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Brotherhood of the Conch #2
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming
In a pristine valley hidden in the Himalayas, Anand has a disturbing vision. His mentor and spiritual guide, the Master Healer Abhaydatta, is apparently in grave danger. What should he do? If he conveys this information to his elders, he'll waste precious time. But is it wise to take matters into his own hands?
Anand makes his choice and embarks on a spectacular adventure that takes him not only across contemporary India but also several hundred years into the past to the time of the Moghul rulers. There he encounters powerful sorcerers, a haughty and arrogant prince, and a jinn capable of unspeakable magic.
Anand makes his choice and embarks on a spectacular adventure that takes him not only across contemporary India but also several hundred years into the past to the time of the Moghul rulers. There he encounters powerful sorcerers, a haughty and arrogant prince, and a jinn capable of unspeakable magic.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
8 people are currently reading
690 people want to read
About the author
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
62 books7,019 followersChitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author and poet. Her themes include the Indian experience, contemporary America, women, immigration, history, myth, and the joys and challenges of living in a multicultural world. Her work is widely known, as she has been published in over 50 magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker, and her writing has been included in over 50 anthologies. Her works have been translated into 29 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi and Japanese. Divakaruni also writes for children and young adults.Her novels One Amazing Thing, Oleander Girl, Sister of My Heart and Palace of Illusions are currently in the process of being made into movies. http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/books.... Her newest novel is Before We Visit the Goddess (about 3 generations of women-- grandmother, mother and daughter-- who each examine the question "what does it mean to be a successful woman.") Simon & Schuster.
She was born in India and lived there until 1976, at which point she left Calcutta and came to the United States. She continued her education in the field of English by receiving a Master’s degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
To earn money for her education, she held many odd jobs, including babysitting, selling merchandise in an Indian boutique, slicing bread in a bakery, and washing instruments in a science lab. At Berkeley, she lived in the International House and worked in the dining hall. She briefly lived in Illinois and Ohio, but has spent much of her life in Northern California, which she often writes about. She now lives in Texas, which has found its way into her upcoming book, Before We Visit the Goddess.
Chitra currently teaches in the nationally ranked Creative Writing program at the Univ. of Houston. She serves on the Advisory board of Maitri in the San Francisco Bay Area and Daya in Houston. Both these are organizations that help South Asian or South Asian American women who find themselves in abusive or domestic violence situations. She is also closely involved with Pratham, an organization that helps educate children (especially those living in urban slums) in India.
She has judged several prestigious awards, such as the National Book Award and the PEN Faulkner Award.
Two of her books, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into movies by filmmakers Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges (an English film) and Suhasini Mani Ratnam (a Tamil TV serial) respectively. Her novels One Amazing Thing and Palace of Illusions have currently been optioned for movies. Her book Arranged Marriage has been made into a play and performed in the U.S. and (upcoming, May) in Canada. River of Light, an opera about an Indian woman in a bi-cultural marriage, for which she wrote the libretto, has been performed in Texas and California.
She lives in Houston with her husband Murthy. She has two sons, Anand and Abhay (whose names she has used in her children’s novels).
Chitra loves to connect with readers on her Facebook author page, www.facebook.com/chitradivakaruni, and on Twitter, @cdivakaruni.
For more information about her books, please visit http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
She was born in India and lived there until 1976, at which point she left Calcutta and came to the United States. She continued her education in the field of English by receiving a Master’s degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
To earn money for her education, she held many odd jobs, including babysitting, selling merchandise in an Indian boutique, slicing bread in a bakery, and washing instruments in a science lab. At Berkeley, she lived in the International House and worked in the dining hall. She briefly lived in Illinois and Ohio, but has spent much of her life in Northern California, which she often writes about. She now lives in Texas, which has found its way into her upcoming book, Before We Visit the Goddess.
Chitra currently teaches in the nationally ranked Creative Writing program at the Univ. of Houston. She serves on the Advisory board of Maitri in the San Francisco Bay Area and Daya in Houston. Both these are organizations that help South Asian or South Asian American women who find themselves in abusive or domestic violence situations. She is also closely involved with Pratham, an organization that helps educate children (especially those living in urban slums) in India.
She has judged several prestigious awards, such as the National Book Award and the PEN Faulkner Award.
Two of her books, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into movies by filmmakers Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges (an English film) and Suhasini Mani Ratnam (a Tamil TV serial) respectively. Her novels One Amazing Thing and Palace of Illusions have currently been optioned for movies. Her book Arranged Marriage has been made into a play and performed in the U.S. and (upcoming, May) in Canada. River of Light, an opera about an Indian woman in a bi-cultural marriage, for which she wrote the libretto, has been performed in Texas and California.
She lives in Houston with her husband Murthy. She has two sons, Anand and Abhay (whose names she has used in her children’s novels).
Chitra loves to connect with readers on her Facebook author page, www.facebook.com/chitradivakaruni, and on Twitter, @cdivakaruni.
For more information about her books, please visit http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 4, 2020
I am a big time Chitra Banerjee fan. I want to write exactly the books she does.
But this novel is really strange and childish and inexplicable. I haven’t read the first part (and I doubt I will), but this sequel was decidedly like an Indianized version of Harry Potter - I wonder if anyone noticed? Not insinuating that it has anything at all to do with HP. But I kept going into deja vu.
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming: The Mirror of Erised
Silver Valley = Hogwarts (Mimics exterior)
Crystal Hall = Great Hall (Transparent, portrays exterior)
Conch= Sorting Hat
Teachers named after each ‘expertise’ like air, water, healing, herbology
On the first day, Anand cannot perform well in magic, just like Harry.
