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Celestine Chronicles #2
The Last Enchanter
Months have passed since Marcus and Kelvin succeeded in their quest to find the Rock of Ivanore. Kelvin is living as royalty in Dokur, and Marcus is studying magic with Zyll. When Fredric is murdered and Kelvin becomes king, Zyll and Marcus head for Dokur in hopes of protecting Kelvin from meeting the same fate, though it quickly becomes apparent that none of them are safe, and Marcus has had disturbing visions of Zyll's death. With the help of his old friends Clovis and Bryn, joined by new friend Lael, a feisty girl in search of her mother, Marcus uncovers a powerful secret that will change the course of his life forever.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 21, 2013
The Story-
Marcus is at home again after healing his brother Kelvin and figuring out about the Rock of Ivanore. Kelvin has stayed behind in Dukur to train as a royal, while Marcus is once again studying magic with Zyll. All is not well. Marcus suffers severe pain every time he tries to use magic, a result of bringing Kelvin back from near death, and Marcus swears to never use magic again.
When word of the king's death (murder) reaches Marcus, Zyll heads to Dokur to help Kelvin, leaving Marcus behind. However, Marcus sees a vision of Zyll's death and follows to warn and protect his grandfather. Clovis and Bryn join Marcus, along with Lael, a young girl from their village looking for her mother. Together they discover there is trouble in the Kingdom and secrets yet to be revealed.
My Thoughts-
A great fantasy sequel that will take readers on a journey into a new and magical world. The story takes place only months after the first book. Marcus is still a strong character, but the consequences of using his magic have affected him deeply. It took him so long in the first book to believe in himself, and now in the second he is hampered by pain. However, this brave boy is not stopped when he believes his grandfather's life is in danger. He heads out on a journey, ready to face what may come.
A new character is introduced, Lael. She is spunky and feisty and I love her character development. She comes from an abusive family, where her father beats her, and her mother was sold into slavery. Instead of cowering, she hides money away from her father for years, waiting until she has enough coin to buy her mother back. She obviously has an interest romantically in Marcus, but poor girl, he is oblivious. One thing that confused me was the ending where Lael finds her mother. When the woman is revealed it didn't quite jive right. There is no way the mother would not have recognized Lael's story and learned her name. But, as a motive, a missing mother drives Lael to progress in the plot.
I think I would have like a bit of a quest feeling when Marcus heads off to find the maker of the key. He heads into no-mans land, but the journey is way too easy and ends too fast. The conclusion of finding the key maker does reveal secrets to Marcus that advance the story and bring the whole book full circle, leading back to saving Kelvin and the kingdom.
There are a couple character twirks that bothered me, but the overall story is fun and imaginative. There are motifs of family, bravery and courage that are well developed and add action to the story. As the characters grow, I'm thinking that we will be moving into YA for the next book. Hopefully there will be one, because we end with a great revelation.
Marcus is at home again after healing his brother Kelvin and figuring out about the Rock of Ivanore. Kelvin has stayed behind in Dukur to train as a royal, while Marcus is once again studying magic with Zyll. All is not well. Marcus suffers severe pain every time he tries to use magic, a result of bringing Kelvin back from near death, and Marcus swears to never use magic again.
When word of the king's death (murder) reaches Marcus, Zyll heads to Dokur to help Kelvin, leaving Marcus behind. However, Marcus sees a vision of Zyll's death and follows to warn and protect his grandfather. Clovis and Bryn join Marcus, along with Lael, a young girl from their village looking for her mother. Together they discover there is trouble in the Kingdom and secrets yet to be revealed.
My Thoughts-
A great fantasy sequel that will take readers on a journey into a new and magical world. The story takes place only months after the first book. Marcus is still a strong character, but the consequences of using his magic have affected him deeply. It took him so long in the first book to believe in himself, and now in the second he is hampered by pain. However, this brave boy is not stopped when he believes his grandfather's life is in danger. He heads out on a journey, ready to face what may come.
A new character is introduced, Lael. She is spunky and feisty and I love her character development. She comes from an abusive family, where her father beats her, and her mother was sold into slavery. Instead of cowering, she hides money away from her father for years, waiting until she has enough coin to buy her mother back. She obviously has an interest romantically in Marcus, but poor girl, he is oblivious. One thing that confused me was the ending where Lael finds her mother. When the woman is revealed it didn't quite jive right. There is no way the mother would not have recognized Lael's story and learned her name. But, as a motive, a missing mother drives Lael to progress in the plot.
