Contrary to what the title may suggest, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Wizard of Oz. Regular fairy tales we in the Western culture may love are referenced all about, but there is no Glinda or Wicked Witch, and lions and tigers and bears. Its the story about a farm girl who lives on the highlands of a word were unfamiliar with, but seems your typical fantasy world with nobility and dragons. Her father is a recluse astronomer that never has time for her, who then one day disappears and her whole world falls apart with it as secrets are revealed and her life drastically changes when she finds out she could be in line for the royal throne.
It follows the same cliché theme that Dragon Sword and Wind Child (same author, another great book though) did concerning a teenage girl, having to grow up, finding something out about her lineage that makes her different than everyone else, and pretty much also becoming an orphan, but the characters felt way more alive and enjoyable than those of Dragon Sword and Wind Child.
My only complaint is I wish Tokyopop would have used the original Japanese covers which follow more on traditional fantasy covers than the manga art theyre using. The originals looked like Hayao Miyzaki meets Amano, where as the Tokyopop covers just look like a cheap ploy to pull in the anime crowd, making any serious fantasy book reader get the wrong impression when Tokyopop should be trying to pull them in. That, and Im wondering if the translator screwed up on a couple of names. Im fairly certain Eusis is supposed to be Eustace.
Still, if you're a YA fantasy lover, or a lover of fairy tales, this is a must to try.
It follows the same cliché theme that Dragon Sword and Wind Child (same author, another great book though) did concerning a teenage girl, having to grow up, finding something out about her lineage that makes her different than everyone else, and pretty much also becoming an orphan, but the characters felt way more alive and enjoyable than those of Dragon Sword and Wind Child.
My only complaint is I wish Tokyopop would have used the original Japanese covers which follow more on traditional fantasy covers than the manga art theyre using. The originals looked like Hayao Miyzaki meets Amano, where as the Tokyopop covers just look like a cheap ploy to pull in the anime crowd, making any serious fantasy book reader get the wrong impression when Tokyopop should be trying to pull them in. That, and Im wondering if the translator screwed up on a couple of names. Im fairly certain Eusis is supposed to be Eustace.
Still, if you're a YA fantasy lover, or a lover of fairy tales, this is a must to try.
