The Far West (Frontier Magic) [Hardcover]

Patricia C. Wrede (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2012 | Series: Frontier Magic (Book 3)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia C. Wrede, the fantastic conclusion to her tale of magic on the western frontier.

Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child...but also the seventh daughter in her family. Her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful double seventh son. Her life at the edge of the Great Barrier Spell is different from anyone else's that she knows.

When the government forms an expedition to map the Far West, Eff has the opportunity to travel farther than anyone in the world. With Lan, William, Professor Torgeson, Wash, and Professor Ochiba, Eff finds that nothing on the wild frontier is as they expected. There are strange findings in their research, a long prarie winter spent in too-close quarters, and more new species, magical and otherwise, dangerous and benign, than they ever expected to find. And then spring comes, and the explorers realize how tenuous life near the Great Barrier Spell may be if they don't find a way to stop a magical flood in a hurry. Eff's unique way of viewing magic has saved the settlers time and again, but this time all of Columbia is at stake if she should fail.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7-10-In this third instalment in the series, Eff, who is working with Professor Torgeson and trying to keep the frontier safe from the mortally dangerous medusa lizards, is chosen to go on an expedition to the far West. This carries significant danger not only because of the medusa lizards, which, of course, turn living creatures to stone, but also because of other magical creatures as well. During this trip, Eff develops as a magician and learns to control her magic in new ways. With the same attention to character and setting as the previous entries, the pace in this alternate history/fantasy is measured and deliberate. A slight touch of romance between Eff and a couple of suitors leavens the narrative. There is an interesting mix of 19th-century formality with a relative equality for women, which makes Eff more of a contemporary character, notwithstanding her sense of decorum around men. Despite the numerous historical references-to Lincoln, slavery, and the Civil War-which place the story firmly in the 1800s, Wrede sticks with her curious choice of a frontier empty of indigenous human inhabitants, even south of the U.S. border. Quite apart from any other concerns, this results in a strange flatness in the picture she paints of the frontier, and the emptiness of the land echoes back into the story. Nonetheless, fans of the series will enjoy this novel.-Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York Cityα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

In the Frontier Magic trilogy finale, now-20-year-old Eff Rothmer is working in the college wildlife menagerie in Mill City when she is invited to join a government-directed expedition into uncharted territory in the Far West, along with her professors; twin brother, Lan; friend William; and recently returned menagerie assistant Roger. It’s an exciting but risky and dangerous venture, as they encounter exotic creatures from medusa lizards to rock dragons. However, the almost two-year journey also becomes one of self-discovery as Eff struggles to understand her haunting, cryptic dreams and unique magical abilities, while helping to preserve the Great Barrier Spell, the failing of which could bring potentially perilous consequences. The blend of fantasy-adventure, Wild West and westward-expansion lore, and pioneer life is engaging, as are the diverse characters and settings. Eff is a strong, multifaceted protagonist whose first-person descriptive narration, if occasionally slow-paced and dense, well portrays her dilemmas and experiences in life and love. An enjoyable read that Eff’s followers in particular will welcome. Grades 5-8. --Shelle Rosenfeld

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545033446
• ISBN-13: 978-0545033442
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Conclusion to Amazing Series July 23, 2012

By K. M. Martin VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The third and final novel in the Frontier Magic trilogy is the story of a journey both literally and figuratively. When the story begins, Eff Rothmer is twenty and working as an assistant to Professor Torgeson at the university in Mill City. Mill City is at Columbia's Western edge of civilization right up against the Great Barrier Spell, a magic spell concocted by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to keep magical creatures out of the East. But 83 years have passed and settlements have extended 100 miles west of the Great Barrier even though it is much more dangerous out there.

A journey is being planned to explore further west - perhaps, all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Eff is excited about it but doesn't think she has any hope of going along. Her brother Lan who is a powerful magician and a double seven (seventh son of a seventh son) has been invited as has her brother-in-law Brant who was a hero of the previous successful McNeil Expedition. Also going is Roger Boden who is Eff's suitor, even though she turned down his proposal, and her best friend William Graham who is a student of magic. This expedition is being partially financed by the Cathayan government and their representative is Adept Alikaket. When she is asked to go along as an assistant to Professor Torgeson, she is excited, scared and eager but she also recognizes the danger. After all, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was lost when they tried to explore.