Just like Hogwarts, the Silver Valley expands and contracts. ‘An element of adventure in their wanderings’ just like Harry had in discovering new passages and rooms.
Pearls by Abhaydatta = Mirror by Sirius
A dream/sight is misguiding (52): Harry’s dream of Sirius being caught inside Ministry of Magic
A portal opened, just like a portkey
Obliterating parents’ memory like Hermione
Vanishing spells and invisibility cloaks/spells
Itfrit eating the men’s spirits like Voldemort did on living beings, and demanding a powerful spirit (like Harry) - 109
The novel roused strong emotions in me at times. I was thrilled, or excited, or scared. But overall, not a novel I would recommend. My second least favorite novel from the writer.
But this novel is really strange and childish and inexplicable. I haven’t read the first part (and I doubt I will), but this sequel was decidedly like an Indianized version of Harry Potter - I wonder if anyone noticed? Not insinuating that it has anything at all to do with HP. But I kept going into deja vu.
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming: The Mirror of Erised
Silver Valley = Hogwarts (Mimics exterior)
Crystal Hall = Great Hall (Transparent, portrays exterior)
Conch= Sorting Hat
Teachers named after each ‘expertise’ like air, water, healing, herbology
On the first day, Anand cannot perform well in magic, just like Harry.
Just like Hogwarts, the Silver Valley expands and contracts. ‘An element of adventure in their wanderings’ just like Harry had in discovering new passages and rooms.
Pearls by Abhaydatta = Mirror by Sirius
A dream/sight is misguiding (52): Harry’s dream of Sirius being caught inside Ministry of Magic
A portal opened, just like a portkey
Obliterating parents’ memory like Hermione
Vanishing spells and invisibility cloaks/spells
Itfrit eating the men’s spirits like Voldemort did on living beings, and demanding a powerful spirit (like Harry) - 109
The novel roused strong emotions in me at times. I was thrilled, or excited, or scared. But overall, not a novel I would recommend. My second least favorite novel from the writer.
August 2, 2012
I was not too impressed with The Conch Bearer, but I checked out the sequel because I was curious if Divakaruni would undo the WTF ending of the former (no), and because the sequel had such an intriguing premise: Anand is transported back to Mughal times!
I liked this much more than The Conch Bearer, though mostly for the same reasons I liked what I did like of that: the atmosphere is fantastic, and I was more interested in the setting. Also the plot, though not what I’d call startling, was much less clichéd, some of the magic was pretty cool, and the ending wasn’t bizarre.
When Anand’s mentor disappears, Anand borrows the magic conch and goes to the rescue, ending up in a ruined palace in the jungle listening to some evil dude info-dumping his evil plotting to a jinn. Anand leaps through a magic mirror to escape, and lands in the court of Haider Ali (an actual historic figure.) There he finds himself in the body of a servant boy, his mentor impersonating an elephant trainer, his pal Nisha amnesiacally inhabiting the body of Haider Ali’s niece, and the evil dude plotting away.
The characterization is simple at best, but the vivid sensual detail makes you feel like you’re there at that court with Anand, pulling a heavy punkah in the stifling heat and longing for a sip of the prince’s fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice. The effect is a bit like watching paper dolls against a real background. There is a knack for characterization in children’s books, and Divakaruni doesn’t have it. (Her adult books which I’ve read don’t have this problem.)
There's also a failure to think through one of the premises. It was never explained whether Anand and Nisha were spirits inhabiting real (past) people's bodies, or whether they were in their own bodies and everyone's memories had changed so they thought Nisha and Anand always been there. This is a big omission, since it becomes a serious question whether Nisha will stay. I would have liked to know whether her staying would change history (since she hadn't existed before) or if it wouldn't because she'd be taking over the body of a real historical person (poor person!)
Though there’s a moment near the end when I nearly flung the book across the room, it turned out to be a false alarm. The ending did not make me boggle in a bad way after all.
You can read this without reading the first book, as Anand recaps its entire plot in the Mirror of Fire and Dreaming. In fact, he does so twice.
I liked this much more than The Conch Bearer, though mostly for the same reasons I liked what I did like of that: the atmosphere is fantastic, and I was more interested in the setting. Also the plot, though not what I’d call startling, was much less clichéd, some of the magic was pretty cool, and the ending wasn’t bizarre.
When Anand’s mentor disappears, Anand borrows the magic conch and goes to the rescue, ending up in a ruined palace in the jungle listening to some evil dude info-dumping his evil plotting to a jinn. Anand leaps through a magic mirror to escape, and lands in the court of Haider Ali (an actual historic figure.) There he finds himself in the body of a servant boy, his mentor impersonating an elephant trainer, his pal Nisha amnesiacally inhabiting the body of Haider Ali’s niece, and the evil dude plotting away.
The characterization is simple at best, but the vivid sensual detail makes you feel like you’re there at that court with Anand, pulling a heavy punkah in the stifling heat and longing for a sip of the prince’s fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice. The effect is a bit like watching paper dolls against a real background. There is a knack for characterization in children’s books, and Divakaruni doesn’t have it. (Her adult books which I’ve read don’t have this problem.)
There's also a failure to think through one of the premises. It was never explained whether Anand and Nisha were spirits inhabiting real (past) people's bodies, or whether they were in their own bodies and everyone's memories had changed so they thought Nisha and Anand always been there. This is a big omission, since it becomes a serious question whether Nisha will stay. I would have liked to know whether her staying would change history (since she hadn't existed before) or if it wouldn't because she'd be taking over the body of a real historical person (poor person!)
Though there’s a moment near the end when I nearly flung the book across the room, it turned out to be a false alarm. The ending did not make me boggle in a bad way after all.
