Add to that Renee Raudman's absolutely awesome reading and you have an absolutely compelling audiobook.
I probably would have enjoyed this book just reading it to myself. It has all of the elements that make it fabulous: humor, endearing characters, exciting chases, and absolutely entertaining villains. The plot is slightly predictable, but the dialogue makes up for the slightly formulaic storyline.
There are some references t...more
I probably would have enjoyed this book just reading it to myself. It has all of the elements that make it fabulous: humor, endearing characters, exciting chases, and absolutely entertaining villains. The plot is slightly predictable, but the dialogue makes up for the slightly formulaic storyline.
There are some references t...more
This was a very fast and entertaining book. It took me 2 subway rides and breakfast to finish, and it was worth every second.
Lady Lamorna, a sorceress, wants to order a new dress from the Ancient Crones, but after placing the order realizes she is completely broke. So, she hatches a plan to turn all of the princes and princesses in the near kingdoms and then make their parents pay large sums of money to turn them back. With the help of Foyce, a half wearworlf and evil stepsister, Lady Lamorna s...more
Lady Lamorna, a sorceress, wants to order a new dress from the Ancient Crones, but after placing the order realizes she is completely broke. So, she hatches a plan to turn all of the princes and princesses in the near kingdoms and then make their parents pay large sums of money to turn them back. With the help of Foyce, a half wearworlf and evil stepsister, Lady Lamorna s...more
Here we have a bad prince who is really not the least bit evil, a beautiful but nasty stepsister, a beleaguered but brave little girl named Gracie, and a talking bat.
Lady Lamorna, an aging, evil sorceress, sets off to buy herself a grotesque gown, while at the same time Marlon the bat rescues Gracie from her cellar prison and leads her into the wilderness and the eventual safety of a group of old crones.
Meanwhile, Prince Marcus has been left at home for bad behavior and is thus happily passed...more
Lady Lamorna, an aging, evil sorceress, sets off to buy herself a grotesque gown, while at the same time Marlon the bat rescues Gracie from her cellar prison and leads her into the wilderness and the eventual safety of a group of old crones.
Meanwhile, Prince Marcus has been left at home for bad behavior and is thus happily passed...more
I must admit this is a book where I saw the cover and immediately wanted to read it. After reading the description it sounded amusing, so I picked it up from the library. This is the First Tale from the Five Kingdoms by Vivian French. Last I heard she was contracted for five books in this series. It was an amusing read.
The Sorceress Lady Lamorna wants a new gown, but she doesn't have any gold. So she devises a plan to turn princes into frogs and blackmail their parents to pay her money to turn t...more
The Sorceress Lady Lamorna wants a new gown, but she doesn't have any gold. So she devises a plan to turn princes into frogs and blackmail their parents to pay her money to turn t...more
Nov 17, 2009
Charlyn Trussell
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Gr. 5 and up
The abundant silver skulls on the cover of this book might make me wonder about its appropriateness for an elementary audience were it not for the fact that I have first grade princesses wearing pink shirts with rhinestone-studded skulls on them. It is the tall figure of Lady Lamorna on the cover wearing the dress she has ordered from the Ancient Crones, looking much more elegant than she is in the book. She has a bit of a problem: she has no way to pay for her dream dress. With magic on her si...more
The very evil Lady Lamorna fancies a new dress made of the deepest, darkest black velvet encrusted with silvery skulls. She puts in her order with the Ancient Crones sent by bat messenger, Marlon. When she finds her treasure chest empty, however, she realizes there is no way to pay for her gorgeously wicked new dress. Lady Lamorna will stop at nothing to get the gold to pay for her dress. She resorts to blackmail, kidnapping, and all sorts of treachery. Her one true talent rests in turning princ...more
A optimist orphan, mischievous prince, werewolf girl, evil sorceress, vile troll, talkative bats and ancient crones make up this quick fairy tale. Lady Larmona, the sorceress, wants a dress of skulls, but she has nothing to pay to the ancient crones, so she is off with her troll servent, Gubble, to turn the kingdoms royalty to frogs. Meanwhile, Gracie, our young optimist, is neglected at the hands of her stepfather and his daughter, Foyce, the werewolf, and she runs away with the help of a bat....more
From the cover, you might think this is a dark book. In fact, it is lighthearted story that will have you laughing while following the quirky cast of characters. It also teaches good morals to boot.
The Tim Burton-like drawings attracted me to this book. The illustrations are absolutely stunning. Ross Collins does an excellent job at illustrating French’s characters in a whimsical way. The gothic illustrations also help set the mood of the book.
