Customer Reviews

Beyond the Valley of Thorns (The Land of Elyon, Book 2)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Alexa and her friends are back in this somewhat creepy sequel, and although this one has more action, the imagery is kinda gross in places. Returning to her favorite chair in the library approximately one year after the death of Warvold, Alexa reunites with an old friend and receives a letter that sends her back out into the lands beyond the wall, and into more danger.

Again, she faces up to a long and perilous trek, living on dried meat, fruit and nuts, until she meets a stranger who is to guide her on her quest. Trouble is, he's got a big "C" branded on his forehead, meaning that he's been judged to be a criminal in the past.

Armed with a magical stone that gives her the power to talk to the animals, the little group of unwashed and decidedly stinky humans, and the much cleaner animals and other friends travel beyond the Valley of Thorns, which is made up of deadly poisoned spikes, cross the City of Dogs with its packs of rabid canines, and sneak into the town of Castalia where stands the dreaded Dark Tower.

There they face the latest in a line of evil rulers, who uses swarms of infectious bats and gross oozing ogres to do his foul bidding, but does not realize that Alexa and her friends have a plan to bring down his cruel empire. As the group of good guys gets bigger, the action steps up, and the book runs along to its "to be continued" conclusion.

The religious undertones get much stronger in this one, but I liked it more than the first because of the gross-out content and constant action.
Not for children who get creeped out by death and pestilence.



Amanda Richards, October 9, 2006

Great new story trilogy. Excellent character descriptions and charming character interaction. The only thing I suggest is reading it yourself before letting your kids read it, and certainly not for kids under 10. I'm claustrophobic and had some squirmy moments while reading some of the antics the characters get up to (yes I know it's fiction, that doesn't make any difference!) and there are gruesome and scary bits and sad moments too. Otherwise I highly recommend this as it is not at all patronizing or condescending in its tone. In particular, girls of 10+ will love it. I'm 39 and I loved it too!

When writing a fantasy series, it's important to figure out what exactly kind of series you are writing. Are you doing a jovial "Wizard of Oz" deal with ragamuffin characters against a big cruel world? Is it more in line with "The Lord of the Ring" and stresses how even the smallest of heroes are important? Or are you more along the lines of "The Prydain Chronicles" where a hero has a kind of personal growth through his/her adventures? Ruling out number three entirely, author Patrick Carman has instead decided to do something along the lines of a small ragtag group facing down a greater evil. You wouldn't actually know this from Book One in "The Land of Elyon" series since the first book was more concerned with a tiny battle in a town, rather than a big swooping worldwide battle of vast proportions. Now, with Book numero dos, Carman seeks to skew off in another direction entirely. By page 18 Alexa has ditched her humdrum life and is off for adventures far more dangerous than she's ever had to deal with before. The result is interesting if not always coherent.

Alexa and friends picked a heckuva time to tear down the walls protecting their cities. Once again she's traveling with her father to spend some time in the great city of Bridewell. Alexa well remembers the year before when she briefly had the ability to talk to animals and was able to save the city of Bridewell from large hoards of escaped convicts. This year she's certain that things will be much calmer. That is, until the secret entrance in the library is breached and Alexa receives a letter from the now year-long dead Warvold telling her to prepare for yet another adventure. In doing so Alexa is given the last existing Jocasta, the magical stone that holds great powers and the ability to speak with animals. Now Alexa and her little band must learn the truth behind the evil that lurks in the Land of Elyon and find a way to defeat it at last.

Okay. So remember when "Book 1: The Dark Hills Divide" ended with a little Afterword by Alexa saying something along the lines of "I never heard another animal speak again"? Yeah, that was a lie. By page 34 she's chatting it up with squirrels and wolves once again. So Carman likes the grand sweeping statements, even if he doesn't particularly care for following through on them. A better example comes when you compare the rules of Book One with Book Two. Remember how Alexa learned that if she ever entered a civilized city she'd lose the ability to talk to animals? Well apparently Castalia, which is most certainly a city, doesn't count. After all, she walks in and out without any detriment to her ability to decipher wolf-speak. Obviously Carman has lost track of his own rules. In this book I also noticed a new writing quirk of the author's that hadn't caught my eye before. Any time someone is telling a story or reading a tale from a letter and they pause for breath, you inevitably have Alexa saying, "I got the feeling things were about to get even scarier". This happens over and over again. And trust me, there is nothing to make a scene LESS scary than someone telling you that it's going to get worse. There are plot gaps as well. At one point the BFG Armon gives a town of weaponless peasants a big bag of armory items. We never learn where this bag came from or how the last remaining giant in the world would go about gathering such items. Details weigh narratives of this nature down, I suppose. On to the bloody battles!

