Customer Reviews

Castle (The Seventh Tower)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all I have been waiting for this book to come out, for what seemed like an eternity! The first one really leaves you hanging, so you have to read that one first, but unfortunetly this one ends with a cliff hanger too. Tal has returned to his home, the Castle after being out in a mysterious world full of ice and danger, to find a definalty not so warm welcome. Enemies he didn't even know he had are trying to get him! I can't say too much else or there will be no suspence in the book. All I can say is you might want to wait to read this book until you have the third (called Aenir) because you'll need to know what happens to Tal quickly or it will drive you crazy!

Castle is the second installment in the Seventh Tower series. In the last book, The Fall, Tal is hurled away form the castle to be found by Icecarls, a nomadic people that follow animal migrations for survival. Milla, an Icecarl girl, is ordered to help Tal get back to the castle and, in return, get a new sunstone for her clan's iceship. In this book Tal and Milla get back to the castle only to find that Tal's family is on the wrong side of a political power play. Tal's father disappeared in the first book and now his younger brother appears to have been kidnapped. With his mother ill and his sister forced to live with a couple of very nasty relatives, Tal turns to his eccentric Great-Uncle Ebbitt for help. After many narrow escapes, Tal and Milla enter the spirit word of the Chosen, of which Tal's family are members, in order to find a book that may help them solve the mystery of Tal's father's disappearance.

In the first book Nix tears down traditional gender roles. He continues to do that in this book while at the same time rounding out the major characters personalities. We begin to see more sides of both Tal and, especially, Milla. In this book Nix also starts to address the cultural arrogance that both Tal and Milla have learned from their societies. I think Nix has a great way of addressing some of the major social concerns of today's society in an a manner that's easily digestible for the intended age group for this book. He does so with an intriguing and well written story. I think that the book (and series) will appeal to both boys and girls since the both heros play an equal role in the story and both are dependent on the other equally for survival. If fact, at the end of this book both Tal and Milla realize just that.

I highly recommend this book. It's enlightening and it's a terrific fantasy.

Life is tough if you're a Garth Nix protagonist. The author cuts right to the chase in the second book of the Seventh Tower series, "Castle," by picking up where "The Fall" left off. Things get darker and tenser, and the mystery becomes even more twisted.

Tal's family is being mysteriously victimized, and will become outcasts unless he can get into the mystical land of Aenir. But now he's captive of the Icecarls, and is the grudging ally of the tough wannabe-shieldmaiden Milla. After meeting with the ancient Mother Crone, Tal agrees to help sneak Milla in, so they can both find Sunstones -- he for his family, she for her people.

But they have more trouble. After getting inside and consulting with Uncle Ebbitt, he tells them that they must find the Codex in Aenir. Then things take a hideous turn: The two kids are captured. Tal is imprisoned in the Pit -- and discovers something about his father's fate. And Milla is trapped with the half-shadow-half-man monster Fashnek, in the Hall of Nightmares...

Though "Castle" is not as strong as "Fall," it's a darker, weirder story that adds to the mystery. Why does Sushin hate Tal and his family so much? What is happening to the Sunstones, if they're dying and becoming useless? And who was the mysterious Longface, a Chosen taken in by the Icecarls -- what was he terrified of?

Nix's talent for fantastical horror is also more evident here, in the hideous Fashnek, who has an insectile shadow-claw over part of his body. While "Fall" was pretty much pure fantasy, "Castle" has the darker, more macabre bits -- probably even more as the series progresses. And his talent for creating familiar but alien cultures now extends to the Icecarls as well as the Chosen.

Tal was a well-rounded character to start with, and he doesn't disappoint in this book. Milla gets a bit more depth, and shows some liking for Tal and Uncle Ebbitt. She softens a little bit, while being no less tough. Uncle Ebbit is likably quirky, but more serious, and the Mother Crone is an intriguing old wisewoman.

The second part of the "Seventh Tower" series is a little darker than the first book, and a little more of what fans expect from Nix. And he knows when to stop, just to make them dash eagerly for "Aenir."