The characters are well written. They are your typic...more
The Tim Burton-like drawings attracted me to this book. The illustrations are absolutely stunning. Ross Collins does an excellent job at illustrating French’s characters in a whimsical way. The gothic illustrations also help set the mood of the book.
The characters are well written. They are your typic...more
I'm nearly finished with this fast-paced read from Candlewick Press.
Vivian French is a fabulous writer and the plot, characters and even the names of the people and places come together superbly to create a believable fantasy world of sorcerers, wizards, goblins and laugh-out-loud situations that will appeal to readers of all ages.
This is book one in a series and I can't wait to discover more.
Vivian French is a fabulous writer and the plot, characters and even the names of the people and places come together superbly to create a believable fantasy world of sorcerers, wizards, goblins and laugh-out-loud situations that will appeal to readers of all ages.
This is book one in a series and I can't wait to discover more.
I enjoyed reading this book. As an adult, I found the book to be a little bit too "young" for me. I love young adult books but would have to put this one in more of the older children's section. It was still a fun enough read that I'm looking to purchase the 2nd one in the series and go from there.
It's about an evil sorceress who wants a dress made by the Ancient Crones. The only problem is that the dress is going to be expensive and she has no money. So she sets out on an evil plot to blackmai...more
It's about an evil sorceress who wants a dress made by the Ancient Crones. The only problem is that the dress is going to be expensive and she has no money. So she sets out on an evil plot to blackmai...more
Despite it's sinister title, this is a book that is appropriate for 9 yrs plus.
Good wins over evil, but the worst evil is a sorceress who turns princes into frogs and a beautiful girl that is actually part werewolf who is not nice to her step-sister, Gracie.
Plot summary:
Evil sorceress orders a brand new robe/dress from the Ancient Crones. As soon as her order is placed she finds that her coffers are empty. Distressed at what the Ancient ones will do to her if they are not paid she comes up with...more
Good wins over evil, but the worst evil is a sorceress who turns princes into frogs and a beautiful girl that is actually part werewolf who is not nice to her step-sister, Gracie.
Plot summary:
Evil sorceress orders a brand new robe/dress from the Ancient Crones. As soon as her order is placed she finds that her coffers are empty. Distressed at what the Ancient ones will do to her if they are not paid she comes up with...more
The cover of this book reminds me of Cruella from 101 Dalmations. Lady Lamorna is out to collect something too, but it's not puppies. She wants a new robe and will stop at nothing to get it. She has magic and helpers; a troll who has a problem with his head, and a beautiful girl who is not what she seems at first sight. This is a fast-moving fun book with a great cast of characters from the funny talking bat to the castle orge. They're all traveling about the Kingdom of Gorebreath trying to esca...more
Lovely! A mix of Matilda, Harry Potter, and The Phantom Toll Booth! Nice, slightly macabe illustrations and several amusing, intertwining stories full of talking bats, blood read petticoats, old crones, and frog princes. And in the end, good triumphs over evil, as it should in such a fairy tale!
Young Gracie Gillypot lives with her stepfather and stepsister, being worked, starved and locked in the cellar. Until the day when Marlon the bat helps her escape and leads her on a journey to the home of the Ancient Crones.
Prince Marcus misbehaves, which means that he can't join all the other royal children at the celebration, the one that the sorceress Lady Lamorna hopes to ruin with her dark magic. Gracie and Marcus join together to cut back the number of evil creatures in the vicinity.
The st...more
Prince Marcus misbehaves, which means that he can't join all the other royal children at the celebration, the one that the sorceress Lady Lamorna hopes to ruin with her dark magic. Gracie and Marcus join together to cut back the number of evil creatures in the vicinity.
The st...more
I read this last school year. What strikes me is that it is a lower level read, but ti's pretty durned good. I put this one on my bookshelf for students because it is so accessible. I love things that are a little dark and creepy (not gory), and this book had a little creep factor, but not enough to be anxiety producing to younger readers.
This is a classic story of an evil woman who possesses magical powers, who wants a new robe. Problem: there are three women standing in her way, because she c...more
This is a classic story of an evil woman who possesses magical powers, who wants a new robe. Problem: there are three women standing in her way, because she c...more
The book caught my eye from a long list of fairy tale books.
I was beginning a project as a library aid on making a display case, I had chosen to display one of my favorite genres to read; fairy tales and all the sort. While on my search, the cover of this book instantly caught my eye, be it from the blood red or the white skulls appearing all across.
It was quite different from any other book I've ever read and exactly to my tastes!
It has a fun quirkiness about it and while it still held to the t...more
I was beginning a project as a library aid on making a display case, I had chosen to display one of my favorite genres to read; fairy tales and all the sort. While on my search, the cover of this book instantly caught my eye, be it from the blood red or the white skulls appearing all across.
