Saturday, June 25, 2011

Vlara's Song by Neil O'Donnell


Summary: Vlara's Song is a set of several stories - some short, some long. The first story is Vlara's Song, telling of a druid priestess who traveled a long way to her husband's family. She is haunted by visions of Harrison (her dead husband) throughout her journey. Wizard's Woe, the second tale, is about a wizard who kicked out a foolish apprentice and was never seen afterwards. In the third story a soldier loses his memory during a battle and can't remember whose side he's on. The fourth tale tells of a troll who refused to eat human flesh and eventually became a monk. The next three stories are: Siege's End - about the last days of a keep facing too many enemies, Master's Calling - the tale of a magician with unruly apprentices, and Hidden Temperament - about a wolf who, when angered, becomes larger and humanlike. The last story, The Realm of Author, tells how when authors die the worlds they created become real and the authors themselves become one of the characters.

Opinion: This book was astounding; not simply because of the stories themselves but because of the feeling I got while reading. For example, Vlara's Song was distinctly sad, Soldier Lost was full of confusion, and the author's notes were very humorous. Many of the characters were extremely determined and persevered in helping their friends. All these characters made it through many difficulties (with a little help from friends). I liked the ideas behind The Realm of Author, which would make it possible for authors to visit worlds from their favorite books. I would love to visit Narnia. (Guess I better create an awesome literary world.) I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read stories where you can feel what the characters feel.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA