The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde

Reviewed by Matthew C.
Grade 8

Sure, you've seen magical stories before - but ones with pirates, bandits, and cavemen? That's certainly what The Eye of Zoltar has in store for you. It's a wonderful read that you certainly shouldn't miss, even if you aren't familiar with the first two books in the Kazam series. This book's humor and mystery will keep you entranced until the end!

The story begins with Jennifer Strange and her band of magicians working to capture a dangerous man-eating beast. As the trapping of the reptile continues and eventually ends, Jennifer lays out the backstory; her world is one where magical pursuits have faded due to a series of battles against a race of trolls. Strange is working to make magic a noble business once more.
However; a few days after the capture of the beast, she encounters Shandar, the mightiest wizard in all the lands! Shandar forces her to search for the titular Eye by threatening to kill the last dragons alive, the same ones she has fought to protect. Now she must go on a journey into the wilderness with a magician, a tour guide, a princess turned poor, and a group of suspicious tagalongs!

The plot is nicely explained in a way that doesn't interrupt the flow of the book, such as how the escape of the Tralfamosaur was explained to both you and one of the sorcerers, who was being called in to the mission at the time. The characters are both varied and memorable, such as Wilson, an ornithologist who used to work as a soldier. He was working to resolve the shame he has from letting his fellow soldiers down many years ago. Finally, this book has a lot of detail, as when the behavior of the Cloud Leviathans are explained.

Overall, this is definitely a book I would recommend. Jasper Fforde's writing style is humourous and mysterious; the ending of this book will shock you! The book has many good moments and it is a captivating adventure that you won't forget. When the story continues in the fourth book, I'll be sure to pick up a copy - and I hope you do, too!

Spoiler Alert Mini Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa

Talon
To the outside world Ember Hill is an ordinary girl, but Ember has a deadly secret. A dragon hiding in human form, she is destined to fight the shadowy Order of St.George, a powerful society of dragonslayers.St. George soldier Garret is determined to kill Ember and her kind. Until her bravery makes him question all he's been taught about dragons.Now a war is coming and Garret and Ember must choose their sides - fight to save their bond or fulfil their fate and destroy one another.

Spoiler Alert reviewer: Kyra

1=No. Just, no. 2=It's OK. 3=I liked it. 4=I really liked it. 5=It was EPIC!

The Book Itself
How well designed was the plot? 5
How vivid was the setting? 4
How believable were the characters and the dialog? 4
How well did the book hold your interest? 3
How well did the author's language add to the book? 2
How well did the writing match the books intended audience? 3

Worldwide
Rank this book's mass appeal. 2
How readable was this book? 4
How pleasurable will reading this book be to most teens? 3

Personal
How highly would you recommend this book? 3
How likely are you to read something else by this author? 2
How memorable was this book? 3
How did you feel about the ending? 5
If you did not finish, how did you feel about the beginning?
How creative was this book? 3

Marketing
Rank the cover (only if the final cover version has been released). 4
How well does the cover match the story? 5
Rank the jacket blurb. 1
Rank the title. 5
How well does the title match the story? 5
Stopping point in the book? Finished

Tell us what you thought of the book overall:

In one word: Dragons

Tell us what you really did not like about this book: I feel that the romance of the characters was forced.

Pick 5 words to describe this book: Fascinating, slow/fast/slow, odd

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Reviewed by: Angela W.
Grade 9

Soar with Eragon and Saphira over the Hadarac desert. Hike through a deadly mountain chain with the villagers of Carvahall and Roran, Eragon’s cousin. Dance with the elves of Ellesmera. To get there, all you need to do is jump into Eldest, the second book in the Inheritance Cycle, and then join Eragon and Saphira, two unlikely partners that are out to save Alagaesia from the evil King Galbatorix.

Eragon, a sixteen year-old Rider who grew up on a farm, and Saphira, a young dragon that, as an egg, was rescued from the king, are sent to train with the elves in the forest of Du Weldenvarden. Eragon begins to show his affection for Arya, a century old elf-maiden who works with the Varden. Can they ever be together? Meanwhile, Saphira’s hopes of finding a mate are renewed when they make a sudden discovery at the edge of Ellesmera, the elven city where they are staying. Will anything come of it? Back in Carvahall, Eragon and Roran’s hometown, the village has just been attacked by the king’s soldiers. Several people have died, and Katrina, the one Roran holds most dear, has just been stolen from him. Is it at all possible the she is still alive? Roran manages to convince the village to leave their homes in search of safety, with an underlying mission of avenging Katrina’s death or rescuing her if she is still alive. Throughout the story, you receive many surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant, with one final twist that will totally surprise you.

I found that although Eragon has such a high stature and is revered all over Alagaesia because he is a Rider, he is still just a normal, sixteen-year-old boy on the inside. One example of this is when Eragon was sparring with another elf. The elf was chiding him about how he was inferior to the elves, who were much more agile, and Eragon lost his temper and bound the elf with magic. I commend Mr. Paolini on creating a whole new language (called the Ancient Language), and a different, new kind of magic that seems so versatile and diverse in how the characters use it.

I enjoyed reading this book, but it sometimes seemed a little bit slow. The descriptions were very good though, and I could clearly picture the places they went to. I think I would probably recommend this book to people that like fantasy and action, especially if they always think to themselves, “The thicker the book, the better!” I would also recommend that you read Eragon, the first book, before you read this one, but if you don’t, Mr. Paolini has kindly placed a detailed summary in the beginning of this volume.