FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD LEO NORTH’S prospects in life are limited. He attends military school, lives with his fearful grandmother, and looks after h...
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Jul 20, 2011
Amelia
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Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.
I read somewhere that Catherine Banner was slated to be the next J.K. Rowling. I’m sure whoever said it had good intentions but I’m left going, Um no. The book was exciting at first because it was different, but soon, the flaws began to stand out. The writing began to show a amateur-istic choppiness. Then, the plot just didn’t make sense and by the end of it, I was left skimming the pages. I wish I had gotten more out o More...
I read somewhere that Catherine Banner was slated to be the next J.K. Rowling. I’m sure whoever said it had good intentions but I’m left going, Um no. The book was exciting at first because it was different, but soon, the flaws began to stand out. The writing began to show a amateur-istic choppiness. Then, the plot just didn’t make sense and by the end of it, I was left skimming the pages. I wish I had gotten more out o More...
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Jan 05, 2009
Laura
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 10, 2011
Lauren
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In The Eyes of a King, teen author Catherine Banner combines fiction and reality in her debut novel. This book definitely had some interesting points. The author was fourteen when she started writing it. Also, she jumps between four different voices and points of view in a way that I have never experienced before. The main character, a boy named Leo, is reading from a book that he wrote for a mysterious someone. The story in the book is about his life and a mysterious journal he found. More...
Feb 05, 2011
Shiku
rated it: 
Leo ist fünfzehn und lebt mit seiner Großmutter und seinem achtjährigen Bruder allein. Sein Vater war einst ein bekannter Schriftsteller, doch er musste mitsamt seiner Frau fliehen, als die neue Regierung diese Texte verbieten ließ. Die Kinder blieben zurück.
Inzwischen besuchen beide die Militärsakademie, um zu Soldaten ausgebildet zu werden, was keiner der beiden will. Da findet Leo eines Tages ein leeres Buch, das er – ohne genau zu wissen, warum – mit sich nimmt. Nach und nach tauchen do More...
Inzwischen besuchen beide die Militärsakademie, um zu Soldaten ausgebildet zu werden, was keiner der beiden will. Da findet Leo eines Tages ein leeres Buch, das er – ohne genau zu wissen, warum – mit sich nimmt. Nach und nach tauchen do More...
Jul 07, 2011
Bücherfresser
rated it:
"Nette Fantasygeschichte, mit Wandlung zum depressiven Hauptcharakter"
Inhalt:
In “Das Lied von Malonia” geht es um den fünzehnjährigen Leo North, der gemeinsam mit seinem Bruder und seiner Großmutter in einem Armenviertel in Kalitzstadt lebt. Diese Stadt befindet sich in dem Land Malonia, das von dem Diktator Lucien beherrscht wird. Allerdings war vor einiger Zeit noch alles anders, als die königliche Familie über Malonia herrschte und alles dadurch besser noch war. Do More...
Inhalt:
In “Das Lied von Malonia” geht es um den fünzehnjährigen Leo North, der gemeinsam mit seinem Bruder und seiner Großmutter in einem Armenviertel in Kalitzstadt lebt. Diese Stadt befindet sich in dem Land Malonia, das von dem Diktator Lucien beherrscht wird. Allerdings war vor einiger Zeit noch alles anders, als die königliche Familie über Malonia herrschte und alles dadurch besser noch war. Do More...
Aug 13, 2009
Laura
rated it:
Not sure what to say about this one. Found myself getting impatient with the seemingly endless angst of the main character in this story. His name is Leo North. He lives in a society where military school is a must for boys his age and where magical abilities of any kind are frowned on, in fact outlawed under the current regime. When his 9 year old younger brother Stirling dies of the "silent fever" Leo comes unhinged. It becomes the seminal event of his life. During this period
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Jun 05, 2011
Karen
rated it:
For strong fantasy readers. This one jumps back and forth between characters, times and locations. Leo North lives in the kingdom of Malonia, which has long been at war. He finds a blank book in the snow, in which words started appearing to tell the story of Ryan, the Malonian heir to the throne who was exiled to England. Leo thought that England was only in fairy tales, so he isn't convinced that this is real -- but the story keeps appearing in pieces in the book, and there are enough detai
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Mar 23, 2010
Isis
rated it:
I loved this book because it had adventure and life mixed into it.I liked it because it had many characters and features in it. I thought that at the begining it was an okay book because i just read a part were the girl is all alone and by herself. It had only shown the insignificant parts of the story so i didnt know it would be exciting.
There were many parts in the story that excited me such as the part where the main character finds out who the princess / orphan is and then More...
There were many parts in the story that excited me such as the part where the main character finds out who the princess / orphan is and then More...
Feb 26, 2010
Amelia
rated it:
Kudos to the youngin that had started this book at 14!
*******SPOILERS*******
I could not get into it. The set up and imagery was great. It had a lot of "little details" thrown about to give authenticity. It wasn't all that bad for me until a certain someone decided to kick the bucket. After that it was just "WHA WHA WHA WHA WHA WHA...etc." from the main character. I'm a fan of angst but hot damn! ENOUGH!
