Friday, 16 August 2024 10:21 pm
Book Review: Tuesdays at the Castle
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deckardcanineWell, that didn't take long. Not that I'm surprised; I was housesitting and had plenty of time to fill. Besides, Jessica Day George's book is pretty juvenile.
In the pseudo-medieval land of Sleyne, Castle Glower has a life of its own and keeps altering its layout, usually on Tuesdays, presumably because that's when the king hears petitions. It can be mischievous but acts loyal to the royal family. And unlike in the Potterverse, there's apparently no rule of "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." Anyway, most people who haven't visited don't really believe the rumors about it.
The plot gets underway when bandits attack the king's caravan. Sergeant Avery is at first the only verified survivor. He was knocked unconscious and couldn't find the king or queen later, but what he did find strongly suggests they're dead. As time wears on without further sign of them, the royal council insists on crowning 14-year-old Prince Rolf the new king -- as a figurehead, with the councilors as regents. Rolf, his sisters Lilah and Celie, and their confidants distrust the council, especially upon finding evidence that they plan to replace him with a belligerent foreign prince who might just resort to assassination out of impatience.
Celie, age 11, is the focal character. You may think she's not as close to the interesting stuff as Rolf, but she has the most intimate knowledge of the castle, even mapping it as best she can. Sounds like a lost cause, but I guess a preteen princess doesn't have much else to do. The castle, in turn, seems to love her best of all. From its signals, she infers that at least her father isn't dead, tho I know of no proof that the castle can sense these things from far away.
It's unclear why a castle that can eject unwelcome servants doesn't eject the bad guys. It does provide aid to the good guys, including some magical items, such as a cloak that renders the wearer not invisible but inaudible. I'm a little disappointed when the royal children employ this powerful benefactor to prank their enemies (an awfully small punishment for treason), but again, this book is for younger readers.
And lest you think they're at too big an advantage for suspense, know that the castle doesn't have a monopoly on magic. We learn very little about it in their world, so you can be forgiven for not realizing as much for quite a while.
TatC isn't the best for character development or humor, but it is pretty whimsical and eventually adventurous. Kinda cute, too, not least for how Celie awkwardly straddles the line between a little girl and someone mature enough to take interest in boys. I might read more from JDG; the included preview of Dragon Slippers shows promise.
Now I'm starting Frederik Pohl's Gateway. Enough old-school fantasy for a while.
In the pseudo-medieval land of Sleyne, Castle Glower has a life of its own and keeps altering its layout, usually on Tuesdays, presumably because that's when the king hears petitions. It can be mischievous but acts loyal to the royal family. And unlike in the Potterverse, there's apparently no rule of "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." Anyway, most people who haven't visited don't really believe the rumors about it.
The plot gets underway when bandits attack the king's caravan. Sergeant Avery is at first the only verified survivor. He was knocked unconscious and couldn't find the king or queen later, but what he did find strongly suggests they're dead. As time wears on without further sign of them, the royal council insists on crowning 14-year-old Prince Rolf the new king -- as a figurehead, with the councilors as regents. Rolf, his sisters Lilah and Celie, and their confidants distrust the council, especially upon finding evidence that they plan to replace him with a belligerent foreign prince who might just resort to assassination out of impatience.
Celie, age 11, is the focal character. You may think she's not as close to the interesting stuff as Rolf, but she has the most intimate knowledge of the castle, even mapping it as best she can. Sounds like a lost cause, but I guess a preteen princess doesn't have much else to do. The castle, in turn, seems to love her best of all. From its signals, she infers that at least her father isn't dead, tho I know of no proof that the castle can sense these things from far away.
It's unclear why a castle that can eject unwelcome servants doesn't eject the bad guys. It does provide aid to the good guys, including some magical items, such as a cloak that renders the wearer not invisible but inaudible. I'm a little disappointed when the royal children employ this powerful benefactor to prank their enemies (an awfully small punishment for treason), but again, this book is for younger readers.
And lest you think they're at too big an advantage for suspense, know that the castle doesn't have a monopoly on magic. We learn very little about it in their world, so you can be forgiven for not realizing as much for quite a while.
TatC isn't the best for character development or humor, but it is pretty whimsical and eventually adventurous. Kinda cute, too, not least for how Celie awkwardly straddles the line between a little girl and someone mature enough to take interest in boys. I might read more from JDG; the included preview of Dragon Slippers shows promise.
Now I'm starting Frederik Pohl's Gateway. Enough old-school fantasy for a while.