Customer Reviews

Quadehar the Sorcerer (Book of the Stars)

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

 

 

There are only a few books in my life (at least that I can remember) where I put down with the purpose of not finishing them. This was one of those books. Don't get me wrong the plot had tons of potential; it was very good sounding plot but the way the book was written was...well....bad. It's been a while since I set this book down so I don't remember the specifics. Maybe the words did not flow or the description was flat. Whatever the case, I put it down planning to never pick it up again.

This is the first book in a series, number unknown, concerning a young man and his adventures in and out of his home on the Lost Isle. Robin Penmarch is a small, puny appearing boy aged twelve whose home, the Lost Isle, is caught between the Real World, ours, and the Uncertain World. Protected by magic it has many of the Real World comforts and few of its problems.

His adventures start when it is found he has a talent for magic and becomes the apprentice to Quadehar the Sorcerer. After starting down the road to becoming a sorcerer, he and his friends, and even a few enemies, become the target of a mysterious force called the Shadow. This leads Robin and his band on some rollicking adventures in the Uncertain World trying to rescue Agatha the school bully.

All in all a decent story that should keep the attention of the pre-teen and younger teen demographic. Although I casually compared this to the Harry Potter series it really doesn't compare well. Here the focus is on the adventure and much less on the magic. For another it is a much shorter, less detailed story and far easier to read for the younger set.

The only real problem I had with this book is the author's selection of ages for the youngsters involved. I deal with twelve year olds on a daily bases and just couldn't get the age to fit the action. The dialog and reactions, especially to the girl-boy situations would be much more appropriate with fifteen to sixteen year olds. Pet peeve of mine I know but it still bugged me

Still it was a fun read that I would RECOMMEND to any youngster that likes the Harry Potter or the SO YOU WANT TO BE A WIZARD type of stories. Personally I am looking forward to the next volume.

This is Erik L'Homme's first novel series and hopefully not his last. Homme's Quadehar The Sorcerer catapults you and the
main character, 12 year old, Robin Penmarch and his friends into
another dimension. With his creative writing style, you are taken to a place that lies between The Real World and The Uncertain World, The Lost Isle! Here, Robin and his four friends enter a world of bandits, giants and bizarre creatures that await them. Robin is one of the good guys in a plot of good vs. evil. His ordinary life takes an eatraordinary turn
when he discovers his magical potential. His good heart,
magical talents and strong friendships find him rescuing his
nemesis, Agatha, allowing good to prevail. The five children
in this book come upon the greatest challenge of their lives. L'Homme gives us great detail, action and character development
which includes their great camaraderie. You will find yourself
cheering out loud and running to the store to buy Part Two of
the series.

There are only a few series I've ever read that were as good as this one. It's one that I could read over and over again. I must say that the author did a briliant job at portraying this book. The only thing you could say about his book is that it is too short. It will definatly leave you wanting more. For those of you who have read the "Lost Years of Merlin" series this is similar and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I'm definatly looking forward to the next volume. To all you people who love books about magic, this is the book for you.

Eric L'Homme has really written something amazing! Sorcerers and Knights, creatures and new worlds. I loved the magical element and the feeling that I was learning magic along with Guillemot. Overall a great read, I couldn't put it down!

The book is a book with witch you can sit down at any time and read, and while you read it you think of nothing else but Robin and his friends.
A great plot, magnificently written, and re-readable again and again.
I DARE YOU NOT TO BE AMAZED BY IT. I DARE YOU NOT TO LOVE IT.

Robin Penmarch lives on the Lost Isle, which is a tiny world between the worlds - a gateway between our real world and a fantastic but dangerous magical world.

In the Lost Isle, children must become apprentices to one of the professions, and all boys - of course - dream of being "Knights of the Wind". But for Robin another destiny awaits when he permanently gives up any hope of becoming a knight so that he may train under the sorceror, Quadehar.

This is an imaginative world, and the world between worlds was appealing to me. I read The Magician's nephew as a child, and one thing I really wanted to do more of was explore that land between the worlds with all the pools in it! Here is a book where the land between worlds is central. I liked the way the characters could use computers and magic and be normal and so different all at once.

The book is intended for younger readers, and because of that the story did not excite me as much as it might have. Anyone who has read a lot of fantasy could see all the plot twists coming, and the tension could have been built more, or perhaps a dose of the dry wit of Jonathon Stroud or J K Rowling would have helped. Thus this is not a book I would recommend to adult readers unless, like me, they are voarcious children and young adult readers. On the other hand, it is perfect for its intended audience of about 9-11+

My [...] daughter loved this book, and even more the next two of the series. The characters are well developed and likeable, and while the hero is a boy, the girls (and women) in the story are also very important. The plot twists and turns but remains logical until the end. I actually enjoyed it very much too, not something that happens often for children literature. Highly recommended!

this book is about a young boy who discovers his destiny as a sorcerer and with his freinds embarks on a incredible journey into the mysterious world, this book is a brilliant read for 13+ years it is full of suspense, mystery, loyalty between freinds and a hint of young love - what more could you ask for this book is a must read. 5* stars

My 11-year-old son and I read this book together, and it was so bad that we laughed out loud at times. The main characters are undifferentiated and dull (and there are too many of them); the plot is nonexistent; the conversations among the kids that are supposed to be witty are so leaden they make one wince; and nothing ever happens for any logical reason, or because anyone does anything heroic or brave (or even intelligible). Literally, one of the worst books we've ever read. LOL low point: The five (!) main kid characters all get dispersed separately to different locales in a new world they've never been to. Whereupon they all ... go to sleep. As my son said, "They get sent to a new world, and they all go to SLEEP?" He and I spent a lot of time pondering what the author might have had on the publisher that would have occasioned this slop being made into a book. Our theories were a lot more creative than anything between these covers.