Lena CoakleyRezensionen

I know this book does not have the best reviews but i loved it alot. I love the characters and also how the world was develop both in the character life and also the fantasy world. It was so unique and it also made me want to read more by the real bronte sisters. It was such a fast pace read and did suprise me at points. I was supprised how much i enjoyed this book but very good book from the jan. owl crate box

I know this book does not have the best reviews but i loved it alot. I love the characters and also how the world was develop both in the character life and also the fantasy world. It was so unique and it also made me want to read more by the real bronte sisters. It was such a fast pace read and did suprise me at points. I was supprised how much i enjoyed this book but very good book from the jan. owl crate box

I'm deeply fond of the Brontes (especially Charlotte) and I loved this imagining of their created worlds of which dominated their early writings. The author manages to capture the spirit which prevails across the writings of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, but places it alongside a compelling narrative that makes me more interested than ever in the siblings' writing. A fascinating read for Bronte fans and one likely to appeal to others as well.

Recommended Ages: Gr. 2-5

Plot Summary: Wicked Nix and the rest of the fairies left him alone in the forest. He is heartbroken and lonely and confused, but he's also determined to keep the forest free of evil people so that the Queen of the Fairies will integrate him into the fairies again. When a people moves into a cottage, Nix promises to get rid of him. He threatens the people, but when he realizes the people are protections against fairies, Nix is stuck. Thankfully wise Rose has the solutions for daisy chain on the door and the iron nails scattered on the ground so that Nix can try his versions of his magical threats. Will Nix succeed? Will Rose find happiness?

Setting:

Characters:
Wicked Nix - learned to find food and live in the forest by himself after being abandoned, knows the forest very very well
Mr. Green - part of the hills and trees, appears to Wicked Nix when called, protects all those that live in the forest
Rose - AKA Rose the Wise, human girl that Nix travels to for advice, likely has ADHD, her mom criticizes her for not being able to sit still, her mom is scared of fairies
old man-people - moves into a cottage in the forest, possibly 50 or 60 years old, balding, fixing up the cottage by himself

Recurring Themes: belonging, abandonment, fairies, family, perspective, surprise ending

Controversial Issues:
It is possible that Nix's true identity would scare some children

Personal Thoughts: This quick fantasy turned deep and dark and heartbreaking. It was very engaging with a good mix of character development and action. This could make a good parent child book discussion because of the many possible questions.

Genre: Fantasy

Pacing: fast - wide margins, larger font, short book, suspenseful, little description
Characters: well developed
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity:

Two fascinating male protagonists, beautiful imagery, and frightening Gormy men made from the earth - what more could you want in a book? Full of mystery and intrigue, I kept reading to find out what was going on and who was/were the bad guys. Loved it!

The witches on the mountain take a tithe and cast the bones to prophesy and keep the villagers safe. This is how it is, and how it has been since the terrible war when the black haired singing sorcerers were banished into the Bitter Lands.

Now the prophesies are running amok and Ryder, who never believed in them in the first place, has to find a way to pull his mother back from madness and protect his sisters and save the Witchlands from danger. Because the war isn't over. It's beginning again and there are secrets in the mountain that will make all the difference in the coming conflict.

3.5 stars
This book made me want to learn more about the Brontë family as I enjoyed reading about what their daily lives would be like. As for the parts set in their invented worlds, I thought they were a bit childish, not because of the author's writing but because of the stories themselves, as they were written when the Brontës were younger.
I'd recommend Worlds of Ink and Shadow for those who like the Brontë sisters and also for those who never read anything by them.


Source

So, I had no clue what this book was about when I picked it up. My sister had seen it at the library and asked me to pick it up when I went back because she thought it looked good. And it is a very pretty book. It's got a nice subtle cover that is amazing in it's quietness. After I got it home, I read the inside flap cover and decided that I had to read this book immediately.

It's a fantasy novel through and through. It follows Ryder - a teenager that lives in the Witchlands. Their village is protected by the witches who live up on the mountain in their covens. The witches protect the village and warn of dangers. But Ryder is convinced that it is all a fake. He thinks that the witches are charlatans and that they are just stealing the villagers food and wealth through their tithes. This belief is reinforced when their village is attacked with no warning from the witches of the dangers.

Then, there's Falpian. He's a Baen and the sworn enemy of Ryder. The two of them stumble upon each other and an unique connection and friendship forms between them.

I LOVED this story. I resented any time that I had to put it down and was so upset when I finished it. I felt like I'd lost two new friends. I thought that Lena Coakley's writing was beautiful and poetic. She did a terrific job writing two different male points of view. The world was nicely developed. She didn't muddle up her story with romance for either one of the guys. It was just a nice development of a friendship and fighting an evil that threatened both of their ways of life.

