Reviews for Bright Shadow (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

The average rating for Bright Shadow (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-08-27 00:00:00 Vivian Forr Re-read as part of my ongoing shelf audit. Verdict: not as good as I remembered it, sadly. I recall loving this book as a kid, but as an adult, felt like the story ended too soon and with too little explained. It centers around the idea of magical wishes passed down through millennia, with the odd caveat that the last wish comes at the cost of the user's life. The final five wishes are given to Morwenna, a 12-year-old castle servant, who is then left to wrestle with the question of what constitutes an appropriate use for them (though her hand is forced more often than not). The premise is interesting, but I found myself really struggling to understand what the point of these magical wishes is if they're not meant to be used - and it really feels like they're not, since ultimately using too many kills the user. I suppose the narrative sort of ends up being about figuring out what you would die for, but oof! That's a heavy subject for a short book targeted at young readers. At the end of the day, an interesting concept, but not one that resonates with me anymore.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-11-09 00:00:00 Joseph Degovann This book is by Avi, and is about a 12 year old girl named Morwenna, and her friend named Swen. This story is very attention grabbing, and will leave you guessing what will happen next. If you enjoy fantasy stories then I recommend you read this. In my opinion, the book is a little boring until Morwenna finally receives powers, and becomes a wizard. This is where I feel the action begins. This story has a big plot twist that Changes everything for everyone. The king captures Swen and will hang him because he thinks Swen is the real wizard which leads to everyone thinking he is wizard when Swen "frees himself on his own" to escape the king. Both Swen and Morwenna run away from the kingdom from the king and find a small village, where Swen is also recognized to be the wizard. The village people bring out their leader who stands by Swen side to make sure the "wizard" who they feel is Swen, is safe. Until one day the leader finds out who the true wizard is, and will not let her runaway for anything. Once the king finds Swen, both Swen and the king's men are in battle when the king's men lose. Swen and the village people march to the kingdom to claim Swen's title of being the new king, where they are once again attacked, but still wins. They march up to the castle, and confronts the king, but what will happen next? To find out the end, read the story. I gave this story a 4 star rating because I liked the story and couldn't stop reading it. This story brings a lot of tension to the reader, and that is what I like about this story. Therefore I recommend everyone to read this story if you feel this story is the type of story you would like/enjoy. This is a wonderful story that should be recognized. Just because it's a fantasy, does not mean there can't be action.