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bekkibee22's review against another edition
4.0
The Second book in the Emblem Island series, and once again for a middle aged book, I found this as good as the first book, which was full of adventure, mythical creatures, new faces and lots of twists and turns. I still very much loved how its based of myths and legends and how we get to continue the adventure with Tor, Engle and Melda.
In this tale Tor, Engle, and Melda must stop a band of cursed pirates from taking over their home.
Tor is adjusting to life with the power of the Night Witch, especially with his best friends Engle and Melda by his side. But when a mysterious girl washes ashore claiming a band of cursed pirates is on their way to Emblem Island, life changes fast.
The girl, Gemma, is from an underwater city that was destroyed by the terrible Calavera pirates and she warns Tor they are now on their way to his home.
The trio of friends must come up with a plan to stop the pirates from getting an ancient relic that would give them the ability to control the high seas, while also protecting all they love from the new danger.
I hope Alex is working on some more books, but as of yet I haven't seen anything so I will keep my eyes peeled as I really want to see what adventure is next, while also seeing what new abilities and power Tor gets from the Night Witch. I highly recommend these books if you want some easy reads that are full of adventure and makes you want to learn more.
In this tale Tor, Engle, and Melda must stop a band of cursed pirates from taking over their home.
Tor is adjusting to life with the power of the Night Witch, especially with his best friends Engle and Melda by his side. But when a mysterious girl washes ashore claiming a band of cursed pirates is on their way to Emblem Island, life changes fast.
The girl, Gemma, is from an underwater city that was destroyed by the terrible Calavera pirates and she warns Tor they are now on their way to his home.
The trio of friends must come up with a plan to stop the pirates from getting an ancient relic that would give them the ability to control the high seas, while also protecting all they love from the new danger.
I hope Alex is working on some more books, but as of yet I haven't seen anything so I will keep my eyes peeled as I really want to see what adventure is next, while also seeing what new abilities and power Tor gets from the Night Witch. I highly recommend these books if you want some easy reads that are full of adventure and makes you want to learn more.
coutures1513's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
J’ai bien aimé la conclusion de cette duologie ! Par contre, je crois que j’aurais pris plus d’un peu tout. Je n’ai pas trouvé qu’il y avait des longueurs. Le rythme est assez rapide.
J’ai bien aimé la conclusion de cette duologie ! Par contre, je crois que j’aurais pris plus d’un peu tout. Je n’ai pas trouvé qu’il y avait des longueurs. Le rythme est assez rapide.
shelbymarie516's review against another edition
5.0
I had so many books come available after this loan expired but I enjoyed her other books so much I ordered the physical copies of both of these Emblem Island books. I think this one was more fun with all of the water and mermaid things.
*Listened to the Audiobook version on a long drive
*Listened to the Audiobook version on a long drive
ginggrr's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
princess_peach's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
3.75
kayladaniella's review against another edition
3.0
"'Not just any pirates.' She whispered the next few words the same way Tor used to say Night Witch. 'The Calavera.'"
Emblem Island: Curse of the Forgotten City by Alex Aster was a fresh and fun sequel toCurse of the Night Witch. The book, for me, was better than book one, although some of the same flaws were still there.
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Type: 2nd in a duology
POV: 1 POV, third person, past tense
Age Rating: 8-12 years old
~Synopsis~
After unwillingly inheriting all of the Night Witch’s abilities, Tor Luna is the most powerful person on Emblem Island—though he doesn’t want power at all. Fresh from their last adventure, a girl from a forgotten underwater city named Vesper, with a water-breathing emblem washes ashore—with a warning. Pirates are coming to attack Emblem Island. Tor, Melda, Engle, and Vesper set off on a new quest to find a pearl that controls the sea. They must find it before the Calavera pirates, otherwise their world will be doomed forever.
"But the Calavera did not just want treasure, they wanted power."
~Writing and Setting~
Aster's writing style in this book is once again very elementary. But, it was an improvement from last time. The new quest flowed well, even with simple writing. The new ocean setting was completely different from the last book, but in a good way. The port towns were vivid, the ocean was strong, and the cities underwater were truly breathtaking. Asters world-building will never not amaze me. And the new book inside the book, the Book of Sea, was incredible, elevating the story even more.
"The sun was just a golden smudge far above. Fish traveled in layers, some closer to him, some near the surface—and he saw it all. An entire world above and beneath him."
