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66th out of 312 books
—
497 voters
Secret of the Sirens (The Companions Quartet #1)
When eleven-year-old Connie is sent to live with her eccentric aunt by the sea, she's not expecting anything great?not to make friends with Col, the coolest guy in town, and certainly not to discover that mythical creatures still exist, that an ancient society has protected them for centuries, and that a dark and treacherous force is lurking in their midst.
Hardcover, 357 pages
Published
April 1st 2007
by Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
(first published 2006)
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Book One of the Companions Quartet. Eco-fantasy. A sometimes overtly environmental propaganda mixed with all sorts of mythic creatures and their human companions.
Connie, aged 11, is a petite, black-haired girl who is essentially a loner and an outcast. Because of her uncanny connection to animals and her ability to communicate with them, Connie has become isolated from everyone around her, including her parents and younger brother. In fact, her parents seem to regard her as more of an inconvenie...more
Connie, aged 11, is a petite, black-haired girl who is essentially a loner and an outcast. Because of her uncanny connection to animals and her ability to communicate with them, Connie has become isolated from everyone around her, including her parents and younger brother. In fact, her parents seem to regard her as more of an inconvenie...more
Secret of the Sirens is an enjoyable environmental fantasy for young readers. What happens when Connie Lionheart realizes that she has a unique talent? She finds herself in danger because she is a rare Universal Companion to animals—she can communicate with all animals, real and mythical. The reader will encounter mythical animals such as sirens, weather giants, dragons, dwarfs, unicorns, pegasi, and more. Because Connie is so unique, a powerful enemy takes an interest in her and is trying to ge...more
This book was recommended by my daughter. She found it, read it, and then dutifully left it on my pillow to read a couple of days ago. She has since read the second book and passed it along, too, and we just got it at the library yesterday.
These are very quick reads. I especially like that the author chooses to transition very quickly. When we know that the character needs to be at a certain location, the very next paragraph finds him/her there. Little is spent on descriptions of the setting (bu...more
These are very quick reads. I especially like that the author chooses to transition very quickly. When we know that the character needs to be at a certain location, the very next paragraph finds him/her there. Little is spent on descriptions of the setting (bu...more
There are middle-grade books and there are middle-grade books. By which I mean the SECRET OF THE SIRENS is a book I would NOT suggest for adults to pick up as a read for themselves. It's simply not got a plot line nor characters that are going to engage our jaded 'been there, done that' tastes.
I know that I could certainly foretell what was apt to happen in the next few chapters. But then again I've been reading for decades and decades, and to a more nascent reader this fantasy is going to be ju...more
I know that I could certainly foretell what was apt to happen in the next few chapters. But then again I've been reading for decades and decades, and to a more nascent reader this fantasy is going to be ju...more
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy books or mythology. It is written for middle schoolers and brings a lot of mythology into their modern world. The protagonist is Connie Lionheart, who moves in with her Aunt Evelyn. Her aunt is in an “environmental society” and Connie is eager to join, but knows little about the Society in the beginning. After it becomes clear that Connie is special and has a wonderful gift, she is invited into her aunt’s society and learns that it is so...more
My Take:
I really enjoyed this book – Connie is a great character, fully fleshed out and relate-able, especially for kids. It draws you in right from the beginning and captures your imagination. The story line is interesting – I love the resurgence of mythical creatures, both “good” and “bad.” The sirens are murderers, but like wild animals they are neither good nor evil – it is just their nature. I like that as a Universal, Connie has access to all of the creatures, and that she has the power to...more
I really enjoyed this book – Connie is a great character, fully fleshed out and relate-able, especially for kids. It draws you in right from the beginning and captures your imagination. The story line is interesting – I love the resurgence of mythical creatures, both “good” and “bad.” The sirens are murderers, but like wild animals they are neither good nor evil – it is just their nature. I like that as a Universal, Connie has access to all of the creatures, and that she has the power to...more
I don't know what it is about this novel, but it reminds me of the books for 4th-5th readers from ten years ago. It's slower-paced than many of the childrens fantasy novels that have come out recently, and it seems like a slow start to a series, but the series seems promising. I'll probably pick the the rest since they're such quick reads, and see if the series fulfills that promise.
I like the fact that the protagonist of the series is a girl, but she doesn't act stereotypically girly, nor is sh...more
I like the fact that the protagonist of the series is a girl, but she doesn't act stereotypically girly, nor is sh...more
This book started out quite promising but ended up quite boring. It wasn't a bad story, but a lot of the pages felt wasted. Parts of it, I thought should have had more breath than they did while others left me fighting the urge to skip pages because they were utterly pointless.
