omiai's review
1.0
I was a bit disappointed by this story, because from the title and description, it seems like it would be a really scary story. in the end, i only read half of the book. By halfway through, very little had happened and there didn't seem to be much going on at all. I wasn't that interested in the characters either, they were a bit dull and didn't have much about them that was interesting. it was a shame, because it seemed like this would be really excellent.
Part of the problem could have been that I have read a lot of young adult books recently, and most of them have been brilliant, hooking you right from the start, whereas this one didn't seem to be going anywhere.
all in all, disappointing. the characters weren't particularly interesting, the story wasn't as scary or mystical as it described it to be. perhaps if i'd managed to read the 2nd half, I would change my mind, but it just wasn't good enough to keep me reading.
Part of the problem could have been that I have read a lot of young adult books recently, and most of them have been brilliant, hooking you right from the start, whereas this one didn't seem to be going anywhere.
all in all, disappointing. the characters weren't particularly interesting, the story wasn't as scary or mystical as it described it to be. perhaps if i'd managed to read the 2nd half, I would change my mind, but it just wasn't good enough to keep me reading.
bethkemp's review
4.0
This, like Langrish's excellent Troll trilogy is a fabulous historical adventure novel with strong fantasy elements. Langrish draws her fantasy aspects from the folk beliefs of the period she's writing in, so this novel, set in the time of the Crusades, is strongly influenced by people's fear of elves and demons.
The compelling characters are a real strength of the book, quickly gaining our sympathy and ensuring we are rooting for them. Her young protagonist, Wolf, is flawed enough to be sympathetic while being someone a tween or teen reader could admire and might choose as a friend. The book is suitable for both boys and girls, since it fits firmly into the fantasy-adventure genre and Wolf is joined by a female protagonist in the form of Lady Nest fairly quickly, ensuring both genders are represented (and eschewing the obvious 'romance' route which can alienate boys and younger readers). Nest herself is a great character, responding negatively to some of the gender-based confines of the age without standing out as anachronistic by being openly rebellious.
As the cover (and trailer) suggests, the setting is important to the novel, and the caves on the hillside feature particularly strongly, offering both temptation and threat. A chilling atmosphere is effectively created through the mystery of the setting, giving us a strong sense of place and its effect on the local residents (and again, this is something Langrish also does particularly well in the Troll trilogy).
Overall, I really enjoyed this and recommend it as a great fantasy adventure. It will definitely be a bedtime read with my eight year old in the not-too-distant-future and I'm sure she'll love it. Although this is shelved as a YA novel (perhaps because the elves are threatening and uncanny rather than sparkly and benign), I think younger children would also enjoy it, especially as a shared read.
The compelling characters are a real strength of the book, quickly gaining our sympathy and ensuring we are rooting for them. Her young protagonist, Wolf, is flawed enough to be sympathetic while being someone a tween or teen reader could admire and might choose as a friend. The book is suitable for both boys and girls, since it fits firmly into the fantasy-adventure genre and Wolf is joined by a female protagonist in the form of Lady Nest fairly quickly, ensuring both genders are represented (and eschewing the obvious 'romance' route which can alienate boys and younger readers). Nest herself is a great character, responding negatively to some of the gender-based confines of the age without standing out as anachronistic by being openly rebellious.
As the cover (and trailer) suggests, the setting is important to the novel, and the caves on the hillside feature particularly strongly, offering both temptation and threat. A chilling atmosphere is effectively created through the mystery of the setting, giving us a strong sense of place and its effect on the local residents (and again, this is something Langrish also does particularly well in the Troll trilogy).
Overall, I really enjoyed this and recommend it as a great fantasy adventure. It will definitely be a bedtime read with my eight year old in the not-too-distant-future and I'm sure she'll love it. Although this is shelved as a YA novel (perhaps because the elves are threatening and uncanny rather than sparkly and benign), I think younger children would also enjoy it, especially as a shared read.
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