Customer Reviews

Avielle of Rhia

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

 

 

Where do I start with this book? There is so much that I would like to say about it. I guess I can start with the first thought that came to mind... Wow! This is one of the few fantasy books that I have ever read that completely engrossed me into its world. Calhoun paints a glorious picture of Avielle's world leaving very little unanswered. The reader understands their religion, their history, their customs.. you name it, Calhoun included it. This aspect is only one of many things that I loved about this book.

The plot was paced well, but not too fast. For this story, this is not a bad thing since I believe that the reader needs to fully understand all aspects of what is going on this world. Avielle (I LOVE this name) is an interesting heroine. She has flaws, but you cannot help but love her. The other characters are wonderful, and add much to the story. The only character I did not fully understand was Edard. Calhoun gives the reader hints about his hatefulness, but never comes right out and explains it. I also would not have minded a bit a romance. The possibility is there for Avielle, but it is never explored.

There are two things (three if you count the cover) that I absolutely loved about this book. First, was Avielle's world, which I already discussed. The other is how Calhoun dealt with racism and prejudice. Both issues are handled flawlessly, and leave the reader with a nice message. This would be a great book to use in middle/early high school classrooms to highlight those issues.

The only question I have about the novel is: Where is the sequel??? The ending leads you to believe that there is much more to explore, and I really, really want to, but Calhoun has not written a sequel yet.

This book is definitely going on my keepers list. It is well written, has a beautifully explored world, great characters, has a great underlying message for its readers. I honestly do not have any thing bad to say about it... except that there is no sequel in site (the book was published in 2006). If you decide to read this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A careful reader, who can make it past the saccharinely pale and angelic portrait on the cover, will note that Dia Calhoun dedicates this novel to "all victims of terrorism." It's a worthy thought, but an unnecessary one. No one could mistake this plodding, preachy, and sappy story for anything but a lesson about love, compassion, and tolerance in the face of thinly veiled Islamic terrorism.

Princess Avielle has the silvery skin and unusual bone structure of the Dodranians, inherited from her evil grandmother and a source of shame and torment for her at the intolerant Rhian court. When her entire family is wiped out by a magical terrorist attack at the hands of the Black Brethren (read: the Taliban), the ruling fundamentalist cabal of Dodrania, Avielle survives and must go into hiding, using and coming to terms with her gifts as a weaver and magician in a cheerful neighborhood of picturesque and eccentric commoners. Meanwhile, both the terrorist threats from Dodrania and the backlash against Rhians of Dodranian descent are increasing, allowing Calhoun to preach many lessons of tolerance and courage.

Some of the characters are interesting (although notably NOT the too-perfect, too-kind, too-naive and too-talented Avielle), and the story might be passable if it weren't for the heavy-handedness with which the morals are provided. There are awkward scenes, such as Avielle's encounter with refugee boys from the oppressive Brethren and consequent stirrings of compassion, where characters make textbook flips from prejudiced to tolerant, and a similarly predictable finale where Avielle summons the courage to fight the good fight on behalf of her country and all humankind.

It is hard to imagine the target audience of this book: 10-14 year old girls who like fairy-tales but are passionately Islamiphobic? As a member of the choir (and admittedly, rather out of the target age-group) I found them merely trite, and I cannot imagine that any child would not find them insulting.

This book has an interesting cover- to be sure. I was excited to get this book, but when I read it I was faintly dissapointed. The writer hung on to topics too long for my taste. She also made the main character way too nice. From what I think- the character in the book does not match a leader's character. The writer also skips events too. Like in one area she talks about Avielle teaching this guy who discriminates against Drendorians- to read. But then she skips all the lessons. At the end the guy says something about being able to treat "silverskins" ok. (Silverskins are people who look like Drendorian which is a 'evil' country, because of their partial Dredorian blood) She did not take step by step towards that outcome, therefore I was quite surprised when he said that. (I know it's confusing to read what I mean) OK... so what is good about this book to raise it into a four? The topic's are good and she talks throughly about the discrimination part. The plot is pretty good even though its got some errors. The writings really good to. Even though she uses mostly simple language- she uses it well. The main plot is to make Avielle true hearted and kind enough to rule. Avielle has to also learn to use her magic which she dispises. I thought that was kind of unique. The 'bad' country just didn't have all evil. Something evil was stalking THAT country. I thought THAT was pretty good, too. I enjoyed this book but not as much as Eragon or Tamora Pierce books. I reccomend this for GIRLS who like to read fantasy on something warlike but not so gorey. This book doesn't have any of that LOVE disease (luckly). So you won't find a romance of some sort in here. You should read Firegold if you like this book. It has some of the discrimination too from this book, but it tends to be more warlike.

Dia Calhoun's AVIELLE OF RHIA tells of a teen princess of Rhia who resembles a grandmother who practiced evil magic. Everyone expects Avielle to turn evil as well - and Avielle is shunned by others even as she fears for her kingdom which may go to war with Dredonia, a kingdom under the rule of evil wizard-priests. When Avielle escapes her family's murder, she finds herself assuming a secret identity, learning a new gift, and at last coming to terms with the possibility of evil within herself in this fast-paced fantasy adventure, recommended for older teens.