My only complaint is that the one time that I would really like for there to be a sequel in the works, I can't find any hint of one. Boo-hoo.

I recommend this book for anyone who likes a good old-fashioned fantasy.

I found this book to be mostly confusing, and I really didn't learn much about the Bronte family. The plot cleared up near the end, but I still don't feel it wrapped up well or made as much sense as it could have.

From the beginning, the writing of this book is magnetic, pulling you into the story so you don't want to look up until the final page. Author Coakley brings the Brontes to life with her magical storytelling. The premise - that the elder Brontes created a fictitious world that they could cross into as an escape from their dreary lives - is admittedly far-fetched, but I found myself willing to go along with every turn of the plot.

I'm not giving this a star rating because mine is the first rating/review and this book really didn't work for me, but I think others are going to really like it and I don't want to set a precedent. I'll try to remember to come back when there are some more ratings/reviews so that mine can blend in to the crowd.

Something unique and different, very enjoyable.

Eerie and compelling -- and the fact that this was inspired by the Bronte siblings' actual stories about imaginary worlds makes it all the more interesting. I haven't read many books by the Brontes, but that is going to change.

First, I would just like to say that I don't really know very much about the Bronte family other than some titles of books they've written (and I haven't read any of their books - yet-). I can't compare the details of their lives (or writings) in this book to the true facts of their lives, having so little knowledge of them.

Having said that, you don't have to be a Bronte fan or have to know their work to enjoy this book. I received this book from my January Owlcrate and the theme was ' Magic'. Worlds of Ink and Shadow is written in the perspectives of all the (minus their two oldest sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, who passed at a young age) siblings: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne.

The Bronte siblings make a deal with a magical being (whom they call Old Tom) that they learned of from a story told to them by their housekeeper, Tabby. They asked Old Tom to be granted the ability to physically be transported into the worlds they create through their writings (to be able to go back and forth as they please and even alter their stories within their worlds) and in exchange they agreed to pay a very high price for it.

Lena Coakley created an enjoyable fantasy based off the Bronte family and mixed together their made up and real worlds nicely. There is good character depth, good world building and I love that this book doesn't give all of its secrets away at first (even if some things were slightly predictable). I thought this book was creative and I found it to be addicting. I will definitely be thinking of Worlds of Ink and Shadow when I eventually do read one of their books .

Originally posted on my blog:

Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley
Amulet Books, 2016
Fantasy; 352 pgs
Source: NetGalley

Lena Coakley's Witchlanders was among my favorites the year I read it. I was blown away by the world building, the characters and the overall story. I have been anxiously awaiting another book by the author and so jumped at the chance to read Worlds of Ink and Shadow when it became available on NetGalley. I admit to being a little nervous about the subject matter. I do not generally gravitate towards fictionalized stories starring real-life people. But we are talking about the Brontë siblings, and a fantasy novel to boot. How could I resist?

Charlotte is the oldest of the four children, and very responsible and practical. Still, she is a romantic at heart. As the story progressed, I liked her more and more. And not just because she would go on to write one of my all-time favorite novels, Jane Eyre. The second oldest, Branwell, was more of a wild card, a definite risk taker. He was always trying to best his sister Charlotte. Both Branwell and Charlotte shared a friendly rivalry as siblings often do, but it was sometimes fraught with jealousy and pettiness.

I am surprised no one wanted to ring Emily's neck, given her rather dreamy and at times thoughtless behavior. This isn't to say I did not like Emily. She is such an interesting character, not to mention quite strong-willed and daring. I could not help but draw comparisons between her book, Wuthering Heights, and the Emily Lena Coakley has created. I was quite curious about Anne, the youngest. As much as I like outspoken heroines, the quiet ones often win me over the most. Anne was no exception. She was the voice of reason, and the one who tried to keep everyone grounded.

It is over the course of the novel, seeing the imaginary worlds or touches added by each sibling, that the reader gets a more complete view of just who the Brontës might have been in their younger years. It made the fictional characters the siblings created even more interesting in their own ways too.

The novel has a somewhat mythical quality about it, which reminded me a little of author Lisa Tuttle and her subtle style of weaving myth in with reality. Lena Coakley takes a similar approach, taking advantage of the setting and superstitions of the time and threading them into her story.