I had an issue with the More...
*******SPOILERS*******
I could not get into it. The set up and imagery was great. It had a lot of "little details" thrown about to give authenticity. It wasn't all that bad for me until a certain someone decided to kick the bucket. After that it was just "WHA WHA WHA WHA WHA WHA...etc." from the main character. I'm a fan of angst but hot damn! ENOUGH!
I had an issue with the More...
Jul 29, 2010
Tweller83
rated it:
I never really liked the writing style. There were many different story lines which could confuse a middle school student. I didn't particularly like or care about the protagonist so didn't get into the book that well. Too long for middle school.
Gr 6-9-Two 15-year-old boys' lives are connected through parallel worlds-one medieval, one present day-in this debut fantasy. Leo's routine life in his medieval country of Malonia changes after he finds a powerful blank book that mysteriously More...
Gr 6-9-Two 15-year-old boys' lives are connected through parallel worlds-one medieval, one present day-in this debut fantasy. Leo's routine life in his medieval country of Malonia changes after he finds a powerful blank book that mysteriously More...
Nov 26, 2011
Jill
rated it: 
I'd like to start this review by saying that this book was really confusing. The author was good but I feel like she didn't tie up the ending very well. I was left by thinking a whole bunch of different thoughts and I really didn't know how the ending...ended.
The character of Leo was a very well written character. I feel like the author portrayed him in a very tortured way, which I liked. He was the type of character that knew his mind. He was a good brother to Stirling and after what happe More...
The character of Leo was a very well written character. I feel like the author portrayed him in a very tortured way, which I liked. He was the type of character that knew his mind. He was a good brother to Stirling and after what happe More...
Dec 02, 2011
Mandii
rated it: 
I have to admit, I was humbled by the fact this book was written by a fourteen year old. I've read some interviews with Catherine Banner and was blown away by her insight and character. As a person, she is an incredibly charming and pleasant young lady. However, you have to put all of that aside when reviewing her novel which was, sadly, just terrible.
So, "the Eyes of a King" is basically the story of fifteen year old Leo North's life before, during, and after a traumatic e More...
So, "the Eyes of a King" is basically the story of fifteen year old Leo North's life before, during, and after a traumatic e More...
Mar 18, 2011
Camilla
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The paragraph on the back of the book is only the start of this story, as it unfolds, you cannot believe how brilliantly the story is being told. It's such a powerful, magical story, at times I thought I was going to cry. I was defiantly caught off guard with the way this book unraveled, and how amazingly it was written. This story is so out of the ordinary, and I won't do the book any justice by telling you what it's about, it's one of those stories that has so much depth and mystery..I don't k
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Mar 18, 2011
Amanda
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Mar 14, 2010
Eve
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I enjoyed "The Eyes of the King", I didn't love it. The imagination behind the story is wonderful and I think Miss Banner has the potential of becoming a top notch writer. Unfortunately I found it rather confusing at times. There seemed to be so much going on and story became cluttered and dragged at times. I will say I enjoy the characters for the most part, especially RYAN, who I think was more well rounded as a character then LEO. Overall a decent read that had me looking forward to
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Feb 10, 2010
Lindsey
rated it:
*This review contains spoilers.
First off, the given synopsis doesn’t really do justice to what this book truly is, which is a very dark journey through life under an oppressive government during the midst of war, and the psychological trauma of losing a family member who is the representation of hope and light in a family. Banner does a wonderful job of revealing the content throughout the novel, so as not to give the whole thing away immediately. However, it continues to move toward More...
First off, the given synopsis doesn’t really do justice to what this book truly is, which is a very dark journey through life under an oppressive government during the midst of war, and the psychological trauma of losing a family member who is the representation of hope and light in a family. Banner does a wonderful job of revealing the content throughout the novel, so as not to give the whole thing away immediately. However, it continues to move toward More...
Aug 17, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by The Story Siren for TeensReadToo.com
Fifteen-year-old Leo North lived in Malonia with his younger brother, Stirling, and his grandmother. When Leo was five years old the monarchy was overthrown by the tyrant Lucien, and his parents fled to save their lives.
One night on his way home, Leo finds a mysterious book. The pages of the book are blank. But t soon the pages begin to fill, telling the story of two people in England, which is thought to be a fairy tale wo More...
Fifteen-year-old Leo North lived in Malonia with his younger brother, Stirling, and his grandmother. When Leo was five years old the monarchy was overthrown by the tyrant Lucien, and his parents fled to save their lives.
One night on his way home, Leo finds a mysterious book. The pages of the book are blank. But t soon the pages begin to fill, telling the story of two people in England, which is thought to be a fairy tale wo More...
Aug 04, 2008
J.M.
rated it:
An intriguing fantasy of parallel worlds.
