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Abarat #2
Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War
All things in their time . . .
Candy Quackenbush's adventures in the Abarat are getting stranger by the hour. Why has the Lord of Midnight sent his henchman after her? Why can she suddenly speak words of magic? Why is this world familiar?
Candy and her companions must solve the mystery of her past before the forces of Night and Day clash and Absolute Midnight descends upon the islands.
A final war is about to begin. . . .
Candy Quackenbush's adventures in the Abarat are getting stranger by the hour. Why has the Lord of Midnight sent his henchman after her? Why can she suddenly speak words of magic? Why is this world familiar?
Candy and her companions must solve the mystery of her past before the forces of Night and Day clash and Absolute Midnight descends upon the islands.
A final war is about to begin. . . .
569 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2004
About the author
Clive Barker
689 books14.2k followersClive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University and his picture now hangs in the entrance hallway to the Philosophy Department. It was in Liverpool in 1975 that he met his first partner, John Gregson, with whom he lived until 1986. Barker's second long-term relationship, with photographer David Armstrong, ended in 2009.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 511 reviews
April 2, 2021
I didn’t think it was possible to get better than the first book in the series but this one beats it by so much that it’s hard to believe. What Barker had created with the Abarat is beyond spectacular. I want to immerse myself in it forever and never leave it’s pages, just basking in the glory that this story is. It’s magical and gruesome and scary and funny and just EVERYTHING. This book brings you deeper into the magic and I couldn’t get enough of it, I devoured it until I felt sick and then cried because there was none left and I wanted more. I am a GLUTTON for this world! At this point I feel like I’m rambling but that’s just how this book and this series have left me, unable to get my thoughts straight and giddy with discovery and the need to share it with the world.
August 3, 2022
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This is the second book of a series and the first book must be read before this novel. In this one we pick up the action immediately where we left off from the first book. Candy is still in Abarat and Carrion is still chasing her.
If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be "vivid". Clive Barker has an amazing imagination and is artistic also with many drawings in the book created by him. The monsters and settings are fantastic and do come to life. My review for the first book could be used for this book also. I think it is such a creative world and the characters are amazing. I like this series but it is just not capturing me like it has done with others. I think the problem for me is that it sort of reads like a video game. Main character finds herself in a situation against a baddie and works her way out of it. Immediately we will jump into the next baddie confrontation with very little story or character development. She eventually works her self to the big boss final confrontation.
I did think the plot was a little more developed than it was in the first book. That is why I went with the extra half star for the rating. Besides that this is exactly like the first book with its pros and cons. I like the book and I like the series. I am just not totally enthralled with it like other readers.
This is the second book of a series and the first book must be read before this novel. In this one we pick up the action immediately where we left off from the first book. Candy is still in Abarat and Carrion is still chasing her.
If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be "vivid". Clive Barker has an amazing imagination and is artistic also with many drawings in the book created by him. The monsters and settings are fantastic and do come to life. My review for the first book could be used for this book also. I think it is such a creative world and the characters are amazing. I like this series but it is just not capturing me like it has done with others. I think the problem for me is that it sort of reads like a video game. Main character finds herself in a situation against a baddie and works her way out of it. Immediately we will jump into the next baddie confrontation with very little story or character development. She eventually works her self to the big boss final confrontation.
I did think the plot was a little more developed than it was in the first book. That is why I went with the extra half star for the rating. Besides that this is exactly like the first book with its pros and cons. I like the book and I like the series. I am just not totally enthralled with it like other readers.
January 23, 2016
Όταν διάβασα το πρώτο βιβλίο του Άμπαρατ είχα καταλήξει ότι αυτό που ενδιέφερε περισσότερο τον Barker συγγράφοντας α��τό το έργο, ήταν να επιδείξει την ζωηρή και χωρίς όρια φαντασία του στις περιγραφές – απίστευτα και αλλοπρόσαλλα όντα και φαντασιακοί, ονειρικοί τόποι χωρίς αρχή και τέλος- αφήνοντας σε δεύτερη μοίρα τη πλοκή. Παρ’ όλα αυτά βυθίστηκα στο κόσμο του, χάθηκα στο τοπίο του, αφήνοντας και εγώ σε δεύτερη θέση την ιστορία της Κάντι, παρατηρώντας αχόρταγα τα πλάσματα που δημιουργούσε με τόση ευκολία ο συγγραφέας. Αυτό με γοήτευε και μου αρκούσε. Στο δεύτερο βιβλίο, όμως η ιστορία δεν μου φαινόταν πια τόσο αφελής και παιδιάστικη. Συνειδητοποίησα ότι οι ήρωες έχουν έναν σκοπό, μια μοίρα προγεγραμμένη στο μυαλό του δημιουργού και πλέον σχηματίζεται ξεκάθαρα ένα έξυπνα στημένο παιχνίδι. Μια ιστορία που θέλω οπωσδήποτε να διαβάσω τη συνέχεια αλλά δυστυχώς οι εκδόσεις Κέδρος προς το παρόν δεν έχουν την έχουν εκδώσει. Παρ’ όλα αυτά μπορώ πάντα να ελπίζω…
June 14, 2017
Από το μαιτρ του τρόμο και της φαντασίας έρχεται ακόμα ένα βιβλίο από το αρχιπέλαγος του Άμπαρατ, όπου κάθε νησί αντιστοιχεί σε μια ώρα του εικοσιτετραώρου και το απόλυτο σκοτάδι παραμονεύει να τυλίξει όλα τα νησιά. Οι εικόνες που παίρνουμε είναι εκπληκτικές, μάλιστα κάποιες μας της δίνει έτοιμες εικονογραφημένες ο ίδιος ο συγγραφέας, ενώ η έκδοση είναι επίσης εξαιρετική. Εν τούτοις, κάτι δεν μου άρεσε τόσο πολύ...
Τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία της σειράς δεν έχουν μεταφραστεί στα ελληνικά και προφανώς για τα επόμενα χρόνια δεν πρόκειται, οπότε οι φανατικοί οπαδοί θα πρέπει να ψάξουν τις αγγλικές εκδόσεις.
Τα υπόλοιπα βιβλία της σειράς δεν έχουν μεταφραστεί στα ελληνικά και προφανώς για τα επόμενα χρόνια δεν πρόκειται, οπότε οι φανατικοί οπαδοί θα πρέπει να ψάξουν τις αγγλικές εκδόσεις.
May 6, 2012
Scary, exciting, weird, adventurous, awesome and so many things that describe just how brilliant and horrifying this book really is!
After I had finished reading Clive Barker’s first “Abarat” book, I was just dying to read more of this fantastic and scary world that our heroine, Candy Quackenbush has gotten herself into! So, I finally got around to reading the sequel “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” and I was just so impressed with what I have just finished reading! “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” is definitely one sequel that you just have to check out!
Candy Quackenbush still continues her adventures at Abarat along with her new friend, a geshrat named Malingo and they traveled among the islands of Abarat together. Unfortunately, the Lord of Midnight, Christopher Carrion wanted to capture Candy for he senses something unusual about Candy’s presence in the Abarat and he sends the Criss-Cross Man, Houlihan after them. Now Candy and Malingo are on the run from the Criss-Cross Man but further in the story, Candy soon discovers that Abarat feels familiar to her since she could call out magic spells that she has never learned before and seems to escape danger wherever she is. The more Candy starts to discover more about herself and her connections with Abarat, the more that she starts to realize the intentions of Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight and those realizations could change Candy’s life forever.
Can I just say that I think that this sequel of the classic “Abarat” series is WAY better than the first book? I loved the first “Abarat” book just as much, but the second book in the series “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” really got me hanging on the edge of my seat as it was full of action and pure shock value that really got me invested in this book. Clive Barker has done a fantastic job at making this story extremely exciting and scary at the same time and I really enjoyed the adventures that Candy had when she was on the run from Christopher Carrion and meets new people on her journeys. Candy Quackenbush has always been a great heroine to me as she is shown to be kind-hearted and brave and I loved the way that she cares so much for her friends and is willing to put her own life on the line in order to save the people she cares about. I also loved the way that Clive Barker started to unfold Candy’s backstory and how she is connected to the wonderful and strange world of Abarat since I was curious in the first book about how Candy suddenly felt like she belonged in Abarat. I was pleasantly surprised when the mystery of Candy’s backstory was revealed and now I am more determined than ever to see how Candy handles the new revelations she discovers about herself. I have mentioned so many times now that this book was a bit scary and that is all thanks to one of the big villains in this story, Christopher Carrion! I loved the way that Clive Barker really made the readers feel frightened whenever Christopher Carrion comes up in the story and in this book, Christopher Carrion was beyond scary as he tortured many innocent people and the whole idea about living nightmares swimming around his face and eating off of people’s fears whenever they are free was just as disturbing. I was also interested in learning more about Mater Motley, Christopher Carrion’s grandmother, who seems to be more evil than Christopher Carrion himself, which is saying something because in the first book, she seemed more like a background character, but Clive Barker further developed her character in this book and the results were amazing! Clive Barker’s illustrations are just as wonderful and surreal in this book as they were in the first book and I loved how all the characters look like from the Abarat as you have images of some characters being a mixture of animals and human beings and the illustrations are wonderfully colorful. I especially loved the images of Christopher Carrion himself as he looks truly frightening as his face looks like a skeleton and he has worm like creatures swimming in a container he has attached to his face.
This book might be a tad bit more disturbing than the first book since there is more nightmarish imagery and many characters are killed off in this book. The images of Christopher Carrion are a bit too disturbing especially the images of Christopher Carrion getting angry and his skeletal face is a bit scary for anyone who does not like seeing skeletons in books. Also, the biggest shock factor for me in this book was the fact that many characters are killed off and that might be unsettling for people who do not like reading about death.
