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Oct 09, 2008

Danielle rated it:

The Hound of Rowan set the tone for this exciting series--introducing us to the intriguing characters and world of Rowan Academy with warmth, humor and a fantastical dose of magic. The Second Siege turns that world upside down, starting with the arrival of a mysterious visitor who sets events into motion that will change Max's life—-and the world at large--forever.

Max and his roommate David embark on an epic journey that takes them away from the safety of Rowan into the chaos around th More...

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Nov 14, 2011

Marley rated it:

The Second Siege starts off easy before launching its characters abruptly into a chaotic adventure that takes them into new and unfamiliar environments. Suffice to say, The Second Siege is significantly more action-packed than The Hound of Rowan. Without spoiling too much I will say that a good deal of world building is wrapped up in this book as readers are introduced to some of the various factions and powers working behind the scenes. Or, perhaps, not so much behind the scenes as they origina More...

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Sep 20, 2011

Gary rated it:

Where "The Hound of Rowan: Book One of the Tapestry" sets the table, "The Second Siege: Book Two of the Tapestry" serves the feast. I was drawn pleasantly along in the first book sensing a story with remarkable potential and then like a roller coaster making its slow inexorable rise to the summit, the second book drops into free fall and you're on your way for a thrilling ride. All the characters you've come to know, the hero Max McDaniels, David Menlo, Conner, the enigmatic More...

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Apr 24, 2009

Saffy rated it:

This book bothered me so much, I was just like, rolling my eyes and sighing frustratedly every few minutes. Ugh. Okay, so this'll probably be more of a rant than a review, but whatev.

Characters: 4/10

Okay, so, first we have this Max person, who's gonna save the world (and you know it!) and who's also, y'know, 13, and the author makes him act like he's 30. I mean, honestly. I hate authors who write children like adults. Interestingly, these writers are almost always adul More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 12, 2011

slayra rated it:

RATING: 3 estrelas.

Após ter ficado algo desiludida com o primeiro livro desta série, entrei na leitura de "O Segundo Cerco" com expectativas algo baixas. Talvez tenha sido um pouco por isso que este segundo livro da série me agradou mais do que o primeiro; mas creio que o facto de o autor ter passado muito mais tempo a desenvolver o seu mundo e as personagens também contribuíram para que este livro fosse bem mais interessante do que o seu predecessor.

Passou um a More...

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Sep 14, 2009

Krista (One Love) (Critical) rated it:

This series is so annoying. I mean, it's good...but I was annoyed the entire time I was reading it. First of all, it really annoys me how Davis is supposedly some amazing person that Max must protect with his life, because he's the only one that can save the world...I mean, David isn't even the main character, yet he's the one who saves them during pretty much every situation, whih I found strange considering what a coward he is. I mean, he was terrified of a ghost, yet he was eager to summon th More...

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Jun 21, 2010

Jane rated it:

Max McDaniels’ story continues from The Tapestry, #1. His father has come to live at Rowan Academy, the secret school where Max has been training to develop and control his special abilities. The world has become a much darker place, and the apparent fate of all things good rests in the hands of Max and his roommate, David. The two adolescents, however, have been intensely training and preparing for the challenges before them. The characters of their closest companions, the faculty, and the More...

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Apr 16, 2009

The Library Lady rated it:

Someone commented that this reminded them of The Two Towers, the second book of "The Lord of the Rings" and that's how I felt about it.
It's the book you slog through hoping for a great finale in book 3, with only a few good bits that get you through the rest.

There is little character development--Max and David become cardboard epic figures, though in David's case he mostly seems to get injured and then spout out something that will move the plot along. Most of their c More...

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Jun 08, 2010

Ashlee rated it:

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

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Mar 01, 2011

Darth rated it:

"The Second Siege" is a bold and powerful sequel to the "Hound of Rowan" in which Henry Neff transforms his series from a "Harry Potter" tribute to a grim and rich epic fantasy, full with mythology and action. In his second year at the Rowan Academy, David Mehlo, the best friend of Max, is wanted as an apprentice from a sect of powerful witches, who claim him because of an ancient deal with the legendary Elias Bram. David and Max are force to leave the Academy with More...

