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Title: At the Crossing-Places by Kevin Crossley-Holland ISBN: 0-439-26598-3 Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Pub. Date: October, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.86 (7 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A great sequel to the Seeing Stone
Comment: After reading The Seeing Stone, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I quickly bought this book. I must first say the faults about this book. I admit that in the first book I found myself thinking that Arthur's life was a bit more boring than teh Arthur-in-the-stone's life and I was always waiting for the Arthur-in-the-stone stories to come. It was quite the oppisate for this book. This one was filled with Arthuran lengends and Kevin Crossley=Holland (the athor) poorly made the legends reflect the book.
I found myself waiting for more of Arthur (the real one) 's life. His new life got much more exciting when since he is now a squire for Lord Stephan. He learns about who his new father is and he goes on a desprete quest to find his mother. He also meets a new girl named Winnie who he complely swoons over. Winni has red hair and most people can tell that she is the Gueniver in the stone. The only prob. is that Winnie nad Arthur have no chemistry! There is a lotta chemistry between Gatty and Arthur and the reader is always hoping for Gatty and Arthur to get togther...but we all know that King Arthur ended up with Gwen...
Also. There was no Merlin. That was a bit of a dissapointment. But Ive been sayign all the bad stuff. There are much more good things in this inspiring novel. There is a whole bunch of new characters and mysteries. If you liked the first book in the trilogy I highly recomend this book. And although the third book (THE KING OF MIDDLE MARCH) has not been released in the US (4 reasons I know not) it has been realeased in the UK and you can order it on Amazon.co.uk (the British amazon so to speak). So if you have enough cash go out and buy it or rent it from teh library or borrow it from a friend, because it is good. I congradulate Kevin Crossely=Holland on his Arthur trilogy. :)
Rating: 4
Summary: Really well written, overall great book
Comment: I think this was a very good piece of liturature. As I am 10, I found the facts really interesting (being that I am 10 so I don't know much) facts about midieval times. Good book about King Arthur, (well, before he becomes King) and his life on the manor. He runs into various adventures, and it is basicly about him becoming from page to a squire. I loved it.
Rating: 2
Summary: Doesn't "Cross" far enough
Comment: The sequel to "The Seeing Stone," titled "At the Crossing-Places," is less interesting than the first book of this trilogy. While Crossley-Holland has clearly researched the historic details thoroughly, there doesn't seem to be much soul behind the actual narrative.
As Arthur found out more about his past, his life has gotten more complex. He's learned who his father is (the fierce Sir William), has learned that his now-ex-betrothed is his half sister and is a squire to Sir Stephen. He also still has the ability to see the life of Arthur of Camelot, whose life somehow (don't ask me how) reflects Arthur of Caldicot's. And he doesn't know who his unknown mother was.
As it is a medieval era, Arthur follows Sir Stephen to the Crusades while he continues to search for his mom's identity, while watching the ancient king who is him -- and not him. And as he goes to Champagne and then back to Britain, he comes closer to the truth about the connection between Arthur de Caldicot and Arthur in the stone...
Arthurian fiction has been around for a long time, and many readers have a particular affection for it. But, within the framework of another, different story, it just doesn't work. It worked better in "Seeing Stone," but in "At the Crossing-Places" nothing much happens to Arthur de Caldicot. Things happen, sure, but not very fast. Most of the focus is on King Arthur. And while that isn't really a problem in other books, it's a little frustrating to see things through Arthur de Caldicot's eyes, and not get a strong sense of what's happening in his own life.
Unfortunately, Crossley-Holland's writing hasn't improved much either. It's still very bare-bones, almost like a play. The narrative improves when the focus is on the past, or when something really spectacular happens. The rest of the time, it's just rather boring. (Especially when dealing with Arthur's romantic involvements -- he has no chemistry with Winnie at all)
Arthur is a rather flat lead character, who serves more as a window to the plot than an actual character. Winnie is also quite two-dimensional, but Sir Stephen is a likable enough guy. Unfortunately, Merlin is pretty much absent except through the seeing-stone, and it's hard to get a sense for Arthur and Gawain and the rest. It's like reading a book about someone watching a TV show -- I got little, if any, connection to the Arthurian people.
"At the Crossing-Places," like "Seeing Stone," had potential that never gets realized. At the end I felt frustrated and only slightly curious about "King of the Middle-March," the forthcoming third volume of the trilogy.
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Title: The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland ISBN: 0439435242 Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Anthea Bell ISBN: 0439531640 Publisher: Chicken House Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur by Jane Yolen ISBN: 0152025278 Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
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Title: Bartimaeus Trilogy Book #1, The: The Amulet of Smarkand by Jonathan Stroud ISBN: 078681859X Publisher: Miramax (Kids) Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Lucas: A Story of Love and Hate by Kevin Brooks ISBN: 0439456983 Publisher: Chicken House Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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