Overall, “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” is easily one of the best sequels I have read from any book and now I am definitely looking forward to reading the third book,Absolute Midnight just to see how everything goes for Candy after all this!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
After I had finished reading Clive Barker’s first “Abarat” book, I was just dying to read more of this fantastic and scary world that our heroine, Candy Quackenbush has gotten herself into! So, I finally got around to reading the sequel “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” and I was just so impressed with what I have just finished reading! “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” is definitely one sequel that you just have to check out!
Candy Quackenbush still continues her adventures at Abarat along with her new friend, a geshrat named Malingo and they traveled among the islands of Abarat together. Unfortunately, the Lord of Midnight, Christopher Carrion wanted to capture Candy for he senses something unusual about Candy’s presence in the Abarat and he sends the Criss-Cross Man, Houlihan after them. Now Candy and Malingo are on the run from the Criss-Cross Man but further in the story, Candy soon discovers that Abarat feels familiar to her since she could call out magic spells that she has never learned before and seems to escape danger wherever she is. The more Candy starts to discover more about herself and her connections with Abarat, the more that she starts to realize the intentions of Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight and those realizations could change Candy’s life forever.
Can I just say that I think that this sequel of the classic “Abarat” series is WAY better than the first book? I loved the first “Abarat” book just as much, but the second book in the series “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” really got me hanging on the edge of my seat as it was full of action and pure shock value that really got me invested in this book. Clive Barker has done a fantastic job at making this story extremely exciting and scary at the same time and I really enjoyed the adventures that Candy had when she was on the run from Christopher Carrion and meets new people on her journeys. Candy Quackenbush has always been a great heroine to me as she is shown to be kind-hearted and brave and I loved the way that she cares so much for her friends and is willing to put her own life on the line in order to save the people she cares about. I also loved the way that Clive Barker started to unfold Candy’s backstory and how she is connected to the wonderful and strange world of Abarat since I was curious in the first book about how Candy suddenly felt like she belonged in Abarat. I was pleasantly surprised when the mystery of Candy’s backstory was revealed and now I am more determined than ever to see how Candy handles the new revelations she discovers about herself. I have mentioned so many times now that this book was a bit scary and that is all thanks to one of the big villains in this story, Christopher Carrion! I loved the way that Clive Barker really made the readers feel frightened whenever Christopher Carrion comes up in the story and in this book, Christopher Carrion was beyond scary as he tortured many innocent people and the whole idea about living nightmares swimming around his face and eating off of people’s fears whenever they are free was just as disturbing. I was also interested in learning more about Mater Motley, Christopher Carrion’s grandmother, who seems to be more evil than Christopher Carrion himself, which is saying something because in the first book, she seemed more like a background character, but Clive Barker further developed her character in this book and the results were amazing! Clive Barker’s illustrations are just as wonderful and surreal in this book as they were in the first book and I loved how all the characters look like from the Abarat as you have images of some characters being a mixture of animals and human beings and the illustrations are wonderfully colorful. I especially loved the images of Christopher Carrion himself as he looks truly frightening as his face looks like a skeleton and he has worm like creatures swimming in a container he has attached to his face.
This book might be a tad bit more disturbing than the first book since there is more nightmarish imagery and many characters are killed off in this book. The images of Christopher Carrion are a bit too disturbing especially the images of Christopher Carrion getting angry and his skeletal face is a bit scary for anyone who does not like seeing skeletons in books. Also, the biggest shock factor for me in this book was the fact that many characters are killed off and that might be unsettling for people who do not like reading about death.
Overall, “Abarat: Days of Magic Nights of War” is easily one of the best sequels I have read from any book and now I am definitely looking forward to reading the third book,Absolute Midnight just to see how everything goes for Candy after all this!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
January 18, 2011
The final war is about to begin. In this second book of the Arabat series, Candy Quackenbush, with the help of the forces of Day, must use all their special powers to stop Christopher Carrion and the Army of Night's plot to establish a Permanent Midnight throughout the 25 islands that make up Abarat. Barker lends a dark shadow to what would otherwise be a kind of Dr. Seuss book. The bad guys, Christopher Carrion and Mater Motley are incredibly deep. I found myself wondering is Christopher was really evil or was he like Jessica in Roger Rabbit, “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way?” Was he thrust into the role of “bad guy” by still stronger forces?
I liked this one better than the first, the story seemed to flow smoother, perhaps because I already had some level of familiarity with many of the large cast of characters developed and brought into to this second book. The ending left many threads dangling in the air like leaves on a tree in late fall. I will no doubt begin the third book in the series to learn where those leaves might fall.
I liked this one better than the first, the story seemed to flow smoother, perhaps because I already had some level of familiarity with many of the large cast of characters developed and brought into to this second book. The ending left many threads dangling in the air like leaves on a tree in late fall. I will no doubt begin the third book in the series to learn where those leaves might fall.
January 23, 2012
A fantastic sequel. And I for one cannot wait to sink my teeth into book 3 in this ongoing saga . . . Absolute Midnight here I come. Only this time I must have a physical copy so I can take in the beauty of Clive Barker's artwork!
ETA: I read this beautiful story on my Kindle sans artwork. I feel I should mention that the story clearly stands strong on its own, no artwork needed to move the story along.
ETA: I read this beautiful story on my Kindle sans artwork. I feel I should mention that the story clearly stands strong on its own, no artwork needed to move the story along.
October 17, 2021
Quello centrale è sempre il peggiore, così dicono. Che sia vero o no, resta il fatto che questo secondo capitolo del trittico Abarat è risultato nettamente inferiore al precedente e ha disatteso del tutto le aspettative.
Il filo della trama, inizialmente incentrato sulla sola protagonista Candy, si frammenta in rivoli di storyline parallele spezzettando la narrazione e moltiplicando i personaggi da seguire contemporaneamente , con il risultato di rallentare il ritmo invece di renderlo più incalzante, e soprattutto di confondere il lettore costretto a tener traccia di chi fa cosa, dove lo fa e quando (e comunque interrompere i capitoli sempre sul cliffhanger e passare a un altro scenario nel successivo, con l'intenzione di tenere il lettore in tensione e attesa, è un espediente già inflazionato di suo, figuriamoci quando si arriva ad abusarne con regolarità come in questo caso). Tutto procede in modo affrettato, sfocato, anche superficiale, senza soffermarcisi, senza cura per le ambientazioni, per le figure che popolano il mondo fantastico di Abarat, facendo perdere quel sense of wonder che caratterizza invece il precedente volume e che dovrebbe essere il principale elemento, il punto di forza, in un romanzo di questo tipo. Non poche volte si va avanti a perché-sì. Frequenti, anche, le ripetizioni per riepilogare quanto accaduto nelle puntate precedenti e gli spiegoni per mettere a conoscenza il lettore sia di fatti pregressi che di eventi in corso ma in quel momento "off screen". La protagonista Candy tende, qui, a risultare piuttosto insopportabile negli atteggiamenti. Tracollo qualitativo, infine, per il villain Carrion che (absit iniuria verbis) viene ridotto al genere di antagonista da anime made in Japan non solo come look ma anche come psicologia e character concept per fornirgli - senza riuscirci - un background di spessore, con patetismo e punte davvero di ridicolo nei dialoghi e nelle motivazioni tra l'altro; l'effetto è di già-visto-già-sentito, niente di sensazionale insomma, e quelle che dovrebbero essere rivelazioni sul suo conto lo rendono poco credibile e fanno solo sbadigliare.
Una lettura deludente. L'augurio è in una ripresa nel volume successivo.
Voto: 3-- (tre meno meno) con tendenza al ribasso, mi riservo di prendere una decisione definitiva in un secondo momento.
Il filo della trama, inizialmente incentrato sulla sola protagonista Candy, si frammenta in rivoli di storyline parallele spezzettando la narrazione e moltiplicando i personaggi da seguire contemporaneamente , con il risultato di rallentare il ritmo invece di renderlo più incalzante, e soprattutto di confondere il lettore costretto a tener traccia di chi fa cosa, dove lo fa e quando (e comunque interrompere i capitoli sempre sul cliffhanger e passare a un altro scenario nel successivo, con l'intenzione di tenere il lettore in tensione e attesa, è un espediente già inflazionato di suo, figuriamoci quando si arriva ad abusarne con regolarità come in questo caso). Tutto procede in modo affrettato, sfocato, anche superficiale, senza soffermarcisi, senza cura per le ambientazioni, per le figure che popolano il mondo fantastico di Abarat, facendo perdere quel sense of wonder che caratterizza invece il precedente volume e che dovrebbe essere il principale elemento, il punto di forza, in un romanzo di questo tipo. Non poche volte si va avanti a perché-sì. Frequenti, anche, le ripetizioni per riepilogare quanto accaduto nelle puntate precedenti e gli spiegoni per mettere a conoscenza il lettore sia di fatti pregressi che di eventi in corso ma in quel momento "off screen". La protagonista Candy tende, qui, a risultare piuttosto insopportabile negli atteggiamenti. Tracollo qualitativo, infine, per il villain Carrion che (absit iniuria verbis) viene ridotto al genere di antagonista da anime made in Japan non solo come look ma anche come psicologia e character concept per fornirgli - senza riuscirci - un background di spessore, con patetismo e punte davvero di ridicolo nei dialoghi e nelle motivazioni tra l'altro; l'effetto è di già-visto-già-sentito, niente di sensazionale insomma, e quelle che dovrebbero essere rivelazioni sul suo conto lo rendono poco credibile e fanno solo sbadigliare.
