Customer Reviews

Ambergate

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was such an interesting book in so many ways. Scuff is an interesting character, full of promise and intriguing traits. The people she meets on her journey were all interesting as well, and the tapestry of their lives fills this novel to overflowing. As a side note, I simply adore odd, mysterious boys with something to hide, so this book was a special treat for me. No spoilers, though! Let's move on.
The plot was inventive and constantly surprising, and I was very invested in the outcome of the climax. I hated to leave that world. So many tantalizing questions answered in the end, and yet, so many more remain!
I am looking forward to reading more!

Reviewed by Nicole LeBoeuf for Reader Views (4/07)

Patricia Elliott's novel "Ambergate" is a suspenseful tale of fascinating characters with the ability to capture you within moments. Growing up in Europe and the Far East, Elliott always had a creative spirit. She has spent her life around books, working in publishing, at bookstores, and finally as a college literature teacher. Her first novel "The Ice Boy" won many awards, followed closely by "Murkmere." The companion novel, "Ambergate" is full of potential.

The gothic mystery spins a tale of a young orphan without a name facing countless terrors. It is easy to fall in love with the characters Elliott weaves, as they become so complete in the imagination. The orphaned girl, living in a world we've never experienced before, is forced from the comfort of the place she has called home for so long. Facing the world alone, she is in constant terror of the soldiers from the capital finding her, as she committed a hideous crime in her past. Always in constant danger, she overcomes one obstacle after another.

The characters she encounters in her flight are unforgettable, as each is creatively portrayed. The tale dives into complexity as her journey moves on, but as detailed as the novel is, it is never anything but a pleasure to read. The storyline is always clear and never cluttered. Each sentence flows so perfectly, with simple, beautiful detail. Once Elliott's words have pulled you in, it is as though the world and characters she created are living and breathing. Close your eyes and you can hear the birds singing in the Wasteland, feel the sweep of swan feathers against your skin and smell the sweet fragrance of the wedding flowers...

"Ambergate" is a simply beautiful novel. Age is not a thing of concern once you have turned its first page, as it is perfect for anyone. "Ambergate" is an inspiring tale, filled with courageous characters that will touch any heart that dares to enter Elliott's world.

Book received free of charge.

This book is a sequel to Murkmere. Its about Scuff the kitchen maid and her secrete past. She committed some sort of crime back in the Capitol and was hiding at Murkmere. Now, the authorities are after her and she runs away, but ends up back in the place she least wanted to be in, the Capitol and the Orphan House. It was a goo read and went into more detail about the world of MURKMERE and the importance of their birds.

Ambergate is the sequel to Murkmere, and picks up approximately where the first book left off, but with a new narrator: The servant Scruff has never had a real name, and came to Murkmere after committing a crime in the Capital. When soldiers come looking for her, she must flee, beginning a journey that leads her back to the Capital, towards Leah, and into the heart of a revolution against the country's ruling government and religion. After Murkmere I came to this book hoping to find Murkmere's atmospheric sense of magic and more mature writing, since this is Elliott's second book. Unfortunately, Ambergate is a step down: magic is fleeing and unexplored, Scruff fails to be a compelling protagonist, and Elliott's style is disjointed by constant changes in point of view. It is a disappointing sequel, and drags down both books in the series. I don't recommend it.

I generally avoid reading series because I don't like being obligated the book that comes next. Murkmere had a promising, haunting atmosphere with an intriguing undercurrent of magic; it was also Elliott's first book, and her inexperience showed in a hesitant text that never quite managed to embrace its themes or sweep the reader away with its language. So, despite my dislike for sequels, I had high hopes for Ambergate, thinking that the experience of her first book would help Elliott improve in her second, and that this book might be a bit bolder, more decisive, and more artistic. Unfortunately, my hopes were not fulfilled. Ambergate is none of these things, and it is actually worse than its predecessor.

