Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Chandlefort: In the Shadow of the Bear (In the Shadow of the Bear #2)

by David Randall (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 54 ratings · 6 reviews

It has been just months since Clovermead Wickward discovered that she is really Demoiselle Cerelune Cindertallow -- daughter of Lady Melisande Cindertallow, the sovereign of Chandlefort -- and that the man she had called Father all her life was actually an embittered servant who stole her away when she was a baby. Since then, she has learned that she doesn't wholly care fo...more

Hardcover, 286 pages

Published December 26th 2006 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 90)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Oct 03, 2012 Becca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Warning - this review contains minor spoilers.

In my opinion, Chandlefort far surpasses the previous book in the Shadow of the Bear series - Clovermead. Perhaps my favorite thing about it is that though there is an antagonist and a protagonist, the antagonist, Mallow, is so well written, we get to know him so well, that I find it impossible to hate him even though Clovermead does at times. We spend so much of our time while reading the other books in the series, feeling hatred for one character o...more Warning - this review contains minor spoilers.

In my opinion, Chandlefort far surpasses the previous book in the Shadow of the Bear series - Clovermead. Perhaps my favorite thing about it is that though there is an antagonist and a protagonist, the antagonist, Mallow, is so well written, we get to know him so well, that I find it impossible to hate him even though Clovermead does at times. We spend so much of our time while reading the other books in the series, feeling hatred for one character or another, but for me at least the overpowering emotion in this book is sorrow, and empathy.

For anyone, who, like me, has had their love spurned by someone that has led them on, intentionally or otherwise, this book will certainly tug at your heartstrings, for want of a better phrase. Many of us have felt ourselves to be in the same situation as Mallow, or Clovermead - minus the dead bears and sword fighting and all that, of course. And for that reason, this book can be a wonderful companion, story, and a kind of comfort for those of us who need to be reminded that we are not alone.

Mallow, the antagonist, is a man who has been raised from the dead by Lord Ursus. His hatred and need for revenge on the woman who led him on, then tore out his heart and felt "only a pale regret", has survived the grave. That woman is Clovermead's mother, Lady Cindertallow, or, as she is called by both Mallow and Ambrosius - Melisande. Through the dust that he gives Clovermead in exchange for her heart's blood, and through Melisande's own rendition, we hear the story of a wonderful, if slightly arrogant young lord who comes to love a beautiful young woman, the Lady Cindertallow, only to have his fragile heart broken when he's thrown over for the carpenters son. We hear of his descent into despair, his death, and the sorrow that Melisande's heartless decisions brought upon innocent people. Mallow's sorrow is so great that I, for one, cannot help but feel sorry for him, and there is nothing abhorrent in his personality to warrant an antagonist aside from his burning need for revenge and his willingness to do anything to get it.

Another new character that we are introduced to in Chandlefort is the Lady Saraband - the young, beautiful dancing lady, who was once the Demoiselle when Lady Cindertallow had no heir. Aside from that, she gains Sorrels heart as they spend a pleasurable evening dancing together, and Clovermead is left on the outside - scarred and alone, just like Mallow. The delightful banter between Clovermead and Sorrel that provided a wonderful distraction in Clovermead is not so prolific in Chandlefort, being taken over by Clovermead's jealousy. Perhaps that is the strangest thing about this book - the protagonist, Clovermead, who reaches out to the antagonist, Mallow, for comfort and understanding in her loneliness. Through the exchange of blood and dust they each begin to know each other a little better - and though I may be wrong, it seems to me that Mallow comes to love Clovermead almost as much as he once loved Melisande. In any case, Saraband is an interesting introduction, and we would perhaps like her if it were not for Clovermead's prejudices, and Saraband's annoying stubbornness on some matters.

Sorrel is, as ever, a wonderfully fun character, still kind and polite and funny, treating Clovermead as a cherished friend - even though that is perhaps not how Clovermead wants to be treated. His interlude in a field surrounded by a lot of playful bears that call him "little snack" and do not want to let him off the haystack is very diverting and entertaining. And though he conducts a romance with Saraband, it does not change his character at all - which is a relief.

In Lady Cindertallow, we see more of the woman that was hinted at in the first book - a good mother, with a heart that used to love fiercely until her husband was killed, but at the same time she can be a ruthless, proud and cold woman, too used to wielding power - making it easier to cast people aside, just like Mallow. We learn of her love for Ambrosius, and see her tears over he husbands grave, but also learn of her cruelty not just in Mallows case, but in that she admits that she would have killed any of Ambrosius (Clovermead's father) friends who broke their imposed exile, merely because it would have been too painful for her to see them. It is wonderful however, to see through both Mallow's dust and Clovermead's dreams, who Ambrosius was before he was killed, and how he was responsible for the shape-changing abilities that Clovermead has.

My only slight problem with the book is a slightly superficial one perhaps - Mallow is described as being a handsome, pretty man with ringlets and amazing strength, and I found it vaguely disturbing and annoying that Clovermead cut off many of his fingers - the destruction of beauty is always abhorrent to me, and anyone else who would find the severing of limbs distasteful would do well to watch out for that.

Overall, I found the writing style of this book to be both compelling and engaging, the scenery beautifully described, the plot involved and provoking empathy, the characters delightful and interesting, and even for those who cannot see the connection between lost love and their own lives, it is a wonderful read which I would recommend for any lovers of good fantasy.

