Mea Culpa

My sincerest apologies for not having updated this site in a few months. I intended to open with a large sevenfold review but have recently thought against it, as it would require a ridiculous amount of scrolling down, knowing the way I usually type. Thus, I present to you a hopefully concise yet thoughtful review, the first to be presented on this website. If you would be so kind to actually read the books that I recommend, I would be greatly indebted. But I digress. Please, read and enjoy my review of the first two books in the Books of Pellinor series, The Naming and The Riddle. Today I also introduce a system of profiling not unlike that of Wikipedia's book descriptions, and also my color system. More on that later. Go on, read the review!














Title(s): The Naming (alt. title: The Gift) and The Riddle
Author: Allison Croggon
F/NF: Fiction
Genre: Magical fantasy, adventure (to some extent)
Colors: Green, silver, blue
Sarcasm: Moderate
Humor: Present, occasional comic relief
Stereotypical: Plot, yes. Characters, no.
Originality Rating (1-10): A definite 7 for just a few too many elements of the monomyth (look it up on Wikipedia) but that charm in the words that keeps you hooked.
Conclusive?: Definitely not... The Naming's ending was left hanging, and The Riddle left more questions than it answered before cutting to The Crow (the third book) which focuses on another character entirely, which was disappointing (please forgive the near-run-on but grammatically correct sentence).
Lexile?: 870, really quite engaging in terms of vocabulary.
Imagery Level (1-10): Solid 9 for vivid descriptions of scenery, providing an excellent backdrop for the magical ongoings.
Final Rating: 7, the same as the Originality Rating. The book was definitely fun to read, and like watching a leaf float down a moderately fast river. It goes by at a dead slow pace at some parts, but tries valiantly to restore your faith in it at the next twist or bend. But when it reaches the end you realize that the journey was more interesting than the final destination and feel a little disappointed.
Actual Review: This is the story of Maerad, a teen girl who has worked as a slave for most of her life. The world is Edil-Amarandh, a fantastic, medieval-based world in which incredible creatures and magical powers are possible. When a stranger shows up and offers to show Maerad the world outside of her prison, she carefully agrees, knowing she will never get this chance again. But this stranger is more than just human; he is a Bard, one with magical powers and intense musical ability. With only her clothes and her dead mother's lyre, Maerad sets off with this stranger unsure of the journey ahead. And what a journey it is... honestly, the story takes off like a tough paper airplane with a ton of jet fuel strapped to it. But inevitably the end of the journey is that long fall back to Earth, all the while hoping the tank will spontaneously refill. And then, just as it's about to hit the ground, a reserve kicks in and you're asking yourself what just happened but because you're watching this on TV, the show quickly cuts to "Tune in next week to find out what happens!!" *grumbles* Cut to next week- the fuel reserve fails, and the downwards spiral seems inevitable again until suddenly, a secondary reserve deploys and the show ends, leading into "Uses of Rocket Fuel in Everyday Life" while you're left feeling just a little cheated... of course this ridiculous program afterwards refers to The Crow, which as previously mentioned is the story of another related but not currently major character. These were my personal feelings about the duo of stories...

Anyway, thank you for reading, and I certainly hope you were entertained by this first review. Despite the criticism this is still a moderately good read, if only for the vocabulary. Once the last book comes out this series will have become rounded out(I'm hoping) and perhaps I will re-review with an 8.

Pax vobiscum,

V.
Today, V for vituperative. Look it up.