AVIELLE OF RHIA by Dia Calhoun is about teenage Princess Avielle. She is a "silver skin," a Rhian with silver coloring like that of her Dredonian neighbors and is shunned for resembling her evil Dredonian great-great grandmother. The entire royal family is wiped out one night by the nasty wizard-priests who rule Dredonia. Avielle escapes and goes into hiding in the home of a weaver and acts as her apprentice, soon discovering that she has a magical gift like many Dredonians. This small family-like community of shop owners provides her a safe place to experiment with her own magic fearing that she will turn evil like her ancestor. But eventually she needs to find the courage to face her magic and come forward as the princess to save her people.

This young adult fantasy novel was quite enjoyable at first. It captured me in the beginning, handed me an interesting character but then dragged out the constant waiting for something to happen. We as the reader know something is going to happen but have to wait a lengthy amount of time for it to happen. When it finally does, it's awkward and anticlimactic because the main character does the opposite of what she is supposed to then changes her mind in the middle of it to bring the "good" and appropriate ending. It was odd.

I'd rate this book at 2. Fair, not quite worth it. I like fantasy novels so much I almost want to rate it higher but it just wasn't very good. The ending was overdone and awkward which seals the low score. A lot of times, the names got in the way of the descriptions. Yet, it is rated for 8 year olds and up so maybe they would find this "coming of age" novel good especially for those who don't feel comfortable in their own skin.

This is another great book by a great author. While the heroine seemed like just another whiny teenager, who couldn't seem to make a decision to save her life; she also demonstrated the essential insecurities we all have. I could really connect with Avielle, and I'm glad that Dia Calhoun was able to do this. Great book for both young and old(though a 50-year-old reading this is a little odd, bordering on creepy)this is a book you'll buy and most likely love.

When I was in fourth grade I discovered reading as a refuge from my large, noisy family. I found that I could disappear into a book as though I had been transported to another dimension. Before my mind's eye was only the world within the book. I was seduced by books, by authors, by a good story; and I loved nothing better than the delicious feeling of allowing a tale to carry me along like a passenger on a ship, voyaging toward lands unknown.
I entered reading through science fiction, brought home by my father, who read on the bus to and from work. I quickly discovered the school library, and the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and the Land of Oz. When I discovered Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, my journey into the realm of literature was complete: I had become a confirmed reader.
The portals created by Dia Calhoun entice the young reader into kingdoms where the impossible is possible; where the Ugly Duckling really is a swan; where you are Somebody Special but neither you nor anyone else yet suspects. She puts the key into the reader's hand, and the locked door opens as if by magic.
The thing about a book, is that you hold it in your hand and the relative thickness of what you have read and what remains is plain to see. You know the story will end, but with a good book, you don't want it to. But when it does end, there are always more books. Let us hope that Dia Calhoun keeps on writing.
David Lance Goines, October 20, 2006

I was excited when I got this book, it had an interesting plot line. The book never got exciting, it was predictable, and boring. At least it had a happy ending... although it was stupid.
A better read for fantasy is the sevenwaters trilogy.

This book touched me in more ways than one. Once more I found myself next to this little Persian bakery shop with his CNN news on full blast and the owner swearing he was American and not one of those terrorists that bombed the Twin Towers. I heard again the story of my mom's neighbor, though an American of birth, home being pelted with eggs and the hate sign painted on her home--Arab go home.

But also I read about faith and hope. That even though it's easy to hate those who have done us wrong, it's also possible to forgive.

Dia Calhoun has explored a similar issue in her fantasy, AVIELLE. Taught to hate and fear the heritage that sets her apart from most people of the kindgom, fifteen-year-old Princess Avielle of Rhia hides from most everyone. Shunned by those around her, she feels unloved and unable to love others. Rumor of a war with Dredonia surfaces. The evil wizard-priests, the Brethren of the Black Cloaks make impossible demands of the kingdom of Rhia, and the king and queen have refused to acquiesce.

One terrible night, the Brethren attack, killing the royal family and hundreds of others. Avielle escapes. She hides, fearing that she will be like her great great grandmother and unlease her own evil.

While in hiding she encounters more hatred towards those like her, Silverskins. She also finds she has a gift of weaving. But will this gift, rooted in her Dredonian blood, lead Avielle to the same evil of her great great grandmother? Or will it help free her people from further attacks?

I loved this book. I feel the author did a wonderful job of showing what happens during war. I also liked how she explored how people turn their anger toward those who remind them of the people who'd done atrocities to their own kind.

I highly recommend this book. To those who love a good fantasy and to others to realize the hate isn't the way.

Avielle of Rhia is one of the best fantasy books I have read thus far. This book had me so in groused I couldn't put it down and finished it in about 4hrs. I give this book 2 thumbs up and must say it is a definite MUST read!