I just finished reading Tuck Everlasting, which had this recurring wheel imagery and it reminded me of a book I completely loved when I was twelve or so (I was reminded of it just because of the wheel thing--not because they're similar books). So I type in "wheel" and "fortune" and up it popped, this Cynthia Voigt book. It's not the same cover as the one I had, but I know it's the same book because I remember having a pretend boyfriend named Orien. He was dreamy. I think I can even remember the last line of this book, which is pretty ridiculous considering I read it once and that was like 15 years ago.

I'm putting it on my Twilight-alternative shelf because I remember it giving my young girl heart major pangs. ( )

Good but I liked [b:Jackaroo|91836|Jackaroo (Kingdom, #1)|Cynthia Voigt|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348177219s/91836.jpg|2815] better. ( )

I actually read this book a very long time ago when I was 12 or 13 years old (over twenty five years ago at this point). I remember absolutely adoring it and had originally borrowed it from the library. A few years ago I acquired a copy of it to read again as an adult. Even all these years later I still enjoyed it a lot. It’s a solid fantasy with excellent world-building, wonderful adventures, and some romance.

The story does move a bit slowly, but the beautiful descriptions and sincere tone to the story match this pace perfectly. As a pre-teen I loved the adventure and romance (I still do) but as an adult I appreciated other things about the story this time through. I really enjoyed how Voigt takes her characters through such a variety of life situations; Birle goes from Innkeeper’s daughter, to servant, to slave, to Lady, and then to farm holder throughout a fairly short span of years. I enjoyed how all of this is spun around the theme of Fortune’s Wheel.

I loved how you see these characters standing up for their true selves despite all their trials. I remember as a pre-teen being upset and angry at how Birle chooses her own path at the end of the book; but reading it as an adult I recognize now how much strength and wisdom she shows in that choice.

I was impressed at how well this fantasy story has stood the test of time. I also was intrigued by how parts of the story affected me differently now that I am an adult. This is a beautifully written story about finding one’s own path in life and staying true to yourself.

Overall a beautiful story and a well done fantasy. I would recommend to those who enjoy deliberately paced fantasies set in beautiful worlds that have some romance in them. This is an excellent read for YA and older. ( )

A beautiful story of love and courage

From the moment she looks into the deep blue eyes of the young lord she found stealing a boat the previous night, Birle knows she’ll love him forever. She’s also painfully aware that her love will never be: he’s a lord, she, an innkeeper's daughter. Not that it matters anyway, as the lord sees in her only a child. Content just to be with him for the time being, Birle convinces the lord to let her come with him.

For days they travel down the river, Birle’s practical skills a valuable asset to help them find food and survive in the wilderness. But as soon as they reach the ocean, they’re taken prisoners and separately sold as slaves.

Refusing to accept her lord is lost, Birle searches for him in the unknown city where she’s also a slave, risking her life again and again to save him from his brutal master and help him return to their kingdom, even if doing so means she will never be with him.

This is a beautifully told story of love and courage for the romantics at heart.
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Set in the same world (The Kingdom) as Jackaroo, what I read and enjoyed back in 2009. This one tells a decent story, and it is certainly worth reading if you are a Voigt fan or if you like this kind of young adult fare. However, I found it a bit disappointing in comparison to the other books by Voigt that I've read. One of Voigt's biggest strengths is her ability to put day-to-day drudgery on the page in a way that is fascinating but unromanticized. That kind of detail just isn't here, mostly because the story takes its characters away from their regular lives and domestic details. This is also a love story, and while there's very little in the way of cringe-worthy teenaged over-dramatization here, there's also a bit too much attention paid to how lovely the hero's eyes are and too little to why our sensible, capable heroine is so deeply in love with him. I say again, a decent read, and I cannot recommend Voigt strongly enough in general. (Read Jackaroo. Read the Tillerman Cycle.) But if you're going to skip one of hers, this might be the one. ( )