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Jun 05, 2008

Henry rated it:

I'm very excited about this book - the second in The Tapestry series. It is an altogether bigger book - the pace, scale, and stakes all jump a notch relative to the first book, The Hound of Rowan: Book One of the Tapestry. I hope you enjoy it! Henry Neff

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 26, 2011

Sheila rated it:

Don't be fooled by the beginning of the first book (The Hound of Rowan) in Henry H. Neff's "The Tapestry" series into thinking this is just another Harry Potter imitation. Yes, it starts off with a 12-year-old boy finding out that he has magical talents qualifying him to attend a special school, Rowan Academy. But the story goes in a very different direction from what's expected, and in Book 2 we're deep into Irish myth. Only a relatively small portion of this book takes place at the s More...

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Aug 03, 2011

Kim-the-girl rated it:

Man, I really like these books. And, to me, the similarities between HP and this are less and less apparent. Its just a fun, easy magical story. The characters are just so enjoyable. The story moves at a pace that is quick, but I didn't feel like it rushed through things as can happen in juvenile fiction. There was some predictability in terms of one story arc, but there are so many other things happening that I didn't expect that I wasn't bothered by it. And I always keep in mind that its More...

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May 20, 2010

Mary rated it:

WHY oh WHY would a potentially good author go from deep adventure/challenge, nicely developing characters to utter world devastation and despair in the turn of a page?? Literally, one page to the next a third of the way through this second book. Sorry, I can't deal with that much darkness and hopelessness. Tolkien knew the need for bright moments, hope, the possibility of winning through when darkness hit. Unfortunately, Neff isn't into any of that. Reading ahead on Amazon to the third book, I s More...

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Mar 12, 2009

Tessa rated it:

I am going to dare say that I was way more involved with the characters in this book than I was with the characters in Harry Potter. And this is just the second book! Since comparisons are inevitable, I am also going to say that I admired the way Neff brought the outside world into the magical world (or vice versa) much more than Rowling did, and how he acknowledged the tension between magic and technology--how they antagonized and benefited each other.

There were 2 parts where I More...

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Jul 04, 2011

Magila rated it:

this was on its way to a four. and then, craziness ensued! while the book is obviously part of a series, this book also has independent reading appeal, and you almost might just want to jump right in here.

the second siege has so much going on, from start to finish. you wonder if the story will go in a certain direction. or if a plot line in the sand will be crossed. then it's crossed by the author, who not only crosses it, but seemed to be wearing a freaking jetpack! it lived up More...

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Apr 07, 2009

Carla rated it:

I really enjoyed this second installment of the Tapestry series. Neff did a much better job keeping the story flowing this time, less jumping around. This book is longer, has more action and is pretty dark. This may be a little much for the younger crowd. The continuous struggle with good versus evil involves characters at all levels not just the main characters, which I found refreshing. There were two parts of the story that were reminiscent of Rowlings Harry Potter series. I feel Neff c More...

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Dec 06, 2011

Heather rated it:

I gave it 4 stars for the average family rating - as the kids really enjoyed it (although we did, too). The author hit it just right for the boys age 10&up range, although Lucy enjoyed it despite lack of a strong female protagonist. I enjoyed the tie in to Celtic myth - which I have learned was all accurate to real Celtic sagas (now that I finished my Celtic history book!). I doubt too many kids know the Celtic myths and get those connections, but I don't think it's terribly important to the More...

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May 21, 2010

Melissa rated it:

This is the second in the series and I'm excited for the next book. There will be four books total.

I really enjoyed that its not that predictable and that the characters are pretty fleshed out. I also love how he's created a modern fantasy mixed with mythology.

And to be honest... this book really brought out the imaginative girl in me that so often is ignored for the get-her-done mom I've become. Basically, I'd love to go to Rowan Academy and pick my charge and have the More...

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Sep 29, 2008

Cindy rated it:

I was so disappointed in the first book, it didn't live up to anything that I thought it would be. But boy did Neff change as a writer from book 1 to 2. There is so much more depth to this book then the 1st, first off he learns to write better, so it isn't always "____ said" "_____ asked" which is a step up. There is also more action in this book, which flows nicer together then the first one. I do love the action, which is described nicely.

A few things I didn't More...

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Sep 26, 2011

Karolinde (Kari) rated it:

The Second Seige follows Max and David as the go in search of the Book of Thoth in an attempt to thwart the evil demon Astaroth. The book deals a lot with the penalty for arrogance. I enjoyed it more than the first book of the series, but I am still quite curious about David. We learn so much about Max and still know next to nothing about David.

I admire Neff's courage. It is not easy to let a book end the way this one does. There is always the danger of losing your audience.

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Jul 11, 2010

Kylie rated it:

The last page of this book says, "The Tapestry, Book 3: The Fiend and the Forge. Available Sept. 2009."

Bad news: the 3rd book won't be released until November 2010! Bummer!

I thought the first book of this series was good, but this book was so much better! It's almost up there with Harry Potter, but you know how mean it is to compare anything to HP.

Four stars in my book. If Neff keeps up the good work, the next installment will rock. I'm saving my 5 s More...

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Aug 06, 2009

Alice rated it:

As usual, good faces evil, and a young protagonist (actually a pair of boys) are the key to saving the world. In book 2 of the series, young Max learns more about his own identity and his strengths, while helping his friend David find the secret book that might be a promise to save the future.

Also as usual, the series that started innocently as a school story for juvenile readers becomes very grim and gruesome. I'm still interested enough to want to read book 3 when it comes out.

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Jun 11, 2010

Lady Celtic rated it:

This is a likable book and I enjoy the adventure, but it doesn't have quite the finesse that J.K. Rowling or even Stephenie Meyer bring to their stories (Cami, quit rolling your eyes!). It feels like Neff tends to lose track of vital details and throws them back into the plot at random OR in thinking that his readers are NOT stupid, fails to explain something that I don't find particularly obvious. Other than that, it's a fun little story.

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Mar 30, 2009

Emily rated it:

The first book is midway between Artemis Fowl (where there is super duper magic technology and everything is tongue and cheek) and Harry Potter (no technology all magic, and a more serious tone). This book is darker, not as much humor, but it moves quickly. I liked it, but not as well as the first. And of course being the middle book of a trilogy it doesn't stand alone very well.

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Sep 04, 2010

Anne rated it:

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, The Hound of Rowan, but this sequel left me somewhat dissatisfied. There were a few narrative inconsistencies that took me out of the story, and two plot devices that, unfortunately, reminded me of Harry Potter. This last especially disappointed me because I defended the first book against charges of Harry Potter-ness. Still, there's a lot to like about this series. I especially like the Irish myth and legend, and this book even features Scathach, the war More...

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Jul 02, 2010

Amanda rated it:

Still uneven. Frustrating almost at times, how the story didn't flow but rather bumped along (by this point, some of the blame must rest on the editor). My library doesn't have the third book, but at this point I'm not sure that I want to read it. So much was unbelievable, yes, even for a fantasy(!) that it made the plot difficult to swallow. Too much Deus ex machina!

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Dec 15, 2009

Amy rated it:

WOW. Couldn't be much MORE different from the first book. While I thought the first one was a Harry Potter knock off that was pretty fun, this one is much more Tolkein than Rowling. Very brutal with great characters and real emotion. Really really good. I get lost in some fantasy books because they get too silly and I just don't care about the characters, but this was quite good.

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Feb 24, 2009

Tammy rated it:

Just finished and loved it just as much as the first - did not disappoint! The characters continued to grow and the plot moved along but was still fresh and interesting - love the Frankfurt Workshop scenes, great imagery - you really feel apart of these worlds the characters visit. Can't wait for book three!

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Apr 05, 2010

Melanie rated it:

I am really enjoying this series. However, unless you have a knack for remembering complex plot lines from years back, these books need to be read close together. The author does not do a good job of giving quick explanations for characters, creatures and events in the previous book. For example, readers are introduced to Nick, the Lymrill, but it is not explained what he is until several pages later.

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