froydis's review against another edition
2.0
not great - quite cliched in most of it. I had a very hard time caring much about the characters.
moeckles's review
3.0
*3.5/5*
Fun, adventurous middle grade fantasy. Loved the mix of cultures, but didn't always feel very motivated to read. Which is why it was the only one of the three books I was supposed to read for class this week that I actually did read. Oops. I did enjoy it though and I am curious to see where the rest of the series goes, so we'll see if I decide to continue.
Fun, adventurous middle grade fantasy. Loved the mix of cultures, but didn't always feel very motivated to read. Which is why it was the only one of the three books I was supposed to read for class this week that I actually did read. Oops. I did enjoy it though and I am curious to see where the rest of the series goes, so we'll see if I decide to continue.
hdbblog's review
5.0
I've always loved Fantasy. From the time I could first read chapter books I was drawn in by the worlds that were build for me by these amazing authors. However, sometimes it is hard to get into a book because the world is so vast and the amount of characters is overwhelming. As a reader, I find it easier to invest in a fictional world when there is a handhold for me that relates to the world around me. Cue Laurence Yep's City of Fire.
Yep builds a fantastic world around the real events of the 1940's. This time period allows our adventurers the use of planes and boats as their main transportation, which is much more exciting in my opinion! Certain events in our history have been altered, such as the fact that Hawaii is still an independent country. Also, and here is the kicker, mythical creatures walk among humans as equals. Pretty amazing right? Or is your head hurting? Well either way trust me, it's worth the slight confusion at the beginning because once I was pulled into the world there was no turning back. The world is so vivid, so well written, that I can guarantee you'll be pulled in as well.
Bring on the characters shall we? We meet Scirye, the fiery young girl with a vendetta against her sister's killer. She is tired of being treated as a little girl and ready to prove herself. Then we are presented with Leech and Koko, two street urchins with secrets buried within them. Mysterious and hilarious, they are quite the duo! Finally we meet Bayang, a dragon who is disguised as an elderly lady and is the key to the whole journey. These four characters are so fantastic together! Their banter with one another is classic, and throughout their interactions there are so many lessons learned about friendship, understanding and forgiveness. There is a character for every reader to attach to and fall in love with.
I could write a whole novel about my appreciation for this book, but I'll end here. The long and short of it is simply this: City of Fire is a fantastic journey complete with realistic and magical elements. Although this written for the younger reader, I see a lot for us young adult and adult readers to love. If you're ready to be transported to a new world, let Laurence Yep take you there! This book gets the highest recommendation possible from me, and I can only hope that you agree.
Yep builds a fantastic world around the real events of the 1940's. This time period allows our adventurers the use of planes and boats as their main transportation, which is much more exciting in my opinion! Certain events in our history have been altered, such as the fact that Hawaii is still an independent country. Also, and here is the kicker, mythical creatures walk among humans as equals. Pretty amazing right? Or is your head hurting? Well either way trust me, it's worth the slight confusion at the beginning because once I was pulled into the world there was no turning back. The world is so vivid, so well written, that I can guarantee you'll be pulled in as well.
Bring on the characters shall we? We meet Scirye, the fiery young girl with a vendetta against her sister's killer. She is tired of being treated as a little girl and ready to prove herself. Then we are presented with Leech and Koko, two street urchins with secrets buried within them. Mysterious and hilarious, they are quite the duo! Finally we meet Bayang, a dragon who is disguised as an elderly lady and is the key to the whole journey. These four characters are so fantastic together! Their banter with one another is classic, and throughout their interactions there are so many lessons learned about friendship, understanding and forgiveness. There is a character for every reader to attach to and fall in love with.
I could write a whole novel about my appreciation for this book, but I'll end here. The long and short of it is simply this: City of Fire is a fantastic journey complete with realistic and magical elements. Although this written for the younger reader, I see a lot for us young adult and adult readers to love. If you're ready to be transported to a new world, let Laurence Yep take you there! This book gets the highest recommendation possible from me, and I can only hope that you agree.
jaasato's review
4.0
Fun sci-fi/fantasy set in 1940s San Francisco (and Hawaii!), but in an alternate universe where goddesses roam the earth with griffiths, menehune, trolls, giants, and dragons!
Yep has fun mixing mythology and fantasy elements, but it is a bit of a formulaic caper/ragtag gang of misfits battling against the odds. Spunky heroine, check; rapscallion sidekick, check; experienced, curmudgeonly guide, check. But of course, I love that kind of stuff, so I had a lot of fun. Big ups on Yep for integrating Pidgin.
Yep has fun mixing mythology and fantasy elements, but it is a bit of a formulaic caper/ragtag gang of misfits battling against the odds. Spunky heroine, check; rapscallion sidekick, check; experienced, curmudgeonly guide, check. But of course, I love that kind of stuff, so I had a lot of fun. Big ups on Yep for integrating Pidgin.
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