You can read this without reading the first book, as Anand recaps its entire plot in the Mirror of Fire and Dreaming. In fact, he does so twice.
July 7, 2010
As one would expect, the conch-bearing boy seems likely to become a great sorcerer/healer, but is slow at his classes in healer school. However, when given a chance to save the world, he excels--with the help of another apprentice girl who might be even brighter than he is.
This may seem like a trite re-do, but it actualy makes for another solid and well-written entry in the Harry Potter look-alike contest.
This may seem like a trite re-do, but it actualy makes for another solid and well-written entry in the Harry Potter look-alike contest.
September 7, 2015
Hmmmmm... ini buku pertama yang saya beli tanpa mencari tahu terlebih dahulu tentang buku tersebut (apakah n-logi, banyak review negatif atau positifnya, serta hal-hal lain semacam itu). Buku ini murni saya beli karena dorongan impulsif untuk memuaskan "dahaga" saya saat Gramedia memberikan diskon 30% hahaha...
Lalu apakah saya kecewa karena kecerobohan itu? Jawabannya ya dan tidak. Ya, karena ternyata buku itu trilogi dan parahnya buku pertama itu terbit di tahun 2004 (11 tahun yang lalu arggh) jadi saat ini saya sedang berjuang keras untuk mendapatkan buku pertamanya (The Conch Bearer atau Keong Ajaib). Tidak, karena ternyata saya sangat menyukai kisahnya. Nah... nah... jadi jangan langsung mengambil keputusan sepihak dulu yah. Percaya atau tidak, tanpa membaca buku pertamanya kalian tidak akan merasa bingung dengan kisah yang bergulir dan dapat langsung menikmatinya. Di bab awal memang disinggung sedikit tentang petualangan Anand (yang diceritakan di buku pertama) yang mengantarkannya ke Lembah Perak. Well... kalau kalian belum membaca buku pertamanya, setelah membaca beberapa bab awal pasti akan mengira kalau buku ini menggunakan alur flash back (tertipu persis seperti saya, hehehe). Tapi sebenarnya, alurnya maju dan tidak terasa lambat atau terlalu cepat... alurnya bergerak maju dengan kecepatan stabil :)
Saya suka dengan cara bertutur pengarang yang membuat saya merasa berdebar dan penasaran (abaikan beberapa typo dan translasi yang kurang tepat -- walau kadang sedikit mengganggu sich ^^). Saya juga suka dengan caranya mendeskripsikan suatu lokasi, terutama tentang ruangan dalam istana. "Penggabungan" temanya juga terasa menyenangkan... berlatar awal di pegunungan Himalaya cerita kemudian beralih ke jaman India kuno, tepatnya pada pemerintahan kerajaan muslim. Benda magis yang dapat diajak berkomunikasi, setting kerajaan kuno, time slip, pertarungan melawan jin, semuanya bercampur menjadi satu dengan komposisi, yang menurut saya, cukup sesuai. Ditambah dengan cover berwarna ungu yang cukup catchy.
Well... kekurangan yang saya sayangkan hanya typo di beberapa bagian dan translasi yang terkadang berasa terpotong atau terlalu dipaksakan (?). Di beberapa bagian, translator cukup bijaksana untuk tetap menggunakan istilah bahasa Inggris (misalnya trance) ketimbang memaksakan menggunakan istilah dalam bahasa Indonesia (yang mungkin membuat saya mengernyit saat membacanya). Jadi... overall saya suka buku ini
walau ini kali pertama saya membaca buku karangan Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, saya langsung merasa jatuh cinta pada buku trilogi persaudaraan Keong-nya ini. Saya sudah sangat tidak sabar untuk segera mendapatkan buku pertamanya dan menunggu buku ketiganya terbit.
Lalu apakah saya kecewa karena kecerobohan itu? Jawabannya ya dan tidak. Ya, karena ternyata buku itu trilogi dan parahnya buku pertama itu terbit di tahun 2004 (11 tahun yang lalu arggh) jadi saat ini saya sedang berjuang keras untuk mendapatkan buku pertamanya (The Conch Bearer atau Keong Ajaib). Tidak, karena ternyata saya sangat menyukai kisahnya. Nah... nah... jadi jangan langsung mengambil keputusan sepihak dulu yah. Percaya atau tidak, tanpa membaca buku pertamanya kalian tidak akan merasa bingung dengan kisah yang bergulir dan dapat langsung menikmatinya. Di bab awal memang disinggung sedikit tentang petualangan Anand (yang diceritakan di buku pertama) yang mengantarkannya ke Lembah Perak. Well... kalau kalian belum membaca buku pertamanya, setelah membaca beberapa bab awal pasti akan mengira kalau buku ini menggunakan alur flash back (tertipu persis seperti saya, hehehe). Tapi sebenarnya, alurnya maju dan tidak terasa lambat atau terlalu cepat... alurnya bergerak maju dengan kecepatan stabil :)
Saya suka dengan cara bertutur pengarang yang membuat saya merasa berdebar dan penasaran (abaikan beberapa typo dan translasi yang kurang tepat -- walau kadang sedikit mengganggu sich ^^). Saya juga suka dengan caranya mendeskripsikan suatu lokasi, terutama tentang ruangan dalam istana. "Penggabungan" temanya juga terasa menyenangkan... berlatar awal di pegunungan Himalaya cerita kemudian beralih ke jaman India kuno, tepatnya pada pemerintahan kerajaan muslim. Benda magis yang dapat diajak berkomunikasi, setting kerajaan kuno, time slip, pertarungan melawan jin, semuanya bercampur menjadi satu dengan komposisi, yang menurut saya, cukup sesuai. Ditambah dengan cover berwarna ungu yang cukup catchy.