The characters weren't very fleshed out, either, which was a disappointment. Connie was discribed as 'shy' but I never once saw her portrayed as such, which made the parts when the author randomly pointed out said 'oh but...more
The characters weren't very fleshed out, either, which was a disappointment. Connie was discribed as 'shy' but I never once saw her portrayed as such, which made the parts when the author randomly pointed out said 'oh but...more
Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding is a book about a young girl named Connie Lionheart who is sent to live with her eccentric Aunt Evelyn in Hescombe. When she arrives she learns of the mysterious Society, a group that her aunt has joined that seems extremely involved with animals and the environment. When Connie tries to take the test to enter, everything gets rather crazy and she learns she has powers she never would have dreamed of. Now Connie is a unique member of the Society for the Prot...more
A very Harry Potter-esque book, involving mythical creatures instead of magic, and with a female as the lead, complete with an uber-rare gift and subsequent celebrity status in her circle of fellows known as the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures. And let's not forget a dark and deadly enemy, a shapeshifter known as Kullervo, who has grown in power over the years and wants to use our heroine, Connie, to destroy the society and all humans in order to give the world back to the mythi...more
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This series is basically the adventures of a female Percy Jackson, minus the mythological parentage.
Its the fun story of a society that was created ages ago to protect all the mythical creatures from mankind. Basically it was this society that spread the word from pulpit to tap room that creatures such as unicorns, dragons, and the like do not exist. Over time, the rest of humanity believed them, and the society has been shuffling the creatures around ever since.
But of course after a few centuri...more
Its the fun story of a society that was created ages ago to protect all the mythical creatures from mankind. Basically it was this society that spread the word from pulpit to tap room that creatures such as unicorns, dragons, and the like do not exist. Over time, the rest of humanity believed them, and the society has been shuffling the creatures around ever since.
But of course after a few centuri...more
I was utterly charmed by this very fascinating first book in a new quartet by Julia Golding. I only "discovered" Julia Golding about a year ago, but if she continues in this fashion, she'll soon become a new favourite fantasy author.
What I really loved about Secret of the Sirens is that it's not as much about magic as about special abilities, and it takes place in our world. Too many fantasy authors invite new worlds, and that is occasionally necessary, but I think it takes a special talent to w...more
What I really loved about Secret of the Sirens is that it's not as much about magic as about special abilities, and it takes place in our world. Too many fantasy authors invite new worlds, and that is occasionally necessary, but I think it takes a special talent to w...more
I would probably rate this one 3.5 stars. My son chose these books and we are reading them together. This is a "green" fantasy book where certain special people have an innate connection with mythical creatures (which aren't quite so mythical after all, just extremely well hidden in their reduced numbers). While all the other members of this very secret society have a connection with one specific species, Connie Lionheart finds out that she is what is called a Universal. One who can connect and...more
Dec 06, 2011
Samantha
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Mythical Creature Companions
Very interesting book! I was extremely surprised. At first I felt some resistance when I began, but once I caught onto the book's current, I couldn't fight it anymore.
I really like the general story idea. This was built on quite nicely. Each layer placed on top fit nicely. The characters were extremely likable. I am looking forward to another adventure with Connie and Col. I would very much like to see a romantic touch added in the future. I caught a little glimpse towards the end, but I would...more
I really like the general story idea. This was built on quite nicely. Each layer placed on top fit nicely. The characters were extremely likable. I am looking forward to another adventure with Connie and Col. I would very much like to see a romantic touch added in the future. I caught a little glimpse towards the end, but I would...more
Interesting book. The environmental message is not subtle by any means, but that doesn't necessarily diminish its importance. It's a little unclear what the motivation is of all the characters (there are a lot of them), but since this is a quartet maybe they get cleared up in later books. There is no real conclusion to the story - you definitely will need to keep reading the rest of the series to find out what happens. Decent amount of suspense and a pretty straight-forward plot so far - I have...more
This book is about this secret society that discovers that this girl, Connie, is the universal companion. Her mission is to save the humans from the attack of Kullervo. Kullervo is a mythical creature that wants to have revenge of people because they have taken a lot of things from all mythical creatures. Kullervo has many mythical creatures that are on his side. Connie has to train and find a way to destroy him and to control herself from joining his side. I think this book is a little bit chal...more
11-year-old Connie comes to stay with her odd aunt Evelyn on the Cornish coast, and soon discovers that Evelyn belongs to an ancient secret society dedicated to the protection of mythical creatures such as sirens, unicorns, and dragons. And it turns out that Connie is a universal, able to communicate with all creatures through a special bond. Will she be able to take a stand against the evil and frightening Kullervo? Disappointing and a little boring after Golding's captivating Dragonfly. It jus...more
I was completely absorbed in this book, it encouraged me to read quite a few more fantasy books instead of sci-fi and horror, I LOVED reading this book, it was surprising, with drama and action if anyone liked this I recommend all of Julia Golding's books,she is an amazing author that people of all ages will appeal to. The best thing about it is, unlike most books it shows the point of view from both characters instead of the main character, modern books usually have the story told from the main...more
Bottom line, I was disappointed. The main character was appealing, but her relationships with her aunt and friends just did not seem well-developed or realistic. And I just could not connect with the way that the mythological creatures were presented. They just seemed to come across very stilted and stereotyped. And then side-theme of "the big bad oil company against the environment" just strikes me as way overdone. Maybe later books in the series get better, but I gave up about halfway thru thi...more
A very interesting start, 4.5 stars. There is nothing major wrong in this book, in fact the only reason I took off half a star is because the main characters' names annoy me, but not enough to make me dislike the book (Colin and Connie....-_-) But the story is engaging and interesting, and the world depicted unique. The characters are fresh, although one wonders why Connie is the 'universal' and what this spells out for the future.