There are all number of issues that bothered me. First, Murkmere's strength was its ghostly magic, always sitting in the background of the story, enticing the reader. I had hoped that this book would embrace that aspect, but instead it pushes magic even further into the background: the protagonist is blind to all signs of it, and it never takes a bold role in the book. Second, Elliott spends a fair amount of time trying to explain why nameless orphan Scruff is important enough to be the book's protagonist, but (without giving away the plot) what makes Scruff important is nothing special, just an exaggerated crime and a personal association that she isn't even aware of. Nor does Scruff do much in the book: she is lead around and pushed through encounters, and the book's climax comes when Scruff learns she does not need to do the important act that she was charged with. Superstitious and timid, without an active role or purpose, Scruff is a difficult character to identify with and root for. Third, Elliott changes point of view often, and these changes are disorientating and messy. Scruff narrates most of the book in first person, but constant interruptions jump into the heads of half a dozen other characters, all narrated in third person. These jumps come without warning, suddenly dumping the reader in a new narrative voice and a new character, and they are hard to follow--probably even more so for the intended young adult audience. This writing style, which was not present in Murkmere, is messy and seems like the mark of an unpracticed writer--not of a second novel.

Ambergate boasts no real strengths to counteract these flaws. The plot is more solid than the book's prequel, and has a better defined conclusion. The characters are simplistic, but the settings have depth and personality. But the book does not stand out, and the various flaws drag it down. While Murkmere was a decent text that looked like it would lead to an even better sequel, Ambergate is actually quite disappointing. It lacks strength and character, the protagonist is nothing special, and the writing is messy. I do not recommend this book, and since Murkmere's abrupt end depends so heavily on this sequel, I don't recommend the series as a whole.

Scruff has worked as a kitchen maid at Murkmere ever since she was taken from the Capital five years earlier. Much has changed during that time --- the Master is dead, Leah's whereabouts are unknown and Aggie is the new caretaker --- but what remains are the unanswered questions that continue to haunt her. Scruff has vague recollections of a life before she was found wandering the streets and put into a Home, but they provide no answers as to where she came from.

Then Murkmere has some unexpected visitors from the Capital. The Lord Protector is seeking an orphan for reasons not entirely clear, though Scruff thinks it's herself. Anyone who has lived in a Home can be called back to work in return for the "debt" they owe the Home. However, children never receive wages; instead, all they get is pain and suffering through terrible living conditions and often at the hands of their supposed caregivers. The youngsters are branded with a number that identifies them and, in effect, stigmatizes them for life.

Desperate to save Murkmere and herself from danger, Scruff seeks Aggie's help in avoiding the police. Aggie hides the young maid in the Master's tower, but when the police return with some other unwanted guests, Scruff realizes she must leave Murkmere. In a harrowing escape, Scruff somehow ends up in the mysterious Wasteland, where she is cared for by a kindly gentleman named Gadd and his son Erland. Over time, Scruff develops a deep connection to Erland and eventually uncovers a strange secret, one that may include her own past.

There is another reason why Scruff is afraid of being captured: she committed a crime, though its nature isn't revealed until later in the novel. But the incident is innocent compared to the crimes of individuals with whom Scruff crosses paths throughout her journey. From the Eastern Edge to the streets of the Capital, old and new acquaintances, along with startling new revelations, make Scruff question everything as she tries to figure out who she really is and perhaps start a new life.

With complex, intriguing characters and suspense throughout, this sequel to Patricia Elliot's MURKMERE is a thrilling story that will surprise and satisfy readers.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle

Orphan Number 102 or Scuff is on the run from the government. Why the
government is chasing her isn't quite clear, but she knows they aren't after her to serve her tea and cookies oh, and it might have something to do with the terrible crime she committed a few years ago. With her number branded on her it isn't easy to hide. While Scuff is on the run it is revealed that the government seems to want her for other reasons including a strange prophecy. With its alluring mystery, bird-people and strange magic, this world will pull you in and leave you wanting more.