Well... kekurangan yang saya sayangkan hanya typo di beberapa bagian dan translasi yang terkadang berasa terpotong atau terlalu dipaksakan (?). Di beberapa bagian, translator cukup bijaksana untuk tetap menggunakan istilah bahasa Inggris (misalnya trance) ketimbang memaksakan menggunakan istilah dalam bahasa Indonesia (yang mungkin membuat saya mengernyit saat membacanya). Jadi... overall saya suka buku ini
walau ini kali pertama saya membaca buku karangan Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, saya langsung merasa jatuh cinta pada buku trilogi persaudaraan Keong-nya ini. Saya sudah sangat tidak sabar untuk segera mendapatkan buku pertamanya dan menunggu buku ketiganya terbit.
October 15, 2014
810 - 2014
Ternyata lanjutan The Conch Bearer *beli di kobu hanya gara2 diskon 50%*
Masih ada buku ketiganya. Apakah rentang waktu yang dibutuhkan GPU untuk menerbitkan lanjutannya sama lamanya dengan penerbitan buku yang ini?
Mari kisa saksikan.
Ternyata lanjutan The Conch Bearer *beli di kobu hanya gara2 diskon 50%*
Masih ada buku ketiganya. Apakah rentang waktu yang dibutuhkan GPU untuk menerbitkan lanjutannya sama lamanya dengan penerbitan buku yang ini?
Mari kisa saksikan.
October 6, 2016
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming, the exciting sequel to The Conch Bearer, is a wonderful mix of mystery and fantasy. Blending magic, reality and suspense well takes some effort, and the successful end-result is very entertaining.
At the end of the first book, Anand has chosen to stay in the magically hidden Silver Valley in the Himalayas, and be initiated into the Brotherhood of Healers. Young as he is, he is the only person in the history of the Brotherhood, who has the ability to talk to the Conch, and hear its replies. He is therefore chosen to be the Keeper of the Conch. The conch, a tiny shell that can fit into the palm of his hand, is nevertheless an object of immense power.
As he learns how to become a healer, he struggles with his craft, unlike Nisha, his friend and companion on the earlier adventure, and fights off feelings of inadequacy and doubt.
When he finally 'sees' a vision that is a call for help, and Master Abhayadutta, his mentor, sets off to the rescue, he is hurt the latter’s decision to leave him behind. Another vision of his teacher in danger is enough to make him convince the conch to create a portal through which he can set off to help his mentor. Nisha joins him, but as they step through the portal, he loses contact with Nisha and the conch.
Now, he is in a village in present day India and he still does not know where his master is. The wise woman of the village pleads for help in freeing the village from the clutches of a sorcerer and his master, a jinn, who sucks the spirits of the villagers. The sorcerer is in search of a magical mirror, the mastery of which will help him succeed in going back to rule the kingdom from where he was banished.
Anand sets off into the forest in a bid to defeat the evil forces at work in the village, and save his master at the same time. The quest leads him, one step ahead of the sorcerer, to the mirror. A mind message from the missing conch helps him escape from the sorcerer. Only his escape route has taken him many hundred years into the past. The good news is that the three protagonists are united in Mughal times. The bad news? Abhayadutta has lost his powers, and Nisha, her memory. To make matters worse, the conch is still missing and the mirror is shattered.
Disguised as a punkhawalla in the Nawab’s palace, he soon learns that sorcerer is planning the downfall of the royal family, with the help of the jinn. To save them, and his friends and himself, he needs to find the conch.
The narrative is well rooted in the culture and ethos of India and is replete with all the elements that go to build a great fantasy. Magical objects, spoiled princes, evil sorcerers, powerful jinns, all vie with one another without overpowering the story. The author weaves a masterful description of the royal court, as she describes not only its customs, but also the finery and the endless courses of food. I only wish she had realised that female Asian elephants do not have tusks.
On one level, this is an adventure made more exciting by magic. On another, it tells of age-old values, friendship, courage, humility, honour, of striving to triumph over adversity. It is to the author’s credit that she does so without preaching.
Fans of the first book in this series, The Conch Bearer, will be enchanted to follow the characters through to their adventure in the second instalment. Those readers, who like me, have not read the first book yet, will not be disappointed either. The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming can stand alone as a book worth reading. For those who are curious about what happened before, there is enough plot recapitulation of The Conch Bearer in this book to let you know the background of the protagonists and the magic power of the conch. While the series is targeted at children between the ages of twelve and sixteen, it is written well enough for adults to enjoy it as well. If possible, try to read The Conch Bearer before you get to the sequel. I can guarantee that you are going to want to read it anyway.
(First published on domain-b/goodlife
At the end of the first book, Anand has chosen to stay in the magically hidden Silver Valley in the Himalayas, and be initiated into the Brotherhood of Healers. Young as he is, he is the only person in the history of the Brotherhood, who has the ability to talk to the Conch, and hear its replies. He is therefore chosen to be the Keeper of the Conch. The conch, a tiny shell that can fit into the palm of his hand, is nevertheless an object of immense power.
As he learns how to become a healer, he struggles with his craft, unlike Nisha, his friend and companion on the earlier adventure, and fights off feelings of inadequacy and doubt.
When he finally 'sees' a vision that is a call for help, and Master Abhayadutta, his mentor, sets off to the rescue, he is hurt the latter’s decision to leave him behind. Another vision of his teacher in danger is enough to make him convince the conch to create a portal through which he can set off to help his mentor. Nisha joins him, but as they step through the portal, he loses contact with Nisha and the conch.
