science fiction

A Fistful Of Sky - Nina Kiriki Hoffman Book Review

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Review Summaries
"In the LaZelle family, the transition into magic is more difficult the older you are. Twenty-year-old Gypsum LaZelle has already resigned herself to living a normal, ungifted life, unlike her four siblings, who transitioned as teenagers. But when Gypsum falls ill one weekend and finally transitions, her power turns out to be a dark power, the power to curse people and things. This book explores the ways Gypsum chooses to use her power among her close-knit family, with help from a mysterious girl named Altria. "
Ashareh, Resident Nina Kiriki Hoffman Scholar

" Ace, Nov 2002, 23.95, 368 pp. ISBN 0441009751 The LaZelles are rich, own a beach front estate in California, and are witches and warlocks except for the patriarch who is not descended from a line of mages. The children come into their powers after they reach adolescence, all that is except for Gypsum who at the age of nineteen shows no evidence that she will wield magic. She accepts the fact that she is the odd sibling and just when she thinks her life will be normal she “transitions into a witch.” Gyp's powers are not like her brothers and sisters. Her specialty is curses and she must curse someone or something several times a day or she will get sick. Harriet Klausner "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Nina Kiriki Hoffman Scholar


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Overall Review
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - a powerful magician
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - coping with mental/magical powers
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Family relations Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - mage/magician - teacher
Age: - 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - can cast many different spells
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique - quite fatty

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript - significantly more descript than dialog
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Mad Maudlin by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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