Fantasy



The four volumes (Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger and Inheritance) are a great read, children's books or not. || Lyndy St Catherine's Junior School || Daughter of Smoke and Bone was voted by //Publishers Weekly// as one of the Best Books of 2011. Here's what they have to say about the book: "Taylor has a gift for creating spellbinding fantasies that feel wholly novel and utterly real. This one is the story of Karou, a 17-year-old art student in Prague, raised by demons and caught in an escalating war with angels. Taylor takes star-crossed romance, wonderfully complex characters, and a fascinating mythology and spins a magical, heartbreaking story." || Zarina Fleming Notre Dame College
 * **Title** || **Author** || **Synopsis** || **Recommended by...** ||
 * Eragon series || Christopher Paolini || Galbatorix has betrayed the Dragon Riders to seize power in Alagaesia. He has killed them all except for one, Brom, who is in hiding. Galbatorix has the only dragon known to exist. His rule over Alagaesia seems unchallengable with only the Varden, a rebel army, refusing to surrender. But there are dragon eggs awaiting their rider and one of them appears in a small villlage, Carvahall, near the wild Spine forest. A boy named Eragon finds it, the egg hatches for him and his hand is burned with the emblem of the Riders. Can he make a difference in the war against Galbatorix?
 * The Night Circus || Erin Morgenstern || My local bookshop raves about this one. As I haven't read it yet (which is the point of a holiday reading list) here's the Amazon blurb: [|**Amazon Best Books of the Month, September 2011**]: Erin Morgenstern’s dark, enchanting debut takes us to the black and white tents of //Le Cirque des Reves//, a circus that arrives without warning, simply appearing when yesterday it was not there. Young Celia and Marco have been cast into a rivalry at [|//The Night Circus//], one arranged long ago by powers they do not fully understand. Over time, their lives become more intricately enmeshed in a dance of love, joy, deceit, heartbreak, and magic. Author Morgenstern knows her world inside and out, and she guides the reader with a confident hand. The setting and tone are never less than mesmerizing. The characters are well-realized and memorable. But it is the Night Circus itself that might be the most memorable of all. --//Chris Schluep// || ruth_skerricks ||
 * Daughter of smoke and bone || Laini Taylor || I simply loved this book! A fellow OZTL member raved about it, and now I am jumping on the band-wagon! It is the first in a series and I just can't wait to dive into book 2.

Pat Pledger || Agree it's a fantastic series, otherwise why would our first copy of //Eragon// go missing? Christopher Paolini also lists fantasy books which influenced him. Hope to read some or all of these at some stage. || Mark Raceview State School Ipswich Qld || @http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11328077-silvermay
 * Inheritance || Christopher Paolini || Agree with Lyndy's synopsis above. Just started reading //Inheritance// this week. Have Eragon and Arya found a weapon to use against the seemingly invincible Galbatorix?
 * Silvermay || James Moloney || What a gifted story-teller James Moloney is! The Hero's Journey tales have been around for millenia but Moloney has managed to come up with so many original twists to it in this book that you can't really imagine what will happen next even though you know the cycle. The moral dilemma is particularly pertinent given the Global Sheriff role that America has been actively engaged in. His figurative language is beautiful and so fitting for the world he's created. Silvermay's questioning hooks and urges the reader to actively participate in the story. Has already won awards! Probably my favourite read this year.

[] || Catherine Hainstock Vermont Secondary College and Learning Services, SLV Pat Pledger (ReadPlus) ||
 * Froi of the exiles || Melina Marchetta || The second in the series, Froi of the exiles is an outstanding example of fantasy: thought provoking and exciting.

[] || Pat Pledger (ReadPlus) ||