Story summary: The trees are panicking because the forest of Urwald is being cut down and burnt. The wizards are panicking because they might have to actually do something together for a change. Sophie is not panicking because she's smart and sensible, but she feels like panicking because her husband Simon is caught in life-sucking elvish ice. Jinx is panicking because it's all down to him to save everything.
RED is panicking because she can't think up a better story description than this, and what if it turns people off a really excellent series?
Sequel to Jinx and Jinx's Magic.
- It has all you could want in a children's book. Friendships and familial relationships, vivid imagery, human insights, surprising humour, magic and adventure.
And Why You Might Not:
- I really can't think of any good reasons, unless you're not a fan of children's entertainment like Narnia and Pixar. I suppose the battle could be a little scary for younger readers? But yeah, that's pretty much it. Great books!
Thoughts: Though this last book in the Jinx series still had the fabulous characters and relationships and adventure, I didn't like it quite as much as the first two. I think primarily it was because of the lack of Simon (totally my favourite character), who was missing for the whole first half of the book. But also the whole "gathering for battle" plot line felt a bit too ... broad? Not the more personal focus the other books. It didn't have as much Jinx-learning-new-magic, which was one of my favourite parts of the first two books.
But as I said, it still had a lot of fabulous parts. I loved the way Jinx is getting to be more and more like Simon as he grows older--so delightfully blunt and grumpy. The fire and ice paths were intense, and the writing can be very funny. Plus it didn't lessen my love of the series as a whole. So I am content.
But as I said, it still had a lot of fabulous parts. I loved the way Jinx is getting to be more and more like Simon as he grows older--so delightfully blunt and grumpy. The fire and ice paths were intense, and the writing can be very funny. Plus it didn't lessen my love of the series as a whole. So I am content.
P.S. Unfortunately, the awesome Russian artist, Nikita Golubev, whose beautiful Jinx pictures I posted for the last two reviews, doesn't seem to have drawn any for Jinx's Fire. I am sad.
Grade: 3 1/2 stars
If You Like This, You Might Also Like: And yeah, the recommendations are the same as the first two books again. May as well. This trilogy really feels like a set, anyway.
--Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, or maybe Dark Lord of Derkholm or Archer's Goon or Charmed Life or The Ogre Downstairs or...: because DWJ is one the most entertaining children's authors there are, with wit and cleverness and complicated character relationships.
--The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis: nothing can beat Narnia. But the Jinx series has some insights into human nature that remind me of Narnia a bit.
--Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway: because it has a similar realness of characters and relationship and family. It's a fantastic book.
--Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway: because it has a similar realness of characters and relationship and family. It's a fantastic book.
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