Monday, October 29, 2007

Wyvernhail

Once upon a time, in a land so far away we've not even heard
of it... Hai, a young girl living under Wyvern's Court, is
basically a rouge. Half-family with royalty, she's an exile-
a half-breed. She was born to a falcon mother that forgot
her and a cobra father who'd died years ago. Her magical
powers are strong; although so strong, she can only
partially control it. That is, with the help of her friend,
Nicias, the royal guard, who'd saved her life once before.
However, when the ruler of Cobriana (snake country) leaves
the throne to run off with her girlfriend, Hai's visions go
wrong- everything from King Salem dying, to the destruction
of a whole generation, to Wyvern's Court burned to bits.
Worried for her land, Hai's prepared to sacrifice
everything, even the trust of her people.

I believe my opinion may be affected by the fact that I
didn't understand much of the book- I'd not read the first
books, so the setting and characters were completely alien
to me. However, although the writing was beautifully and
poetically done, the characters seemed almost without a
shred of humor- and when they laughed, it was something
morbid that caused it. It seemed on the darker side of
fantasy- maybe too dark for me. I don't think it's
appropriate for young children, just because of this dark,
complicated style, and although it's a lovely tale of
suffering and suspense, I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd
wished I had.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

I don't think that the book was inappropriate to the
extent of censorship. However, Hai, the main character, has
her coquettish moments.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Mahomet, Illinois United States of America