Una lettura deludente. L'augurio è in una ripresa nel volume successivo.
Voto: 3-- (tre meno meno) con tendenza al ribasso, mi riservo di prendere una decisione definitiva in un secondo momento.
July 16, 2012
3 stars for the great story, writing, and characters.
1 star for the beautiful illustrations.
The second installment in Barker's YA series is, for me, a bit of a step back. Still wholly enjoyable, and far better than most of the drivel that passes for adolescent literature these days, Days of Magic, Nights of War nonetheless didn't impress me as much as its predecessor did. There are too many problems sprinkled throughout the narrative for me to shrug off or ignore, and so, while it pains me, I didn't feel it accurate to give this book a perfect rating.
The Good
This section will be, essentially, a copy and paste of the positives that I detailed in my review of the first book. Don't misunderstand me, however. I'm not repeating myself out of laziness.
...
Okay, so I might be. A little. But that's the lesser reason. Mostly, I'm doing this because I really don't feel as though there's any new ground to cover here. All of the things that I loved about Abarat are present in the sequel. As such, my listing of the best parts of this book would simply be a rehashing of already stated opinions, only phrased in a slightly different way.
And so, I now present you with a simple reposting, as I know that you're likely too lazy to actually go and find the review that I'm referring to:
The Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding in this book is just bizarre, and I mean that in a good way. Barker has a very potent imagination, and this story just bleeds creativity from every page. It's beautiful and head-scratching and confusing and unique. I absolutely loved it.
The Writing
The writing is practically flawless. It has such a poetic and dreamy quality to it that you feel as though you're reading a fairy tale. All I had known about Barker up until this point was that he writes surreal horror. Finding out that he has such a way with words was a wonderful surprise.
The Artwork
The artwork just sells this book. Crafted by Barker himself, the bountiful illustrations may not have the most detailed or realistic of styles, but are gorgeous nonetheless. Having some new surreal splash of color every few pages was a real treat, and helped me envision the author's world in a unique (and gorgeous) way.
The Problems
Moving on to the not-so-good stuff. These are issues that I couldn't brush off or ignore as I read. There are quite a few, unfortunately.
Repetitive Plot
A fair amount of the story consists of the same sequence of events, repeated several times before the cycle is finally broken near the end for the big finale. This is the pattern that much of the book follows:
1. Candy arrives at some new location. Much time is spent describing the many wonders that she stumbles upon.
2. One of several villains arrives, hoping to kidnap/maim/murder Candy.
3. The aforementioned evildoer proceeds to chase Candy around whichever island she happens to be on at the time. Several pages are dedicated to the fiend either shouting or whispering ominous things to our heroine as she flees.
4. Candy manages to escape through some crazy method, allowing her to avoid certain bodily harm as she travels to another island.
5. Rinse and repeat.
If this same sequence wasn't also used extensively in the first book, I would be more forgiving of this. The fact that Barker decided to employ it for most of the sequel, however, does not sit well with me. Here, it grows tiresome very quickly.
Irksome Romance
While there has yet to be any clear romantic interest between Candy and another character, signs are undoubtedly present in this book, due to the introduction of two new characters.
The first is Letheo. His situation is very similar to Malingo's in Abarat, and I find this rather annoying. We've already had this situation:
1. Candy saves a slave servant boy from his cruel master.
2. Said boy becomes close and loyal companion, who may or may not end up becoming a love interest at some point.
Consequently, Letheo being thrown into the mix seems repetitive. Intrusive as well, as it threatens the wonderful dynamic that's been established between Candy and Malingo. Of course, Barker may be setting up a love triangle (or worse), and I pray that that isn't the case. This story does not need one.
The introduction of Finnegan Hob presents these same problems. His circumstances are different from the other two, yet still leave him as a very plausible future wooer.
Granted, I have no idea what kind of relationship these two characters actually end up having with Candy, but I get the feeling that at least one of them may very well be romantic in nature. Neither appeal to me. Why?
Because, in regards to Letheo, his predicament plays too much into the typical "bad boy who's tortured, but hot" trope that is used in YA far too often. I don't want to spend the rest of the series reading about how Candy is attracted to him, but he is repeatedly telling her that it's too dangerous to be around him.
A relationship with Finnegan, meanwhile, would feel much too easy. Finnegan's means that, the moment he discovers that , he's going to instantly become smitten with her. In fact, this is already beginning to happen, and he hasn't even discovered the truth yet. The two of them have had very little interaction at this point, and yet he has already become emotionally attached to her. This suggest that their romance, if one does indeed occur, would essentially be a case of insta-love. What's worse, Candy wouldn't even have a choice in the matter, as the majority of her feelings would be coming from . That's simply unfair.
Inept Villains
The primary reason for Candy's many miraculous getaways is the fact that most of the miscreants pursuing her are terrible at what they do. Over and over again, they feel the need to act clichéd, meaning that they:
1. Take their time, so as to build up suspense.
2. Say things like "There's no escape!" and "You're mine now!" to cement the fact they are indeed evil.
I can accept that Candy is able to escape through the overconfidence of her pursuers once. Yet it happens every single time that this situation arises. You'd think that, at some point, they would learn to ditch the theatrics and just get her already.
I'm also baffled by the fact that Barker decided to in this installment. It's a bit too tidy when . While I'm more or less fine with most of them, is not okay. . What a waste of potential.
Erratic Characterization
While most of the characters are perfectly fine in their portrayal here, Carrion's is a head-scratcher for me. He spends much of this book changing his personality at every possible opportunity, and it's incredibly frustrating to witness. He also comes to some very odd conclusions without any kind of real evidence, and these ideas are used in an attempt to explain his behavior. He initially acts appropriately sinister and threatening towards Candy. Half a page later, he's friendly and reassuring. A while later, he's back to his talk of killing her. Then he's pleading with her, spilling his life's story and telling her that he needs her, that she can heal him. How he comes to realize this, I'm not sure. His characterization is simply wildly uneven. Whenever Candy is involved, whether he is personally confronting her or discussing her with some other character, his personality is in a state of constant flux. If you're going to have your character change his tune in such a dramatic way, and numerous times at that, than you'd better be able to provide a convincing explanation for it. The one provided here is too feeble to make Carrion's constant change of heart believable.
Lack of Conflict
A great deal of this story feels too easy. The problems that the characters encounter are solved within pages, without any kind of real effort or time needed to do so. This character needs to be found? Somebody is able to use magic to instantly locate her. These characters need to get to a certain location? Some form of transportation instantaneously appears. This character is reluctant to join the quest? He agrees after only a few lines of dialogue. There's no tension in the overcoming of these obstacles. No real stakes are raised. Everything simply works out every single time.
Various Aspects of Candy's Character
The big twist near the story's end that revealed that has no real impact, because it's very, very obvious. Now, I'm not entirely sure if I can criticize this, as this may have very well been Barker's intention. Perhaps it's done purposefully, in order to create a sense of frustration in the reader as they watch the characters spend a great deal of time not knowing what is already apparent to the observer. Regardless, I still find it annoying that it took two whole books for the reveal to finally come, despite the fact it was easy to guess fairly early on in the first installment.
Because of this, it's exceedingly frustrating that a significant portion of this book has Candy constantly protesting any suggestion that she is different/special, and that she arrived in Abarat for reasons unknown. Even after an extraordinary display of magical ability, she refuses to believe that there is something more to her involvement in the scheme of things other than luck and chance. Her ignorance is just baffling.
Now, I'm sure that her "secret" can be considered the cause of this, but another problem with Candy is the fact that everyone loves her. Now, I'm not saying that she's an uninteresting or terrible person. She's kind, courageous and loyal. She's also different, and a bit of an enigma. Still, it's annoying to see how nearly every person she comes into contact with is immediately willing to give their lives for her. We now have three potential love interests at this point. I understand that she , but the instantaneous devotion that she receives is nonetheless tiresome. Perhaps I'm just bitter that I'm not as perfect and special as she.
So...
This is a good book. Seriously. I highly recommend it. That wall of criticisms may seem to say otherwise, but I really do enjoy this series. It's magical. It's fun. It's rather bizarre. I just can't help but notice the flaws, however minuscule they may be.
I'm truly looking forward to the next installment (read-along!), and I sincerely hope that Barker's third offering proves to be the best installment so far. Until then, I'm content with Days of Magic, Nights of War being a lovely, if imperfect, sequel. I certainly see myself reading it again in the future. Though perhaps next time, I'll manage to get my hands on a copy that isn't missing several pages.
Thanks, library.
1 star for the beautiful illustrations.
The second installment in Barker's YA series is, for me, a bit of a step back. Still wholly enjoyable, and far better than most of the drivel that passes for adolescent literature these days, Days of Magic, Nights of War nonetheless didn't impress me as much as its predecessor did. There are too many problems sprinkled throughout the narrative for me to shrug off or ignore, and so, while it pains me, I didn't feel it accurate to give this book a perfect rating.
The Good
This section will be, essentially, a copy and paste of the positives that I detailed in my review of the first book. Don't misunderstand me, however. I'm not repeating myself out of laziness.
...
Okay, so I might be. A little. But that's the lesser reason. Mostly, I'm doing this because I really don't feel as though there's any new ground to cover here. All of the things that I loved about Abarat are present in the sequel. As such, my listing of the best parts of this book would simply be a rehashing of already stated opinions, only phrased in a slightly different way.
And so, I now present you with a simple reposting, as I know that you're likely too lazy to actually go and find the review that I'm referring to:
The Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding in this book is just bizarre, and I mean that in a good way. Barker has a very potent imagination, and this story just bleeds creativity from every page. It's beautiful and head-scratching and confusing and unique. I absolutely loved it.
The Writing
The writing is practically flawless. It has such a poetic and dreamy quality to it that you feel as though you're reading a fairy tale. All I had known about Barker up until this point was that he writes surreal horror. Finding out that he has such a way with words was a wonderful surprise.
The Artwork
The artwork just sells this book. Crafted by Barker himself, the bountiful illustrations may not have the most detailed or realistic of styles, but are gorgeous nonetheless. Having some new surreal splash of color every few pages was a real treat, and helped me envision the author's world in a unique (and gorgeous) way.
The Problems
Moving on to the not-so-good stuff. These are issues that I couldn't brush off or ignore as I read. There are quite a few, unfortunately.
Repetitive Plot
A fair amount of the story consists of the same sequence of events, repeated several times before the cycle is finally broken near the end for the big finale. This is the pattern that much of the book follows:
1. Candy arrives at some new location. Much time is spent describing the many wonders that she stumbles upon.
2. One of several villains arrives, hoping to kidnap/maim/murder Candy.
3. The aforementioned evildoer proceeds to chase Candy around whichever island she happens to be on at the time. Several pages are dedicated to the fiend either shouting or whispering ominous things to our heroine as she flees.
4. Candy manages to escape through some crazy method, allowing her to avoid certain bodily harm as she travels to another island.
5. Rinse and repeat.
If this same sequence wasn't also used extensively in the first book, I would be more forgiving of this. The fact that Barker decided to employ it for most of the sequel, however, does not sit well with me. Here, it grows tiresome very quickly.
Irksome Romance
While there has yet to be any clear romantic interest between Candy and another character, signs are undoubtedly present in this book, due to the introduction of two new characters.
The first is Letheo. His situation is very similar to Malingo's in Abarat, and I find this rather annoying. We've already had this situation:
1. Candy saves a slave servant boy from his cruel master.
2. Said boy becomes close and loyal companion, who may or may not end up becoming a love interest at some point.
Consequently, Letheo being thrown into the mix seems repetitive. Intrusive as well, as it threatens the wonderful dynamic that's been established between Candy and Malingo. Of course, Barker may be setting up a love triangle (or worse), and I pray that that isn't the case. This story does not need one.
The introduction of Finnegan Hob presents these same problems. His circumstances are different from the other two, yet still leave him as a very plausible future wooer.
Granted, I have no idea what kind of relationship these two characters actually end up having with Candy, but I get the feeling that at least one of them may very well be romantic in nature. Neither appeal to me. Why?
Because, in regards to Letheo, his predicament plays too much into the typical "bad boy who's tortured, but hot" trope that is used in YA far too often. I don't want to spend the rest of the series reading about how Candy is attracted to him, but he is repeatedly telling her that it's too dangerous to be around him.
A relationship with Finnegan, meanwhile, would feel much too easy. Finnegan's means that, the moment he discovers that , he's going to instantly become smitten with her. In fact, this is already beginning to happen, and he hasn't even discovered the truth yet. The two of them have had very little interaction at this point, and yet he has already become emotionally attached to her. This suggest that their romance, if one does indeed occur, would essentially be a case of insta-love. What's worse, Candy wouldn't even have a choice in the matter, as the majority of her feelings would be coming from . That's simply unfair.
Inept Villains
The primary reason for Candy's many miraculous getaways is the fact that most of the miscreants pursuing her are terrible at what they do. Over and over again, they feel the need to act clichéd, meaning that they:
1. Take their time, so as to build up suspense.
2. Say things like "There's no escape!" and "You're mine now!" to cement the fact they are indeed evil.
I can accept that Candy is able to escape through the overconfidence of her pursuers once. Yet it happens every single time that this situation arises. You'd think that, at some point, they would learn to ditch the theatrics and just get her already.
I'm also baffled by the fact that Barker decided to in this installment. It's a bit too tidy when . While I'm more or less fine with most of them, is not okay. . What a waste of potential.
Erratic Characterization
While most of the characters are perfectly fine in their portrayal here, Carrion's is a head-scratcher for me. He spends much of this book changing his personality at every possible opportunity, and it's incredibly frustrating to witness. He also comes to some very odd conclusions without any kind of real evidence, and these ideas are used in an attempt to explain his behavior. He initially acts appropriately sinister and threatening towards Candy. Half a page later, he's friendly and reassuring. A while later, he's back to his talk of killing her. Then he's pleading with her, spilling his life's story and telling her that he needs her, that she can heal him. How he comes to realize this, I'm not sure. His characterization is simply wildly uneven. Whenever Candy is involved, whether he is personally confronting her or discussing her with some other character, his personality is in a state of constant flux. If you're going to have your character change his tune in such a dramatic way, and numerous times at that, than you'd better be able to provide a convincing explanation for it. The one provided here is too feeble to make Carrion's constant change of heart believable.
Lack of Conflict
A great deal of this story feels too easy. The problems that the characters encounter are solved within pages, without any kind of real effort or time needed to do so. This character needs to be found? Somebody is able to use magic to instantly locate her. These characters need to get to a certain location? Some form of transportation instantaneously appears. This character is reluctant to join the quest? He agrees after only a few lines of dialogue. There's no tension in the overcoming of these obstacles. No real stakes are raised. Everything simply works out every single time.
Various Aspects of Candy's Character
The big twist near the story's end that revealed that has no real impact, because it's very, very obvious. Now, I'm not entirely sure if I can criticize this, as this may have very well been Barker's intention. Perhaps it's done purposefully, in order to create a sense of frustration in the reader as they watch the characters spend a great deal of time not knowing what is already apparent to the observer. Regardless, I still find it annoying that it took two whole books for the reveal to finally come, despite the fact it was easy to guess fairly early on in the first installment.
Because of this, it's exceedingly frustrating that a significant portion of this book has Candy constantly protesting any suggestion that she is different/special, and that she arrived in Abarat for reasons unknown. Even after an extraordinary display of magical ability, she refuses to believe that there is something more to her involvement in the scheme of things other than luck and chance. Her ignorance is just baffling.
Now, I'm sure that her "secret" can be considered the cause of this, but another problem with Candy is the fact that everyone loves her. Now, I'm not saying that she's an uninteresting or terrible person. She's kind, courageous and loyal. She's also different, and a bit of an enigma. Still, it's annoying to see how nearly every person she comes into contact with is immediately willing to give their lives for her. We now have three potential love interests at this point. I understand that she , but the instantaneous devotion that she receives is nonetheless tiresome. Perhaps I'm just bitter that I'm not as perfect and special as she.
So...
This is a good book. Seriously. I highly recommend it. That wall of criticisms may seem to say otherwise, but I really do enjoy this series. It's magical. It's fun. It's rather bizarre. I just can't help but notice the flaws, however minuscule they may be.
I'm truly looking forward to the next installment (read-along!), and I sincerely hope that Barker's third offering proves to be the best installment so far. Until then, I'm content with Days of Magic, Nights of War being a lovely, if imperfect, sequel. I certainly see myself reading it again in the future. Though perhaps next time, I'll manage to get my hands on a copy that isn't missing several pages.
Thanks, library.
June 29, 2018
Sinceramente, ¿qué puedo decir? ¿Qué. Puedo. Decir?
Primero que nada: que esa pregunta está muy mal redactada. Segundo: ¡¡Que me encanta esta serie!!
Volvemos al punto en donde nos quedamos en el primero de los libros. Candy y su nuevo mejor amigo, Malingo, han decidido recorrer juntos las islas para conocer lo más que puedan de ellas. La magia que Candy descubrió en sí misma aparece una y otra vez mientras que el asesino a sueldo conocido como "The Criss-Cross Man" continua la cacería de la chica.
Ante cada aventura, Candy se da cuenta que ella no es lo que parece y que un secreto se encierra en su persona desde el mero día de su nacimiento. Pero, mientras que las islas por las que pasa van cambiando de poco a poco y mil acontecimientos se desatan con su sola presencia, ¿será Candy capaz de descifrar su propio acertijo antes de que Lord Carrion la atrape -o, pero aún, la horrible hechicera que es la abuela de él, Mater Motley?
Tuve que esperar meses para poder leer este libro (y aún así no tuve que soportar tanto como los primeros fans del libro, aparentemente), pero cada momento valió la pena.
Fue exactamente por este libro, el segundo, que me enteré de la existencia de la saga, y de inmediato quise conocer la historia entera: acababa de terminar de leer Labyrinth: A Novel Based on the Jim Henson Film y, encantada como estaba, me puse a explorar las recomendaciones que Goodreads y sus usuarios daban sobre libros similares. Y es así como, unos meses más tarde, puedo afirmar que a cada página que avanzo, mi amor por Abarat crece.
Comienzo por decir que los personajes son entrañables. Tanto los buenos como los malos. Candy es una de las mejores protagonistas que he leído. Toda una "action girl", y una de las chicas más sensatas y valientes que he conocido en la literatura juvenil. Piensa antes de actuar y cuando actúa sin antes pensar en cómo podrían las consecuencias ser letales, es porque está ya desesperada.
A ella la acompañan amigos como Malingo (que es un amor y solamente quieres agarrarlo, abrazarlo y dormirte con él en brazos) y los hermanos Jhon (que, cada uno a su manera, son reminiscencias de los muchachos con los que pudiste haberte topado en tus años de escuela). Inclusivo Finnegan (el hombre con el que la Princesa Boa iba a casarse), que muchos fans me transmitieron la idea de que lo odiaron un poco en este libro, me pareció muy agradable.
