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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
And nary a dwarf or elf in sight . . . ., December 1, 2009
The Simurgh is a creature of myth and magic, as are many of the creatures who inhabit this story. Thankfully, none of them are the usual overworked gang of dwarves, elves, trolls, etc. that have populated most of the books in this genre of late.
The tale is set in the pre-Islamic middle east, and the author has drawn from Persian and Mesopotamian (those are the ones I recognize, there may be others) mythology for her characters and magical beings. As the title implies, the story is a quest. Faiza, the heroine, and her three companions set out to find their teacher, Master Wafa, whom they fear has been kidnapped. Like all good quests, there are obstacles to overcome, hardships to be endured, and challenges to be met. There are also a couple of pretty good battles to be fought along the way. Faiza and her friends must also confront and conquer their own demons, both literally and figuratively, each in his or her own way.
The story is well-written, the characters well-drawn, appealing and believable. I cared about Faiza, and wanted her to succeed. Master Wafa is quite a different take on the usual mentor/magician, and the magical creatures encountered throughout the story are delightfully different and wonderfully described. I heartily recommend this book to all who enjoy a good adventure tale.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesing adventure, September 22, 2009
This book is well-edited and well-formatted. It's a cross between YA and a children's story. The concepts are such that it's YA, but things are simplified in some places, and thus it reads for an even younger age (8-9?). Some of the problems presented are quite simple as are the solutions. (Do we accept a girl even though she is a girl, do we trust our friends, do we forgive them and so on.) In some cases, challenges are solved so quickly it is more what I would expect from a young children's book. For example, the children decide to go on a quest--to achieve this they have to make up excuses or lies. This part would have been more believable had they simply run away because some of the scenes didn't ring true at all (especially that of Parvis. I don't believe with his background he would have taken the route he did--nor do I believe his father would have allowed it).
The descriptions and mythology are handled quite well and in good detail. The unusual characters and the various legends were a big strength of this book. However, it is here that I am not certain a younger child would remain engaged because some of the detail spans several pages. The world that is created is quite magical and intriguing in several scenes.
The children in this story reminded me a bit of the Boxcar Children with a spiritual/mental challenge. Each child is given a challenge in the book, but there is not as much depth here as I would expect with a YA. In a normal quest, you would expect a YA to face a challenge that had grown throughout their lives--so perhaps a person who had always been tempted by gold/riches, would have to face that down. This story did not have such a background with every character. When it did have "past doubts" it was not as well-developed as I would have liked. I would have liked to see the self-doubts early--and then have to see them faced down.
Although I don't know quite where this story fits age-wise, it is well-written and mildly entertaining. The pace could have been faster, especially in the beginning. The early scenes were used to "setup" the story and the personalities. While done well, I think it could have been done more effectively during the journey. They served a purpose, but were slow.
I think the characterization was good for a children/YA, but not good enough to make the cross to adult (some YA are very good crossovers into adult; this is more a crossover into childrens).
The most interesting thing about the book is the legends and unusual beasts; these were imaginative and fleshed out well.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quest for the Simurgh, September 1, 2011
I was given this wonderful book quite recently and became an adult Marva Dasef fan. On so many different levels, "Quest for the Simurgh" was a real page turner for me. The final battle was terrible and awesome. The death of Menog brought tears. Character weaknesses of the individual young people made them susceptible to so much trouble. Then Marva allows redemption and a future each can control. Is there a tiny reference toward the end to another of Marva's books? Master Wafa talks about waiting too long to visit a girl, Cadida, who lives on the other side of the mountains. If Marva Dasef had been writing when I was a teen, her books would have enchanted me along with Tarzan of the Apes, Call of the Wild, and The Black Stallion.
This book is just great reading, not only for young adults and pre-teens, but older readers will be drawn into a well told tale set in a fantasy world that is very believable. Highly recommended.
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