The Fall (The Seventh Tower, Book 1) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Tal stretched out his hand and pulled himself up onto the next out-thrust spike of the Tower..." (more)
Key Phrases: hundred stretches, natural shadow, orange order, Primary Sunstone, Shadowmaster Sushin, Shield Maiden (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Tal, a Chosen of the Orange Order, is having the worst luck lately. Just when he is getting ready for the Day of Ascension--a day when all the 13-year-old Chosen from the Castle of Seven Towers enter the spirit world of Aenir--his father disappears with the family's only primary Sunstone, which Tal needs for the ascension. Without it, he cannot enter Aenir and bind himself to a Shadowspirit--a kind of guardian being that serves as a friend and protector to the person it is bound to. And without a Shadowspirit, Tal will lose both his Chosen status and any hope of finding a cure for his mother's mysterious wasting illness, a cure that can only come from Aenir. Tal tries to beg, borrow, and even steal a Sunstone. But his attempts fail, and in his final act of thievery, Tal is thrown off the Castle of Seven Towers by a powerful Shadowspirit Keeper and into an adventure beyond his imagining.

Australian fantasy author Garth Nix (well known for his novels Sabriel and Shade's Children, both ALA list picks) has joined with Lucasfilm to launch a six-book fantasy series about Tal's world, of which The Fall is the first installment. Packed with excitement and wonderfully weird creatures like the living sea of Selski and the hungry, one-horned Merwin, Nix's latest tale will enchant readers. Containing elements of The Golden Compass and the Harry Potter books, The Seventh Tower is an epic fantasy not to be missed. (Ages 11 to 14) --Jennifer Hubert

Product Description

Welcome to the Dark World. Tal lives high above, in a mountaintop castle where light is the ultimate commodity, the spirit world is the only escape and isolation from the outside world is complete. He does not think to question his world. He does not dare to dream of anything else. Then one day he tries to steal a sunstone, the only way of assuring his family's safety. The attempt fails, and Tal falls from the Castle . . . straight into the unknown

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (June 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439176824
• ISBN-13: 978-0439176828
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,756 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #17 in

  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( N ) > Nix, Garth

• This is item 1 in The Seventh Tower Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, June 12, 2000

By	David Wilson (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Seventh Tower by Garth Nix has a refreshing new portrayal of characters that is not typically seen in books for this age group. The book is not beholden to the stereotypes of male strength and violence and female compassion, as one typically finds. Rather, both genders portray a complete range of personalities; from the compassionate male hero to the violent girl (Milla) that wants to kill Tal but resists out of loyalty to her clan and because she gave her word to her clan's (female) leader. The story line itself is interesting and shows no inconsistencies that leave the reader wondering if the book was ever edited. This the first book in a total of six in the series. My only complaint is that this book is not a complete story in and of itself as are the Harry Potter books or Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series. It leaves the reader hanging at the end with no idea of when part two will be written. But that is a minor complaint and inspite of that I highly recommend it. In todays world it's important that boys have compassionate male heros and understand that females can be just as violent as males. Likewise, girls have to understand that boys aren't weak just because they aren't physical and that girls can be strong both physically and mentally. Of course, the book also has it's share of underhanded people (both male and female) along with the snobs, the cheats, the genius teetering on the edge of insanity and plenty of fantasy creatures to round it out. In short, as far as the characters go, the book is an accurate portrayal of life. And the story is a wonderful fantasy.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece for 9-12, June 13, 2000

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is the perfect kids' introduction to Garth Nix. Though published by the same people as the "Jedi Apprentice" books, this one is both more complex and considerably darker.

The young hero, Tal, is searching for a sunstone so that he can undertake a ritual quest, and solidify his family's position in the favored classes of his darkened world. If he fails, he and his younger siblings and his ill mother will be relegated to servants for the rest of their lives. But an enemy is trying to thwart Tal's attempts, and he must try to get a sunstone on his own-with disturbing results.

The levels of differentness in this book are spectacular, though not as much so as Sabriel-one can hardly expect something so advanced for readers of Jedi Apprentice! Tal is a thoroughly human and sympathetic character, and as he grows more desperate the reader wants him to succeed more.

Compared to the kids' fantasy usually published now, this is a gem. I wish I could give it 6 stars!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winning story by a consistently great writer, July 3, 2006

By	Paladin08 (Folsom, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

THE CONTENT:
This is a story for ages 8 - 12, though as an adult reading it with my kids I'm enjoying the series too. Nix's Abhorsen trilogy is for teens and his Keys to the Kingdom series is also for ages 8-12.

THE STORY:
Tal is in a bind. His father has been missing. His mother is ill. And his family doesn't have a strong Sunstone to elevate their position and provision. It falls to Tal to provide for his mother and little brother by seeking out a sunstone. But there are forces in his way that stop him from achieving these goals. It doesn't help in the opening scene that he falls from the Red Tower in his attempt to gain a stone. The fall leads to adventure Tal never would have thought possible.

THE CHARACTERS:
Tal is a likeable kid caught in a bad situation. He wants to do the right thing and provide for his family, but he just can't. We empathize and sympathize with him as a character. The rest of the cast is equally likeable in their own way and those that are meant to be disliked are definitely dislikeable. Overall, a great cast of characters that add to this story of Tal's quest

THE SETTING:
Not your typical fantasy world, but that is one reason why I love reading Garth Nix's books. . .there isn't anything typical only new and imaginative about them. The world is richly described in just the right words that a short paragraph leaves an easily visualized scene in one's head.

THE PLOT:
A nicely constructed quest story, which leaves our character no choice but to follow certain paths. Helper characters and hindering characters line his path that lead to a world we experience with amazement just as Tal does. The progression is logical and a well paced story. There is plenty of action in this story! Creatures that want to eat people, treacherous "natives" and more.

OVERALL:
My 8 year old and I are thoroughly enjoying this story and each chapter cliff-hanger keeps us turning the pages.

NOTE - This is the first of 6 books. You must keep reading! The first book resolves very little if anything. We are in the 2nd book now and the same great story/writing continues on there.