This story has excitement, adventure and even romance. Magic is woven into this story in many ways. Most people have the ability to do magic. It is taught in their schools. Eff does have problems with the most common form of magic - the Avrupan. Her spells have a tendency to go wrong. She has been studying the Aphrikan system of magic since she was young and using it to tweak her Avrupan spells. She is also eager to study the Cathayan system of magic while on this expedition. The expedition encounters many new creatures on their journey including many magical creatures like the Medusa lizards which can turn living creatures to stone, steam dragons and rock dragons, and large fox-like animals that can use magic to hide themselves from view.

One of the strengths of this story is the world building. Wrede has built a complex and consistent world where magic is well-integrated into a landscape the will be familiar to many people who live in the Midwest of the United States. This is not high fantasy but rather frontier fantasy. There are many parallels to the time of the Westward Expansion of the United States but tweaked, as Eff tweaks her magic, to allow for the smooth integration of magic.

Another strength of this story are the many, well-rounded characters who inhabit this world. From the bossy older sisters to the single-minded professors, the characters have depth and are all interesting. Eff is strong-minded, curious, adventurous and determined but also self-effacing and modest about her magical gifts. Her brother Lan is bright and magically talented but also impulsive and a little arrogant.

During this journey, Eff grows up, comes to terms with her own unique magical abilities, finds her life partner and her life's work. It is a great conclusion to a fascinating fantasy series. I strongly recommend reading the whole series - Thirteenth Child, Across the Great Barrier, and The Far West - to explore a very creative world and meet many fascinating people.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent return to Frontier Magic July 14, 2012

By Ravencatt

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have enjoyed all of the Frontier Magic books, but this one may well be my favorite.

The characters develop nicely, building on what has happened in previous books and moving forward to their individual destinies, and we have the introduction of some new and interesting ones. The different types of magic are very well portrayed, as well as Eff's own exploration of her abilities and special viewpoint. Eff also has to make some very serious choices about her future. Lan, William, Wash, Professors Torgeson and Ochiba are very much present and facing serious decisions and situations. New crisis and new creatures abound. And the conclusion wraps up very neatly, settling some old questions while creating new possibilities. While the book nicely wraps up things for the various characters, there is definitely room for more exploration beyond the "Far West".

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Harry Potter meets Little House in the Prairie September 30, 2012

By Sara M Glassman

Format:Hardcover

***This review has appeared previously at [...]***
This is the third (and, as far as I know, final) book in the Frontier Magic series. I love this series! My quick and dirty tagline for it when I'm trying to hand-sell it at the bookstore is: Harry Potter meets Little House on the Prairie. It's so much more complicated than that, but when you've got ten seconds to get a middle schooler's attention you work with what you've got. I like these books so much that I did a video review of book one, The Thirteenth Child. It's pretty terrible, but you can go watch it if you want a good laugh.
The world is essentially 19th century America, but magic has always been known and because of that things have developed a little differently. The biggest differences for our purposes are these: it's not America, it's Columbia; westward expansion has essentially stopped at the Mammoth River (The Mississippi for us) due to the uncontrollable wildlife on the other side; Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson managed to create a barrier using the river that keeps all magical animals to the west; there is no Native American presence (I assume because of the dangers of the wildlife although it is not specified in the text); the Civil War worked a little bit differently, but the end result is the same and slavery has been abolished, although it was never as big a deal there as it was here due to the difficulty of clearing large plantations.
As in most fairy tales, the seventh son of a seventh son is considered the most powerful magician known. However, especially in the eastern-most areas of the country, thirteenth children are considered more than unlucky, they're seen almost as plague carriers. The best case scenario is that their bad luck could spread unintentionally; the worst case is that they become twisted and lash out on purpose. Eff is a thirteenth child, but also the twin of a double seventh son. Throughout the entire series she has been struggling with the matter of who she is, what she can do, and what she should do. At the same time, she has begun to come into her own as an explorer. In each book she takes a trip across the Great Barrier into regions very few people have explored.
In this third book, Eff joins an academic expedition into the far west. Their aim is to go further than the last successful expedition and catalog the plants and animals along the way. Several new threats have been moving eastward in the last several years. The expedition hopes, among other things, to give the settled communities some hint of what is coming so that they can prepare for it.
I cannot say enough good things about this series. I've read the first book three times now, the second twice, and I think tonight when I get home I'll start book three for the second time. It is an amazing series. And I don't mean for a young adult series. There are things in this series about identity, self-worth, inner strength, and ways of seeing the world that I'm still trying to get a grip on in my thirties. So, if you have any interest in this type of book, westward expansion, fantasy literature, awesome female characters, please please please give this series a shot.