Now, he is in a village in present day India and he still does not know where his master is. The wise woman of the village pleads for help in freeing the village from the clutches of a sorcerer and his master, a jinn, who sucks the spirits of the villagers. The sorcerer is in search of a magical mirror, the mastery of which will help him succeed in going back to rule the kingdom from where he was banished.
Anand sets off into the forest in a bid to defeat the evil forces at work in the village, and save his master at the same time. The quest leads him, one step ahead of the sorcerer, to the mirror. A mind message from the missing conch helps him escape from the sorcerer. Only his escape route has taken him many hundred years into the past. The good news is that the three protagonists are united in Mughal times. The bad news? Abhayadutta has lost his powers, and Nisha, her memory. To make matters worse, the conch is still missing and the mirror is shattered.
Disguised as a punkhawalla in the Nawab’s palace, he soon learns that sorcerer is planning the downfall of the royal family, with the help of the jinn. To save them, and his friends and himself, he needs to find the conch.
The narrative is well rooted in the culture and ethos of India and is replete with all the elements that go to build a great fantasy. Magical objects, spoiled princes, evil sorcerers, powerful jinns, all vie with one another without overpowering the story. The author weaves a masterful description of the royal court, as she describes not only its customs, but also the finery and the endless courses of food. I only wish she had realised that female Asian elephants do not have tusks.
On one level, this is an adventure made more exciting by magic. On another, it tells of age-old values, friendship, courage, humility, honour, of striving to triumph over adversity. It is to the author’s credit that she does so without preaching.
Fans of the first book in this series, The Conch Bearer, will be enchanted to follow the characters through to their adventure in the second instalment. Those readers, who like me, have not read the first book yet, will not be disappointed either. The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming can stand alone as a book worth reading. For those who are curious about what happened before, there is enough plot recapitulation of The Conch Bearer in this book to let you know the background of the protagonists and the magic power of the conch. While the series is targeted at children between the ages of twelve and sixteen, it is written well enough for adults to enjoy it as well. If possible, try to read The Conch Bearer before you get to the sequel. I can guarantee that you are going to want to read it anyway.
(First published on domain-b/goodlife
April 11, 2015
Ini sebenarnya adalah buku kedua dari seri Cronch Bearer... masalahnya, baca The Conch Bearer: Keong Ajaib itu udah lamaaaaaaa banget (2008!), sampai udah lupa ceritanya *nisha sih siapa? terus pendetanya dulu namanya siapa? abis nyampe di kuil itu terus piye ya?* Terpaksalah, sebelum baca buku ini, balik dulu skimming-skimming dulu buku pertamanya, biar nyambung...
Oke, sekarang udah inget... yuk langsung aja buka cerminnya! Di kisah kedua ini, Anand (dan Nisha dan Abhaydatta) akan bertualang ke negeri India beratus tahun yang lalu demi membebaskan sebuah desa yang menderita akibat seorang penyihir dan jin-nya yang tamak dan jahat yang ingin menggulingkan sang Raja.
Ceritanya dimulai tepat saat kisah buku pertama berakhir. Anand dan Nisha sudah aman dan bahagia di Lembah Perak, belajar berbagai teknik sihir di Hogwarts sekolah para penyembuh. Yah, maksudnya Nisha sangat bahagia, sedangkan Anand masih ragu-ragu dengan keputusannya untuk tinggal di situ dan apakah ia layak untuk tinggal di situ. Meskipun guru-gurunya mempercayai dirinya, namun Anand sendiri masih merasa sangat tertinggal dibandingkan teman-temannya *ya iyalah, murid yang lain udah sekolah di situ dari kapan tahun!!*
Nah suatu ketika, di pelajaran mendengar angin, Anand mendengar kabar mengejutkan, lalu di pelajaran penglihatan, ia melihat dan mendengar seorang penyembuh meminta tolong karena orang-orang di desanya seperti kehilangan rohnya setelah bekerja di hutan. Mendengar kejadian ini, Kepala penyembuh mengirim Abhaydatta untuk menyelidiki dan meskipun sudah meminta, Anand tidak diperbolehkan ikut. Tetapi kemudian Anand kembali mendapat pesan penglihatan bahwa Abhaydatta sendiri juga dalam kesulitan.
Nekad ingin membantu, Anand mengajak Nisha mengambil Keong dan mencari keberadaan Abhaydatta untuk menolongnya. Pencarian yang membawa mereka semua mundur ke era para Moghul berkuasa, lengkap dengan perebutan kekuasaan di Istana, perdana menteri yang ingin berkuasa versus pangeran cilik yang sok dan banyak tingkah. Tentu saja ditambahi kehadiran si Tukang sihir jahat, Jin dan sebuah cermin ajaib yang merangkap bisa menjadi Pintu Kemana Saja dan Lorong Waktu. ^^V
Suka sekali penggambaran dunia-dunia di sini, baik saat masih di Lembah Perak, di Desa apaitunamanya, serta dunia kerajaan masa lalu. World-building-nya detail, enak dinikmati dan bisa dipercaya. Baik ceritanya maupun endingnya juga membawa banyak pesan moral tentang persahabatan, membuat pilihan, keberanian dan kerelaan berkorban demi sesama. Dongeng yang lengkap dan menyenangkan.
Untuk edisi terjemahannya, uhm... font-nya mungil-mungil sekaleeee... *mata langsung belo* XD
Review lengkap di
http://readbetweenpages.blogspot.com/...
Oke, sekarang udah inget... yuk langsung aja buka cerminnya! Di kisah kedua ini, Anand (dan Nisha dan Abhaydatta) akan bertualang ke negeri India beratus tahun yang lalu demi membebaskan sebuah desa yang menderita akibat seorang penyihir dan jin-nya yang tamak dan jahat yang ingin menggulingkan sang Raja.