It was quite different from any other book I've ever read and exactly to my tastes!
It has a fun quirkiness about it and while it still held to the t...more
This book is so much fun! Right from the beginning, the imaginative leaps and bounds are just hilarious. The witch is deliciously nasty, but also wonderfully vain (after all, as the title of the book tells us, this whole adventure takes place because of the amazing dress she decides she needs to have made); the henchman is a long-suffering and rather dim troll; another couple of nasties are also deliciously so; and the hero and heroine are great characters. Oh yes, not to forget the bats and the...more
The Robe of Skulls is the first (the 2nd is also out) in a fun, if not stellar, new fairy-tale adventure series. When the evil sorceress Lady Lamora decides to treat herself to a set of beautiful new robes adorned with woven webs and skulls, her attempt to raise the funds by extortion runs amok when she crosses paths with a beautiful, but devious, half-werewolf, a loyal troll, the mistreated pure-heart, Gracie Gillypot, a wise-cracking bat, a disheveled Prince, a trio of witches, and a motley as...more
Nov 16, 2010
Brenda
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Middle grade fairy tales
Shelves:
fantasy
Her evilness Lady Lamorna decides that she would like a new gown with skulls. When the time comes to pay for it she determines that she has no gold. Thus begins her plans to turn the neighboring prince and princesses into frogs and offer up her skills to turn them back. This story has the charm of a fairy tale and includes the characters of true of heart Gracie Gillypot, a prince, a wicked stepsister, a troll and the very Ancient Crones. There are even two bats who seem rather "dodgy." Entertain...more
My son recommended this book (actually, the whole series), and so I found the time to read it this weekend. I was impressed at how well a book for young kids carried a relatively large number of characters, and how it kept the suspense of whether some of them were good or bad. I don't mind reading books where the good and bad characters are known right from the outset, but when an author can keep a character's character unknown, it makes for a more interesting story. I also liked that some of th...more
A friend gave me this book when her school library was having a weeding out of stock, and I immediately fell in love with the front cover.
Told in classic fairy tale mode, this novel appeals to young and older readers alike. It is fast-paced, enjoyable, funny and well written. Slightly gothic appeal to it, which I loved, because I think all the best fairy tales are gothic in nature.
It was a pleasure to read and would appeal to parents as a fun bedtime story. Or to adults who just like to read a...more
Told in classic fairy tale mode, this novel appeals to young and older readers alike. It is fast-paced, enjoyable, funny and well written. Slightly gothic appeal to it, which I loved, because I think all the best fairy tales are gothic in nature.
It was a pleasure to read and would appeal to parents as a fun bedtime story. Or to adults who just like to read a...more
Aug 03, 2010
Phoebe
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Lisa, Kezia, Cheryl
Evil sorceress Lamorna wants a new robe, decorated with tiny skulls, but she needs money to pay for it. So she hatches a plot to turn the young princes and princesses of the land, gathered for an engagement party, into frogs, then ransom them back to their parents. Meanwhile, young Gracie is on the run from her beautiful but nasty stepsister, and Prince Marcus, catching wind of Lamorna's plot, heads to the rescue of his brother Arry. These various plotlines are gathered cleverly into one terrifi...more
This is the first book in the Five Kingdoms series. It's a cute little book about an evil sorceress, an even more evil stepsister that's half werewolf,a troll named Gubble, some ancient crones, a sweet young girl, Gracie Gillypot, and Prince Marcus.
In order to get money for a new gown with skulls all over it, Lady Lamorna, the sorceress, decides to turn a bunch of princes into frogs and then get a ransom for them. Of course, Gracie and Marcus have to rescue the princes and take them back to the...more
In order to get money for a new gown with skulls all over it, Lady Lamorna, the sorceress, decides to turn a bunch of princes into frogs and then get a ransom for them. Of course, Gracie and Marcus have to rescue the princes and take them back to the...more
The First Tale from the Five Kingdoms, a new series from this author. Lady Lamorna is a sorceress and she wants a new, and expensive robe. The Ancient Crones agree to make it for her, for a price. She decides to turn princes into frogs and then charge their parents a large fee to change them back. Gracie is a peasant girl who lives with her evil stepfather and stepsister. Together with Marlon, a chatty bat, and a prince who managed to escape the spell, Gracie must defeat Lamorna and save the pri...more
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Vivian French was best known in school for being extremely skinny and for talking a lot. At school she developed an attachment to words and later became an actor, then a storyteller, and finally a writer of children's books. She is the author of more than two hundred books. Ms. French lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has four grown daughters.
More about Vivian French...
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