I think I would have like a bit of a quest feeling when Marcus heads off to find the maker of the key. He heads into no-mans land, but the journey is way too easy and ends too fast. The conclusion of finding the key maker does reveal secrets to Marcus that advance the story and bring the whole book full circle, leading back to saving Kelvin and the kingdom.
There are a couple character twirks that bothered me, but the overall story is fun and imaginative. There are motifs of family, bravery and courage that are well developed and add action to the story. As the characters grow, I'm thinking that we will be moving into YA for the next book. Hopefully there will be one, because we end with a great revelation.
November 7, 2013
The Last Enchanter by Laurisa White Reyes is the sequel to The Rock of Ivanore. Months have passed since Marcus and Kelvin completed their quest to find the Rock of Ivanore. Kelvin is living as royalty in Dokur, and Marcus is studying magic with Zyll. When Fredric is murdered and Kelvin becomes king, Zyll and Marcus head for Dokur in hopes of protecting Kelvin from meeting the same fate, though it quickly becomes apparent that none of them are safe, and Marcus has had disturbing visions of Zyll's death. With the help of his old friends Clovis and Bryn, joined by new friend Lael, a feisty girl in search of her mother, Marcus uncovers a powerful secret that will change the course of his life forever.
The Last Enchanter is a fabulous follow up to The Rock of Ivanore. Marcus is still a little immature, but growing in character and power. Kelvin is struggling in trusting in the people that have always surrounded his grandfather- which puts him and the entire kingdom in danger. The band of friends even when separated are solid characters, and include new members this time around. I loved the inclusion of Lael, although several of the twists involving her were ones that I predicted from the moment of her introduction. There were plenty of surprises, and lots of action to keep readers turning pages. My only frustration with Lael and Marcus was the reinforcement of the idea that boys and girls treat each other badly because they secretly like them. I do not want my son or daughter to think they should treat the ones they like badly, or accept others treating them that way as normal or a good thing. However, that was more of an after thought after completing the book than something that bothered me while reading. The journey in search of answers, and a way to save the entire kingdom from ruin, is just as clever and exciting as the first book. As a whole the story left me eager to see just where this group will wind up next.
The Last Enchanter is a book that I would recommend to all readers that love a good fantasy novel, but I do recommend reading The Rock of Ivanore first since it sets up the need for the sequel and offers readers a better understanding of the characters and politics. I cannot wait to see more from the author, and hopefully with these characters.
The Last Enchanter is a fabulous follow up to The Rock of Ivanore. Marcus is still a little immature, but growing in character and power. Kelvin is struggling in trusting in the people that have always surrounded his grandfather- which puts him and the entire kingdom in danger. The band of friends even when separated are solid characters, and include new members this time around. I loved the inclusion of Lael, although several of the twists involving her were ones that I predicted from the moment of her introduction. There were plenty of surprises, and lots of action to keep readers turning pages. My only frustration with Lael and Marcus was the reinforcement of the idea that boys and girls treat each other badly because they secretly like them. I do not want my son or daughter to think they should treat the ones they like badly, or accept others treating them that way as normal or a good thing. However, that was more of an after thought after completing the book than something that bothered me while reading. The journey in search of answers, and a way to save the entire kingdom from ruin, is just as clever and exciting as the first book. As a whole the story left me eager to see just where this group will wind up next.
The Last Enchanter is a book that I would recommend to all readers that love a good fantasy novel, but I do recommend reading The Rock of Ivanore first since it sets up the need for the sequel and offers readers a better understanding of the characters and politics. I cannot wait to see more from the author, and hopefully with these characters.
October 18, 2013
After I was done reading book 2 of the Celestine Chronicles, all I could think was "holy molly", over and over. It was hard to put my thoughts in order for a somewhat coherent review. All I want to say is "read this like NOW!" but I'm going to tell you what I enjoyed about it.
I would like to start with a small disclaimer. Book one had 14 years old characters and some crush, but it was easy for me to still categorize it as middle grade. This time around they are either 15 or pretty close to be (or older) and there was a kiss on the lips. That's where I personally draw my line and that's where a middle grade becomes a young adult for me (plus you have the age thing). So, since the series started on the high end of middle grade they are now moving into low young adult. I'm not complaining at all, just clarifying.