Ceritanya dimulai tepat saat kisah buku pertama berakhir. Anand dan Nisha sudah aman dan bahagia di Lembah Perak, belajar berbagai teknik sihir di Hogwarts sekolah para penyembuh. Yah, maksudnya Nisha sangat bahagia, sedangkan Anand masih ragu-ragu dengan keputusannya untuk tinggal di situ dan apakah ia layak untuk tinggal di situ. Meskipun guru-gurunya mempercayai dirinya, namun Anand sendiri masih merasa sangat tertinggal dibandingkan teman-temannya *ya iyalah, murid yang lain udah sekolah di situ dari kapan tahun!!*
Nah suatu ketika, di pelajaran mendengar angin, Anand mendengar kabar mengejutkan, lalu di pelajaran penglihatan, ia melihat dan mendengar seorang penyembuh meminta tolong karena orang-orang di desanya seperti kehilangan rohnya setelah bekerja di hutan. Mendengar kejadian ini, Kepala penyembuh mengirim Abhaydatta untuk menyelidiki dan meskipun sudah meminta, Anand tidak diperbolehkan ikut. Tetapi kemudian Anand kembali mendapat pesan penglihatan bahwa Abhaydatta sendiri juga dalam kesulitan.
Nekad ingin membantu, Anand mengajak Nisha mengambil Keong dan mencari keberadaan Abhaydatta untuk menolongnya. Pencarian yang membawa mereka semua mundur ke era para Moghul berkuasa, lengkap dengan perebutan kekuasaan di Istana, perdana menteri yang ingin berkuasa versus pangeran cilik yang sok dan banyak tingkah. Tentu saja ditambahi kehadiran si Tukang sihir jahat, Jin dan sebuah cermin ajaib yang merangkap bisa menjadi Pintu Kemana Saja dan Lorong Waktu. ^^V
Suka sekali penggambaran dunia-dunia di sini, baik saat masih di Lembah Perak, di Desa apaitunamanya, serta dunia kerajaan masa lalu. World-building-nya detail, enak dinikmati dan bisa dipercaya. Baik ceritanya maupun endingnya juga membawa banyak pesan moral tentang persahabatan, membuat pilihan, keberanian dan kerelaan berkorban demi sesama. Dongeng yang lengkap dan menyenangkan.
Untuk edisi terjemahannya, uhm... font-nya mungil-mungil sekaleeee... *mata langsung belo* XD
Review lengkap di
http://readbetweenpages.blogspot.com/...
March 1, 2017
Setelah berpetualang dengan Keong Ajaib di Seri Pertamanya, kali ini Anand berkawan Cermin Api dan Mimpi untuk mencapai tujuannya. Anand harus melakukan lintas waktu ke masa lalu mencari Abhaydatta. Sayangnya saat menggunakan portal, media untuk ke desa, Anand juga kehilangan Nisha dan Keong Ajaib. Anand pun sampai di desa, sendirian. Desa tujuan Anand mengalami keanehan dengan para lelakinya setiap kali pulang dari 'bekerja' dengan Orang Asing. Keputusan Anand menyusup dalam rombongan pekerja mempertemukannya dengan benda berdaya tinggi, sebuah cermin.
Ceritanya lebih seru dibandingkan dengan Seri Pertamanya, Keong Ajaib. Deskripsi latar kerajaan India juga berhasil mendukung pertualangan dan konflik yang lebih banyak dihadapi oleh Anand di seri kedua ini. Ancaman pengambilan kekuasaan oleh Kasim dan Jin Ifrit, serta akibat kemarahan Haider Ali memberikan klimaks yang apik. Kesamaan antara seri pertama dan kedua dari petualangan Anand ini adalah pesan-pesan moral kehidupan yang diselipkan oleh penulis, sama-sama berkesan.
Ceritanya lebih seru dibandingkan dengan Seri Pertamanya, Keong Ajaib. Deskripsi latar kerajaan India juga berhasil mendukung pertualangan dan konflik yang lebih banyak dihadapi oleh Anand di seri kedua ini. Ancaman pengambilan kekuasaan oleh Kasim dan Jin Ifrit, serta akibat kemarahan Haider Ali memberikan klimaks yang apik. Kesamaan antara seri pertama dan kedua dari petualangan Anand ini adalah pesan-pesan moral kehidupan yang diselipkan oleh penulis, sama-sama berkesan.
May 3, 2009
In The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming (Book II in the Brotherhood of the Conch trilogy), Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni sends Anand, the Keeper of the Conch, most powerful and sacred object of the Brotherhood, off on a journey back in time to banish evil and save mankind.
The story opens in Silver Valley, the Hogwarts Academy of the Himalayas , where Anand and Nisha (counterparts to Harry and Hermione) have begun their training in the magical arts of the Brotherhood. Like Harry Potter, Anand is unsettled in his destiny. While Nisha immediately excels in all of her mystical studies, Anand finds himself unable to call from within himself the wizardly talents that other apprentices of the Brotherhood display; and yet in his class to gather news from the winds, he visualizes a black wind that whispers to him, "Evil stirs." The next day his mentor Abhaydatta is conducting a class in the Hall of Seeing when Anand is "summoned" by an old woman chanting and rocking in a fire-lit hut. She pleads with Anand, "Help us! You must help us before it is too late ---," and then she disappears in a blast of heat and light.
The Brotherhood must respond to this plea for help and decides to send Abhaydatta and an apprentice to find the unknown woman and fight the evil power. While Anand wants to go with him, the council orders him to stay in Silver Valley and continue his studies.
