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duriangray's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
quesarah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
nebulous_tide's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
gingerliss's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did its predecessor [b:The Weirdstone of Brisingamen|694997|The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (Tales of Alderley, #1)|Alan Garner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1177345171s/694997.jpg|279305]. I liked the way that in the first book Colin and Susan just accidentally fell into adventure, in this book they both just seemed to be looking for trouble. The storyline also just felt like a lot of running around with a small battle like event towards the end. I still like the way Garner uses all kinds of elements from folklore and myths in his stories, but this one just didn't feel as strong some of his other books.
tani's review against another edition
3.0
I've been eye-balling this book on my shelf, wondering if I actually want to read it, and since I've been having a hard time reading anything lately, I naturally thought it was the perfect time to try this. At the very least, I thought, it would be really easy to put the book down if I didn't like it, given my current mood. Except that this was so short and nostalgic, I ended up reading it in a single afternoon.
I won't say it's great literature. But if you're looking something to remind you of Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and The Dark is Rising, this might be right for you. It's not quite as good as any of the examples I mentioned, but it definitely has a similar vibe. Susan and Colin are two kids who keep getting involved in magical escapades with their foundations in Arthurian myth. They meet tons of mythical creatures, and yet remain silly British children, with that peculiar mix of common sense and tolerance for the fantastical.
The story itself does feel quite rushed, but I was pretty okay with it. There wasn't a lot to draw me to the characters, so if it had dragged on at all, I would have enjoyed it considerably less. As it was, I breezed through on the strength of the shortness and the fast pace. I do think it's something I would have enjoyed considerably more if I was in the target age range, but it was still a good way to spend a slumpy Saturday afternoon. I didn't enjoy it enough to say that I'll go out and read the rest of the series, but it was just fine for what it was.
I won't say it's great literature. But if you're looking something to remind you of Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and The Dark is Rising, this might be right for you. It's not quite as good as any of the examples I mentioned, but it definitely has a similar vibe. Susan and Colin are two kids who keep getting involved in magical escapades with their foundations in Arthurian myth. They meet tons of mythical creatures, and yet remain silly British children, with that peculiar mix of common sense and tolerance for the fantastical.
The story itself does feel quite rushed, but I was pretty okay with it. There wasn't a lot to draw me to the characters, so if it had dragged on at all, I would have enjoyed it considerably less. As it was, I breezed through on the strength of the shortness and the fast pace. I do think it's something I would have enjoyed considerably more if I was in the target age range, but it was still a good way to spend a slumpy Saturday afternoon. I didn't enjoy it enough to say that I'll go out and read the rest of the series, but it was just fine for what it was.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
5.0
I do love Alan Garner, but the man simply cannot write endings properly.
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars. This tale is just as good now as it was many years ago. I love the mythical feel of the story.
cathodg's review against another edition
5.0
The Tales of Alderley are children’s fantasy novels written in the 1950s and 60s by Alan Garner. Despite critical success Garner actually grew to dislike his characters and the third book in the series wasn’t released until 2012!
Upon reading these books my first thought was how had I not read them when I was younger. They are a fantastic introduction to the fantasy world for children and I can’t believe it has taken me so long to stumble across them. Set in and around Macclesfield and Alderley Edge in Cheshire the books rely heavily on the folklore and landscape of the area and having grown up not too far from the area myself I definitely connected with the setting of the story.
So what is the story?
The Tales of Alderley tells the story of two children, Colin and Susan who are sent to stay with old family friends whilst their parents are overseas. Living on a farm in a quiet rural area of Cheshire the children naturally begin to explore the fields and woods and in doing so come to realise that the world they know is shared with wizards, shape shifting witches, dwarves and other magical creatures. The first book focuses on the lost Weirdstone of Brisingmen, key to protecting the world of humans and good magic from the evil spirit Nastrond. When it falls into the wrong hands the power of dark side begins to grow and Colin and Susan find themselves caught up in a great quest to take back the stone and quell the forces of darkness once more. In the second book some time has passed since the great battle and Colin and Susan have had no contact with the world of magic. But times are changing and the elves need Susan and Colin’s help with an unknown evil power in their own lands. In helping the elves, Susan is left vulnerable to other older dark powers roaming the Cheshire countryside. A struggle between old and new magic is taking place and the children get caught very much in the middle of it.
You can’t help but smile when you begin this book and find the “obligatory” map laying out the key places of the story. I read this book in a mere couple of days, and would find myself caught up reading chapter after chapter. It is a natural page turner with fantastic chapter cliff endings keeping you reading on. Whilst there is complexity to the story it is not overwhelming and at roughly 300 pages long they are considerably shorter than many fantasy novels making them perfectly accessible to children new to the genre. I also found that having children as the central characters kept a good level of mystery and fantasy to the back story of characters, motivation and plot development without becoming too complex or weighty. But don’t be worried that in doing that it loses any depth or darkness, I’m sure if I had read this as a child I would have been hiding under the covers insisting that I was ok whilst secretly dreading turning the light off.
Whilst written for children I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. So whether you’re looking for a light fantasy read for yourself or something to get your children interested I would highly recommend these books.
Upon reading these books my first thought was how had I not read them when I was younger. They are a fantastic introduction to the fantasy world for children and I can’t believe it has taken me so long to stumble across them. Set in and around Macclesfield and Alderley Edge in Cheshire the books rely heavily on the folklore and landscape of the area and having grown up not too far from the area myself I definitely connected with the setting of the story.
So what is the story?
The Tales of Alderley tells the story of two children, Colin and Susan who are sent to stay with old family friends whilst their parents are overseas. Living on a farm in a quiet rural area of Cheshire the children naturally begin to explore the fields and woods and in doing so come to realise that the world they know is shared with wizards, shape shifting witches, dwarves and other magical creatures. The first book focuses on the lost Weirdstone of Brisingmen, key to protecting the world of humans and good magic from the evil spirit Nastrond. When it falls into the wrong hands the power of dark side begins to grow and Colin and Susan find themselves caught up in a great quest to take back the stone and quell the forces of darkness once more. In the second book some time has passed since the great battle and Colin and Susan have had no contact with the world of magic. But times are changing and the elves need Susan and Colin’s help with an unknown evil power in their own lands. In helping the elves, Susan is left vulnerable to other older dark powers roaming the Cheshire countryside. A struggle between old and new magic is taking place and the children get caught very much in the middle of it.
You can’t help but smile when you begin this book and find the “obligatory” map laying out the key places of the story. I read this book in a mere couple of days, and would find myself caught up reading chapter after chapter. It is a natural page turner with fantastic chapter cliff endings keeping you reading on. Whilst there is complexity to the story it is not overwhelming and at roughly 300 pages long they are considerably shorter than many fantasy novels making them perfectly accessible to children new to the genre. I also found that having children as the central characters kept a good level of mystery and fantasy to the back story of characters, motivation and plot development without becoming too complex or weighty. But don’t be worried that in doing that it loses any depth or darkness, I’m sure if I had read this as a child I would have been hiding under the covers insisting that I was ok whilst secretly dreading turning the light off.
Whilst written for children I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. So whether you’re looking for a light fantasy read for yourself or something to get your children interested I would highly recommend these books.
mike_brough's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe a smidgeon behind the Weirdstone but still an excellent adventure.