Alright, now for some gushing.
Let's talk about the stakes. They were so high in this book because people kept secrets, got betrayed, assassinated, imprisoned, thrown into an arena and so much more. It was hard to distinguish true allies from possible traitors and emotions ran pretty high, especially with Marcus.
Marcus who discovered more about his supposedly deceased mother in book one, now had a lot more on his plate. He had to travel into a very dangerous territory were fortunately he made some surprising allies. He needed to uncover more about his mother and hopefully in the process unmask the person who assassinated King Frederic. While all that was ongoing he found himself struggling with strong emotions of jealousy, love and pride.
I was hoping to get to know Kelvin a bit more but he became quite distant once he was the new King.
Jayson was his usual self, if not a bit more human and less Agoran.
The setting didn't change too much except for the introduction of Groc territory which added another layer of danger and darkness to their journey.
Things happened pretty fast and the urge to know who did what or when the characters were going to catch the bad guy(s) made this an absolute page turner.
I would like to start with a small disclaimer. Book one had 14 years old characters and some crush, but it was easy for me to still categorize it as middle grade. This time around they are either 15 or pretty close to be (or older) and there was a kiss on the lips. That's where I personally draw my line and that's where a middle grade becomes a young adult for me (plus you have the age thing). So, since the series started on the high end of middle grade they are now moving into low young adult. I'm not complaining at all, just clarifying.
Alright, now for some gushing.
Let's talk about the stakes. They were so high in this book because people kept secrets, got betrayed, assassinated, imprisoned, thrown into an arena and so much more. It was hard to distinguish true allies from possible traitors and emotions ran pretty high, especially with Marcus.
Marcus who discovered more about his supposedly deceased mother in book one, now had a lot more on his plate. He had to travel into a very dangerous territory were fortunately he made some surprising allies. He needed to uncover more about his mother and hopefully in the process unmask the person who assassinated King Frederic. While all that was ongoing he found himself struggling with strong emotions of jealousy, love and pride.
I was hoping to get to know Kelvin a bit more but he became quite distant once he was the new King.
Jayson was his usual self, if not a bit more human and less Agoran.
The setting didn't change too much except for the introduction of Groc territory which added another layer of danger and darkness to their journey.
Things happened pretty fast and the urge to know who did what or when the characters were going to catch the bad guy(s) made this an absolute page turner.
November 4, 2013
In THE LAST ENCHANTER, months have passed since they succeeded in their quest. One of the boys, Kelvin, is living as royalty in Dokur, and Marcus is studying magic with Zyll. When Lord Fredric is murdered and Kelvin becomes king, the Enchanter Zyll and Marcus head for Dokur in hopes of protecting Kelvin from meeting the same fate, though it quickly becomes apparent that none of them are safe, and Marcus has had disturbing visions of Zyll’s death. With the help of his old friends Clovis and Bryn, joined by new friend Lael, a feisty girl in search of her mother, Marcus uncovers a powerful secret that will change the course of his life forever.”
Opinion – This book is an AWESOME sequel to book 1 in the series, the Rock of Ivanore! I enjoyed The Rock of Ivanore because it is a great Middle Grade Fantasy book with a good plot and great characters. It is great to find a fantasy book for younger kids. For as much as I liked The Rock Of Ivanore, I enjoyed The Last Enchanter even more. First the cover of the book is really cool. I even like the expressions on the kid’s (Marcus and Lael’s) faces. I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover but it’s really what makes you pick it up in the store. The plot was exciting and keeps you turning the pages. I liked that some of the things from the first book are explained a bit better in this book. The action was exciting and the characters are very believable. I really liked the spunky new character, Lael. She is fun to read about. There are great plot twists and things revealed that are a total surprise. At 275 pages this kid-friendly fantasy novel is great for younger kids – or even older ones who want a great story with fabulous characters.
*NOTE I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Opinion – This book is an AWESOME sequel to book 1 in the series, the Rock of Ivanore! I enjoyed The Rock of Ivanore because it is a great Middle Grade Fantasy book with a good plot and great characters. It is great to find a fantasy book for younger kids. For as much as I liked The Rock Of Ivanore, I enjoyed The Last Enchanter even more. First the cover of the book is really cool. I even like the expressions on the kid’s (Marcus and Lael’s) faces. I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover but it’s really what makes you pick it up in the store. The plot was exciting and keeps you turning the pages. I liked that some of the things from the first book are explained a bit better in this book. The action was exciting and the characters are very believable. I really liked the spunky new character, Lael. She is fun to read about. There are great plot twists and things revealed that are a total surprise. At 275 pages this kid-friendly fantasy novel is great for younger kids – or even older ones who want a great story with fabulous characters.
