charlton
Written on Apr 12, 2015
Ben Holiday, High Lord of the magic kingdom of Landover, and his wife Willow have sent their 15-year-old daughter Mistaya to our world to attend a prestigious girls' boarding school. Mistaya, Misty to her friends, is not pleased with the arrangement. She is forbidden to use her magic for any reason, can't understand why other girls her own age don't revere the natural world, and is too clever for her own good in coming up with activities definitely not contained in the private school charter.
- ISBN10 0345458524
- ISBN13 9780345458520
- Publish Date 18 August 2009 (first published 1 January 2009)
- Publish Status Remaindered
- Out of Print 28 August 2012
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Random House USA Inc
- Imprint Random House Inc
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 328
- Language English
Reviews
layawaydragon
Written on Jun 13, 2012
The down time was definitely books two and three.
The series ends on a high note though.
It's worth noting that this series was started in the late 80's. The 4th and 5th book was writing in the mid 90's. This book was written in 2009. There is marked improvement over the course of time.
I'm quite happy with this book and the way it went. Mistaya was the whiny stubborn teenage girl but it wasn't a drag. Too often with a main character as such, I end up wanting to brain the teenager with the very book I'm reading. There's many different things that could account for why Mistaya isn't an annoying bothering drag but I'm thankful for it, whatever the reasons are.
The descriptions of everything were the same and often repeated so I skimmed through it. I didn't miss anything. I understand those being necessary for those who have previously read and waited for this book when it was new. Hell, I may even be thankful for these descriptions if a seventh book ever comes.
The only thing that really came as a bit of a shock or unfitting, is the Quester Thews and Abernathy left Mistaya in the library alone. Considering how they worry and bicker about everything, I don't quite find it in character. Of course, the weight of love for Mistaya and the sway she has probably accounts for this. It's really the only thing that stuck out at me that wasn't quite right.
The other thing that was quite annoying was how people spoke of and viewed Dirk. I love him. He doesn't act and speak the way they like and for some reason blame him for the things that go down. Quester was the only one who figured it out that the cat was there to help and showed up often before things became obvious or worse. I mean come on, he showed up even before they needed someone to burst through the wall and save the day *cough, Strabo, cough*. Dirk makes me think of how superstitious people see and black cat and blame things that go wrong on the cat. Nevermind the cat did nothing of the sort, and in Dirk's case is acting to help stop bad things. He may not be allied to them per say, in a straight "I will take a bullet for you" way but he's done his fair share of helping and guiding. He is also quite like fairy godmothers, who help but never the way you want or like you expect. It's annoying that the characters have strictly a black and white view of allies, help and enemies. Case in point Dirk and the G'home Gnomes.
Stewing on the book after, it's quite frustrating that no one has made the connection of the consequences of Haltwhitle's magic to save their asses out of left field went they need it. Have Quester and Abernathy really forgotten how it put them in this world when Haltwhistle had to intervene to save them last time? Apparently, they are quite okay with shrugging their shoulders, saying interacting magic is mysterious and leaving it at that. Is it really such a stretch to think it might have happened again, twice now? At the very least keep an open mind and not just assume those people are gone forever, no longer a worry. This ties back into their strict black and white view of things, I think.
In any event, I will try to keep up with this series, should a seventh book be released.
This particular story arch was resolved but the series was not brought to a close. It is left open ended and I'm actually hoping there's more added.
Now at least, I can say that this series was indeed worth slogging through for. For me anyways.