Actually, I was pleased with the action in this book. "The Dark Hills Divide" was slow on the danger. Now we have swarms of vicious bite-you-till-you're-evil bats and one of the good guys definitely dies. In the first book the danger didn't feel real and none of the good guys got more than a blow to the ribs. Carman does cheat a bit by having a dead character reappear once again, but it doesn't feel forced or rose-from-the-deadish so it works within the context of the story. If Elyon raised this person from the grave that would be another matter. Ah, yes. Elyon. That's where these books start to get odd.

Let's talk religion now. When I read "The Dark Hills Divide", I had an inkling of a sense that Carman was trying to make his books bear far greater weight than their sparse worlds could contain. Which is to say, I could see he was trying to pull a "Narnia" on us. Throughout this series we hear about the beneficent creator Elyon who brought everything good into the world. In this second novel we find that Elyon once created angel-like followers (or Seraphs). The best of these, Abaddon, turned against Elyon and tricked all the Seraphs into leaving Elyons' Tenth City. Obviously Elyon should've seen this coming when he put the word "bad" in the guy's name. Now instead of killing Abaddon off for his duplicity (and thereby rendering this series far shorter) Elyon the all-powerful creator simply trapped him in a pit where he waits to be destroyed by a thirteen-year-old girl. Now I'm not one to read too much Christian allegory into something of this nature, but it seems to me that Carman wants to have his spiritual cake and eat it too. Mixing religion with fantasy usually only works if, like "The Sign of the Qin" by L.G. Bass, it ties directly into an already existing series of fables or beliefs. Here the whole Elyon thing is still left too unclear. If Elyon is like God then why doesn't he just destroy all the bad guys in one fell swoop? Even a basic explanation of this would be better than none at all.

As always, Carman is an amusing writer who definitely knows how to move a story along with a deft hand. He just loses track of his own details and rules a bit too often. A good editing and this book would certainly have passed muster. Just plug in some explanations, follow the already established rules, and poof! Instant fantasy classic. It's still certainly readable but it blends in a little too well with the millions of other mediocre fantasy classics available today. Fine but nothing to crow about.

This is book two in the Land of Elyon trilogy and the third book by Carman I have read set in Elyon. Carman creates an amazing, believable, alternate world. As I read more and more of Carman's writing the more I enjoy and appreciate his skills. Elyon is the Semetic for God or Most High. It has been used in fiction by Ted Dekker as a name for God allegorically, and for Carman it is the name of the world or land. As I progress through his books, the more similar I see that his writings are to Lewis's Narnia. As such, these are great stories for the whole family.

This book takes place a year after The Dark Hills Divide. A year ago beloved leader Thomas Warvold passed away, the plan to capture Bridewell have been foiled and the walls connecting the towns of Bridewell, Ainsworth, Lathbury and Turlock have come down. Now a year later it appears Warvold had plans for Alexa Daley, and others. Alexa is delivered a letter and told she has a mission to perform and she cannot tell anyone she is leaving. She must leave another letter prepared for her father and be on her way to yet another adventure.

Alexa joins forces again with Yipes the dwarf, Odessa the wolf, Squire the Hawk and Murphy the squirrel. They have been entrusted into the hands and guidance of John Christopher a former convict, who will guide them through the wild, and along the way they join forces with a Giant named Armon. They are charged with the task of sneaking into a well-guarded land, freeing a captive and overthrowing the Grindall.

However, whenever great tasks are attempted, a price must be paid, and in this adventure the price will be very high. You must join Alexa and the team that has been gathered around her as she travels across the land of Elyon to fulfill the request of her beloved Warvold. But many challenges and surprises are in store for our small band of adventurers.

