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the_bookish_owl's review against another edition
5.0
Really interesting learning about the history of Ga'Hoole :D
a_wren_that_reads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
lorien13's review against another edition
4.0
I really like this novel, but then again, I'm a fan of the series. Like all the books, it's for an audience younger than me, but I think it's pretty brilliant. A new story that links in with the present story of the novel, it adds depth to the world, and I'm eager for the next one.
All in all, a good book to encourage reading, a wonderful addition to the series, and a shame not to be made into a movie.
<3
All in all, a good book to encourage reading, a wonderful addition to the series, and a shame not to be made into a movie.
<3
cptrexct's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
owlette's review against another edition
4.0
freshlimetime_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aftanith's review against another edition
2.0
Say goodbye to Soren, the Guardians, the Band, the Chaw of Chaw, the wolves of the Beyond, Coryn, and even the Pure Ones. Because for some reason or other, we're blasting thousands of years into the past to deal with mythology that was never mentioned in the series until The Hatchling (but mostly The Outcast). And don't worry your pretty little heads, because this mythology will directly contradict what's been said before and will confuse the hell out of you.
Actually, you know what? Worry.
I have two massive questions/complaints:
What exactly is Glaux?
Glaux was stated to be owls during the time of humans, but the term is used like a Crystal Dragon Jesus ("By Glaux!", "Oh my Glaux!" etcetera, etcetera). Then it was said to be the first owl, not the whole group of them. But in The First Collier, suddenly the first owl is called Hoole... which confuses things further as this is a different Hoole from the Hoole of the Ga'Hoole tree, who was named for that first Hoole. (Are you confused yet?)
What the hell are hagsfiends?
During their first appearances, hagsfiends are dead owls from hagsmire, which is the term for owl hell. Now they're explained to be a cross between crows and owls. More specifically, they are descendant from a species called crowls, which are explained as the common ancestor of owls and crows.
But if the hagsfiends re just another bird species, why are they Always Chaotic Evil? And how can owls become hagsfiends just by hanging around them? Obviously it's supposed to be that the PURE EVIL rubs off on them, but that only works if they're actual demons of some kind, not a bird species. Which they were until this book Retconned it. (Are you confused now?)
Really, I feel like Lasky got confused halfway through writing this. Like maybe she took a long break and got her own mythology mixed up when she sat back down to continue. Or she wrote two or more wildly different drafts in which the mythology evolved and when she tried to bring the best of the drafts together, the mythology accidentally got confused. Or... I don't know, maybe she just thought kids would be too stupid to remember what she said in the previous books?
So, yeah. We're back at the bottom of the downhill slide from The Hatchling. The prejudice is back in full swing with the invariably PURE EVIL hagsfiends, and with the mythology getting so bungled and contradictory, I'm getting really close to just not caring.
And with the final reveal that Coryn thinks his mother is actually a hagsfiend, not an owl at all, I was really close to throwing the book across the room. You cannot retcon your villain into being a different species from the good guys. Seriously, imagine that these were people instead of birds.
"Le gasp," Coryn says. "My mother's too evil to be a _______ like me I think she's really one of those terrible _______!"
Now fill in those blanks with things like white and black, capitalist and communist, Republican and Democrat, Northerner and Southerner, etcetera. Suddenly it's offensive, right? That's because it was offensive all along, and yet so many anthropomorphic and fantasy series try imply that discrimination is perfectly acceptable because it's not against people. It's not.
The little owlet Hoole was the highlight of this book. He was sweet and innocent, and since he'd never heard of hagsfiends, he didn't suffer the ingrained prejudice that the other characters flaunted. I can only hope he'll stay that way. (Though, unfortunately, I doubt it.)
Actually, you know what? Worry.
I have two massive questions/complaints:
What exactly is Glaux?
Glaux was stated to be owls during the time of humans, but the term is used like a Crystal Dragon Jesus ("By Glaux!", "Oh my Glaux!" etcetera, etcetera). Then it was said to be the first owl, not the whole group of them. But in The First Collier, suddenly the first owl is called Hoole... which confuses things further as this is a different Hoole from the Hoole of the Ga'Hoole tree, who was named for that first Hoole. (Are you confused yet?)
What the hell are hagsfiends?
During their first appearances, hagsfiends are dead owls from hagsmire, which is the term for owl hell. Now they're explained to be a cross between crows and owls. More specifically, they are descendant from a species called crowls, which are explained as the common ancestor of owls and crows.
But if the hagsfiends re just another bird species, why are they Always Chaotic Evil? And how can owls become hagsfiends just by hanging around them? Obviously it's supposed to be that the PURE EVIL rubs off on them, but that only works if they're actual demons of some kind, not a bird species. Which they were until this book Retconned it. (Are you confused now?)
Really, I feel like Lasky got confused halfway through writing this. Like maybe she took a long break and got her own mythology mixed up when she sat back down to continue. Or she wrote two or more wildly different drafts in which the mythology evolved and when she tried to bring the best of the drafts together, the mythology accidentally got confused. Or... I don't know, maybe she just thought kids would be too stupid to remember what she said in the previous books?
So, yeah. We're back at the bottom of the downhill slide from The Hatchling. The prejudice is back in full swing with the invariably PURE EVIL hagsfiends, and with the mythology getting so bungled and contradictory, I'm getting really close to just not caring.
And with the final reveal that Coryn thinks his mother is actually a hagsfiend, not an owl at all, I was really close to throwing the book across the room. You cannot retcon your villain into being a different species from the good guys. Seriously, imagine that these were people instead of birds.
"Le gasp," Coryn says. "My mother's too evil to be a _______ like me I think she's really one of those terrible _______!"
Now fill in those blanks with things like white and black, capitalist and communist, Republican and Democrat, Northerner and Southerner, etcetera. Suddenly it's offensive, right? That's because it was offensive all along, and yet so many anthropomorphic and fantasy series try imply that discrimination is perfectly acceptable because it's not against people. It's not.
The little owlet Hoole was the highlight of this book. He was sweet and innocent, and since he'd never heard of hagsfiends, he didn't suffer the ingrained prejudice that the other characters flaunted. I can only hope he'll stay that way. (Though, unfortunately, I doubt it.)
historianvik's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
wendytheowl's review against another edition
3.0
FR
Alors, je peux comprendre pourquoi on fait un bon dans le passé pour comprendre l'histoire etc.
Mais c'est un non.
Je n'ai pas apprécié ma lecture, sans compter beaucoup de choses qui sont bizarres/erronées. Je suis très confuse !
ENG
So, I can understand why we go in the past to understand the history etc.
But it's a no.
I didn't enjoy my reading, not to mention a lot of things that are weird/wrong. I'm very confused !
Alors, je peux comprendre pourquoi on fait un bon dans le passé pour comprendre l'histoire etc.
Mais c'est un non.
Je n'ai pas apprécié ma lecture, sans compter beaucoup de choses qui sont bizarres/erronées. Je suis très confuse !
ENG
So, I can understand why we go in the past to understand the history etc.
But it's a no.
I didn't enjoy my reading, not to mention a lot of things that are weird/wrong. I'm very confused !
punkrockingnerd's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0