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Jan 05, 2012

Victoria rated it:

While the writing style was quite hard to follow at times (okay, a lot of the time) due to its start-stop tendencies and overall vagueness it was a delightful series to read. The actual story itself and the world contained in the printed ink was grand enough to excuse the confusion which would occasionally snap me out of the story.
The conclusion to the series was good, a fitting ending, but it didn't seem to come full circle, to connect the end of the story with the beginning, which is ver More...

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Nov 30, 2011

Quinn rated it:

One word: fantastical!

N.D. Wilson does it again!

When I first saw the cover of 100 Cupboards, and since I was out of library books, I checked it out. Never did I think I would be so captivated by a lonely boy named Henry, who moves to Henry, Kansas, and becomes best friends with his cousin, Henrietta. At first, I kind of thought it was a joke, a nice, funny book for kids.

But when I started reading, I got more and more into it. Before I knew it, the book was fin More...

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Sep 07, 2011

Stephanie rated it:

The past year or so hasn’t been smooth sailing for Henry York. With his parents missing, he’s been shipped off from bustling Boston to sleepy Kansas. Then there’s the small matter of the 99 cupboards in his attic bedroom–all of which lead to various worlds, and very few of them friendly. And with cross-dimensional travel comes all manner of demons, with the evil witch queen Nimiane being quite the antagonist even on a good day (think Narnia’s White Witch with bonus evil) . And with Henry apparen More...

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Aug 29, 2011

Melanie rated it:

The Chestnut king wraps up the 100 Cupboards series by N.D. Wilson. It's a good read, and the plot definitely moves along as we watch Henry come into a full realization of who he is, what it feels like to love and be loved by family and ultimately what it means to risk death for justice. The story alone is fantastic; the characters are believable, memorable and fun. Most elements of the series are unique but I suppose I do have to mention that there is a slight resemblance between the cupboards More...

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Aug 24, 2011

Kirsten rated it:

WOW!! Just when I thought this series couldn't get anymore exciting, N.D. Wilson really cranked it up! I was held captive by the Chestnut King!! I truly could not put this book down! The entire series really... I read all three books in less than 5 days, while I had 3 kids home for summer vacation! It was an incredible adventure and I was truly swept away into the cupboards again with this third and last book in the trilogy. This book is non-stop action from the very beginning! The author does s More...

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Apr 02, 2011

April rated it:

Review Originally posted HERE

This review is for the entire trilogy.

I am not sure if I can put into words how much I LOVE this trilogy. And I am forever grateful to my sister for suggesting it to me and then buying me all three books. THIS is what a fantasy story should be. I can't even believe some people on Amazon gave it less than a 4 or 5. They couldn't have been reading the same books! OK-I will give you some concrete reasons now.

The character development More...

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Mar 08, 2011

Nicola rated it:

Reason for Reading: Next (and last) in the trilogy.

It's the final showdown in this volume. Nimiane is making her move to take over the empire, her hatred for Henry's bloodline makes his whole family targets of her wrath, especially him, since they are tied together with the blood bond and she knows how powerful he could become. Most of the book takes place within the worlds of the cupboards, with the doors being used for travel and a few pit stops are made here and there to the house More...

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Dec 01, 2010

Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it:

This is one of the best books I've read in a series. The Chestnut King brought closure in every aspect of the series. N.D. Wilson did an amazing job taking us on the four different journey's of Henry, Uncle Frank, His Father and the witch. Be rest assured that all of those close to Henry are included on these journeys through out the course of The Chestnut King and interwoven together perfectly, as they are all brought together towards the end of the story to face the evil Witch.

N.D. More...

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Sep 06, 2010

Rosanne rated it:

As the second post in my blitz, I am reviewing The Chestnut King, by N. D. Wilson. I realize that N. D. Wilson really deserves three posts all to himself, since The Chestnut King is the third and final book of a trilogy, but one short post is all I can afford. I dislike giving lukewarm reviews, so I almost decided to pretend I had never read this book and just ignore it entirely. If you have already read and enjoyed The Chestnut King, consider yourself warned: you will not like this post.
More...

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Feb 20, 2010

Eva rated it:

Readers of fantasy fiction will feel familiar with many of the situations Henry faces. A seemingly invincible villain intent bringing unspeakable evil to the world, a final battle between good and evil, unusual alliances, and a young hero who yearns more than anything to just live a normal life - all these are time-honored fantasy traditions. However, they feel fresh and newly important in The Chestnut King, in large part due to the simple yet masterful writing. Take this small moment, when Henr More...