The novel is extremely slow in setting up; although I suppose the reader is given an opportunity to understand just the type of relationships the siblings shared as well as what their life was like while growing up. It really dragged for me though, and I seriously considered giving up several times early on. It wasn't until I hit page 97 or so that I knew I was in it for the long haul. The book picked up for me as details about the crossing over into the not-so-imaginary worlds created by the Brontë siblings began to solidify. I still have mixed feelings just the same. I was involved in the story and characters enough to want to know what happened, to see where Coakley would take me, the reader, but this isn't a book I came away loving, I am sad to say. I always felt like I was on the outside looking in. And I never quite got over the feeling of wishing it could be more than what it was--that something more would happen.

As a perpetual daydreamer, there was a part of me that wished I could do just what the Brontë siblings were able to do--create and step into the worlds my daydreams sometimes take me--become a part of the stories. Isn't that one of the reasons I enjoy reading and writing? It's probably best I stay on this side of the book and paper, however, especially given the experiences of the Brontës in this novel! While this one did not quite live up to my expectations, I am curious what Lena Coakley will come up with next.

This was first posted on Realm of the Sapphired Dragon on 5/1/16

I enjoyed this book more actually than I expected to. The blurb intrigued me as I knew who the Bronte sisters were even if I didn't know too much about their childhood and I also loved the idea of fantasy worlds come to life so I was eager t see how these two things would go together.

At first I was little unsure but as I read further and saw the siblings cross over to their fantasy world for the first time, I was hooked and eager to see how the story and the story within the story would play out.

I felt that Ms Coakley's writing really brought the Bronte siblings to life for me and I felt compelled to find out more about their real life after finishing this story. I could feel Anne's steadiness and strong opinions despite her shyness, Emily's wild spirit and Charlotte's need to be the strong older sibling/mother figure in the face of losing their two elder sisters to Tuberculosis years before.

I loved the way that Ms Coakley was able to blend both real historical events in the life of the siblings with their journeys to the fictional worlds they had created and I also saw echoes of characters they would one day create in their published works such as as Catherine, Heathcliff and Jane Eyre in the text of this story and the characters they dream up to populate Verdopolis and Gondal.

There is a magical quality to Ms Coakley's writing in this novel and indeed the story itself. I found myself pulled into the story almost as much as the siblings were and I loved the way she played with the relationship between an author and their characters. The idea of a writer entering a story and creating it as he goes has been done in titles like the Inkspell series by Cornelia Funke but what I liked about this play on the idea was that we saw the darker side. Yes these siblings have this amazing ability but what price are they paying?

Ms Coakley really expertly weaves the threads of the story both in siblings home in Hathorn and in Verdopolis to create a darkly magic tale that will keep you spell bound till the end.

I give this story 4 stars


Sapphired Dragon xx

Witchlanders takes the typical “orphaned chosen one” idea and changes it up a bit. Witchlanders is almost like a fairy tale but it’s a little darker. Ryder doesn’t believe in the Red witches who use their power to protect the mountain valley. He’s skeptical and doesn’t believe their titles are deserved at all. The ancient enemies that they protect everyone from are long dead. He’s young, brash and skeptical of what he can’t see and understand. When he realizes that he is at the center of the change about to come he has to confront his beliefs and pursue the truth no matter the costs.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book just wasn't for me. As much as I love Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, I haven't read anything else by the Brontes. The parts with Charlotte and Branwell disappearing into Verdopolis just felt strange to me. It was sometimes hard to tell when they were back in the real world. I didn't connect to any of the characters. Everything just fell flat.

As WORLDS OF INK AND SHADOW opens, we meet the Brontë siblings as troubled teens. Their mother and two of their sisters have died, and to avoid their individual failings Charlotte and Branwell have retreated into a world literally of their own creation. Verdopolis begins to consume more and more of their time, however, and the cost for this amusement eventually grows too high.

The novel fuses elements of horror, fantasy, and historical realism and provides a fun alternative-worlds exploration. Ideally, this novel will open a door into the Brontës' own work when readers are ready to meet the authors on their own terms.

Read my complete review in RESOURCE LINKS 21.4 (April 2016).½

Hard to put down. Though I have only read Wuthering Heights, and no work from the other Bronte sisters, I enjoyed this book wholly. I believe readers who are also writers of fiction will enjoy the concept of writers being able to cross over into the world of their creation, and relate to the idea of fictional characters seeming to have a will of their own.
The way the story continued to unfold was captivating, and epic, and the true villain of the story was reminiscent of tricksters of the old fairy tales.
I appreciated the bits of the real Bronte siblings lives that were found throughout the book, and was impressed at what Lena Coakley did with it all, but prior knowledge of the Bronte siblings is not necessary to the enjoyment of this book.

