This field guide to accompany the Spiderwick stories is an amazingly beautifully written and illustrated guide to invisible magical creatures like Brownies, Boggarts, Piskies, Gargoyles, Banshees, Changelings, Pixies, Salamanders, Phookas, Dragons, Giants, Goblins, Merfolk, Sea Serpents etc and some wonderful rare creatures like the 'Stray Sod' who will make you chuckle.
It's an A4 sized book in the style of a really old journal with browned pages and picture plates. Some of the inner pages open upwards and some double fold outwards. The content can't be faulted, really it is truly magical. Letters and old newspaper stories interweave the descriptions giving it a real journal feel.
I bought this book just for fun and didn't have any expectations. So I was pleasantly suprised by the good irony and humor. The story wasn't bad either. I'm all ready waiting for the next one.
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I've already read this entire series. I was in America a couple of years ago and bought all six books in two volumes. You'll be pleased to that whilst it is not in the same league as the Abhorsen trilogy, it does improve as Garth Nix reveals more of the back story about the Sunstones and the Spiritshadows and the past of the Castle of Seven. The characters develop more and you actually begin to care about them and what happens to them. I recommend that even if you're unsure about this one, stick with it, they do get much better
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I'll be brief, just to say that this is my favourite book of all time and is unquestionably a book for adults as it really is something special. Wonderfully moving and writen superbly.
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Dull as ditchwater. What a disappointment. This book is as dry as the aqueduct. The chapter splits broken into hours serve to deaden rather than increase the tension. If you are looking for a story to inspire the imagination about pompeii you should look elsewhere. The characters are as dead as the original inhabitants. Harris seems to write either gripping suspenseful novels or dross, sadly this falls into the latter category. Fatherland it ain't.
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The third instalment of the Boy soldier series brings excitement and intensity on a new level to this action packed series by Andy McNab and Robert Rigby.
Danny, Elena and Fergus are all working for the mysterious Deveraux to find Black Star, an internet mastermind who sends teenagers to their own deaths.
Its so far the best of the Boy Solider (I have just started Meltdown, the 4th book) with so much better writing and intensity than the previous 2, which is my personal favourite convention of a novel.
McNab again using his experience and knowledge, though there are less technical operations in place and it's a lot more character focused, especially on Elena and Black Star, and having it more character based will allow the ... Read More:
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...And maybe the best one at that too. Colfer's writing is always a joy to read, his innovative sci-fi/fantasy blend presenting a fantastic backdrop for amazing characters. Artemis and Holly as a duo have been the true stars of the show since i read the first book years ago and i'm so glad to see the series is still going strong in this book. Mulch and Butler are of course fantastic in the comedic element they provide.
In The Opal Deception we also see the return of Opal Koboi. A fascinating villain, she represents a fair match for Artemis's amazing intelligence and as they bounce tricks and plans off each other we get a action-packed, tense thriller of a novel that i whipped through - a proper page turner!
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From reading the first book, which I felt was a little iffy, it seemed to mimic Harry Potter, and the bizarre use of capitals to highlight words...but subsequently, the series is a great story. Well recommend as a story for all ages and for ages of 8 plus to read themselves. Good value on Amazon too, list price is a little steep
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Garth Nix changed the face of dark fantasy (usually just horror with a prettier cover) with his instant hit "Sabriel." It spun up an alternate world full of un-cute talking animals, deadly and dark magic, and a likably strong heroine.
And he doesn't disappoint in "Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr," a strong sequel that reenters the world of the Old Kingdom, and brings out a new threat and new heroes to combat it. Without missing a step, "Lirael" follows in "Sabriel"'s footsteps, with the same dark blend of humor and horror.
Lirael is a daughter of the Clayr, but she won't be a full Clayr until she gains the Sight. On her fourteenth birthday, she is the oldest girl to not yet have gained the Sight.