*NOTE I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2013
Laurisa has put together an amazing world with characters so real, they could walk through the door, and you'd feel like you'd known them forever. The main character, Marcus, might be an enchanter's apprentice and of royal blood, but he still comes across as a normal boy with flaws and mistakes. His friends, with their fun banter and individual personalities, not only help him through even the tightest situation, but add the perfect amount of fun and spunk to the story.
The story around Marcus is very complex for the intended age group, and doesn't run the danger of talking down to them. If nothing else, I found some parts/themes in the story maybe a little too mature for this age group, although the writing itself fits very well. There's lots of action. I especially enjoyed the sword fighting scenes - terrific!
Although the main plot centers on Marcus, I enjoyed the sub-plots and the way they weaved together at the end. At times, I would have liked to see the story move along a little faster, but there were enough unanswered question and surprising twists to keep me reading. And the short chapter length was definitely a plus, giving the reader a chance to take a break and not loose their place.
The ending? Of course, I won't spoil it, but it has all the tension and adventure and discoveries that a fantasy like this needs.
The story around Marcus is very complex for the intended age group, and doesn't run the danger of talking down to them. If nothing else, I found some parts/themes in the story maybe a little too mature for this age group, although the writing itself fits very well. There's lots of action. I especially enjoyed the sword fighting scenes - terrific!
Although the main plot centers on Marcus, I enjoyed the sub-plots and the way they weaved together at the end. At times, I would have liked to see the story move along a little faster, but there were enough unanswered question and surprising twists to keep me reading. And the short chapter length was definitely a plus, giving the reader a chance to take a break and not loose their place.
The ending? Of course, I won't spoil it, but it has all the tension and adventure and discoveries that a fantasy like this needs.
October 21, 2013
A fun fantasy series with plenty of exciting twists. Marcus finds himself once again on a quest. This time it's to stop a plot to kill the new king, who happens to be Marcus's brother. But in the process he must avoid being killed himself and face new challenges not the least of which is a girl. Will his magical skills be enough to save him and his friends? And what about the dreams that seem so real?
I really enjoyed this, but I do recommend you read the first book in the series first, because a lot of things that happen in this book are directly connected to what happens in the first book. Marcus is an appealing character with unique abilities that scare him, especially since there seem to be some serious side affects to his previous magical use. His relationship with Lael made me roll my eyes and snicker at times because while it was obvious to me what was going on, Marcus was clueless for most of the story. I found myself quite involved in the story as the action starts quite quickly which is great since most middle grade readers won't keep reading if the story doesn't draw them in immediately. I think most kids will enjoy the action and adventure of this story. I'm definitely looking forward to reading book 3.
I really enjoyed this, but I do recommend you read the first book in the series first, because a lot of things that happen in this book are directly connected to what happens in the first book. Marcus is an appealing character with unique abilities that scare him, especially since there seem to be some serious side affects to his previous magical use. His relationship with Lael made me roll my eyes and snicker at times because while it was obvious to me what was going on, Marcus was clueless for most of the story. I found myself quite involved in the story as the action starts quite quickly which is great since most middle grade readers won't keep reading if the story doesn't draw them in immediately. I think most kids will enjoy the action and adventure of this story. I'm definitely looking forward to reading book 3.
November 20, 2013
THE LAST ENCHANTER is the sequel to THE ROCK OF IVANORE, and I definitely wished that I had read that first. I picked up most of the details, but I was confused about some bits, like why Marcus wasn't invited to court with his brother Kelvin, since he should be in line for the throne as well.
However, I still enjoyed THE LAST ENCHANTER. I wish the storyline about Lael, a childhood friend who tags along with Marcus when he sets out to warn his brother about an assassination threat, was better incorporated. It seemed like an attempt to shoehorn in a female character and a romance. I'm always up for more female characters, but it could've been a touch smoother.
THE LAST ENCHANTER is a good pick for young fans of traditional fantasy, with the caveat that the series should be read in order.
