Book Review: Pegasus

Star Rating: 3/5

Pegasus

By Robin McKinley

As the fourth child of the king, Sylvi was overlooked and able to enjoy herself without the stress of becoming the future monarch. She spent her days practicing in the weapons yard, riding her pony, and studying the history of the kingdom. Her life was ordinary—for a princess at any rate—until her twelfth birthday. It didn’t start any differently from any of her other family members’ twelfth birthdays. Like the rest of her family and certain others of royal descent since the creation of the Alliance, Sylvi would be bound to a pegasus that day. But unlike all who had been bound before her, she and her pegasus share a unique connection.

Since the Alliance was created between their peoples, pegasi and humans of royal birth had been bound together. Unfortunately, the bondmates had never been able to fully communicate except with the help of a magician, though even this communication was far from flawless. Sylvi’s ability to speak to Ebon, her bondmate, breaks all known precedents, providing the bedrock for a friendship that will change the relationship between both their peoples.

Robin McKinley’s Pegasus throws the reader into Sylvi’s history lessons. Immediately, the reader is swamped with names, events, and creatures, some with little or no explanation of what they are or why they are important to know. This exposition sets the scene for Sylvi and Ebon’s binding but is somewhat exhaustive. Fortunately, Sylvi and Ebon’s relationship becomes the highlight of the tale and the history lessons are mostly set aside. Their conversation and experiences draw the reader in, involving her in the questioning and learning. Ebon is particularly exciting as he is uncharacteristically blunt, witty, and laid-back for a pegasus. Ebon acts in order to alter misconceptions and remove arbitrary barriers. Contrarily, Sylvi tends to ruminate and wait passively—and frustratingly for this reader—for her hopes to just occur. For the most part, the plot meanders along with rare and fairly minor conflicts. That is until the end, when the reader is left hanging, waiting for the second book.

While I enjoyed the book, falling prey to the intriguing unraveling of pegasi culture and the development of Ebon and Sylvi’s relationship, I was frustrated by the story’s slow pace, lack of conflict, and Sylvi’s inactivity. Worst of all though was the lack of conclusion for the book. My advice to you: wait until the second book comes out and then enjoy reading the two together.

Book Review: The Candy Shop War

Star Rating 3/5

The Candy Shop War

By Brandon Mull

It’s hard enough to resist a good piece of candy, but how could anyone resist a piece of candy that also gave the consumer the ability to run tirelessly for miles or jump from rooftop to rooftop? What about a piece of candy that allowed you to find out what your pet really thought of you? Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon of Brandon Mull’s The Candy Shop War get to experience all these magical feats and more when candy-making magicians come to their town.

On their way home from school, the four friends decide to stop at the new candy shop that opened up. The Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe’s owner, Mrs. White, offers them penny candy and the opportunity to work for some more expensive treats. After a few days of labor, she hints that she has special candy that she doesn’t let the average customer have. The kids can’t restrain their curiosity or appetites and begin doing at first odd and then morally questionable tasks to get her magic candy rewards. Before long the kids are entirely entangled in Mrs. White’s scheme to find the town’s hidden treasure, and, unfortunately, they’ve also realized that Mrs. White is not as kind-hearted as she seemed. Now they have to figure a way out of the mess their insatiable curiosity got them into and retrieve the treasure before she does.

The Candy Shop War puts an imaginative spin on magic use, but lacks depth. Mull’s magic, which is obtained through candy, works best on children. The children who eat the candy, the four heroes and also three bullies, gain special powers to use in their exploits but fail to develop as they partake of the treats and encounter various situations. Barely described, the kids are static types—easy to relate to on a surface level, but unmemorable and largely indistinguishable overall. The lack of character depth and development makes the kids far less interesting than the candy they devour.

While the kids lack personality and believability, the main adults—Mrs. White, Mr. Stott, and John Dart—are intriguing and mysterious. Mull keeps the reader guessing whether or not there is a distinct or true villain. No obvious evil stands out since the words of each adult justify their individual actions and condemn the others’, leaving the reader wondering who, if anyone, really can be trusted.

Unfortunately, the well-written secondary characters and creative story can hardly make up for the cardboard cut-out primary characters. However, perhaps these plain characters are better suited for children—the intended audience. Most any child could identify him- or herself with one of the four heroes. By connecting with a character, the child might then better enjoy the story, which is fast-paced and exciting. The Candy Shop War is a fun, one-time read that merely makes you wonder what candy you would like to try rather than whetting your appetite for more.