(less)

like · see review

May 03, 2008 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com

CHANDLEFORT is the sequel to the young adult fantasy novel, CLOVERMEAD: IN THE SHADOW OF THE BEAR. It continues the tale of 13-year-old Clovermead, who discovers that she is not actually a commoner, but instead is royalty and next in line to rule Chandlefort. The discovery complicates the simple life she once led. She must learn how to be a ruler from her iron-willed mother, while training herself to act like a proper young lady. Being a shape s...more Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com

CHANDLEFORT is the sequel to the young adult fantasy novel, CLOVERMEAD: IN THE SHADOW OF THE BEAR. It continues the tale of 13-year-old Clovermead, who discovers that she is not actually a commoner, but instead is royalty and next in line to rule Chandlefort. The discovery complicates the simple life she once led. She must learn how to be a ruler from her iron-willed mother, while training herself to act like a proper young lady. Being a shape shifter does not make things any easier; neither does finding herself caught in a revenge plot involving her royal mother and a long-dead suitor.

CHANDLEFORT is an odd mix of elements, some of which I liked, while others seemed either confusing or downright irritating. My favorite part of the novel is a pair of parallel love triangles in which Clovermead finds herself enmeshed. One of the love stories was taking place in the present day, and the other was decades old, but still causing trouble. Clovermead's involvement with both sagas causes no end of difficulty for her and those she loves.

The times when I liked and understood Clovermead the best were when she was struggling with her unrequited interest in a handsome young man and his apparent infatuation with another girl. The insights she gained from this hurtful experience offered her the opportunity to see the book's main villain as more than just one-dimensional.

Unfortunately, there were also a number of things happening in this novel that I was less enthusiastic about. For one thing, Clovermead possessed some abilities that came and went with little clear explanation. She could turn herself into a bear, as well as communicate telepathically with real bears. She could also use her mind to communicate with a select few other individuals who were many miles away, but I had no idea how or why that was the case. She didn't seem to fully understand the source of her powers either, but she seemed completely unfazed by them. Also, her sword glowed brightly on occasion, and, while no one knew why, everyone treated that oddity with little more than mild curiosity.

Perhaps the thing that bothered me most was that Clovermead was constantly making the kind of bad decisions that cause readers to want to scream at fictional characters. Why would anyone make a bargain with a disembodied stranger's voice that suddenly pops into her head? And yet, it happened more than once.

Overall, it was an interesting book that had some problems. No doubt many lovers of young adult fantasy should be able to overlook those shortcomings and enjoy the journey to Chandlefort.(less)

like · see review

Nov 25, 2009 Mariah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: shadow-of-the-bear, fantasy, young-adult, shapeshifters, library, 2009, 2013-acquisition, owned

Chandlefort begins a few months after the end of Clovermead. Clovermead is still adjusting to life as the daughter of Lady Cindertallow, who she hasn't really warmed up to. The refined expectations of a noblewoman don't fit with her tomboyish personality to say the least.
But when her mother is severely injured, Clovermead must take a perilous journey through territory controlled by the enemy forces of Lord Ursus.

Chandlefort also continues Clovermead's inner moral struggle as well as exploring h...more

like · see review

Mar 27, 2008 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, childrens, rev

I particularly enjoy this series for its very strong, very flawed, very interesting heroine.

like · see review

Jan 08, 2010 Lynn Calvin added it

Amazon received

like · see review

Sep 18, 2007 Partridge Public added it Recommends it for: JF Ran

Shelves: juniorfiction

Randall, David

like · see review

May 17, 2013 Ven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy

May 11, 2013 Saskia added it

Shelves: animal-magic, fantasy-adventure, historical-fiction, medieval-fantasy, leading-lady, young-adult

May 02, 2013 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 23, 2013 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 15, 2013 Mjf10025 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 04, 2013 Tracy Hendriks marked it as to-read

Mar 29, 2013 _tsukibloom4_ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 12, 2013 Hilary Sanchez marked it as to-read

Jan 09, 2013 Maddie marked it as to-read

Dec 23, 2012 Jenny marked it as wish-list

Dec 10, 2012 Monique added it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Nov 11, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nov 04, 2012 Hilary marked it as to-read

Sep 24, 2012 Gabriella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sep 21, 2012 Majesta Quimby added it

Sep 13, 2012 Cathrine marked it as to-read

Jul 20, 2012 Harmony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jul 08, 2012 JM added it

Shelves: remember

Jul 03, 2012 Sally Robertson marked it as to-read

Jun 20, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jun 17, 2012 Kelly marked it as to-read

Jun 07, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 12, 2012 Xuan added it

Shelves: randall-david

May 07, 2012 Scarlett Tiger rated it 5 of 5 stars

« previous 1 2 3 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Fantasy

6 users

Young Adult

4 users

Childrens

2 users

See top shelves...

About David Randall

the link above has some more information

While still a graduate student, David Randall wrote Clovermead: In the Shadow of the Bear, a fantasy adventure novel. The story tells of Clovermead Wickward, a twelve-year-old tomboy, as she attempts to assist the innkeeper Waxmelt, a man who has raised her as if she were his own daughter. Clovermead's journey leads her into a battle between good and evil t...more

More about David Randall...

Books by David Randall

In the Shadow of the Bear: The Complete Clovermead Series

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Chandlefort: In t...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Chandlefort: In the Shadow of the Bear
avg rating	preview: Chandlefort: In the Shadow of the Bear Goodreads rating: 3.81 (54 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/533546.Chandlefort?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1175589959l/533546.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/533546.Chandlefort?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Chandlefort: In the Shadow of the Bear by David Randall[/url]

Chandlefort: In the Shadow of the Bear (In the Shadow of the Bear #2)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (4)

Genres

About David Randall

Books by David Randall

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Chandlefort: In t...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)