November 15, 2023
The adventures of Marcus continue as he tries to help others and conquer his own fears. Funny and engaging.
August 13, 2014
Marcus and Kelvin have gone their separate ways after their adventures in The Rock of Ivanore. While Kelvin studies governance with King Fredric, Marcus has gone back to Zyll to study magic. But when tragedy strikes and Fredric dies, Marcus fears Kelvin may be next, and he heads back to Dokur to protect his brother.
This is a lot tighter than the first book, and maintains Marcus as the primary point of view throughout. That's both good and bad. It helps the plot a lot not to bounce between twenty different people, but Marcus himself has gotten more frustrating. He's going through puberty, discovering girls (and mercilessly picking on Lael), and generally making life miserable for anyone who has to put up with him. I was surprised at his words to Bryn during one pivotal scene in the middle. In the first book, Marcus was the only one who would stand up for Bryn, so why is he the only one picking on Bryn now? I didn't buy how fast his relationship with Lael turns around. It also seemed odd that in such a small village no one seems to know Lael's father is a drunkard.
I like the new depths to power Marcus is discovering, along with the costs. I really liked that the spell he used to save Kelvin has had serious consequences, and how that has impacted Marcus's current views on magic; that was one thing that had bothered me from the first book. I like the fast-paced adventure, love the gryphon (though it doesn't show up until nearly the end), and like that the mystery of Ivanore keeps unfolding. The pendant Kelvin owned always seemed like it should be more, and here we get at least a little more idea about why it is special.
Some of the bad guys that the first book left alone get their due here, though now we're well into the webs of conspiracies that span the globe, and the book ends very definitely pointing to the next adventure (currently not yet published). If you liked the first book, this is a good followup. It would probably stand alone but given that it references so many characters from the first book it would make more sense to read them in order. I rate this book Neutral.
This is a lot tighter than the first book, and maintains Marcus as the primary point of view throughout. That's both good and bad. It helps the plot a lot not to bounce between twenty different people, but Marcus himself has gotten more frustrating. He's going through puberty, discovering girls (and mercilessly picking on Lael), and generally making life miserable for anyone who has to put up with him. I was surprised at his words to Bryn during one pivotal scene in the middle. In the first book, Marcus was the only one who would stand up for Bryn, so why is he the only one picking on Bryn now? I didn't buy how fast his relationship with Lael turns around. It also seemed odd that in such a small village no one seems to know Lael's father is a drunkard.
I like the new depths to power Marcus is discovering, along with the costs. I really liked that the spell he used to save Kelvin has had serious consequences, and how that has impacted Marcus's current views on magic; that was one thing that had bothered me from the first book. I like the fast-paced adventure, love the gryphon (though it doesn't show up until nearly the end), and like that the mystery of Ivanore keeps unfolding. The pendant Kelvin owned always seemed like it should be more, and here we get at least a little more idea about why it is special.
Some of the bad guys that the first book left alone get their due here, though now we're well into the webs of conspiracies that span the globe, and the book ends very definitely pointing to the next adventure (currently not yet published). If you liked the first book, this is a good followup. It would probably stand alone but given that it references so many characters from the first book it would make more sense to read them in order. I rate this book Neutral.
August 14, 2016
Today I finished reading 'The Last Enchanter' by Laurisa White Reyes. I was not aware there was a previous book, 'The Rock of Ivanore', in the series though that didn't matter. Even though I had not read the first book I was not left in the dark. Ms. Reyes wrote this book so well that I was able to read along with plenty of information from the previous book to understand what this story was about. Should you be lucky enough to get to read this book you will find it is definitely a page turner that will keep you captivated through and through. Since I didn't read the first book in this series you can bet I am sure to do so now and I can't wait! I would recommend this book for children from middle school to adults.
December 31, 2014
There were too many scenes where this just read like a poorer version of other fantasy books, as though the author read a lot of Eva Ibbotson, Diana Wynne Jones and others, and then played "pick an element" as she wrote this. Good editing (scenes dragged, as did the overall book) and a little more imagination would have made this a better read.
August 2, 2015
Nice conclusion to two-book series started with Rock of Ivanore.
Quite suitable for middle school, good guys win, bad guys lose, not too much death
Some magic.
Quite suitable for middle school, good guys win, bad guys lose, not too much death
Some magic.
Want to read
May 27, 2016I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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