Weeks pass and no one hears from Abhaydatta; Anand and several other apprentices take a day hike into the northern valley in search of a beautiful river. Anand wanders away from his companions and passes through a waterfall into a different world where he sees Abhayetta and the apprentice in danger. That very night he and Nisha creep into the Crystal Hall and, with the aid of the Conch, travel backward in time to save Abhaydatta.
To find out what happens in this time-travel adventure, you'll have to read The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming. It's a great tale of wizardry replete with the culture of India.
The story opens in Silver Valley, the Hogwarts Academy of the Himalayas , where Anand and Nisha (counterparts to Harry and Hermione) have begun their training in the magical arts of the Brotherhood. Like Harry Potter, Anand is unsettled in his destiny. While Nisha immediately excels in all of her mystical studies, Anand finds himself unable to call from within himself the wizardly talents that other apprentices of the Brotherhood display; and yet in his class to gather news from the winds, he visualizes a black wind that whispers to him, "Evil stirs." The next day his mentor Abhaydatta is conducting a class in the Hall of Seeing when Anand is "summoned" by an old woman chanting and rocking in a fire-lit hut. She pleads with Anand, "Help us! You must help us before it is too late ---," and then she disappears in a blast of heat and light.
The Brotherhood must respond to this plea for help and decides to send Abhaydatta and an apprentice to find the unknown woman and fight the evil power. While Anand wants to go with him, the council orders him to stay in Silver Valley and continue his studies.
Weeks pass and no one hears from Abhaydatta; Anand and several other apprentices take a day hike into the northern valley in search of a beautiful river. Anand wanders away from his companions and passes through a waterfall into a different world where he sees Abhayetta and the apprentice in danger. That very night he and Nisha creep into the Crystal Hall and, with the aid of the Conch, travel backward in time to save Abhaydatta.
To find out what happens in this time-travel adventure, you'll have to read The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming. It's a great tale of wizardry replete with the culture of India.
January 22, 2016
A vibrant and entertaining tale! I always love being brought into the worlds of royalty, imagining the true material luxury of their lives. I look forward to reading the last installment in the series. However, there were more than a few questions I had regarding the story:
I do recommend this series to anyone who's interested in Indian fantasy settings. It's entertaining and well-written, despite the occasional loose ends.
I do recommend this series to anyone who's interested in Indian fantasy settings. It's entertaining and well-written, despite the occasional loose ends.
February 27, 2017
The funny thing is I've read this first before the first book The Conch Bearer - Keong Ajaib. I am so surprised Gramedia made the two Indonesian editions so different. There is no coherence in the cover (no hint that it is part of a series), even the paper and size of the book is different! Since I was quite late in reading it, I managed to buy a secondhand edition of the first book in order to complete the series.
I always love Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni works. This one steals my heart immediately. After the first adventure, now Anand have to live in the Silver Valley as an apprentice. But he quickly fails in almoset every subjects and he feels devastated. He even thinks he is stupid and can't practice magic after all. But sometimes we are not who we think we are. And so is Anand.
It happens to be he is the only one who can see the dark power coming. And he is the only one who can stop the evil from ruining the world.
Then we will experience Anand's journey once more and this time more dangerous than the first.
I always love Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni works. This one steals my heart immediately. After the first adventure, now Anand have to live in the Silver Valley as an apprentice. But he quickly fails in almoset every subjects and he feels devastated. He even thinks he is stupid and can't practice magic after all. But sometimes we are not who we think we are. And so is Anand.
It happens to be he is the only one who can see the dark power coming. And he is the only one who can stop the evil from ruining the world.
Then we will experience Anand's journey once more and this time more dangerous than the first.
August 26, 2011
Nisa and Anand are now settled as apprentices with the Healers in their home in the Himalayas. Nisa is taking to her studies with enjoyment and ease, but Anand is struggling to find his place. Then news of danger comes from Bengal, and Abhaydatta the healer travels there with an apprentice. However Anand has a vision telling him that something has gone terribly wrong, so he steals the conch and he and Nisa travel through a portal. They are separated on the way, and Anand loses the conch. He discovers a magic mirror, and stepping through it, he arrives at the court of a 16th century Moghul emperor. The period details of the Muslim court are beautifully evoked, especially the food- expect to feel hungry much of the time while reading this book!- and the time travel aspect of the book works really well. The separation of men and women in the Moghul court mean that the devices used so that Anand and Nisa can communicate must necessarily be magical, and I was reminded of Aladdin in the parts where Nisa and Anand meet in the gardens. This is a great book, and I'm really looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.
June 8, 2009
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming takes place in India. The story has magic stuff in it.
A full half of the book is a lot like The Prince and the Pauper because the main character, who is a very poor boy (who turns out to have magical abilities), trades places with an Indian prince from the past. The main character uses the mirror to go back in time to the Indian prince's time but the mirror breaks and he has to find a way to enlarge the shard of mirror he's got so that he can get back. The mirror can also make tunnels through walls and floors.
The main character is very nice, but the Indian prince, it depends on what kind of mood he's in.
A full half of the book is a lot like The Prince and the Pauper because the main character, who is a very poor boy (who turns out to have magical abilities), trades places with an Indian prince from the past. The main character uses the mirror to go back in time to the Indian prince's time but the mirror breaks and he has to find a way to enlarge the shard of mirror he's got so that he can get back. The mirror can also make tunnels through walls and floors.
The main character is very nice, but the Indian prince, it depends on what kind of mood he's in.
April 21, 2013
Very satisfying read. The beginning, describing magic lessons in the Valley, appealed strongly to the kid who in fifth grade was firmly convinced that there was a dragon sleeping underneath her school and who has grown up to believe that subtle magic born of observation and meditation is still a viable possibility. Anand's time in the past was also well-written, and made me want to seek out more stories set in medieval Asia because that's definitely an underrated setting. I liked how . And I really liked how at the end . In all, a solid, enjoyable adventure story.