Pero los villanos... ¡Oh, los villanos!
Y no me refiero a cómo Carrion de nuevo hizo que mi corazón se achicopalara. No. Me refiero a las escenas que Letheo compartía con Candy o en los momentos en que el autor nos permitía conocer más de sus circunstancias.
Hablando de los sentimientos fuertes, algo que sí quisiera dejar en claro es la muerte.
Muchos tienen la idea de que en las historias enfocadas a un público infantil/adolescente, la muerte es un tema que no debería tratarse crudamente. Pero si Harry Potter nos enseñó algo es que fuck that. La gente puede leerlo. Personajes a los que amas, mueren. Personajes a los que odias, mueren. Y tienes que aceptarlo. Como en la vida. PERO si este es un tema que no te guste mucho (o que prefieras pasar de alto), es mi deber informarte que, como el título del libro lo indica: una guerra se aproxima, y la muerte es inevitable.
En este segundo libro mueren más personajes de los que creí que fuera a suceder.
Pero si eres fan de lecturas sobre aventuras, sobre insectos gigantes (yo no lo soy, pero aquí me tienen) y sobre la tragicomedia que rodea a las familias reales prominentes, esta es una historia para ti.
Tengo entendido que en la tercera parte, conocemos más la historia de Boa mientras que el mapa de posibilidades en la vida de Candy se amplía más y más.
De momento no he leído los capítulos de regalo de Absolute Midnight que trae mi ejemplar, porque tengo muchos otros pendientes. Pero si de algo estoy segura es que quisiera que fuera uno de los primeros libros que compre en 2015...
...aunque, claro... luego de ver cuánto se ha tomado el autor entre libro y libro, creo que me gustaría tomarme un respiro antes de hacer berrinche porque no se sabe casi nada del cuarto y menos del quinto (el supuesto final).
Puede que luego vuelva a leerlo, porque hay partes en las que quisiera hundirme más.
Aparte de que me hizo recordar la primera vez que jugué The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker y ese es un sentimiento asombroso que no cualquier libro logra.
Primero que nada: que esa pregunta está muy mal redactada. Segundo: ¡¡Que me encanta esta serie!!
Volvemos al punto en donde nos quedamos en el primero de los libros. Candy y su nuevo mejor amigo, Malingo, han decidido recorrer juntos las islas para conocer lo más que puedan de ellas. La magia que Candy descubrió en sí misma aparece una y otra vez mientras que el asesino a sueldo conocido como "The Criss-Cross Man" continua la cacería de la chica.
Ante cada aventura, Candy se da cuenta que ella no es lo que parece y que un secreto se encierra en su persona desde el mero día de su nacimiento. Pero, mientras que las islas por las que pasa van cambiando de poco a poco y mil acontecimientos se desatan con su sola presencia, ¿será Candy capaz de descifrar su propio acertijo antes de que Lord Carrion la atrape -o, pero aún, la horrible hechicera que es la abuela de él, Mater Motley?
Tuve que esperar meses para poder leer este libro (y aún así no tuve que soportar tanto como los primeros fans del libro, aparentemente), pero cada momento valió la pena.
Fue exactamente por este libro, el segundo, que me enteré de la existencia de la saga, y de inmediato quise conocer la historia entera: acababa de terminar de leer Labyrinth: A Novel Based on the Jim Henson Film y, encantada como estaba, me puse a explorar las recomendaciones que Goodreads y sus usuarios daban sobre libros similares. Y es así como, unos meses más tarde, puedo afirmar que a cada página que avanzo, mi amor por Abarat crece.
Comienzo por decir que los personajes son entrañables. Tanto los buenos como los malos. Candy es una de las mejores protagonistas que he leído. Toda una "action girl", y una de las chicas más sensatas y valientes que he conocido en la literatura juvenil. Piensa antes de actuar y cuando actúa sin antes pensar en cómo podrían las consecuencias ser letales, es porque está ya desesperada.
A ella la acompañan amigos como Malingo (que es un amor y solamente quieres agarrarlo, abrazarlo y dormirte con él en brazos) y los hermanos Jhon (que, cada uno a su manera, son reminiscencias de los muchachos con los que pudiste haberte topado en tus años de escuela). Inclusivo Finnegan (el hombre con el que la Princesa Boa iba a casarse), que muchos fans me transmitieron la idea de que lo odiaron un poco en este libro, me pareció muy agradable.
Pero los villanos... ¡Oh, los villanos!
Y no me refiero a cómo Carrion de nuevo hizo que mi corazón se achicopalara. No. Me refiero a las escenas que Letheo compartía con Candy o en los momentos en que el autor nos permitía conocer más de sus circunstancias.
Hablando de los sentimientos fuertes, algo que sí quisiera dejar en claro es la muerte.
Muchos tienen la idea de que en las historias enfocadas a un público infantil/adolescente, la muerte es un tema que no debería tratarse crudamente. Pero si Harry Potter nos enseñó algo es que fuck that. La gente puede leerlo. Personajes a los que amas, mueren. Personajes a los que odias, mueren. Y tienes que aceptarlo. Como en la vida. PERO si este es un tema que no te guste mucho (o que prefieras pasar de alto), es mi deber informarte que, como el título del libro lo indica: una guerra se aproxima, y la muerte es inevitable.
En este segundo libro mueren más personajes de los que creí que fuera a suceder.
Pero si eres fan de lecturas sobre aventuras, sobre insectos gigantes (yo no lo soy, pero aquí me tienen) y sobre la tragicomedia que rodea a las familias reales prominentes, esta es una historia para ti.
Tengo entendido que en la tercera parte, conocemos más la historia de Boa mientras que el mapa de posibilidades en la vida de Candy se amplía más y más.
De momento no he leído los capítulos de regalo de Absolute Midnight que trae mi ejemplar, porque tengo muchos otros pendientes. Pero si de algo estoy segura es que quisiera que fuera uno de los primeros libros que compre en 2015...
...aunque, claro... luego de ver cuánto se ha tomado el autor entre libro y libro, creo que me gustaría tomarme un respiro antes de hacer berrinche porque no se sabe casi nada del cuarto y menos del quinto (el supuesto final).
Puede que luego vuelva a leerlo, porque hay partes en las que quisiera hundirme más.
Aparte de que me hizo recordar la primera vez que jugué The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker y ese es un sentimiento asombroso que no cualquier libro logra.
January 5, 2024
Candy Quackenbush’s adventures continue in this part, where she finds out some important hidden secrets from her past and her connection to the Abarat ✨
April 13, 2009
Published in 2004 by HarperCollins Publishers, this is the second installation to the ‘Books Of Abarat’ quartet of novels. Following on from the imaginative and beautifully magical first book of the Abarat, Barker has delivered a longer and just as inspiring novel running for a total of 491 pages. Within these pages are literally hundreds of oil paintings done by Barker himself, to illustrate the novel as the story unfolds. These illustrations are again printed in full colour on thick, glossy pages for the hardback version. With such beautifully painted illustrations it is very advisable to purchase this hardback version, rather than waiting for the release of the cheaper paperback.
Barker’s impressive imagination shows no bounds as you are taken on a journey through the wonderful world of his limitless mind. His characterization is superb, delivering such vivid and well-presented characters in the ever-unfolding twists and turns of the novel’s plot. The storyline is layered with many depths to each character involved, bringing out an overall richness to the book as a whole. The novel is suitable for adults and a younger audience who will both take a lot from the story in their own unique ways.
It is advisable to read the first book of the quartet before undertaking this adventure, but it is still possible to enjoy the book as a novel in its own right.
Barker’s impressive imagination shows no bounds as you are taken on a journey through the wonderful world of his limitless mind. His characterization is superb, delivering such vivid and well-presented characters in the ever-unfolding twists and turns of the novel’s plot. The storyline is layered with many depths to each character involved, bringing out an overall richness to the book as a whole. The novel is suitable for adults and a younger audience who will both take a lot from the story in their own unique ways.
It is advisable to read the first book of the quartet before undertaking this adventure, but it is still possible to enjoy the book as a novel in its own right.
July 5, 2009
This is book number 2 of the Abarat books
When I read the first book, I had the non illustrated version and its text was filled with imagery. The second however I managed to get a copy of the one illustrated with Clive Barker's paintings. It was amazing to see the characters come to life on each page, it was such a treat to have such a sensory mix of words and images in this strange world known as Abarat. The characters have very distinguished characteristics and colourful personalities, even the much darker ones. The plot is rich and full of very interesting surprises. You get to meet alot of species of things in the world of Abarat. It reminds me of when I was reading Dr. Seuss books, except you get a thorough image of what it looks like in your head even if it wasn't painted on the page. I also enjoy the little bit of poetry at the beginning of every section.
It was an amazingly fast and enjoyable read and I can't wait til the third book comes out next winter!!!
When I read the first book, I had the non illustrated version and its text was filled with imagery. The second however I managed to get a copy of the one illustrated with Clive Barker's paintings. It was amazing to see the characters come to life on each page, it was such a treat to have such a sensory mix of words and images in this strange world known as Abarat. The characters have very distinguished characteristics and colourful personalities, even the much darker ones. The plot is rich and full of very interesting surprises. You get to meet alot of species of things in the world of Abarat. It reminds me of when I was reading Dr. Seuss books, except you get a thorough image of what it looks like in your head even if it wasn't painted on the page. I also enjoy the little bit of poetry at the beginning of every section.
It was an amazingly fast and enjoyable read and I can't wait til the third book comes out next winter!!!