The story begins after the shield maidens rescue Tal and Milla. Once Milla is heald they set off with a map carved by someone who came from the castle years ago. They use the map and nearly get themselves killed by going over a hudge abyss and climbing through the pipes in the castle. All their troubles result in them getting caught. The people of the castle however live in ignorance of the outside world though and they think that only they and the underfolk exist and that the underfolk exit to serve them. So when Milla is discovered she is thought to be a rebel underfolk who has formed the world of Icecarls in her imagination and she is sent to the hall af nightmares. A place that has driven many people before her into insanity. Tal is sent to prison and he discovers ther something about his father's disaperence (which is what got him into all the trouble in the first place.)The book ends on a cliff hanger again and leaves you wanting more. I was so impatient that I picked up 'Aenir' instantly and continued reading as if I hadn't even changed books.

1.Tal is now back in the castle but is greeted by guard and Milla is dragged away to The Hall of Nightmares to be tormented, what is Tal to do his friend is in The Hall of Nightmares, and who knows what is happening to her, and he still need a Primary Sunstone and still needs to get Milla her sunstone.

2.My opinion is this is even better than the first, more detail then the first, gives me a better outlook of the characters postition.

3.Theme: this author really knows how to dish out the detail of the surroundings.

4.People who like Fantasy Fiction, read it!

With a thrilling conclusion to a thrilling book, Garth Nixs Castle is extraordinary. Not even the slightest detail is left out for every step Tal and Milla take is included in this fiction fantasy. Danger lurks around every chapter, from the victory of the one-eyed Merwin, to the deadly Hall of Nightmares, to The Pit, and then to the not so welcoming way into Aenir.

Time runs out too quickly. Well, just as quickly as you whiz through the book. It feels like your hands wont let it go before you have read it to the very end. All I can hope for now is that Garth Nix writes more than only six The Seventh Tower books.

Tal Graile-Rerem has embarked on his quest to get home and to get many Sunstones for the clan of the Far-Raiders. And they sent help of the worst kind. In a word, Milla. The Icecarl girl hates Tal, so much to the point of wanting to kill him! But she is fiercely loyal to her clan, and she and Tal have a bond between them. When they are going to the Castle through the air pipes which lead to the Underfolk levels, they find a Sunstone on a skeleton. A powerful Sunstone, too. A little way up, though, they encounter bad air. They both black out. What will happen to Tal and Milla? Read the second book of this compelling series to find out!

I liked this book a lot more than I liked the first, because this one had a little more action. It still plodded along a bit at the beginning, but then it turned into a spellbinder! Things got darker and tenser as Nix picked up the story and turned it into a twisted mystery of sorts. This was definately a good read! I'd recommend this book to young people and adults ages 10 and up. I hope that you enjoy the secong book of the 7th Tower series, `Castle'!

With the introductions over, Castle is much faster paced than it's predecesar, yet wastes little time on development of the main characters. This changes in later installments though, and the action is definitely welcome.

Tal and Milla have at last made it to the underlevels of Tal's home, Castle, as they continue their search for sunstones which hold the key to each of their individual difficulties.

While not as fascinating as some others in this series, it's definitely a good book, and needed to understand anything that comes next. Good for anyone over the age of ten or so.

Just had to ask that question - that creep Sushin, who kept Tal from getting his Sunstone in The Fall (1st in the series), has somehow been promoted by the time Tal and Milla get back to the castle, and he's scheming...

In addition to the great mental pictures the author skillfully paints in this book (for a small example, I kind of had the same reaction as Tal did to the Mother Crone's eyes...) I really liked how 13-year-old Tal and 14-year-old Milla learned how to work together despite their differences. What's really cool is how neither Tal nor Milla change who they are for the other person (though their characters DO grow) and still manage to form a team. Now we don't really know that Tal and Milla like each other, necessarily, and they still argue and tease each other, but as the two face more challenges - sometimes even apart (they get separated and Tal faces the Pit while Milla gets tossed into the Hall of Nightmares), they find ways to get back together and to help one another. I can't wait to see what happens next!

I've read many books, but this is the best by far. I thought harry potter was a good book, this one is even better. It has an exciting plot and it keeps you wanting more. I just finished reading it and now shopping for the 3rd and 4th book!