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19th out of 58 books
—
40 voters
The Faerie Door
by
B.E. Maxwell (Goodreads Author)
Long ago the Faerie Queen created portals between our world and hers, so that children could summon help from faeries whenever the need arose. But a wicked entity called the Shadow Knight is endeavoring to control the doors between the two worlds, and only evil can get through. It falls to two imaginative eleven-year-olds—Victoria Deveny, from 1890 Britain, and Elliot Good...more
Hardcover, 480 pages
Published
October 1st 2008
by Harcourt Children's Books
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I picked this book up in the children's section on BN while looking for selections for my neice for Christmas. I was pleasantly shocked at how easily it was to get into the storyline, how imaginative the twists were (at most times unpredictable) and how well written the entire book was. A remarkably detailed epic adventure, I'd recommend it for anyone who's enjoyed writers such as Tolkien.
The settings in this book are described beautifully. There is such care to the details that it's not overwhelming but just right. Victoria and Elliot, characters who wouldn't normally meet, but under the circumstances do, go well together. They have fun, and you have fun reading about them. I thought the story might be loosely based on a ballet which is mentioned in it, but after researching that, I believe this is the author's own creation, which leaves me liking it all the more.
I find the stor...more
I find the stor...more
It is more like a 3.5, since it was pretty well done in terms of prose and plotting, if very predictable and simplistic, and I did enjoy it. I like that there is more to come.
I liked how the childrens' characters were handled and that Victoria, who was especially nasty, gets to change over the course of the book and that she is not a perfect child.
Very nice, classic fairytale story, complete with magic rings, faeries, an evil sorceress, dragons, magic portals, a dark knight and two children fr...more
I liked how the childrens' characters were handled and that Victoria, who was especially nasty, gets to change over the course of the book and that she is not a perfect child.
Very nice, classic fairytale story, complete with magic rings, faeries, an evil sorceress, dragons, magic portals, a dark knight and two children fr...more
I read and thoroughly enjoyed this book. I even heard that a sequel is in the works. If you enjoy fun quests, filled with excitement and intriguing characters, this is your book. Also, it seems that a sequel is in the works, which I will eagerly delve into when it becomes available.
I am taking the time to even write a review ONLY so that I may dissuade anyone from letting young children read this.
This book is just a piece of poorly written filth that is trying to be like Stephen King (which is also poorly written filth).
There is NO beautiful magic within this book with which to benefit and enrich children's imaginations, no matter what the title is.
This book is only filled with deplorable ugliness and evil, and it glorifies the suffering of children. It is merely descripti...more
This book is just a piece of poorly written filth that is trying to be like Stephen King (which is also poorly written filth).
There is NO beautiful magic within this book with which to benefit and enrich children's imaginations, no matter what the title is.
This book is only filled with deplorable ugliness and evil, and it glorifies the suffering of children. It is merely descripti...more
1 like · like · see review
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I usually love middle grade fantasy.
I saw the cover and read in insert and thought it would be a perfect fit for my aesthetics. However, I was very disappointed with this book.
I am truly amazed this book managed to slide off of an editors desk.
It is in serious need of editting. Not small edits. BIG edits.
The most unpleasant thing about this book is it's narration. It is all tell and no show. Chapters go by with the author telling you what happens and very little interaction or dialogue is prese...more
I saw the cover and read in insert and thought it would be a perfect fit for my aesthetics. However, I was very disappointed with this book.
I am truly amazed this book managed to slide off of an editors desk.
It is in serious need of editting. Not small edits. BIG edits.
The most unpleasant thing about this book is it's narration. It is all tell and no show. Chapters go by with the author telling you what happens and very little interaction or dialogue is prese...more
The worlds of the Faeries are interconnected by magic gates, but when the sinister Shadow Knight moves between worlds his intentions are not good. The good faerie queen summons the help of Victoria, a girl from London in the late 1800s and Elliot, a boy from New Hampshire in the 1960s. The two join forces together to seek out the magic rings that will help them defeat the Shadow Knight, but they must complete their own separate tasks first.
I enjoyed this purely fantastical world of faeries both...more
I enjoyed this purely fantastical world of faeries both...more
I read this book aloud to my two children, ages 10 (son) and 12 (daughter). It took a couple of chapters to really draw them, as it does with most books, but draw them in it did. The language is very victorian, resulting in me having to explain what several words meant. Those words I didn't know, I just made up a definition...which I'm sure will mean the kids will pay dearly for that when they misuse them in college lit one day years later.
This book had a wonderful cadence that could only be det...more
This book had a wonderful cadence that could only be det...more
This another one of my library finds, I was browsing through children's section when I found this. I love books about faeries and this book sounded good and something along the lines I would be interested in. Also I really like the book cover, it is very beautiful and very engaging.