November 5, 2016
Woah! The second installment in the Abarat series. Candy is still in the Abarat, running from villains left and right. The most notable (and scariest) are Christopher Carrion and his grandmother Mather Motley. We meet some new characters, and some of our favorites come back together again, to fight dragons, and rescue Candy from life-threatening situations.
We also travel back to Chickentown, to check in with her family. There are a few secrets revealed in this book that were nice to know. I think I liked this one better than the first, probably because I know the characters. It didn't fall into the "sequel slump" that many books do! I believe it carried the story really well!
Clive Barker doesn't disappoint with the artwork! It is absolutely amazing!! His imagination is a crazy place!! And boy, can this guy write a suspenseful ending! I can't wait to read the next one.
We also travel back to Chickentown, to check in with her family. There are a few secrets revealed in this book that were nice to know. I think I liked this one better than the first, probably because I know the characters. It didn't fall into the "sequel slump" that many books do! I believe it carried the story really well!
Clive Barker doesn't disappoint with the artwork! It is absolutely amazing!! His imagination is a crazy place!! And boy, can this guy write a suspenseful ending! I can't wait to read the next one.
March 6, 2007
I love Clive Barker's "Abarat" series. A young girl named Candy Quackenbush (a name you have to love) from Chickentown, Minnesota is the heroine and the books detail her adventures in another world. The book is a fun read and has extraordinary art work done by Mr. Barker himself.
October 26, 2015
I love the sequel as much as the first book :) It's full of adventures, very intense.. even though I can guest the twist since the beginning of this book XD Candy is a cool heroine and her character is developed more in this sequel. I can finally read the last book now!
July 29, 2011
I love the imagined worlds created by Barker. This is another one. For Barker, a "lighter" read than usual. But entertaining and fun.
October 11, 2018
Days of Magic, Nights of War improved upon Abarat by developing the plot in a rather pleasing way. Although I was a bit perplexed by certain characters returning (did we really need to torture Shape even more?) for the most part the growth was something enjoyable, and the evolution fairly natural. Of particular note was further development of the connection between the Abarat and Chickentown, and an eventual return of Izabella to that ill-fated place. Things grew, darkness continued the encroach upon the Light, and Candy's place in the Skein of Being was made at least a bit clearer, even if that clarity is coming a bit too late to be of great good in the War to come.
Perhaps it was easier to forgive the lack of depth in certain characters (here's looking at you, John Mischief & your brothers) due to the sheer number of characters and complexity of the moving pieces through the Abarat etc. It was easier to look at the big picture and enjoy the flow of it all when there was more to see than there was in the first book. I enjoyed some of the newly introduced character (in particular Letheo), and I'm sure someone like Finnegan Hob will grow on me over time. Mater Motley, I'm hoping, will be a bit better fleshed out in the third book. Carrion still wasn't really doing much for me than confusing and repulsing me. I wish he was a bit more nuanced. As it is, I don't really understand how Boa could have ever felt anything for him.
So, all in all, I'm enjoy my journey through the Abarat and hoping Kry Rising will come out sooner rather than later. Though others have been feeling that way since 2012, so who knows. At the very least I can get through the next book and make up my own theories about how it all culminates in the end.
(P.S. - My comments regarding the need of getting an edition of this book with the illustrations still rings true for the second book. The illustrations would raise this to a four, or even five star book in the eyes of many. Clive Barker is a truly remarkable artist, and the melding of his words with his paintings is something marvelous to see. Do yourself a favor and pay extra for the hardcover with the illustrations so you can truly experience the ride.)
Perhaps it was easier to forgive the lack of depth in certain characters (here's looking at you, John Mischief & your brothers) due to the sheer number of characters and complexity of the moving pieces through the Abarat etc. It was easier to look at the big picture and enjoy the flow of it all when there was more to see than there was in the first book. I enjoyed some of the newly introduced character (in particular Letheo), and I'm sure someone like Finnegan Hob will grow on me over time. Mater Motley, I'm hoping, will be a bit better fleshed out in the third book. Carrion still wasn't really doing much for me than confusing and repulsing me. I wish he was a bit more nuanced. As it is, I don't really understand how Boa could have ever felt anything for him.
So, all in all, I'm enjoy my journey through the Abarat and hoping Kry Rising will come out sooner rather than later. Though others have been feeling that way since 2012, so who knows. At the very least I can get through the next book and make up my own theories about how it all culminates in the end.
(P.S. - My comments regarding the need of getting an edition of this book with the illustrations still rings true for the second book. The illustrations would raise this to a four, or even five star book in the eyes of many. Clive Barker is a truly remarkable artist, and the melding of his words with his paintings is something marvelous to see. Do yourself a favor and pay extra for the hardcover with the illustrations so you can truly experience the ride.)
January 12, 2020
I read this in high school, and I’ve reread it multiple times because I just can’t get enough. It’s adventurous, funny, sad... everything you want in a great read!
Barker’s imagination in endless and I am so glad he has brought life to Abarat the way he has.
Barker’s imagination in endless and I am so glad he has brought life to Abarat the way he has.
August 25, 2024
The artwork in this book is amazing, and the world that the author creates is wonderful and complicated and detailed. However I just didn’t feel like I was connecting to all the characters, like not all of them are well developed. On an adult re-read of a series I read in childhood it’s still good but not quite as good as I remember
February 5, 2021
Again, an amazingly clever fantasy.
We listened as a family.
We listened as a family.
April 29, 2010
*Pertama kali dipost di thread Pembahasan Berbagai Novel di forum Role Playing Cyber Novel Video Games Indonesia tanggal 12 Mei 2008*
Sinopsis
Candy dan Malingo melanjutkan petualangan mereka di Abarat sebagai sepasang turis yang santai. Sudah banyak pulau yang mereka kunjungi dan banyak orang yang mereka temui. Sayangnya, antek-antek Christopher Carrion tak kenal lelah mengejar mereka berdua.
Tak hanya itu, situasi di dunia kepulauan itu mulai memanas. Rumor-rumor yang tak enak didengar mulai berembus. Beberapa pihak mulai menyiapkan rencana dan kekuatan masing-masing. Candy sendiri terjebak di tengah-tengahnya, tanpa tahu apa penyebabnya. Perlahan tapi pasti semua mulai terkuak, begitu pula jati diri gadis asal Chickentown tersebut.
Sampul
Secara umum tema sampulnya sama persis dengan buku pertamanya. Ilustrasi-ilustrasi unik dan keren, kali ini dengan latar belakang merah, menjadi nilai lebih tersendiri. Sayangnya, kelemahan sampul buku pertama yang tak menyertakan sinopsis dalam bentuk apa pun (kecuali di sampul bagian dalam yang mustahil dibaca jika bukunya disegel plastik) berlanjut di Days of Magic, Nights of War.
Penulisan
Masih sama baik dengan sebelumnya. Detail yang jelas, tak bertele-tele dan jelas. Penerjemahannya pun baik. Beberapa istilah yang dibiarkan bentuk aslinya dalam bahasa Inggris di buku pertamanya kini diterjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia. Secara keseluruhan, penulisan dan penerjemahannya patut diacungi jempol, sama seperti buku pertamanya.
Cerita
Sama seperti Abarat, beberapa aspek cerita Days of Magic, Nights of War sangat mudah ditebak. Pembaca gak bakal kesulitan untuk tahu siapa sebenarnya Candy Quackenbush. Meski demikian, ada beberapa plot twist dan perkembangan cerita yang cukup mengejutkan dan boleh dibilang sangat memuaskan. Hal inilah yang membuatnya menarik. Clive Barker seolah mengumbar satu rahasia demi menutupi rahasia (plot twist) yang lain.
Selain itu jika buku pertama hanya merupakan pengenalan dunia dan tokoh, maka Days of Magic, Nights of War langsung terjun bebas ke dalam (bagian awal) cerita intinya sembari memperkenalkan banyak tokoh, setting dan hal-hal baru. Latar belakang beberapa tokoh dikupas habis lengkap dengan berbagai petualangan seru dan gila-gilaan. Semua itu ditutup dengan grand finale yang layak dibayangkan sendiri hebohnya jika cerita ini dijadiin film.
Satu hal kecil yang cukup disayangkan adalah ada bagian dari buku pertamanya, seperti karakter Rojo Pixler, yang tak disentuh sama sekali. Meski gw sangat yakin bagian-bagian tersebut disimpan untuk buku ketiga, rasanya bener-bener ada yang kurang.
Meski demikian, secara keseluruhan Days of Magic, Nights of War berhasil menyajikan cerita yang lebih menggigit dan dahsyat dibandingkan buku pertamanya.
Lain-Lain
Ilustrasi-ilustrasi indah masih merupakan elemen penyokong kuat dalam kisah kedua Abarat. Di beberapa bagian, mereka justru menjadi cerita itu sendiri. Salah satu contoh yang jelas adalah ilustrasi kehampaan yang digambarkan melalui seekor ayam yang mengapung di tengah lautan luas dan langit biru. Hal-hal seperti inilah yang membuat ilustrasi menjadi bagian tak terpisahkan dari Abarat dan bahkan menjadi salah satu nilai lebihnya.
Kesimpulan
Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War adalah sebuah kisah yang lebih dalam dari pendahulunya. Perkembangan ceritanya kini makin tak terduga. Sayangnya, buku ini hanya bisa direkomendasikan pada mereka yang sudah baca Abarat karena ada elemen-elemen cerita yang akan hilang sama sekali jika tak membaca buku pertama tersebut. Bagi yang sudah baca buku pertamanya, silakan menikmati cerita yang jauh lebih dahsyat di novel ini, dijamin memuaskan!