There are more in this series, this a note to track down the othe...more
There are more in this series, this a note to track down the othe...more
I think it is a very good because when Connie is sent to live with her aunt by the sea, she’s not expecting anything much – not to make friends with Col, the coolest boy in town, and certainly not to discover that mythical creatures still exist, that an ancient society has protected them for centuries and that a dark and powerful force is now trying to destroy it. Above all, she doesn’t expect to discover that she has a special talent – greater even than her secret ability to talk to animals – w...more
Kind of dumb. I'm barely staggering to finish at this point. A couple of issues:
A) It's a FREAKING SEAGULL!!! Get over it!
B) Hardly any charecterization past the initial labels she manufactured for all her characters.
C) almost no physical description of the human characters, though the imagery on the mythical creatures is very nice.
D) She is missing something obvious. Kullervo is a shapeshifter. This is not usually just used for impressing people. it is the ultimate spy power. Kullervo could...more
A) It's a FREAKING SEAGULL!!! Get over it!
B) Hardly any charecterization past the initial labels she manufactured for all her characters.
C) almost no physical description of the human characters, though the imagery on the mythical creatures is very nice.
D) She is missing something obvious. Kullervo is a shapeshifter. This is not usually just used for impressing people. it is the ultimate spy power. Kullervo could...more
Connie Lionheart is sent to live with her non-caring aunt by the sea. During her stay, she finds out that mythical creatures are real, and the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures have been doing just that- protecting creatures from the eyes of humans. Connie is a Universal, and she can speak to all creatures. Only she can stop the Sirens, who have been manipulated by Kullervo (the enemy), to attack the humans that have been destroying their homes. In the end she does do it, but read...more
I found this book to be very interesting. It had good plot and was thorough. Some of the book really hit the ground hard.... and dragged. You know that part of the book where you look around to make sure no one is watching and then you hastily skip a couple pages just so you can make it through the chapter without falling a sleep... other than those few parts the book was excellent. Quickly about the characters... I liked the protagonist, for once, Connie was her name, though i did not appreciat...more
To take a break from the Fifty Shades madness I decided to read some younger fiction as I'm now more involved with the children's section in Waterstones, where I work. I always feel uncomfortable recommending something I haven't read and someone suggested I re-start my 9-12's knowledge with some Julia Golding. This I did. Which you guessed because you, dear reader, are clever.
This series is about Connie a girl who gets on reaaallly well with animals, which is emphasised about every sentence on e...more
This series is about Connie a girl who gets on reaaallly well with animals, which is emphasised about every sentence on e...more
I’m a huge fan of the pencil sketch at the start of every chapter – it’s one of my favourite aspects of Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series – so when I opened up this book and saw the first pencil sketch I was immediately inclined to like it and I have to say the actual words in the book didn’t dim my inclination at any point. In fact, they enhanced it. What I particularly like about Julia Golding’s writing is that it’s peppered with beautiful turns of phrase and wonderfully original metaphors. Ju...more
When I added this book to my to-read list and finally got it from the library, I had no idea that it was a children's book :p At first I did not want to go on reading it because of that. But I had already started and I should say it was a good read though a longer one. The story is about a girl named Connie Lionheart: a strange 11 year old girl who recently moved into the small coastal town of Hescombe with her aunt. Connie's life is anything but normal.She can talk to animals. Her aunt isn't to...more
Connie Lionheart is living with her aunt in a remote English fishing village when she discovers that she is a "Universal Companion" to mythical creatures. This means that she can communicate with a plethora of mystical beings that most humans believe are fairy tales or myths including Sirens, Pegasi, dragons, unicorns and the Kraken. This talent is important since the Sirens have been killing men working on a new, nearby oil refinery because it threatens their habitat, and someone needs to stop...more
Wow - loving this fantasy world created by Ms. Golding. It has all the mythological creatures one could want along with their "companions" - their chosen human soulmates. What happens, however, when one human child could be a soulmate to any of them, not just one? That's the premise of this series following Connie Lionheart, exiled to her crazy aunt's home after having been kicked out of yet another school due to all the animals that flock to her during class time.
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Julia Golding grew up on the edge of Epping Forest. After reading English at Cambridge, she joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland.
On leaving Poland, she exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. She then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of c...more
More about Julia Golding...
On leaving Poland, she exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. She then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of c...more
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“There is no mythical creatures just creatures man ran in to hiding.”
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20. Dezember, 21:26 Uhr