Just a forewarning though - this book ends with a cliff-hanger, or should I say, we at the bottom of the cliff salivating for the next book!

Other of Patrick Carman Books:

The Dark Hills Divide - The Land of Elyon Book 1
Beyond the Valley of Thorns - The Land of Elyon Book 2
The Tenth City - The Land of Elyon Book 3
Into The Mist - The Land of Elyon Prequle
Stargazer - The Land of Elyon (September 2008)

The House of Power - Atherton Book 1
Rivers of Fire - Atherton, Book 2

Saving Mr Nibbles - Elliot's Park Book 1
Haunted Hike - Elliot's Park Book 1 (August 2008)

Beyond the Valley of Thorns
Patrick Carmen
Orchard Books

"It was nighttime in the Dark Hills and we were without food, water, and shelter."
Alexa Daley is back for a summer in Bridewell, and after the events of the previous summer, she is under strict limits. No venturing outside the walls that enclose the town. But when she receives a letter, written by a deceased friend, she goes far beyond the limits, far beyond the walls. Alexa goes on a dangerous mission to Castalia, a mission to save the people, especially those imprisoned in the Dark Tower, forever. Learn about Alexa's journey in Patrick Carmen's Beyond the Valley of Thorns.

Alexa Daley is a thirteen year old who sometimes lets her curiosity get the better of her. She is kind to her friends and wants revenge on her enemies. She uses her cleverness to her advantage. One of her only human friends is John-Christopher, who has been misunderstood his whole life. He, like Alexa, has the ability to communicate with animals, which changes his life. Many animals accompany Alexa on her journey. Odessa, a harmless wolf, is among these. She is large and although she is a female, she is powerful. It isn't smart to underestimate her. Murphy is a hyper, energetic squirrel. He is a good source when information is needed and can go unseen. He makes a good spy. Yipes is a small, two-foot man who lived in the wild for years. He loves animals, but can no longer speak to them. He is a good friend to Alexa. Murphy is my favorite character because he is the most like me. He is very hyper and is friendly. Many of the characters would not really exist, but they are well described and they seemed as if they could really exist while I was reading.

I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy or adventure. This book held my attention from beginning to end. I give this book four out of five stars and two thumbs up. It was definitely worth the time I spent reading it. This adventurous, mysterious, fantastic tale of Alexa Daley is a great read. I suggest you leave this page right now and read it. Enjoy!

This, much like "The Dark Hills Divide" is one of those rare books that has the ability to entrance both children and adults alike. Again the story is very well written with the nice feel of well told magical fantasy, making it a wonderful second entry in this series that has me eagerly awaiting the final book in this trilogy.

One year after her pervious adventures, Alexa finds herself returning again to Bridewell. After having overcome the trials of one year ago and helping to expose the man who tired and bring Bridewell to its' knees from within Alexa finds herself facing a threat from outside Birdewell. With the walls that once surrounded most of the cities down, this threat can prove an even bigger challenge to overcome.

Though Alexa will not be alone on this quest, as she is quick to find two old friends Yipes and Murphy who are eager to aide in her quest. A quest which is given to her in a old letter from her lost friend Warvold, a letter written over a year ago but one she was only to be given this year. Following the instructions Alexa is able to find another of the magical stones that let's her once again speak to her animal friends, but it is also this stone that she must guard as it is the one the enemy desires, the last of it's kind and rumored to be the most powerful.

Now instructions left beyond by Warvold, Alexa and her motley crew of old and new friends must find a way not only to protect the last of these magical stones but to stop the evil itself from spreading and if possible defeat it all together.

Welcome back to the Land of Elyon! A year has passed, and 13-year-old Alexa Daley is once again traveling with her father to one of the town meetings. But this journey is so very different from that of a year ago, for the towering walls that protected them for so long have been removed. Now Alexa can see for miles in all directions, but the dangers lurking on the edge of the forest can see her as well.

It doesn't take Alexa long to reunite with her dear friend, Yipes. He sneaks into the library through the secret passageways, bringing with him a year-old letter of instructions and a map from their dead friend, Worvold. Alexa and Yipes follow the map to a hidden cave where some questions are answered and even more questions are raised. As they learn about the impossible task they must accomplish, Alexa is presented with the last Jocasta, a glowing stone that grants her the ability to speak with the animals. This is the very stone that their enemy hopes to claim as his own.