Reading over the reviews, I seem to be in the minority, but I really liked this book. It wasn't what I was expecting, but this time that worked to its benefit. I loved the world created, what the author used from real life, and how it all worked in this wondrous story. It was a quick read for me and I just really, really liked it. Sure, some parts were rather cliche and tropey, that's going to happen in any book. I would recommend this. For sure 5 out of 5 stars.

Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley is a historical fiction/fantasy novel about the Brontes children during their childhood years. Ms. Coakley based the story on many true facts from the Bronte's lives while weaving an ingenious and fantastical tale that just blew me away!

I had a very hard time putting Worlds of Ink and Shadows down once I started reading it. When life demanded that I do so, the story stayed with me and my mind was full of the plot, characters and imagining what surprises each new page might bring.

The complexity and depth of the plot and characters was a breath of fresh air. I'm still trying to make sense of the jumble of emotions this book inspired me to feel. I found it to be captivating, enigmatic, passionate, tragic, suspenseful, mysterious, imaginative, inspired, fantastical.

Even after I finished reading this book, the story stayed with me and I think I'll be pondering this one for a long time.

I can't quite say this book was a joy to read ~ the story was a bit too dark to make it a joyous one but I am so glad I had the chance to read it. Worlds of Ink and Shadow by far is one of the best books I have read this year!

Many thanks to Amulet Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all this is a very misleading synopsis, so I suggest you disregard it.

This book is pure fantasy YA, there is no love story here. The "beautiful and silent witch" mentioned is not even a secondary character, and she sure as hell doesn't hold any of Ryder's secrets! Sorry, bad descriptions make me a little bit angry...

The language is very lively and simple but beautiful. The story is a bit naive and more for middle grade than adult YA. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed it.

This is coming of age story of a Witchander, Ryder and Falpian, a boy from Baen. These two connect in unexpected ways, led together by series of circumstances and prophesies.

Ryder is a sceptic, who is trying to do his best by his land and save his people, so when his half-crazed mother, high on Maiden's woe (a hallucinogenic herb) and prophesies sees his future and tells him to find Baen otherwise his lands will be in great danger, that's what he does.

Falpian's twin brother just died and all his dreams of becoming a powerful magician and making his father proud die too. Now he is grieving on the edge of Baen territory and waiting for his father to send back for him.

When Ryder and Falpian meet they naturally act with distrust and almost prerequisite hatred of warring nations. But everything changes when they discover one thing in common and have to face a common enemy...

It was a very easy and enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to the continuation of the story which ended with the promise of great adventures.

This is a strong debut novel from author Lena Coakley. I was captivated immediately by this story. Centering on Ryder, who is a well written, strong, male protagonist, we journey along as he reluctantly follows his Destiny to join with the known enemy, question all his beliefs and knowledge and decide if he wants to stay safe within the boundaries or risk all to save not only his world but that of his enemy.

Coakley imagines for us a well drawn world where I was easily able to envision myself as an observer to all that was occurring throughout the story. I could feel the bite of the air from the Chilling and cringed as I read of Falpian's mad rush to escape the Thief Spiders, feeling them fall on my shoulders as they fell on his.

She does not leave Ryder alone as the only well written character. She surrounds him with thoughtful and fully fleshed out secondary characters that you know will continue to play vital roles throughout what I'm hoping will be a series. I was surprised by Skyla's decision at the end of the story but believe that there may be ulterior reasons for why she made that choice.

I could not put the book down. When I did I was slightly surprised to see that I was sitting in my living room and not standing on a mountain side.

I so, so enjoyed this book. I don't stumble across a lot of new, high fantasy in the YA genre often, which is sad - because I do adore that genre.

This book has everything going for it: a shady clan in the mountain, a few crazy predictions that are somehow coming true, a former enemy bubbling to the surface, vindication, revelations, twins - oh how the list goes on.

What really impressed me was Coakley's ability to manage this rather complex storyline. There are actually two main characters in this novel (you'll notice I focused mostly on one and only briefly mentioned the second), and their stories are complicated and messy. But really, really well done. I noticed the book jacket description opted to focus on Ryder as well, and largely, I think it's due to the spoilers that are inherent to Falpain's most basic story. I actually wrote something, then opted to delete it because it was such an interesting, exciting thing that happened near the beginning of the book - I didn't want to give it away.

There are twists and turns in this one that are shocking (although the one depicted on the cover, I thought, was rather obvious) and Coakley does such a lovely job with the many plots. I would very much look forward to a sequel. A really wonderful, fun book to pick up and enjoy.