Customer Reviews

The Vanishing Sculptor: A Novel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul is a continuation of her DragonKeeper Chronicles in the fantasy world of Chiril. Tipper is a young emerlindian who has been trying to keep her family afloat since her father's mysterious disappearance fifteen years ago. The family estate has fallen into disrepair, and her mother's mind is no longer sound. Tipper has been forced to start selling the sculptures of her father just to keep food on the table. When her father suddenly returns along with a eccentric wizard and unusual librarian, she discovers that her actions have imperiled their entire world! She must leave the safety of her home on a quest to recover the missing statues along with a mismatched cast of adventurers, and along the way, she just may learn something about Wulder, the Creator of their world. I fell in love with Paul's fantasy world in her wonderful DragonLight , and while this book takes place on the opposite side of that planet, a few characters return. Tipper's character matures throughout her journey from impetuous, sheltered young girl to confident and curious woman. The cast of characters bring plenty of chuckles and form a tightly bonded pseudo-family under the care of Wulder . This book is perfect for younger readers who enjoy dragons and fantasy, as well as us older readers who enjoy great writing and fascinating characters.

The Vanishing Sculptor is part of the DragonKeepers series--a prequel...sorta :). It's written by Donita K. Paul. I really don't need to go any farther. The DragonKeepers series is one of my favorites EVER, and The Vanishing Sculptor is right up there with the rest of the books in the series. Awesome characterization, great action, wit, vocabulary building--her books have it all.

I love that this book takes place in a different time and country, but still has a couple of the old characters. I won't say who, but they brought a smile to my face!

Tipper's father, Verrin Schope, disappears one day. Tipper has to sell his artwork in order to make ends meet, but in doing so she inadvertantly puts her father in mortal danger. She and a rather interesting band of friends head off on a quest to save her father's life.

If you loved the DragonKeepers series, you will love this book. If you haven't read the series...do.

If you haven't read any of Paul's Dragon series I would strongly suggest you try those first. There is a lot of unexplained ideology and terminology that are difficult to follow if you're not familiar with her world.

Much more clean cut than a lot of other fantasy books out there these days.

What's a girl to do when she has a scatter-brained mother and an absentee father? Tipper, an emerlindian is forced to sell some of her father's artwork in order to keep Byrdschopen, their family estate safe. Unfortunately, when her father does show up she learns she's sold some sculptures she should have kept. They were special works, made of one of Wulder's foundation stones. Now they are scattered and must be found. Her father, Brim Schope, has brought a couple of men with him, Wizard Fenworth and his librarian Librettowit. The four of them, with the help of Bealomondore, whom Tipper has deceived, set out to find the sculptures.

Donita K. Paul's books are always a treat. A magical trip into a land of dragons, fantasy, brave men and women, and the struggle of good against evil. If you like adventure, don't miss this one. It's a keeper.

The Vanishing Sculptor is one of the best books I've read in a while. I read her Dragon Keeper books, and this is a welcome addition to an already great series. I nearly cheered aloud when a certain wizard and his librarian came into the story, and laughed when they decided to take a detour to get riding dragons (prompted by the beloved wizard, of course). What a detour!
I won't go into the details, but let it be known that once you pick up this marvelous book, you won't be able to put it down!

I Have read and own The Vanishing Sculptor, the first of a series still in the production stage. All of Donita K. Paul's books are simply amazing, filled with adventure, spirit and suprises. It has Christian faith, truth, and entices readers of all ages. I adored it, and continue to spend all my free time reading this!

Tipper, a young emerlindian woman, has been scrounging to take care of her family estate since her father went missing. Since he father was a renowned sculptor, Tipper had no choice but to sell off his work to pay the bills. But her father returns suddenly, then vanishes again. Then he reappears, then vanishes, then reappears. It seems that Tipper's father is being affected by a portal between two sides of the world. Long ago, he had crafted three sculptures out of a special chunk of stone that happened to be the portal that held their world together. Now he must put the sculptures back to restore balance to the land and his own body. The only problem is that Tipper sold all three pieces. Tipper and her father set off with an unlikely group of friends to find the missing sculptures and restore balance.

This story inhabits the same world as Donita's DragonKeeper Chronicles and includes a few characters from the original series that we've all come to love. Donita K. Paul writes beautifully. I love her storyworld and the personalities she creates. She is truly gifted. I thought this story had an interesting premise. It was a fun read with a long quest (which I always love) and interesting obstacles that crop up to waylay our heroes. I didn't get as hooked into the tale as I'd hoped. I think that was because there were a lot of characters to follow. They were interesting, wonderful characters, but they often took the spotlight away from Tipper. Fans of Donita's work will love to see some old characters take part in the story. I'm not sure if this is meant to be the first book in a series or not. A few doors were left open to a sequel, so I'm interested to see what might happen in a second book. Recommended.

With her father missing, Tipper, a young emerlindian girl, struggles to keep her home estate running while juggling her absent minded mother and Bealomondore, a tumanhofer artist seeking her father's audience. When her father mysteriously turns back up, Tipper learns that selling her father's sculptures and art has put her world at risk and her father's life in danger. With the help of Bealomondore and her guardian, a grand parrot named Beccaroon, she embarks on a quest to save her father and her world. Along the way she gains many friends from other lands.

This story will truly stick with you as a marvelous masterpiece of writing. The characters were all well written, and the story was phenomenal, keeping you sucked in like a black hole. One thing many books can't say is that they had a satisfying ending, but this book's does everything a ending should do, satisfy the reader while at the same time making them long for another book.

Another thing that was truly good about this book is its world building. Mrs. Paul has managed to create another continent separate from Amara but with the same richness of life.

Ian, age 17

Ms. Paul never ceases to amaze me. I read her entire Dragon series, and was actually really upset that they were over, lol. I happened upon this book accidentally, while browsing Amazon one day, and ordered it immediately. I was not disappointed. Donita K. Paul has a wonderful way of allowing you to get to "know" her characters and feel like you are part of whatever journey or quest the characters are doing. There are parts that make you laugh, as well as other emotional parts that make you empathize with the characters. For those who love Fantasy, I highly recommend! She is a Christian author, which is awesome to me, but she stays away from usual cliches and metaphors and creates her own. Read it!!

When Tipper's father disappeared it became necessary for her to take charge of the family estate in his absence. Tipper has resorted to selling off her father's precious artwork to make ends meet. This innocent act has put her father's life in danger and threatens to unbalance the world. With the help of an unusual collection of supporters Tipper sets off on a quest to set things right, and through trials and tribulations she eventually learns of the power and love of Wulder.

This fantasy by the author of the DragonKeeper Chronicles takes place in a different country and an earlier time. Well written and full of fascinating characters, this book will be tough to put down. Fantasy lovers will find it hard to resist the wizard with all sorts of curious things spilling out of his robes, his librarian, and other irresistible characters, among them minor dragons and riding dragons.

Donita K. Paul demonstrates an amazing imagination and writing talent with her creation of a world unlike any you've ever seen.