by Dianne Lynn Gardner (Goodreads Author)
Sheila's review
bookshelves: childrens, coming-of-age, relationships, scifi-fantasy, suspense, young-adult, short-stories
Feb 04, 13
Read in February, 2013
A mother sends her son away, giving him only memories and magic to guide him. “Use the magic sparingly” she says, sparing him the destruction he would surely face from the dreaded Queen Hacatine. And so four teenage conjurers become outlaws.
Ian’s Realm is a fascinating place introduced in the author’s wonderful full-length novel Deception Peak. But these short stories of the four wizards stand alone perfectly. Set in an earlier time, they add depth and detail to the unspoken history of the longer work, adding to the mystique.
If you’ve read Deception Peak, there’ll be a certain satisfaction to that feeling of recognizing roots in the past. But you don’t need to read the longer novel first. This short story gives a great flavor for the magical world of Silvio and his friends, and creates some immediately relatable characters, thrust into instant danger. Young teens will love Silvio for itself, and love it even more if it’s part of a set.
As the boys flee griffons, condors and more and a wicked witch gives chase, the question arises, can running away ever really lead to safety. “There’s got to be more to this world than just us,” says eighteen-year-old Kaempie, with great wisdom and maturity. There has to be more than just these boys battling one face of evil. And there is.
Silvio is a beautifully haunting tale of love, loyalty and loss, of ordinary human boys in the guise of wizards, and of hope unrealized in a convincing imaginary world. With its realistic portrayal of teen boys and relationships, it’s highly recommended for middle school readers and older.
Disclosure: I read Deception Peak first and was hooked, then I found Silvio in a free deal.
Ian’s Realm is a fascinating place introduced in the author’s wonderful full-length novel Deception Peak. But these short stories of the four wizards stand alone perfectly. Set in an earlier time, they add depth and detail to the unspoken history of the longer work, adding to the mystique.
If you’ve read Deception Peak, there’ll be a certain satisfaction to that feeling of recognizing roots in the past. But you don’t need to read the longer novel first. This short story gives a great flavor for the magical world of Silvio and his friends, and creates some immediately relatable characters, thrust into instant danger. Young teens will love Silvio for itself, and love it even more if it’s part of a set.
As the boys flee griffons, condors and more and a wicked witch gives chase, the question arises, can running away ever really lead to safety. “There’s got to be more to this world than just us,” says eighteen-year-old Kaempie, with great wisdom and maturity. There has to be more than just these boys battling one face of evil. And there is.
Silvio is a beautifully haunting tale of love, loyalty and loss, of ordinary human boys in the guise of wizards, and of hope unrealized in a convincing imaginary world. With its realistic portrayal of teen boys and relationships, it’s highly recommended for middle school readers and older.
Disclosure: I read Deception Peak first and was hooked, then I found Silvio in a free deal.
Silvio (The Tale of the Four Wizards-Patriarchs of the Realm)
by Dianne Lynn Gardner (Goodreads Author)
by Dianne Lynn Gardner (Goodreads Author)
Joanna Harker's review
bookshelves: fantasy, magic, short-story
Nov 12, 12
Read on November 10, 2012 — I own a copy
This short story is a well written tale of the escape of four young wizards. What I really enjoyed was how despite the short length I really got a lot of details about the world and its inhabitants. You get to see a bit of the politics, and a bit of various kinds of magic. The characters had depth and they all had their own voice and goals.
Another good thing about the story was the ending - it took me by surprise, and avoided a potential cliche finish. Definitely looking forward to the next one.
Another good thing about the story was the ending - it took me by surprise, and avoided a potential cliche finish. Definitely looking forward to the next one.
Silvio (The Tale of the Four Wizards-Patriarchs of the Realm)
by Dianne Lynn Gardner (Goodreads Author)
by Dianne Lynn Gardner (Goodreads Author)
Two Thumbs up!
Dianne Gardner has done it again. Silvio is a captivating, spellbinding short story that will capture your heart and your imagination. I loved it- Definitely worth the read!
