Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Wizards
12 Reviews
(4)
4-6
Text by Susan J. Morris. Purportedly the authoritative work of wizard and dragon enthusiast Sindri Suncatcher, this gimmicky Dungeons & Dragons tie-in exhaustively enumerates the varieties, magical skills, and personalities of the many dragons found in the role-playing game. The descriptions and illustrations are specific to the game and rely on readers' prior knowledge of--and interest in--that world.
Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem
(4)
4-6
Flannery's uncle, a purveyor of protective magic, forbids her from using her own powers. Just as a vampire begins terrorizing their town, Uncle Anatole falls prey to a curse. Flan draws on her considerable abilities--and the help of a handsome stranger--to protect her neighbors and her uncle's reputation. A mildly entertaining (if predictable) companion to A Practical Guide to Vampires.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
Pauley, Kimberly
Still Sucks to Be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith, Teen Vampire
(4)
YA
Mina (Sucks to Be Me) and her family, all vampires, relocate to Louisiana, where she’s unexpectedly joined by her human best friend and her vampire boyfriend. They help solve the mystery surrounding a clan of nefarious vampires, one of whom Mina might be falling for. Fans of all things vampire will enjoy this take on blood-suckers, despite its surprising lack of action.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
Rotruck, A. R.
Young Wizards Handbook: How to Trap a Zombie, Track a Vampire, and Other Hands-On Activities for Monster Hunters
(3)
4-6
A Dungeons & Dragons tie-in, this book would be useful for fantasy fans interested in crafting. Illustrated step-by-step instructions describe how to make knapsacks, knotted nets, vampire repellent, etc. The text also discusses skills such as monster trapping and (fantasy) wilderness preparedness. Detailed spot art supports the projects and decorates the pages.
Reviewer: Bethany Templeton Klem
(4)
4-6
Stone of Tymora series.
This first-person narrative returns readers to young Maimun's quest, picking up right where The Shadowmask ended. A quick-paced pirate adventure with some unexpected plot twists, the story will appeal to established Dungeons & Dragons fans, especially those interested in learning more about character types in this created universe. The unpolished writing reads a little like fan-fiction.
Reviewer: Jenn Matters
(4)
4-6
This guide, purportedly written by Treval Vorgard, "Vampire Enthusiast and Occasional Hunter," covers such topics as food, clothing, and community. The text includes field guide–style notes and sidebars, providing additional information and "expert" opinions. Some of the illustrations, by a cadre of artists, have an amateurish, too-cartoony look that doesn't match the playing-it-straight text.
Reviewer: Beth L. Meister
(4)
4-6
Complete with such section headings as "A Faerie Wardrobe" and "The Caverns of Wonder," this book provides an invented introduction to fairies and their land, the Feywild. Delicate (occasionally amateurish) illustrations of fairies, their homes, and trinkets appear on browned, antique-looking pages.
Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey
(4)
4-6
A variety of parties are interested in the weapons potential of gnome Hector's invention, a mechanical giant that he intends as a communications device. When Hector lands in trouble, he's rescued by Kyani, a recently orphaned brass dragon. Adventure and a touch of mystery animate this fast-moving, if message-driven, fantasy that affirms the power of friendship and peace.
Reviewer: Beth L. Meister
(4)
YA
This uneven fantasy short-story anthology features some fine work. Ann Zeddies's tale of Korean dragons in Kansas is nicely textured, Cassandra Clare's high school horror story employs Lovecraftian humor, and Beth Bernobich's impossible quest is a solid winner. Many of the other works are underwhelming, though, evoking mood without solid narrative or characterization, and there's no sense of thematic connection.
Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin
(4)
4-6
Purportedly written by the Archmage Lowadar, this guide for new students at Aldwyns Academy for Wizardry offers a detailed look at magical garb, supplies, classes, equipment, and more. The illustrations, by eleven different artists, have a generic commercial look; "handwritten" notes from Lowadar are in spindly difficult-to-read type. Potterites jonesing for a magic fix may be diverted.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
(4)
YA
Mina's always known her parents are vampires, but it's never been a big deal. While taking classes to decide whether or not she should become a vampire, Mina is torn. Either choice would change her life, and Mina only has a month to decide. The plot is surprisingly tame, but descriptions of vampire life and lore are intriguing.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(4)
4-6
Stone of Tymora series.
This first children's entry in the decades-old Dungeons & Dragons spinoff series introduces Maimun, an orphan on the run from a demon. Though the book functions primarily as an elaborate introduction for what will presumably be a lengthy series, Maimun's flashbacks of adventuring on the high seas are excitingly packed with trolls, dark elves, and pirates.
Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin
12 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.