February 5, 2017
As with the first "Brotherhood of the Conch" book, I enjoyed the author's colorful world-building in this story. Although it dragged at parts, I got through them. I felt like the end left me hanging a bit. I wanted to know what happened to a certain character, and that was never discussed. The matter of altering history was never addressed, either - was everything an unchangeable, fixed point, or could there have been some sort of Butterfly Effect? There was also very little commentary on the religions in the book. At some points, the Hindu characters are passing as Muslims and no one is bothered by it? There are no cultural misgivings? A few bits like that bothered me, but it was otherwise enjoyable.
July 16, 2008
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming stands a lot of (Western) fantasy conventions on their ear. The Indian setting is an obvious difference, but other, more subtle differences exist as well. The main character uses his mind and his own resources to solve his problems, rather than being bailed out by older characters or deus ex machina. Even when an outside agent helps him, it is his own actions that make it possible.
I also enjoyed the presence of a magical academy where there was no rich-kid bully.
I also enjoyed the presence of a magical academy where there was no rich-kid bully.
July 6, 2009
Although I have found no specific description of this as a book for young adults, I believe it is. In fact, it seems like Divakaruni's answer to Harry Potter. I did not read the first in this series but I think it falls short for a Divakaruni book--it lack the depth and literary quality of her novels, not the least and perhaps the best of which is The Glass Palace. It may also fall short in a comparison with the Rowling series set in England. That is more difficult to tell because of the vast cultural differences between the two.
February 14, 2012
The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming is a worthy follow-up to The Conch Bearer. Elements that endeared The Conch Bearer to me are repeated if not magnified. Themes of courage to do despite self-doubt, perseverance despite failure, and undying positive regard continue, as well as themes of friendship, loyalty, determination, and accepting support from others. The setting is thoroughly, exquisitely, deliciously exotic, more so than The Conch Bearer, already exotic to western eyes. This may frighten more timid readers, but is sure to enchant the rest.
November 5, 2012
I was surprised I liked this book. This was a book I had to read for another class and all I was thinking while I was reading it was "I gotta get this done!!!" I did end up enjoying the story though. It was inspirational; the main characters did a lot to help his community and that's commendable. I try to volunteer too, so this was just justifying how important it is. The story was fun to follow as there were some mysteries and magical aspects. Though it was a second book in a series, it was still understandable and a good, some what quick read.
September 5, 2015
In this book the main character is Anand and he is at the Silver Valley learning to use his powers. When his mentor Abhaydatta goes on a trip and then needs help he leaves the Silver valley with his friend Nisha and the conch a powerful object. Now his adventure starts in which he will face a evil jinn, become friends with an people who lived in the past and possibly not be able to see Nisha again.
In my opinion this was a really great book.
Other people may want to read it if they like reading about powerful objects and magic.
In my opinion this was a really great book.
Other people may want to read it if they like reading about powerful objects and magic.
September 7, 2007
The continuing adventures of the characters from "The Conch Bearer," but not as good. The characters do not mature as much as they did in the first novel. This leans more towards adventure.
This book does give an interesting view of life in older, royal India, but things are too convenient all around.
Read it yes, but don't expect all the wonderful depth that made the first book a rare combination of adventure, message and travelogue.
This book does give an interesting view of life in older, royal India, but things are too convenient all around.
Read it yes, but don't expect all the wonderful depth that made the first book a rare combination of adventure, message and travelogue.
August 5, 2008
Looking forward to starting this second book of the series on our drive to Yosemite. We finally finished - the chapters in this book are long to read out loud. All of us -including Tim - really enjoyed this book - the second in the Conch Bearer series. Angela had mentioned that she liked this one better and I agree. Now that we know Anand's story and how he became the conch bearer there was alot more action. The boys can't wait for a third.
August 28, 2014
Ah, ini buku karya Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni yang penuh dengan kejutan di tiap halamannya. Berkelana bersama Anand, Nisha, Abhaydatta, sang keong dan cermin ajaib, di banyak dimensi waktu. Pertarungan yang mendebarkan, filosofi hidup yang dikemas lewat dialog dialog yang memikat, keindahan lokasi- lokasi eksotik yang bisa disajikan dengan penuh keindahan. Harus dinikmati kalimat demi kalimat, agar sari patinya terangkum pekat. Dan rasanya, membacanya sekali tak cukup...
March 21, 2012
this book was even better then the first one in the series. If i can find the third in audiobook, i will definitely listen to it. I highly recommend this book, but be sure to read the Conch Bearer first, or you might be a bit confused.
March 26, 2012
Très bien, j'ai adoré ce tome II. A recommander à tous les collégiens ou bons lecteurs de primaires qui sont fans de l'Inde. J'attend avec impatience que le tome 3 arrive sur les rayonnages de la bibliothèque.
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March 17, 2013I just can't get into this story. I like the setting but I think it's the 2nd in a series that I haven't read the first of, and it seems to be marketed for upper teens/young adults. It's a little slow. So, I won't finish it for now.
January 15, 2014
I read the Conch Bearer and this sequel a few years ago. Both books are very exciting and the sequel holds up its end of the bargain. I just ordered the third book in the Brotherhood of the Conch series and am reading it now. Chitra is a fine writer and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
October 15, 2007
This is a kid's book, which I have to read for my major. This tale is a bit Potter-like, but is also original in setting (India) and magical like story telling.
February 3, 2008
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
March 21, 2008
Read this to my 6th graders - vividly descriptive writing.
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