Thursday, November 27, 2008

Warriors: The Power of Three: Long Shadows


I just finished reading Long Shadows, the fifth book of the third series of Warriors. I can't say it took me long. I got it after school on Tuesday, the day it came out, and started it that night. I stayed up until about 11:00 reading, and didn't put it down for more than half an hour at school the next day, and read for about two hours afterward. I finished it around 5:00 in the afternoon yesterday, and I loved it! I think that it was the best one out so far. It had so many twists, that I can't mention without spoiling the book, that made it so great, although I was surprised at how little went wrong. The first problem they solved smoothly, the second problem ended well, and only the third big part had some trouble, and I can't say it ended well.

The third series of Warriors is definitely the darkest. (Even the names sound dark. Starting with the second, there is Dark River, Outcast, Eclipse, and Long Shadows. The last was supposed to be called Cruel Seasons, but the publisher thought it was too dark and changed it to Sunrise.) However, in all of the third series, only one cat has died, and not until the fifth book. More cats died in the first book!!! And the authors say that they are always trying to think of new ways to kill the cats. I hope they puts some of those evil methods to use soon.

Either way, it was a terrific book, and I would highly recommend it. Now, I'm reading Inkspell.

6 comments:

Adri Phaustho said...

W-wait: mystery books with starring cats? Is that what you're talking about?

Never heard anything like that before, really unexpected.

See you!

J.N. Future Author said...

I have never read those books! maybe I should...

your starting inkspell? ^.^ I just finished inkdeath on tuesday. it was really good!

Anna said...

Inkspell is excellent. I'm looking forward to reading Inkdeath...I still haven't started the second cycle of warriors. I started the super edition that bridges them and never finished...but one of these days I'll pick it up and then get absorbed and be grappling for the next book every time. :D

Anna said...

Hullo!

I was just thinking about something and I thought I would throw it out for discussion.

What, in your opinion draws the reader and the character most easily into the fantasy world that they are about to enter?
I'm working on my story, and I've been thinking about that today....

for instance:

In Harry Potter, Harry starts getting letters, and owls show up at the Dursley's, and then Hagrid is the one that actually introduces him to it.

In Narnia, Lucy steps in and meets a Mr. Tumnus, a faun.

In E.T., Elliot is frightened by the little extra-terrestrial, and recognizes that whatever it is isn't normal, which prompts him to go looking for it.

In the Hobbit, Bilbo is visited by Gandalf, and then thirteen dwarves, and they sort of drag him in.

In the Lord of the Rings, it is again Gandalf but also the ring that forces Frodo to enter the great unknown.

What do you guys think? What is the best way to draw the character and the reader in? A creature/person from the place that you are trying to draw them into?
An object of special significance?

This comment would probably make a good blog post, it's so long. But seriously, what do you think?

Anna

Brian said...

Anna (1st comment)-
Just so you know, when you start the second series, be sure not to put it down until you get into the third. The second series is really bad, but the third is great.

Anna (2nd comment)-
In some stories, although fairly rare, the character begins in the world, and needs no introduction to it, like Ron in Harry Potter. However, it may be hard to draw a reader in with no companion who is also being drawn in.

In the third series of Warriors, the characters are drawn in when one of them overhears a conversation, or, more mystically, a conversation in a dream.

Anna said...

Cool. Don't you think that it's more effective for the character to be drawn in? Ron isn't really a main character in Harry Potter. I don't think there is ever a chapter in any of the seven series in Ron's POV.