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Feb 03, 2010

A. T. rated it:

Simply gorgeous. C. S. Lewis once said that Lord of the Rings burned like cold iron, but, you know, in a good way. Wilson's Chestnut King sears like ice-fire, a glorious euchatastrophe, a beautiful and at times terrifying story that caps off the trilogy very well. In fact, in reading the book I found myself doing something I have't done since I was young. I stayed up late reading, desperately devouring every page. The metaphors are well done, the allusions to classical literature all in place, a More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Feb 04, 2010

Noël rated it:

Being a new series is hard work. Readers finish the first installment, eager to jump into the next, but it doesn't release for another twelve months and memory dims. Interest fades. When book two is finally delivered, the process begins all over again.

Well, N.D. Wilson's 100 Cupboards trilogy is officially sealed and seasoned: you no longer have any excuse.

Once more I find myself protesting in a review: complex worlds with mazy customs and tongue-twisting names are not my More...

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Jun 25, 2010

Rachel rated it:

I feel massively bummed out that this series has come to an end. The series was just so perfect in its blend of classical fantasy (it's an Americanized Chronicles of Narnia) and modern characters and dilemmas. The worlds and places created in the series, particularly this last volume, were fantastic. My only quibble is that the last battle against the witch seemed a little too easy; however, isn't that usually the case in the fantasy genre.

The author did a great job tying up all the More...

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Dec 19, 2011

Nathan rated it:

This is a really great ending to a really great trilogy. After getting to know Henry, it was neat to see him go through even more of a transformation. I loved the part when he and Henrietta and Zeke go into Endor and meet Nimiane's crazy family members. I especially liked Nimroth with his marble that he thinks is the Blackstar.

The last two chapters were really hard for me to follow. The action was confusing to me, and I couldn't tell where I was or who's funeral it was, or if the More...

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May 31, 2011

Steve rated it:

A rollicking good time, filled with plots that mesh with the Biblical story, and that's on purpose, I'm sure. This trilogy gets you to love righteousness. My 8 year old son was cheering for Henry at the end, rejoicing at the demise of the witch, and at the courage and strength of Henry and his family.

I was expecting the Richard character to develop more, but in the end he was mere comedy relief - a little disappointing. Some of the evil depicted was intense, but it wasn't overdone or g More...

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Feb 05, 2010

Katieb (MundieMoms) rated it:

This is one of the best books I've read in a series. The Chestnut King brought closure in every aspect of the series. N.D. Wilson did an amazing job taking us on the four different journey's of Henry, Uncle Frank, His Father and the witch. Be rest assured that all of those close to Henry are included on these journeys through out the course of The Chestnut King and interwoven together perfectly, as they are all brought together towards the end of the story to face the evil Witch.

N More...

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Jun 09, 2011

Debbie rated it:

I really enjoyed all three of these books. REFRESHING is the first word that comes to mind. It is always nice to have a refreshingly new idea on storytelling, especially when it comes to magic/fantasy, because it sometimes feels like most fantasy ideas just steal/play off of the same theme. But this series was very original. The last two books were a little darker than the first two, so beware that there will be a little bit more fantasy violence and disturbing ideas (but not TOO horrible. More...

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Jun 24, 2011

Sarah rated it:

A satisfying end to the 100 Cupboards series. New characters introduced, old ones maintained, and all of them are endearingly flawed and real. As with the first two, there are beautiful passages of imagery and changed perspective that are so refreshing. The overall feel of the writing is solid and a little dry, but the flashes of wit and beauty reveal a very creative mind. I think of the author as being a lot like Henry's Uncle Frank. :) And at the end, Henry rises to the occasion, and tru More...

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Aug 02, 2011

Joshua rated it:

I was worried starting this book, as I had not enjoyed the 2nd book in the series to be very enjoyable. I was glad to be pleasantly surprised! In this book, Henry is finally pitted against his greatest enemy with a very satisfying final battle. This is after taking a wild adventure with (and saving at every turn) his family and friends while being pursued by "Fingerlings," making deals with Kings and traveling in dreams with his grandmother. Wilson does a good job of humanizing the More...

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Apr 12, 2011

Simon rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 28, 2011

Rachel rated it:

I enjoyed the first half of this book, feeling as though it returned to the imaginative action that I so dearly loved in the first book. There was some confusion over some of the characters whose history in the 2nd book I couldn't quite remember, but I was still able to follow along well enough.

I think because of that, the book lost a little of the magic for me. I wasn't fully able to be completely captured by the book because there were just a few loose ends.

What disappoin More...

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Apr 18, 2010

Tripleguess rated it:

I didn't find this title quite as satisfying as Dandelion Fire. Perhaps the prose was more purple, or it wasn't and I simply noticed it more; perhaps Nimaine's arrogant invincibility was more of a theme, or just got old in this installment. Characterization remained sketchy, at places getting buried under all the magic and scenery. And what was the point of the epilogue? Who's this stranger Mary? If I was supposed to recognize her from somewhere, I missed it... I would rather have seen more of H More...

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Jan 30, 2010

Brandy rated it:

I devoured this book in one 4 hour sitting this afternoon. It was brilliant. My heart rate is still up and the adrenaline is still flowing strong. Yes, it was THAT good.

The Chestnut King takes us with Henry York Macabee and his family and friends as they search for a means to bring down the witch queen, Nimiane, once and for all. There is a lot of action, peril, and adventure throughout the entire plot. The writing continues to be emotive. It is amazing how much Henry's char More...

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Feb 08, 2011

Doug rated it:

A great finale for the trilogy. I consumed this even more rapidly than the first two books as it was very difficult to put this book down! Even having to share it with my 12-year-old son, I read the whole thing over the course of just a few days. A great combination of Narnia concepts (travelling to other worlds) and Lord of the Rings epic battles. While I wouldn't presume to put these books in the same category as those classics, fans of those books will probably like the "100 Cupboards" More...

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Mar 19, 2010

Katy rated it:

For some reason, I find these books hard to follow at times. Not as bad with the first one, I really struggled with the second, fortunately, this wasn't as bad as the second. However, the story always seems to come together in the end and the confusion magically disappears.

However, I found this a pretty fitting conclusion to the trilogy, and I adored the final chapter so much I added .5 stars to the total. I kept wishing someone near mne had read it so I could chat about it with the

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Jun 11, 2010

Dani rated it:

when 12 almost 13 year old henry york macabee's parents and uncle get kidnapped he goes to tell his father that the red shirts rules the town of hilfing.his aunt and uncule frank and dotty and his mother are slaves on a big pirtie ship that has slaves to row the big ship there is a ccomander of the ship that his family is on.henry's sister una and cousin anastasia also his other cousin panelapeare also abord the ship.
I lerne some importint lessons in this story.

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Oct 26, 2011

Katie rated it:

It was a good finish to the series, but the author still needs to work on making things clearer. I was confused about this: If Henry was adopted, he probably didn't look too much like his adoptive parents. Didn't he ever have any questions about it? And no one (not Henry, his cousins, or Zeke and Tilly) seemed surprised by there being other worlds. I was also confused about how exactly Henry released Niminane from her confinement.

In other words, this author is good, but he needs to wo More...

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Mar 21, 2011

Sassy rated it:

After loving the second book in this trilogy so much, I was a little disappointed in the third. Which is kind of ironic, because the problem I had with it was that it feels like a sequel to the second book, but not the first. I feel like maybe the series took some unexpected turns in the second book, and the author was not able to bring it back around to some of the loose ends from the first. I still enjoyed it, and I'd still recommend the series.

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Sep 27, 2010

Julie at All Ears rated it:

So, here's the plot... Henry is staying with his relatives in Kansas, when their house is transported to a magical world and they must battle an evil witch. OK, Toto, sound familiar?

Well other than getting a general idea of the story, I find myself completely lost while listening to this audiobook. The plot definitely shows promise. In his uncle and aunt's house, Henry discovers a cupboard with 99 doors that lead into other worlds. But, an evil witch, Niniane, must be defeated More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Jeremy rated it:

This was the third and final book in the 100 Cupboards trilogy. I jotted down some ideas for writing fiction as I read this series, and I'm hoping to go to a writing workshop this summer. Kind of corny, like the March 25 thing above, but I finished this book on March 27, which was the day VCU knocked Kansas out of the NCAA basketball tournament. These books are set (sort of) in a Kansas town. VCU plays in the Final Four tonight.

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