Sinopsis
Candy dan Malingo melanjutkan petualangan mereka di Abarat sebagai sepasang turis yang santai. Sudah banyak pulau yang mereka kunjungi dan banyak orang yang mereka temui. Sayangnya, antek-antek Christopher Carrion tak kenal lelah mengejar mereka berdua.
Tak hanya itu, situasi di dunia kepulauan itu mulai memanas. Rumor-rumor yang tak enak didengar mulai berembus. Beberapa pihak mulai menyiapkan rencana dan kekuatan masing-masing. Candy sendiri terjebak di tengah-tengahnya, tanpa tahu apa penyebabnya. Perlahan tapi pasti semua mulai terkuak, begitu pula jati diri gadis asal Chickentown tersebut.
Sampul
Secara umum tema sampulnya sama persis dengan buku pertamanya. Ilustrasi-ilustrasi unik dan keren, kali ini dengan latar belakang merah, menjadi nilai lebih tersendiri. Sayangnya, kelemahan sampul buku pertama yang tak menyertakan sinopsis dalam bentuk apa pun (kecuali di sampul bagian dalam yang mustahil dibaca jika bukunya disegel plastik) berlanjut di Days of Magic, Nights of War.
Penulisan
Masih sama baik dengan sebelumnya. Detail yang jelas, tak bertele-tele dan jelas. Penerjemahannya pun baik. Beberapa istilah yang dibiarkan bentuk aslinya dalam bahasa Inggris di buku pertamanya kini diterjemahkan ke bahasa Indonesia. Secara keseluruhan, penulisan dan penerjemahannya patut diacungi jempol, sama seperti buku pertamanya.
Cerita
Sama seperti Abarat, beberapa aspek cerita Days of Magic, Nights of War sangat mudah ditebak. Pembaca gak bakal kesulitan untuk tahu siapa sebenarnya Candy Quackenbush. Meski demikian, ada beberapa plot twist dan perkembangan cerita yang cukup mengejutkan dan boleh dibilang sangat memuaskan. Hal inilah yang membuatnya menarik. Clive Barker seolah mengumbar satu rahasia demi menutupi rahasia (plot twist) yang lain.
Selain itu jika buku pertama hanya merupakan pengenalan dunia dan tokoh, maka Days of Magic, Nights of War langsung terjun bebas ke dalam (bagian awal) cerita intinya sembari memperkenalkan banyak tokoh, setting dan hal-hal baru. Latar belakang beberapa tokoh dikupas habis lengkap dengan berbagai petualangan seru dan gila-gilaan. Semua itu ditutup dengan grand finale yang layak dibayangkan sendiri hebohnya jika cerita ini dijadiin film.
Satu hal kecil yang cukup disayangkan adalah ada bagian dari buku pertamanya, seperti karakter Rojo Pixler, yang tak disentuh sama sekali. Meski gw sangat yakin bagian-bagian tersebut disimpan untuk buku ketiga, rasanya bener-bener ada yang kurang.
Meski demikian, secara keseluruhan Days of Magic, Nights of War berhasil menyajikan cerita yang lebih menggigit dan dahsyat dibandingkan buku pertamanya.
Lain-Lain
Ilustrasi-ilustrasi indah masih merupakan elemen penyokong kuat dalam kisah kedua Abarat. Di beberapa bagian, mereka justru menjadi cerita itu sendiri. Salah satu contoh yang jelas adalah ilustrasi kehampaan yang digambarkan melalui seekor ayam yang mengapung di tengah lautan luas dan langit biru. Hal-hal seperti inilah yang membuat ilustrasi menjadi bagian tak terpisahkan dari Abarat dan bahkan menjadi salah satu nilai lebihnya.
Kesimpulan
Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War adalah sebuah kisah yang lebih dalam dari pendahulunya. Perkembangan ceritanya kini makin tak terduga. Sayangnya, buku ini hanya bisa direkomendasikan pada mereka yang sudah baca Abarat karena ada elemen-elemen cerita yang akan hilang sama sekali jika tak membaca buku pertama tersebut. Bagi yang sudah baca buku pertamanya, silakan menikmati cerita yang jauh lebih dahsyat di novel ini, dijamin memuaskan!
February 21, 2020
We catch up with Candy and Malingo a few weeks after the first book has ended. They've been traveling from hour to hour trying to evade being caught by the criss cross man, who Carrion has sent to capture Candy. While running, Candy and Malingo are separated and they spend a good bit of the book attempting to be reunited.
In this book, we learn a lot more about what Carrion and his grandmother have been up to and the plans that they have for the Abarat. Unfortunately, none of them are good plans. Bringing permanent midnight to the islands sounds like a fantastic idea to the Carrion family unit. When Candy makes the decision to go back to Chickentown for good because she is under the impression that all she does is cause problems, this brings to conflict to a head and now not only is the Abarat in danger, but Chickentown is as well.
This is also the point where Candy learns a lot about herself and why she has such love for the Abarat, and why she is able to do magic that she has never learned before. Candy is slowly piecing it together, but even as the second book ends, it all is not solved.
Once again, I loved the imagery in this book and I really wish I had a copy with Barker's paintings inside. To see everything come to life would have been pretty fantastic.
The characterization in this book was also expanded quite a bit, especially in the case of the villain, which I really loved. You got more of a sense of who Carrion was and you almost got to feel sorry for him. And in this book we also meet up with some of the cast of characters that made an appearance in Book 1.
There were so many quotes from this book that resonated with me as well. So much so, that once again, I flooded Tumblr with some of them, but just to give you an example:
“I’ve learned only two things in my life. One, that love is the beginning and end of all meaning. And two, that it is the same thing whatever shape our souls have taken on this journey. Love is love. Is love.”
Basically, what it comes down to is that I really enjoyed this book, even more than the first one. I can't wait to get to the third! 4 out of 5 stars!
In this book, we learn a lot more about what Carrion and his grandmother have been up to and the plans that they have for the Abarat. Unfortunately, none of them are good plans. Bringing permanent midnight to the islands sounds like a fantastic idea to the Carrion family unit. When Candy makes the decision to go back to Chickentown for good because she is under the impression that all she does is cause problems, this brings to conflict to a head and now not only is the Abarat in danger, but Chickentown is as well.
This is also the point where Candy learns a lot about herself and why she has such love for the Abarat, and why she is able to do magic that she has never learned before. Candy is slowly piecing it together, but even as the second book ends, it all is not solved.
Once again, I loved the imagery in this book and I really wish I had a copy with Barker's paintings inside. To see everything come to life would have been pretty fantastic.
The characterization in this book was also expanded quite a bit, especially in the case of the villain, which I really loved. You got more of a sense of who Carrion was and you almost got to feel sorry for him. And in this book we also meet up with some of the cast of characters that made an appearance in Book 1.
There were so many quotes from this book that resonated with me as well. So much so, that once again, I flooded Tumblr with some of them, but just to give you an example:
“I’ve learned only two things in my life. One, that love is the beginning and end of all meaning. And two, that it is the same thing whatever shape our souls have taken on this journey. Love is love. Is love.”
Basically, what it comes down to is that I really enjoyed this book, even more than the first one. I can't wait to get to the third! 4 out of 5 stars!
December 30, 2010
This is the second Abarat book by Clive Barker and starts shortly after where the last one left off. I listened to this book on audio book and, like audio book of Abarat, the audio book was very well done.
Once again we follow Candy on her efforts to elude Christopher Carrion. Candy bumps into a cast of great new quirky characters as she tries to flee Carrion’s minions. John Mischief and crew are still trying to find Fennigan Hob. Will Christopher Carrion be able to bring about Permanent Midnight? What is Candy Quackenbush’s real identity? These are all things that are visited in this book.
This is a great book, it is very creative, and still reminds me a bit of Alice in Wonderland. This book is definitely written by a horror author; there is a sort of cloud of evil or despair over the story as you read it. While this is a great book, really young children would probably find it too scary and some of the ending fight scenes are pretty-darn gory.
I really love Barker’s bad guys. I just can’t emphasize enough how much depth the bad guys have. Especially with Christopher Carrion; you can never figure out if he is really bad to the core or if maybe he was just born into a bad family. The ending surprised me a bit, as the whole mystery surrounding Candy didn’t end up exactly how I thought it would.
There were a couple things that really disappointed me; this book still had a very open ending. There is a lot in Abarat that needs to be resolved at the close of the book. That was very disappointing to me since I haven’t seen (or heard of plans for) another Abarat book. I didn’t like how it ended for Candy’s mother either. I guess I just have to live with that since Barker seems more about realism than happy endings. I was also curious as to why Rojo Pixler and the Commexo kid weren’t mentioned much in this book. In the last book Rojo looked like a big contender for a parallel bad guy; that was dropped in this book.
All the above being said; this was still a very good book and a great follow-up to Abarat.
Once again we follow Candy on her efforts to elude Christopher Carrion. Candy bumps into a cast of great new quirky characters as she tries to flee Carrion’s minions. John Mischief and crew are still trying to find Fennigan Hob. Will Christopher Carrion be able to bring about Permanent Midnight? What is Candy Quackenbush’s real identity? These are all things that are visited in this book.
This is a great book, it is very creative, and still reminds me a bit of Alice in Wonderland. This book is definitely written by a horror author; there is a sort of cloud of evil or despair over the story as you read it. While this is a great book, really young children would probably find it too scary and some of the ending fight scenes are pretty-darn gory.
I really love Barker’s bad guys. I just can’t emphasize enough how much depth the bad guys have. Especially with Christopher Carrion; you can never figure out if he is really bad to the core or if maybe he was just born into a bad family. The ending surprised me a bit, as the whole mystery surrounding Candy didn’t end up exactly how I thought it would.
