Brightly Woven in Clean Reads

Oct 05, 2009 Kathy * Bookworm Nation rated it really liked it

Shelves: high-fantasy, paranormal-ya, rated-pg, 2010

I was so excited when I won this book in a contest hosted over at Angieville. The book description sounded just like the kind of story that I enjoy, and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the world that Bracken created, including all the fun characters and a new twist on magic and wizards. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn’t know where the story was going, there were some interesting twists along the way and I ended up enjoying the story very much. Sydelle was a very likable heroine. I t ...more

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Sep 30, 2014 Mary added it

Interesting characterization and world building. Roundabout depictions of drug use to deal with despair and a number of drunken episodes on the part of the male protagonist. I think the author was trying to create a view of some of the more serious and challenging reasons behind the use of substances to deal with pain, both physical and emotional. That is a worthy cause, but her narrative was vaguely allusive enough that I'm not sure your average YA reader would get a clear view of the message.

I ...more

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May 16, 2011 Lindsey rated it liked it

Shelves: cleanreads, reviewed

This book was a treat! Good enough that post-reading guilt probably won't set in for at least a week--I read the last 200 pages in one morning, which I definitely did not have time to do.

The plot was not extraordinarily different from many fantasies I have read, but I am a deep believer in the seven basic plots theory--there are only seven different stories in the world, and the most an author can do is retell of one of them attractively. This Bracken did, and she did not go down the dark pat This book was a treat! Good enough that post-reading guilt probably won't set in for at least a week--I read the last 200 pages in one morning, which I definitely did not have time to do.

The plot was not extraordinarily different from many fantasies I have read, but I am a deep believer in the seven basic plots theory--there are only seven different stories in the world, and the most an author can do is retell of one of them attractively. This Bracken did, and she did not go down the dark path of Tolkien-fanfiction.

The characters were well drawn--the queen and Pascal in particular, I noticed, did not fall victim to their traditional, one-dimensional roles--although I adore Dumbledore, pale imitations only annoy me, and Pascal was not the inescapable wise, all-knowing mentor. The end tied up neatly, perhaps more so than in real life, but not to the point where it was lazy or idealistic.

Bracken is a first-time author and naturally the book had its issues. The narrative had a tendency to jump from one place to the next with little explanation. Mundane details tended to be passed over: where Sydelle gets her thread and elixir supplies, eating, shelter, and so forth, and the alternate-world development was patchy and inconsistent. It was rather amusing how Owain's fair Vesta seemed to appear out of nowhere when needed and then disappear again without explanation. There was very little backstory on Wayland or Owain or many of the other characters, but that may have been author preference and deliberate. The thing most obviously overlooked was the Cliffton invasion. It was barely mentioned and did not bear as much weight on the story as it should have, Cliffton being Sydelle's home. The core of all of this simply is, she often left readers to puzzle through the unexplained portions on their own, and sometimes reaching the desired conclusion was a bit of a jump.

One last significant flaw was the occasional modern slang and expression that found its way into the dialogue, usually where Wayland was involved.

However, most of these were things I noticed after I finished the book, and did not greatly distract me while I was
reading. The world and people were vibrant; for all the holes, it felt real. It was like looking out on a street through a
window with slightly distorted glass: sometimes the details of the view were obscured, but there was no doubt that the
details were there. Bracken is definitely, as a
reviewer with rather better credentials than mine has noted, a debut author to watch, and I await Black is the Color and, I hope, its two sequels with eagerness. ...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Jennifer rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed reading this book. The pace was great; the action was interesting; the characters were well rounded and likable. The only catch was I'd like to understand a little more why North fell in love with Sydelle. She's pretty awful (rightfully so) to him, and his initial motives are questionable. I'm going to reread the book to look for the turning point or perhaps an undertone to the dialogue that I missed, but although I enjoyed their interplay, I didn't understand the relationship v ...more

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Nov 30, 2010 benebean rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, medium, cleaness-granny-smiles, sci-fi-fantasy, female-protagonist

I'm sort of confused why the main character hates North so much. But I still like her and I like North more than her. Owain and his relationship with Vesta might be the best part of the book.

ok, now the main character is irritating me-- she keeps trying to be strong but just makes more trouble and gets other people hurt.

I don't get why she has to be so mean to Henry. I mean just because she doesn't want to be coupled with him doesn't mean she can't be friends with him.

2.5, so why does it get ra ...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Anna rated it really liked it

This was a fantasy fiction incorporating elements of magic in a coming of age novel. It was very clean, yet still had interesting magical battles. I would recommend it for both girls and boys 8 and up.

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Mar 06, 2011 Taffy added it

Shelves: 2011

Intriguing story with an interesting magic system, political intrigue and romance.

I read this book a few weeks ago and don't remember a lot of it. That's not a good sign, is it? While I remember Syd's barren home, Wayland North and the queen, I don't remember a lot of details.Wait. I remember thinking the boy and girl fell in love too quickly. Hmm...

Rating: PG

V: Fights, magic

L: None

S: None ...more

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