Module 5: Fantastical Fiction
Title: Rose Daughter
Bibliography:
McKinley, R. (2008). Rose Daughter. Penguin Publishing Group.
ISBN: 978-0441013999
Summary:
In Rose Daughter, Beauty and her family find themselves in financial ruin and move to Rose Cottage by the small town of Longchance. Beauty finds her life passion in gardening. She particularly loves roses. One day, she requests that her father bring her back a rose from a journey he is to make. On his way back home, and after getting caught in the middle of a bad snowstorm, he ends up in a castle where he is provided food and shelter. There he sees a rose and decides to take it back to his daughter Beauty. The owner of the castle, a beast, is outraged by this but allows Beauty’s father to go with the condition that his daughter goes to live with him. She does but after being away from her family, she begs to go back to see them. Beast allows her to but requests that she return, or he will die. She agrees and does as he asked. After that, she is given a choice to have the beast return to being human and gain all his power and wealth back, or remain a beast and live a peaceful peasant life. She chooses a peaceful life.
Critical Analysis:
Rose Garden is a beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In this story, the author gives an old tale a fresh twist. McKinley transforms the story in a very peculiar way. This version generates a more mature feeling to this popular tale, but at the same time, it is playful and delightful.
Just like in the original story, there is an emphasis on a rose, but this retelling takes that focus to another level. I have to admit that even though I love gardening, this story does focus a bit too much on the roses, rose bushes, and on reviving them. I understand this is a critical focal point, so this is probably why the story revolves around it. Beauty’s love for gardening is very prevalent in this version.
What mostly surprised me from this story was the ending. I was completely shocked by it. I was expecting the happily ever after but in a different way. I did like it though. It gives the story its own unique touch.
Review Excerpts:
While the story is full of silvery images and quotable lines, it will strike some as overlong and overblown; for others, perhaps those who were bewitched by Donna Jo Napoli's Zel (1996), it is surely the perfect book. — Kirkus Reviews
“McKinley is at home in a world where magic is a mainstay . . . a tangled, thorny web of love, loyalty, and storytelling sorcery. Fullest appreciation of Rose Daughter may be at an adult level.” —School Library Journal
“Dazzling . . . has the power to exhilarate.” —Publishers Weekly
Connections:
Other books by Robin McKinley:
Spindle's EndSpindle's End
SunshineSunshine
The Blue SwordThe Blue Sword
DeerskinDeerskin
Related books:
Bryony And Roses
Beauty & the Beast
Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Bibliography:
Tahir, S. (2015). An Ember in the Ashes. Penguin Young Readers Group.
ISBN: 978-1595148049
Summary:
In An Ember in the Ashes Laia, a 17-year-old girl, and Elias, an elite warrior, both yearn for freedom from the obstacles of their lives. Throughout the story, they both face different battles. Laia, is willing to do anything to save her brother who is arrested for treason. She makes a deal with a group of rebels who promise to rescue her brother, but for a price. She becomes a spy for them. Elias, a soldier who has been experiencing first-hand the horrors of the empire and is sick of them, is ready to escape. He is unable to though, due to the trials, a series of violent tests which are used to determine who the new emperor will be. He is one of the new graduates and has to be part of these horrific events. During the trials, Elias meets the newest slave, Laia. They build an alliance in which they must face danger, deception, and above all, the feelings they have developed for each other.
Critical Analysis:
In An Ember in the Ashes, Sabaa Tahir takes us through an incredible fantasy experience. The story is so detailed that it makes it feel so real. The characters are incredibly unique but they are the perfect mix. There is an amazing balance between the characters' personalities and their stories throughout the book. They change as a result of everything they go through. There is just something relatable and understandable about each one that makes them seem so real.
An Ember in the Ashes has pushed fantasy fiction to another level for me. I had a great experience reading this book and it has given me the desire to further explore more novels in this genre. Throughout this incredible story, the reader will find adventure, action, danger, and lots of plot twists. This is one of the best fantasy stories I have ever read.
Review Excerpts:
“Tahir’s world-building is wonderfully detailed and the setting is an unusual one for fantasy novels. All of her characters, even minor ones, are fully realized....For fans of Game of Thrones and of Melina Marchetta’s Finnikin of the Rock.” —School Library Journal
“An original, well-constructed fantasy world...truly engaging.” —Kirkus Reviews
“First-time novelist Tahir has written an ambitious sword-and-sand adventure story that is notable for its suspense and scope.” —Booklist
Connections:
Other books by Sabaa Tahir:
All My Rage: A NovelAll My Rage: A Novel
HeirHeir
A Torch Against the Night
Related books:
The Emperor's Blades: Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne
Fatemarked: The Fatemarked Epic
Title: Six of Crows
Bibliography:
Bardugo, L. (2021). Six of Crows. Henry Holt and Company (BYR).
ISBN: 978-1250777904
Summary:
Six of Crows is a fantasy novel about a group of teenagers who try to pull off a complex heist, all for the need of money. Kaz, together with five other teenagers, Nina, the heart render; Matthias the convict, Inej the spy, Wylan, the demolition expert and Jesper, the sharpshooter, are on a mission. They work together to achieve their ultimate goal. The team of six must get into the Ice Court. Their first task is to get Matthias out of the Hellgate prison since he will assist them in accomplishing this. After a long journey, and much trouble, the Inaj gets captured together with the money the group has worked for.
Critical Analysis:
Six of Crows is a great high fantasy book for teenagers. Tt will leave them wanting to read more and anxiously waiting for the next part. This novel is capable of sparking great curiosity in the reader and putting their imagination to work.
The characters are all older teenagers and the author does an excellent job at working them into a dark, complex plot but simultaneously balances them out with vulnerability and humor. Each character brings something interesting to the story. As you read, you feel invested in each character and their stories. Although the characters are criminals, there is a strong bond between them. Their friendship is deep and this also adds to the story.
The main part of the story is the heist, and it was incredible. It was chaotic but delightful. This adds so much intensity to the story and leaves the reader not wanting to put the book down. Overall this is a great read for young adults who are interested in high fantasy.
Review Excerpts:
This has all the right elements to keep readers enthralled: a cunning leader with a plan for every occasion, nigh-impossible odds, an entertainingly combative team of skilled misfits, a twisty plot, and a nerve-wracking cliffhanger.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Cracking page-turner with a multi ethnic band of misfits with differing sexual orientations who satisfyingly, believably jell into a family.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“an exciting beginning to a new sequence from a fantasy author swiftly becoming a talent to watch.” —The Horn Book
Connections:
Other books by Leigh Bardugo:
Shadow and Bone
Ninth House
King of Scars
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