There were a couple things that really disappointed me; this book still had a very open ending. There is a lot in Abarat that needs to be resolved at the close of the book. That was very disappointing to me since I haven’t seen (or heard of plans for) another Abarat book. I didn’t like how it ended for Candy’s mother either. I guess I just have to live with that since Barker seems more about realism than happy endings. I was also curious as to why Rojo Pixler and the Commexo kid weren’t mentioned much in this book. In the last book Rojo looked like a big contender for a parallel bad guy; that was dropped in this book.
All the above being said; this was still a very good book and a great follow-up to Abarat.
October 8, 2016
Ummm...apa saya saja ya, yang merasa kalau nama Christopher Carrion itu keren, *eh. Puisi yang dia buat untuk Puteri Boa juga bagus-bagus, (tiba-tiba merasakan simpati kepada Carrion gara-gara ending-nya). Sayang, aura jahatnya sampai sebegitunya, sampai-sampai orang yang pertama kali melihat, akan langsung tahu kalau dia jahat, (abaikan kalau tampangnya memang jelek).
Sepertinya saya gagal paham, sebenarnya, tokoh Carrion itu mau digambarkan seperti apa sih sama penulisnya. Jahat banget sampai ga bisa ditolong lagi, atau masih bisa baik asalkan ada yang mencintainya. Ngomong-ngomong, foto Clive Barker di buku kedua ini cakep yak, *eeeehhhhhh.
So, Days of Magic, Nights of Wars, masih menceritakan tentang petualangan Candy di Abarat. Kali ini petualangannya lebih seru. Dimanapun Candy berada, sepertinya dia tidak bisa berdiam diri lama-lama. Maklumlah, ada "penggemar rahasia" yang selalu mengejar-ngejar.
Meskipun Candy tampaknya semakin baik hati dan semakin hebat, tapi somehow, saya merasa Candy jadi plin-plan. Tapi wajar sih, soalnya di dalam tubuh Candy kan ada .... errr .... dia.
Di sini, banyak tokoh baru yang muncul. Kita akan berkenalan dengan Finnegan Hob, yang berkebalikan dengan Carrion, begitu kita melihat Finnegan, kita akan langsung tahu kalau dia orang baik (abaikan kalau tampangnya memang cakep).
Oh ya, dan kita akan lebih mengenal nenek Carrion di sini. Sang ibu suri, Mater Motley, yang gemar menjahit, haha. Tapi sayang, yang nenek jahit bukan baju, tapi makhluk mengerikan yang dikenal dengan nama pasukan tambal sulam. Haduh, si nenek, kayak di Abarat masih kekurangan makhluk mengerikan saja.
And finally, karena saya belum punya buku tiganya, terpaksa saya harus menghentikan "petualangan" saya di Abarat, (bukunya mahal bingit, nunggu tabungan cukup dulu). Untung akhir buku kedua ini tidak terlalu membuat penasaran. So, 4 dari 5 bintang lagi untuk buku kedua Abarat. I really liked it ('▽'ʃƪ) ♥
Sepertinya saya gagal paham, sebenarnya, tokoh Carrion itu mau digambarkan seperti apa sih sama penulisnya. Jahat banget sampai ga bisa ditolong lagi, atau masih bisa baik asalkan ada yang mencintainya. Ngomong-ngomong, foto Clive Barker di buku kedua ini cakep yak, *eeeehhhhhh.
So, Days of Magic, Nights of Wars, masih menceritakan tentang petualangan Candy di Abarat. Kali ini petualangannya lebih seru. Dimanapun Candy berada, sepertinya dia tidak bisa berdiam diri lama-lama. Maklumlah, ada "penggemar rahasia" yang selalu mengejar-ngejar.
Meskipun Candy tampaknya semakin baik hati dan semakin hebat, tapi somehow, saya merasa Candy jadi plin-plan. Tapi wajar sih, soalnya di dalam tubuh Candy kan ada .... errr .... dia.
Di sini, banyak tokoh baru yang muncul. Kita akan berkenalan dengan Finnegan Hob, yang berkebalikan dengan Carrion, begitu kita melihat Finnegan, kita akan langsung tahu kalau dia orang baik (abaikan kalau tampangnya memang cakep).
Oh ya, dan kita akan lebih mengenal nenek Carrion di sini. Sang ibu suri, Mater Motley, yang gemar menjahit, haha. Tapi sayang, yang nenek jahit bukan baju, tapi makhluk mengerikan yang dikenal dengan nama pasukan tambal sulam. Haduh, si nenek, kayak di Abarat masih kekurangan makhluk mengerikan saja.
And finally, karena saya belum punya buku tiganya, terpaksa saya harus menghentikan "petualangan" saya di Abarat, (bukunya mahal bingit, nunggu tabungan cukup dulu). Untung akhir buku kedua ini tidak terlalu membuat penasaran. So, 4 dari 5 bintang lagi untuk buku kedua Abarat. I really liked it ('▽'ʃƪ) ♥
June 27, 2015
Another dark and wonderful entry by Clive Barker. I just love the idea of a world where each island is another time. At over 500 pages, I will admit that the seemingly never ending chasing of Candy did get old after a while, but was more than counteracted by the further development of the characters.
Again Clive Barker succeeds in making his villain, Christopher Carrion a sympathetic character without making him any less evil. This balancing act is what makes Clive Barker a master of his craft!
Was it just me, or did anyone else find Christopher carrion and Finnegan Hob's obsession with Candy just a tad creepy. We are talking about a 14 year old girl, and since they were adults before she was born, all I'm saying is E-e-e-e-w-w-w-w!
Unlike several 2nd novels in a series, this book was not just a stop-gap between books one and three, but was good on it's own. I can only hope we the readers are able to see even more of the wonderful land of Abarat in book three, Absolute Midnight.
Again Clive Barker succeeds in making his villain, Christopher Carrion a sympathetic character without making him any less evil. This balancing act is what makes Clive Barker a master of his craft!
Was it just me, or did anyone else find Christopher carrion and Finnegan Hob's obsession with Candy just a tad creepy. We are talking about a 14 year old girl, and since they were adults before she was born, all I'm saying is E-e-e-e-w-w-w-w!
Unlike several 2nd novels in a series, this book was not just a stop-gap between books one and three, but was good on it's own. I can only hope we the readers are able to see even more of the wonderful land of Abarat in book three, Absolute Midnight.
September 26, 2007
buku kedua seri Abarat ini teteplah full colors!
petualangan Candy Quackenbush berslanjut, dikejar-kejar anak buah dan bertemu dengan Christopher Carrion - sang Pangeran penguasa malam - bertemu banyak tokoh penting lainnya yang akhirnya membuat Candy semakin sadar tentang dirinya sendiri, lalu juga kembali ke Chickentown, dimana kota ini disapu bersih oleh gelombang laut (suatu hal yang tidak habis dipikirkan oleh semua orang karena kota ini sama sekali tidak dekat dengan laut!)
di sini akhirnya terkuak juga rahasia Candy sebenarnya, tentang siapa dia sebenarnya.
masih seru dengan kemunculan banyak tokoh lainnya (plus super aneh!), para monster dan tebaran ilustrasi yang masih dibuat oleh si pengarang sendiri, ada sekitar 120-an gambar lebih!
petualangan Candy Quackenbush berslanjut, dikejar-kejar anak buah dan bertemu dengan Christopher Carrion - sang Pangeran penguasa malam - bertemu banyak tokoh penting lainnya yang akhirnya membuat Candy semakin sadar tentang dirinya sendiri, lalu juga kembali ke Chickentown, dimana kota ini disapu bersih oleh gelombang laut (suatu hal yang tidak habis dipikirkan oleh semua orang karena kota ini sama sekali tidak dekat dengan laut!)
di sini akhirnya terkuak juga rahasia Candy sebenarnya, tentang siapa dia sebenarnya.
masih seru dengan kemunculan banyak tokoh lainnya (plus super aneh!), para monster dan tebaran ilustrasi yang masih dibuat oleh si pengarang sendiri, ada sekitar 120-an gambar lebih!
July 17, 2016
I read this book when it first came out. It is the second in the Abarat series. It is full of adventure and mystery. I am looking forward to getting a copy of Absolute Midnight to replace the one that was stolen from me. Apparently the next book is rare to find with the drawings in it. I hope it is in decent condition as I bought it used. Overall this was a nice reread and it reminded me of Carrion's status as somewhat of a Byronic character in his love for Boa. I couldn't remember all the character's stories from this book when I first started reading Absolute Midnight. So I'm glad I reread this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2008
I love Clive Barker's magical world of Abarat not just for all of the imaginative, colorful creatures that inhabit the islands, but for sentiments like this: "It was a cornerstone of geshratian belief that sleep did not separate friends and loved ones, but instead brought their slumbering souls closer to one another. Hence the familiar geshrat wishes as they parted for bed; not 'good night' or 'sweet dreams,' but 'See you sleeping.'"
And I want a poster of virtually every one of the 140+ illustrations he did for the book. Wow!
And I want a poster of virtually every one of the 140+ illustrations he did for the book. Wow!
August 5, 2011
The journey through the hours continues, and may I commend Mr. Barker once more on his vast complexity in both literature and fine art. He'd actually created the paintings before writing the story~ like it seeped into his mind through night visions, screaming to be composed. I love his darkness, his vileness, his exaggeration, and wit that keeps me staring at each page in inspiration and disgust.
Usually the second book of any trilogy is more like a novel-lenghted ellipsis. Not so with this one.
Usually the second book of any trilogy is more like a novel-lenghted ellipsis. Not so with this one.
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