This is just one stand-alone tale set in Sharon Shinn's world where the focus is on small magics, and the lives and loves of her characters. All of her books feature special individuals such as truth-tellers (who cannot lie), safe-keepers (who keep secrets) and dream-makers (whose presence can make dreams come true). But the special gifts of these individual are only part of the backdrop that makes of the lives of the young adults telling their stories in these fantasy stories.
This particular story is Kellen's tale. A young girl whose mother is convinced she was born a boy, finds herself raised as a boy and therefore caught somewhere in between. She enjoys a boy's freedom but finds herself set apart from the other individuals of the town. Except for the friendship she makes with another outcast--a brilliant, but crippled boy whose abusive caretakers make life a hardship for him but never manage to completely crush him. Their relationship, and the story of others who touch their lives in the small town they live in become the heart of the story. When the Dream-Maker's magic comes into their lives can it make their dreams come true? As always, Sharon's focus is on the characters she builds and their coming of age. She is deft at creating characters that rather than larger than life, fit comfortably into life and are easy to relate to. The magic in this tale weaves through in subtle measure--this isn't splashy or spell-driven magic, and what it touches is often as much due to the actions and work of the characters themselves--who may need just a little push to find their happily ever after.
For those looking for adventurous reads, high magics, grand-scale plots and larger than life heroes, this is not your type of book. Shinn's writing style is gentle and relies on the small stage where an innkeeper's life is as important as a king's and the greatest tragedies are personal ones--as are the greatest joys. The magic is unspectacular, the heroes are those who are kind and decent to others, the villains are everyday characters who are cruel or abusive. For those who enjoy books about relationships where a little breath of magic makes everything come out right even when things seem bleak or impossible, this may be right up your alley. If there is one critique I have of Ms. Shinn's style, it is that everything tends to be resolved a little too well on occasion, and I tend to have a preference for stories where life isn't perfect. Still, though this story has it's happy ending, there are many tragic moments and painful events in the characters lives. The struggle they make to become themselves and discover who that will be is really what makes the reader cheer for them and hope for them.
Those who enjoy Ms. Shinn's work
may want to check out other books set in this world, including The Truth-Teller's Tale and The Safe-Keeper's Secret. Readers may also like the works of Nina Kiriki Hoffman who also focuses on character building and relationships--though her magic can be a bit more spectacular. Reader's looking for more adventure style stories may want to turn instead to the work of Garth Nix or Suzanne Collins to suit their fantasy tastebuds!
This particular story is Kellen's tale. A young girl whose mother is convinced she was born a boy, finds herself raised as a boy and therefore caught somewhere in between. She enjoys a boy's freedom but finds herself set apart from the other individuals of the town. Except for the friendship she makes with another outcast--a brilliant, but crippled boy whose abusive caretakers make life a hardship for him but never manage to completely crush him. Their relationship, and the story of others who touch their lives in the small town they live in become the heart of the story. When the Dream-Maker's magic comes into their lives can it make their dreams come true? As always, Sharon's focus is on the characters she builds and their coming of age. She is deft at creating characters that rather than larger than life, fit comfortably into life and are easy to relate to. The magic in this tale weaves through in subtle measure--this isn't splashy or spell-driven magic, and what it touches is often as much due to the actions and work of the characters themselves--who may need just a little push to find their happily ever after.
For those looking for adventurous reads, high magics, grand-scale plots and larger than life heroes, this is not your type of book. Shinn's writing style is gentle and relies on the small stage where an innkeeper's life is as important as a king's and the greatest tragedies are personal ones--as are the greatest joys. The magic is unspectacular, the heroes are those who are kind and decent to others, the villains are everyday characters who are cruel or abusive. For those who enjoy books about relationships where a little breath of magic makes everything come out right even when things seem bleak or impossible, this may be right up your alley. If there is one critique I have of Ms. Shinn's style, it is that everything tends to be resolved a little too well on occasion, and I tend to have a preference for stories where life isn't perfect. Still, though this story has it's happy ending, there are many tragic moments and painful events in the characters lives. The struggle they make to become themselves and discover who that will be is really what makes the reader cheer for them and hope for them.
Those who enjoy Ms. Shinn's work
may want to check out other books set in this world, including The Truth-Teller's Tale and The Safe-Keeper's Secret. Readers may also like the works of Nina Kiriki Hoffman who also focuses on character building and relationships--though her magic can be a bit more spectacular. Reader's looking for more adventure style stories may want to turn instead to the work of Garth Nix or Suzanne Collins to suit their fantasy tastebuds!
Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
The Dream-Maker's Magic
Accelerated Reading level : 5.4
- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Speak (March 13, 2008)
- ISBN-10: 0142410969
- See-a-Sample
No comments :
Post a Comment