Leo remembers the day he picked up the blank book and his dreams of the magical land of England appeared on its pages. He and his brother, Stirling, lived with their grandmother and went to military school to learn to be soldiers. It was after the queen’s brother, Lucien, murdered the king and queen. Lucien was a brutal dictator, ruling over a poor and changed land, but he wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the prophecy; he exiled the young prin More...
Leo remembers the day he picked up the blank book and his dreams of the magical land of England appeared on its pages. He and his brother, Stirling, lived with their grandmother and went to military school to learn to be soldiers. It was after the queen’s brother, Lucien, murdered the king and queen. Lucien was a brutal dictator, ruling over a poor and changed land, but he wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the prophecy; he exiled the young prin More...
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Feb 27, 2011
Fifteen-year-old Leo North lives in Malonia with his younger brother, Stirling and his grandmother. When Leo was five years old the monarchy was overthrown by the tyrant Lucien and his parents fled Malonia to save their lives.
One night on his way home, Leo finds a mysterious book. The pages of the book are blank. But soon the pages begin to fill, telling the story of two people in England, which is thought to be a fairy tale world. The pages only appear a few at a time, but Leo feels as th More...
One night on his way home, Leo finds a mysterious book. The pages of the book are blank. But soon the pages begin to fill, telling the story of two people in England, which is thought to be a fairy tale world. The pages only appear a few at a time, but Leo feels as th More...
May 24, 2011
Annie
rated it:
ok so this book was odd it didn't really have a plot, well maybe but then there was no conclusion the king wasn't even mentioned untill the very end. the end itself didn't really make sense. the king who i might add wasn't actually king and was not actually an important character, was hardly in the book at all. the main character, who was not the king or any king of any king and didn't even know the king was just a very angry and severely depressed kid whose life was rather pointless and definat
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Sep 22, 2008
C.G.
rated it:
If you take into consideration that this book was written by a teenager - started when she was 14 and finished four years later - some of the problems I had with this book make sense. I found it to be all over the place, literally as well as figuratively.
The story is touted as being magical, but other than some characters being able to travel between two different worlds and some rather minor acts, magic was not a large part of the book. I found the main protagonist's worlds - both More...
The story is touted as being magical, but other than some characters being able to travel between two different worlds and some rather minor acts, magic was not a large part of the book. I found the main protagonist's worlds - both More...
Aug 02, 2011
Tracy
rated it:
Finally finished reading this one. I was a bit disappointed. It was a great concept, but I am not much on the writing style. First person writing wasn't what I like to see. I was expecting a bit more towards the end, but it just seem to have ended. It wasn't a bad read, however I was expecting more. The writer is young and I am sure after being published at such a young age she will get better with experience.
Dec 17, 2009
Kallie
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This book's author definately was imaginative, for the concept is completely new, but so well crafted you think that the author had been there himself. But, this is no Disney. If you were to classify it as a fairy-tale, it's author would have been The Brothers Grimm. There is suicide, depression, disese, and whatnot. And the ending is one with a glimmer of hope with no true happy ending.
Aug 05, 2011
The connections between the individual characters are not clear... even by the end of the book. It started off well, with 3 stories taking place within the novel, but I kept waiting for the 3 stories to connect in some way. At the end of the book, I was still waiting for a meaningful connection. The author info seems to imply that this is the first book in a trilogy, so maybe the following books will bring it together, but as a stand-alone novel, Eyes of a King is dissappointing.
Dec 11, 2009
Michelle
rated it:
Tremendous writing style and a very well-painted world. The characters were clear. But unfortunately, I can't say I enjoyed the story. The main character did very little in the plot. In fact, there was little movement in the plot at all. And though there were moving scenes, the sadness got a bit cloying - it felt pointless, because it wasn't moving the story forward.
Jan 25, 2010
Shanshad
rated it:
Kind of read through this one today. Still frankly don't know what I was reading. There were too many shifts in perspective without a real sense of world definition to begin with. Also terribly depressing and heartwrenching scenarios, but not much in the way of characters to know and love.
Aug 25, 2008
Jenn
rated it:
I read an article about Catherine Banner that said she was being heralded as the next J.K. Rowling. Though I was impressed that she wrote this fantasy between the ages of 14-17 or so, (she's only like 20 now), I don't think I'd say it was worthy of comparrison to Harry Potter. The story was interesting, two young boys in different worlds are linked by family loyalties. The exiled King, Ryan, struggling under the burden of his responsibility to his kingdom, and the peasant Leo, trying to cope wit
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May 06, 2010
Jenn
rated it:
This was TERRIBLE! You had no idea who the characters were, the time period or location this was set it, or any descriptions whatsoever. It was like walking in on the middle of a conversation you know nothing about. Yuck!
Jan 08, 2011
Omi
rated it:
An absolutly gripping fantasy novel that keeps hanging to every word and totally emerses you in another relm where you feel you have become the character. Very well-done for a young author, which is quite encouraging!
Feb 20, 2010
Madeleine
rated it:
I could not put it down, despite the fact that it was really confusing at points because it did not tell you specific facts of what was happening. Maybe the next two books will explain more.