~Plot~
This book was less interesting than the first one. Instead of just Tors life on the line, the entirety of the world was at risk. Even with these extra pressures, the adventure didn't hold as much as the first one. The roadblocks that were there were exciting and kept me at the edge of my seat, but something was just lacking.
"You can either accept it and use what she gave you to change the world for the better, or you can continue to feel sorry for yourself and try to forget what you are.”
~Characters~
Tor was more annoying this book. He was constantly ready to lose hope and turn around and he was too trusting of the new characters. Melda was the same—too smart for her own good. She was determined and made good use of her leadership emblem. Engle had the most character development of the three. You could see how the last book effected him. He was afraid and had nightmares about the last adventure. It was heartbreaking to see how he went from loving adventures to being terrified of them. Vesper, the new character, is from an underwater city. She was constantly telling Tor to not give up, and even with everything thrown at her, she held her chin up. She had a complex backstory and was sassy, emotional, and well-rounded. Captain Forecastle, a "good" pirate who the group teamed up with was a very stereotypical pirate. He had no depth whatsoever. He always said ye, and did nothing for the story except make me cringe.
"Captain Forecastle shrugged. “Never make a bargain with a pirate that isn’t inked in blood."
~Overall~
Cure of the Forgotten City was a solid sequel to Curse of the Night Witch. The idea was was good, but it wasn't executed the best. I'm not sure if there will be another book to the Emblem Island series, but if there is another one, the only reason I will read it is because Engle deserves the world.
"For the rest of her life, she lived on a ship, where water was always nearby. But, ultimately, it was in the water where she died."
3/5 stars
Emblem Island: Curse of the Forgotten City by Alex Aster was a fresh and fun sequel toCurse of the Night Witch. The book, for me, was better than book one, although some of the same flaws were still there.
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Type: 2nd in a duology
POV: 1 POV, third person, past tense
Age Rating: 8-12 years old
~Synopsis~
After unwillingly inheriting all of the Night Witch’s abilities, Tor Luna is the most powerful person on Emblem Island—though he doesn’t want power at all. Fresh from their last adventure, a girl from a forgotten underwater city named Vesper, with a water-breathing emblem washes ashore—with a warning. Pirates are coming to attack Emblem Island. Tor, Melda, Engle, and Vesper set off on a new quest to find a pearl that controls the sea. They must find it before the Calavera pirates, otherwise their world will be doomed forever.
"But the Calavera did not just want treasure, they wanted power."
~Writing and Setting~
Aster's writing style in this book is once again very elementary. But, it was an improvement from last time. The new quest flowed well, even with simple writing. The new ocean setting was completely different from the last book, but in a good way. The port towns were vivid, the ocean was strong, and the cities underwater were truly breathtaking. Asters world-building will never not amaze me. And the new book inside the book, the Book of Sea, was incredible, elevating the story even more.
"The sun was just a golden smudge far above. Fish traveled in layers, some closer to him, some near the surface—and he saw it all. An entire world above and beneath him."
~Plot~
This book was less interesting than the first one. Instead of just Tors life on the line, the entirety of the world was at risk. Even with these extra pressures, the adventure didn't hold as much as the first one. The roadblocks that were there were exciting and kept me at the edge of my seat, but something was just lacking.
"You can either accept it and use what she gave you to change the world for the better, or you can continue to feel sorry for yourself and try to forget what you are.”
~Characters~
Tor was more annoying this book. He was constantly ready to lose hope and turn around and he was too trusting of the new characters. Melda was the same—too smart for her own good. She was determined and made good use of her leadership emblem. Engle had the most character development of the three. You could see how the last book effected him. He was afraid and had nightmares about the last adventure. It was heartbreaking to see how he went from loving adventures to being terrified of them. Vesper, the new character, is from an underwater city. She was constantly telling Tor to not give up, and even with everything thrown at her, she held her chin up. She had a complex backstory and was sassy, emotional, and well-rounded. Captain Forecastle, a "good" pirate who the group teamed up with was a very stereotypical pirate. He had no depth whatsoever. He always said ye, and did nothing for the story except make me cringe.
"Captain Forecastle shrugged. “Never make a bargain with a pirate that isn’t inked in blood."
~Overall~
Cure of the Forgotten City was a solid sequel to Curse of the Night Witch. The idea was was good, but it wasn't executed the best. I'm not sure if there will be another book to the Emblem Island series, but if there is another one, the only reason I will read it is because Engle deserves the world.
"For the rest of her life, she lived on a ship, where water was always nearby. But, ultimately, it was in the water where she died."
3/5 stars