3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond the Expectations, December 27, 2005
This review is from: Beyond the Dragon Portal (Hardcover)
This is a brilliantly written book. I would've given it six or seven stars, but I couldn't. This book will take you beyond the dragon portal with Sadie. The description is perfect, not long and boring, or short and empty of information. You get a clear picture of the setting, dialogue, and action.
P.S. Hercules Amsterdam is great too.
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dark and Dismal, February 23, 2009
This review is from: Beyond the Dragon Portal (Hardcover)
I like to pick up good kids' titles, because they're usually creative, fast-paced, and a quick read. So when I saw this on the shelf at the library, I took it without hestitation.
The premise itself is intriguing - a girl's little sister is kidnapped and taken to another world, a place that everyone always assumed was imaginary. This foreign world contains dragons and other creatures, and the place is at war. Not only must our heroine save her sister, but she must make it out alive inbetween the warring inhabitants.
However, the entire atmopshere throughout the book is dark and despairing. This alone makes me not recommend it for kids. The heroine is plagued with a feeling of hopelessness everywhere she turns, and the other characters who join her don't do much to lighten the mood. Coupled with this is the setting of the dragon world - because it is war-torn, it is as bleak as the story itself.
And anyone who is expecting to read your typical dragon/fantasy book, you will be mistaken. The description of "dragons" in this book are far from the usual stereotype. While I like the fact that the author was thinking outside the box when creating her dragons, I just didn't enjoy the end result.
Nearing the end of the book, a couple major twists are thrown in, but it only directs the book down a path of preaching non-violence. The anti-war overtones get irritating, and too political. Here and there, where beauty and hope are portrayed, they are only done so in comparison to the ravages of war.
Overall, this book was pretty horrible. I did read it to the end in the hopes of a good conclusion, but was disappointed in that too. I definitely don't recommend this for kids. If anyone else wants to take their chances, be my guest.
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