I started to read this book as soon as I got home and read one quarter of it. I was so amerced into the story that I had a hard time putting it down and going to bed and sleep. This story revolves around two eleven y...more
I started to read this book as soon as I got home and read one quarter of it. I was so amerced into the story that I had a hard time putting it down and going to bed and sleep. This story revolves around two eleven y...more
It started off well. The writing was beautiful, very descriptive, though a bit difficult for something geared towards pre-teen readers. I don't know about you, but I don't know many 11 year olds who use "sibilant" and "indefatigable" in passing, but I digress.
The chemistry between Victoria and Elliot, two 11 year old children from vastly different time periods who must go off on a quest in order to save their world from evil powers, is wonderfully executed, and you can really feel their growing...more
The chemistry between Victoria and Elliot, two 11 year old children from vastly different time periods who must go off on a quest in order to save their world from evil powers, is wonderfully executed, and you can really feel their growing...more
Oh, where to begin.
I really hate to be overly critical of a book, but this one was painful at best. The story is about two eleven year old kids, Elliot and Victoria, who travel into the Faerie Realm for the purpose of.. well, possibly to save Elliot's mother, who was attacked and captured by a Shadow Knight, or possibly to escape from the Shadow Knight themselves, or possibly because they are destined to save the world. There, the Faerie Queen instructs them that they must embark on two separate...more
I really hate to be overly critical of a book, but this one was painful at best. The story is about two eleven year old kids, Elliot and Victoria, who travel into the Faerie Realm for the purpose of.. well, possibly to save Elliot's mother, who was attacked and captured by a Shadow Knight, or possibly to escape from the Shadow Knight themselves, or possibly because they are destined to save the world. There, the Faerie Queen instructs them that they must embark on two separate...more
Jun 02, 2011
Melodee
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Nobody
Recommended to Melodee by:
Library book shelf
This was the hardest book to get through! It had such promise and should have been great, but it wasn't. The pacing was really odd. I don't think I've ever read a book before that both moved too slowly, yet had so much crammed into it. There was no time to really connect with the characters, so by the epic battle at the end, I really didn't care what the outcome was. I only finished reading it because I had invested so much time already, I felt obligated to see it through, and I was hoping it wo...more
This book started off wonderfully. The chemistry between Victoria and Elliot was definately the main strength of the story. The premise of sending a stuffy 11 year old from 1890 to live with a kid from 1966 worked out beautifully. Unfortunately that's about the only thing about this book that truly works. Because soon afterwards Maxwell shoots himself in the foot and splits up the two so they can go off to have their own adventures thru the "Faerie Door," on some ridiculously dangerous mission,...more
Posted to my Livejournal in October 2008:
Sometimes I feel like I read too much juvenile and young adult fantasy, and books that feel clichéd or generic to me are ones others (and I'm always trying to think of the target audience) will enjoy. This is one of those books. Parts of it were decent. Parts of it were vague. And parts of it didn't make sense once you thought about it too much (which is another part of my job as a reviewer, to think about it too much). Victoria, in 1890s England, and Ell...more
Sometimes I feel like I read too much juvenile and young adult fantasy, and books that feel clichéd or generic to me are ones others (and I'm always trying to think of the target audience) will enjoy. This is one of those books. Parts of it were decent. Parts of it were vague. And parts of it didn't make sense once you thought about it too much (which is another part of my job as a reviewer, to think about it too much). Victoria, in 1890s England, and Ell...more
Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com
Victoria Deveny is a young girl living in England in 1890. Elliot Good is a boy living in New Hampshire in 1966. Even though this pair is living decades apart, they share a love for all things faerie. The two read faerie stories and each one wishes to someday visit the faerie queen.
When Victoria discovers a secret passageway, she stumbles upon a magical ring and a portal into another time. At the same time, Elliot Good is find...more
Victoria Deveny is a young girl living in England in 1890. Elliot Good is a boy living in New Hampshire in 1966. Even though this pair is living decades apart, they share a love for all things faerie. The two read faerie stories and each one wishes to someday visit the faerie queen.
When Victoria discovers a secret passageway, she stumbles upon a magical ring and a portal into another time. At the same time, Elliot Good is find...more
Jan 02, 2011
Ann
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Young readers who love description and words. Young ballerinas
3 1/2 stars
Victoria is from 1890s England, Elliot is from 1966 New Hampshire. Both are about 11 years old, and both - in their own place and time - find magical rings that are filled with power and the ability to access doors to different worlds, and different times.
Once Victoria shows up in Elliot's time, they quickly become fast friends and just as quickly are thrown into a menacing situations, complete with an evil knight who's shield bares what appears to be a black hole for an emblem. After...more
Victoria is from 1890s England, Elliot is from 1966 New Hampshire. Both are about 11 years old, and both - in their own place and time - find magical rings that are filled with power and the ability to access doors to different worlds, and different times.
Once Victoria shows up in Elliot's time, they quickly become fast friends and just as quickly are thrown into a menacing situations, complete with an evil knight who's shield bares what appears to be a black hole for an emblem. After...more
3 likes · like · see review
Apr 13, 2013
John Cook
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All ages, parents will enjoy reading it to their children.