Alexa fears she will be helpless against the evil dangers that threaten their lives, but she soon finds strength and courage in both old and new friends who join her for the mission. This mish-mashed group of heroes --- including an ex-convict, a majestic wolf, a beautiful hawk, a tiny man, a young girl, a spastic squirrel, and a gentle giant --- set out on a dangerous quest to save their beloved world.

Author Patrick Carman narrates an imaginative tale filled with exciting adventures, bizarre creatures, hilarious dialogue, and colorful descriptions. This second book in the trilogy will pull fans back into Carman's world of Elyon with a page-turner of a journey that just won't quit. Fans will impatiently anticipate the third installment, THE TENTH CITY.

This is book two in the Land of Elyon trilogy and the third book by Carman I have read set in Elyon. Carman creates an amazing, believable, alternate world. As I read more and more of Carman's writing the more I enjoy and appreciate his skills. Elyon is the Semetic for God or Most High. It has been used in fiction by Ted Dekker as a name for God allegorically, and for Carman it is the name of the world or land. As I progress through his books, the more similar I see that his writings are to Lewis's Narnia. As such, these are great stories for the whole family.

This book takes place a year after The Dark Hills Divide. A year ago beloved leader Thomas Warvold passed away, the plan to capture Bridewell have been foiled and the walls connecting the towns of Bridewell, Ainsworth, Lathbury and Turlock have come down. Now a year later it appears Warvold had plans for Alexa Daley, and others. Alexa is delivered a letter and told she has a mission to perform and she cannot tell anyone she is leaving. She must leave another letter prepared for her father and be on her way to yet another adventure.

Alexa joins forces again with Yipes the dwarf, Odessa the wolf, Squire the Hawk and Murphy the squirrel. They have been entrusted into the hands and guidance of John Christopher a former convict, who will guide them through the wild, and along the way they join forces with a Giant named Armon. They are charged with the task of sneaking into a well-guarded land, freeing a captive and overthrowing the Grindall.

However, whenever great tasks are attempted, a price must be paid, and in this adventure the price will be very high. You must join Alexa and the team that has been gathered around her as she travels across the land of Elyon to fulfill the request of her beloved Warvold. But many challenges and surprises are in store for our small band of adventurers.

Just a forewarning though - this book ends with a cliff-hanger, or should I say, we at the bottom of the cliff salivating for the next book!

Other of Patrick Carman Books:

The Dark Hills Divide - The Land of Elyon Book 1
Beyond the Valley of Thorns - The Land of Elyon Book 2
The Tenth City - The Land of Elyon Book 3
Into The Mist - The Land of Elyon Prequle
Stargazer - The Land of Elyon (September 2008)

The House of Power - Atherton Book 1
Rivers of Fire - Atherton, Book 2

Saving Mr Nibbles - Elliot's Park Book 1
Haunted Hike - Elliot's Park Book 1 (August 2008)

I read this book and it was amazing and it lead on the story from the first book and made the third even more amazing when becuase the third feel into place when you read the second and wouldn't hae been a great suppense and mystery as it was with out knowing what happened in the second it wouldn't have made sense and it made the firsteven better when it lead the story from the first becuase the first book was amazing!I give it a definite thumb up read it it's great!

Have you ever had a huge responsibility? In Beyond the Valley of Thorns, a great book by Patrick Carman, Alexa, a thirteen year old girl who lives in The Land of Eylon, has been chosen to return the last jocasta (a magical stone that can give you all power) to safety and on the way protect it from evil ogres who want it for their master, Victor Grindall (an evil man who is trying to take over The Land of Eylon) . It seems like this is a huge responsibility but it's not like this hasn't happened before. This book is the second book in a trilogy. Along the way there are many people and animals that join Alexa on her journey to return the jocasta. Will Alexa and her friends get the jocasta to safety and defeat all of the ogres? Will they all live to tell the tale? Find the answers to these questions when you read Beyond the Valley of Thorns! If you like fantasy books this is a great book for you!