The Raven Queen (Voyage of the Basset #2) [Paperback]

Terri Windling (Author), Ellen Steiber (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Gwen Thornworth has dreamed of dancing with fairies since she was a little girl. When the Bassett arrives to pick her up, it looks like her dream will come true! Gwen's twin brother, Devin, reluctantly comes along to keep an eye on her. And he has to do just that when Gwen is lured away to the dark halls of the Unseelie fairies. Can Devin rescue his sister or will he also be caught under the spell of the Raven Queen? This second book in this thrilling new series that combines magic and mythology will captivate readers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Gwen Thornworth has dreamed of dancing with fairies since she was a little girl. When the Bassett arrives to pick her up, it looks like her dream will come true! Gwen's twin brother, Devin, reluctantly comes along to keep an eye on her. And he has to do just that when Gwen is lured away to the dark halls of the Unseelie fairies. Can Devin rescue his sister or will he also be caught under the spell of the Raven Queen? This second book in this thrilling new series that combines magic and mythology will captivate readers.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (October 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679891285
• ISBN-13: 978-0679891284
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,174,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terri Windling is a writer, editor, painter, and the director of The Endicott Studio, an organization dedicated to art and literature inspired by myth, folklore, and fairy tales. Windling has published over forty books for adults, young adults, and children, winning seven World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and placing on the short list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. She also writes essays on myth, fairy tales, art, and magical literature which have been published in a variety of magazines and collections in the U.S. and abroad. As a painter, her work has appeared in museums and galleries across the U.S, and Europe. She is a Consulting Editor for Tor Books in New York, and sits on the advisory board of the Mythic Imagination Institute in Atlanta. For more information on the mythic arts field, please visit the Endicott Studio website: www.endicott-studio.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical, fun, a real treat!, November 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Raven Queen (Voyage of the Basset #2) (Paperback)

My whole family has become fans of Terri Windling's writing, the kids love the adventures and magic and furry critters and my husband and I love her poetic writing. Ellen Steiber is a real find too and we plan to read more of her work. I highly recommend this book to Harry Potter-loving kids and any adults who like folklore and myth. It's a moving story, with a message at its heart about kids finding the magic in art and in themselves. I also recommend Miss Windling's 'The Wood Wife' for adults and 'A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale' for children, with breath-takingly beautiful art by Wendy Froud. Long live the faeries!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, August 16, 2000

By 

Tamma Bee (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raven Queen (Voyage of the Basset #2) (Paperback)

I have to completely disagree with the earlier reviewer for this book is wonderful in particular BECAUSE of the prose and the authors' knowledge of the period. Windling is well know for her beautiful writing and the collaboration with Steiber works seamlessly particularly in the way they have each caught the different voices of the characters in their prose, Devon being steadier and more down to earth and Gwen being more breathless and self-absorbed, at least until her adventures change her. The faery lore is a treat and as a Pre-Raphaelite art lover I really enjoyed all the sly references to the real history of that crowd. I would particularly recommend this book for any child who is artistic, a dreamer or just plain different for it reaffirms the value of art and of being just who you are. The Tanith Lee book was an enjoyable adventure I agree but this one sticks in the heart. It has a power I wasn't expecting and I want to read more by either of these writers. The information at the end of the book is particularly good and helps children to learn more about folklore and Pre-Raphaelite art.

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable mix of fairy lore, April 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Raven Queen (Voyage of the Basset #2) (Paperback)

The Raven Queen is actually not so much a sequel to Tanith Lee's Islands in the Sky as a completely different story with only the Basset, a magical ship that sails in the seas of imagination, connecting the two. (The third one, Sherwood Smith's Journey to Otherwhere, is being published in the summer).

Windling and Steiber mix a large number of themes I like-- European fairy myths, the Pre-Raphaelite movement (my favorite but oh-so-obscure art movement), and the integration of some of my favorite ballads ("The Twa Sisters," "Thomas the Rhymer"). The plot, though simplistic, is enjoyable and creatively embellished. However, a few loose ends are left dangling at the end, and the language could definitely be improved. A few very modern phrases jump out every once in awhile; it just doesn't feel very 19th century-ish. The Raven Queen also doesn't have as much of the gentle humor and good-hearted tweaking of myths as Islands in the Sky. That said, though, it was an enjoyable, light-hearted children's fantasy full of fairy lore and likable characters. Recommended for those in a mood for something lighter and less complex than Narnia.

Ailanna