Recommended to John by:
The author
This is a very imaginative story told in a style somewhat reminiscent of Victorian style writing. Although the author gets a bit wordy at times, the two main characters, a boy and a girl from different times, are presented believably, and enjoyably. The Shadow Knight can be a bit grim and scary for younger readers, but the journey the two take to the end is quite rewarding and worth the read.
When an evil being called the Shadow Knight threatens the boundaries between our world and the faerie world with its powers, two children,Victoria Deveny, from 1890 Britain, and Elliot Good, from 1966 America, are summoned by the Faerie Queen to stop it. They are each sent on a seperate quest to retrieve magic orbs and together defeat the shadow knight. Both children face many challenges during their quests.
One thing that I like about this book is that the setting is very well described. Some ot...more
One thing that I like about this book is that the setting is very well described. Some ot...more
A really good idea, with a broad and expressive vocabulary. But rather overwritten. I found that the writing became quite tedious to read, as everything was described in such detail. There was no inference possible.
Also, the anatomy and ballet ideas were poorly researched, which made the descriptions of what should have been serious, frightening or beautiful things laughable. (eg. spines with their vertebrae attached, dancers flying sur les pointes etc)
A pity, because the story had potential.
Also, the anatomy and ballet ideas were poorly researched, which made the descriptions of what should have been serious, frightening or beautiful things laughable. (eg. spines with their vertebrae attached, dancers flying sur les pointes etc)
A pity, because the story had potential.
Tries too hard to be too many things--Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Peter Pan, Victorian novel of manners. Gotta get through it to review it. Mishmash of flying pirate ships, magic rings, fairies, werewolves, fairy tales, you name it, in stilted language, convoluted plot, shallow undeveloped characters, in "unutterably" amazing bejeweled palaces with "unspeakably" terrifying creatures. Skip it.
I picked this book up at the library while waiting for my parents to be ready to leave, what I had read then was VERY enchanting! WOW! this author really draws people in! I would like to know if there is any bad parts in it? Please leave me a comment! thanks!
It was an amazing book... The perfect read if you like adventure, magic, risks, and more. Full of life and unexpected twists and turns. Perfect for middle school readers and advanced elementary students, too.
"Ever so long ago, high in the treetops of her hidden city, Edwina, Queen of the Faeries, held council with her court...
Radiance from faintly luminous leaves upon overhanging boughs bathed everything in a soft, silvery light...
Her court gasped to see the glitter of lovely rings, their gemstones sparkling..."
Of course the rings are magical, they let kids visit the Faerie kingdom, blah blah blah. WAY too cutesy and derivative for my tastes. And I didn't find the characters of the two children very...more
Radiance from faintly luminous leaves upon overhanging boughs bathed everything in a soft, silvery light...
Her court gasped to see the glitter of lovely rings, their gemstones sparkling..."
Of course the rings are magical, they let kids visit the Faerie kingdom, blah blah blah. WAY too cutesy and derivative for my tastes. And I didn't find the characters of the two children very...more
We just completed this. My throat is hoarse from reading three chapters to my children tonight. We had to get to the end. What a WONDERFUL book. We all enjoyed it and are sad it is over. I hear there is a sequel in the works. We read the prequel and cannot wait.
BE Maxwell took us to such high levels of emotion, excitement and imagination throughout this book. We were regularly catching our breath between each chapter. This is a wonderful book for anyone 8 and older. Under 10 may need help with s...more
BE Maxwell took us to such high levels of emotion, excitement and imagination throughout this book. We were regularly catching our breath between each chapter. This is a wonderful book for anyone 8 and older. Under 10 may need help with s...more
This book was AMAZING! It was entertaining, suspenseful, and even had a little humor. At the end it kind of leaves you hanging. Adults may enjoy it to! The book is 471 pages long. It was like reading The Trumpet of the Swan all over again!!!!
I was surprised at this book, there was some stuff in there where I wouldn't want to read right before going to bed at night. Meaning, it had some pretty creepy stuff in it. I'm glad I didn't pick up this book when I was younger.
Although I found the plot exciting, I feel slightly let down by this book. Elliott and Victoria's adventures seemed to resolve a little too simply by the end. I expected more development of them than their hardships ultimately brought. It also disappointed me that the author went for the obvious set up of a series. The language is beautiful at times, but the author does have quite a few cliches he's fond of, so that undermined my expectations. I do think middle grade readers will have a lot of f...more
This book was entirely too much fantasy for me. I liked the start of the book, but once they started going to other worlds, it was kind of laborious for me to read. If you like fantasy, you would probably like this book.
More like 3 1/2 stars. Fun exciting book, a lot like Fablehaven. At the first I was so dissapointed thinking it would make a great series. I heard the author is writing some more.
Got this from the kids shelf and definitely a great kids' chapter book.
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