Dianne Gardner has done it again. Silvio is a captivating, spellbinding short story that will capture your heart and your imagination. I loved it- Definitely worth the read!
Silvio (The Tale of the Four Wizards-Patriarchs of the Realm)
by Dianne Lynn Gardner (Goodreads Author)
by Dianne Lynn Gardner (Goodreads Author)
What would you do to escape fate? Kaempie, Rueben, Meneka, and Silvio are faced with that decision. Rueben and Keampie are now eighteen, but it is not a time for celebration. With the help of Claudia, Silvio's mother, they and Meneka and Silvio (the youngest at fifteen), take to the seas on that same night in hopes of escaping fate. If only they can get to the northern shores before the dreaded queen notices their absence and calls on her sea-born serpents to bring them back.
The four must find a way to keep ahead of the power-hungry queen who is after their abilities. All they love is behind them, all they fear hunts them, and only uncertainty is before them. They separate, and the reader follows Silvio as he attempts to continue his escape.
Fast paced, beginning at the shore of escape, following through to the incidents on the ocean, and then concluding to decisions and encounters at the shore this story follows Silvio as he embarks on this unwanted journey. He knows his mother is risking everything to get him away, but she tells him she would rather he run then be yet another victim of their queen - and most mothers reading that would agree. The reader feels for the young boy as he longs for home and his only living relative, but cheers him on as he evades the queen.
In this short story, the enslaved region of the south and the free region of the north are introduced along with some details about a few of the cities. The inhabitants are particular to this world, and it is interesting to learn about them, but it only whets the appetite. A good read for Young Adults, Silvio is definitely the beginning to a journey of self-discovery and hope!
UPDATE:
I gave it 4 even tho I want more! I liked the imagery of the story, how I can see what is happening, and I can follow the character interaction. My initial impressions of Silvio and Kaempie are favorable, Reuben is a bit more reserved, but I definitely do not like Meneka or the evil queen. I would like to know more about Taikus, and hope to learn that in the following stories.
For this one, I initially felt like it stopped too soon, but it was still a good story and I recommend it. Upon speaking with the author, I realize that I misread the ending. In my hope that Silvio would escape, I misread his fate with the tree. I hoped he would get away, as he does - but apparently that is not his doom. I feel for the poor boy, but at least it is a better fate than the Taikus queen had for him.
The four must find a way to keep ahead of the power-hungry queen who is after their abilities. All they love is behind them, all they fear hunts them, and only uncertainty is before them. They separate, and the reader follows Silvio as he attempts to continue his escape.
Fast paced, beginning at the shore of escape, following through to the incidents on the ocean, and then concluding to decisions and encounters at the shore this story follows Silvio as he embarks on this unwanted journey. He knows his mother is risking everything to get him away, but she tells him she would rather he run then be yet another victim of their queen - and most mothers reading that would agree. The reader feels for the young boy as he longs for home and his only living relative, but cheers him on as he evades the queen.
In this short story, the enslaved region of the south and the free region of the north are introduced along with some details about a few of the cities. The inhabitants are particular to this world, and it is interesting to learn about them, but it only whets the appetite. A good read for Young Adults, Silvio is definitely the beginning to a journey of self-discovery and hope!
UPDATE:
I gave it 4 even tho I want more! I liked the imagery of the story, how I can see what is happening, and I can follow the character interaction. My initial impressions of Silvio and Kaempie are favorable, Reuben is a bit more reserved, but I definitely do not like Meneka or the evil queen. I would like to know more about Taikus, and hope to learn that in the following stories.
For this one, I initially felt like it stopped too soon, but it was still a good story and I recommend it. Upon speaking with the author, I realize that I misread the ending. In my hope that Silvio would escape, I misread his fate with the tree. I hoped he would get away, as he does - but apparently that is not his doom. I feel for the poor boy, but at least it is a better fate than the Taikus queen had for him.
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