Skip to main content

Wednesdays in the Tower

This is a good year for sequels. Often they can be disappointing, but all the ones I've read thus far this  year have been wonderful. Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George is no exception. This is a delightful sequel to Tuesdays in the Castle (my thoughts).

There are a lot of things that can hatch out of an egg. A chicken, for example. Or a dragon. And when the egg is the size of a pumpkin, and almost as orange, not to mention burning hot, you know that you're far  more likely to get a dragon than a chicken. So when Celie found the egg-large, orange, and too hot to touch-lying in a nest of oddly vine-like moss in the new tower, she was convinced that it held a baby dragon. Where it had come from and what would happen when it hatched were two more questions that she wasn't sure she wanted answered. 

Thus begins the latest  installment in the adventures of the Glower royal family. Celie is continuing to map the castle and it is still showing a special attachment and fondness for her. She is the only one it allows near the mysterious egg after all. But the castle is behaving oddly too, rearranging and adding rooms at an alarming rate. The family is worried and when a mysterious acting wizard arrives to "assist" Bran with some things but only seems to be stalking Celie and Rufus to see why they are so fixated with  a certain aspect of the castle's history things get even stranger.

What I love about these books is how much the focus is on family. Celie has a wonderful relationship with her siblings and parents. These stories are her stories, but the rest of her family plays a large part as well. This volume focuses more on Bran and her relationship with him. It was nice to have all of the beloved characters from the first book back again in this one too.

I don't want to say too much about the story so as not to spoil anything. I will simply say it is full of excitement, adventure, humor, and mystery. Any reader who loved Tuesdays in the Castle will love this too. The third book had better be ready soon because readers will definitely want it after the way this one ends...

I read an e-galley made available from Bloomsbury. Wednesdays in the Tower will be available for purchase May 7, 2013.

Comments

Brenda said…
I loved Tuesdays in the Castle, this one sounds intriguing. Can't wait to read it.
Brandy said…
It's different, but fun in a whole new way. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as the first.
LinWash said…
I loved Tuesdays at the Castle, so I'm excited about this sequel. I hope she'll keep going with the other days of the week!
Brandy said…
With the end of this one I would say there will definitely be at least one more. At least there better be...
Amy said…
I am so behind! I've been meaning to read Tuesdays at the Castle for a long time, and now I really want to read this one, too!
Brandy said…
They are both wonderful books. Enjoy!

Popular posts from this blog

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein...

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t...

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the...

Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper  by Daniel JosĂ© Older is everywhere. Best of lists. Award buzz. Blogs everywhere. It's one of those books everyone is reading and talking about. I had it on my TBR but decided I definitely needed to read it before the year was out just so I could weigh in on one of the most talked about books of 2015 if asked. It is deserving of every good thing said about it. Every. One. Sierra was looking forward to a relaxing summer break. Her plans involved hanging out with her friends and painting. They did not involve being chased by zombie like creatures and threatened by a magical power connected to her family's heritage she has never heard of. When murals begin fading all over her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sierra is perplexed. When her grandfather, who had a stroke, begins to apologize and starts repeating strange phases and insisting Sierra get the help of a boy she barely knows to help her finish her mural, Sierra is concerned but mostly about her grandfather. Then at a...

The Penderwicks in Spring

The Penderwicks is not just one of my favorite ongoing series; it is one of my favorite series of all time. I'm always astounded by the depth of emotion and diverse, realistic relationship dynamics Birdsall is able to capture with these characters. The Penderwicks in Spring  surpassed my expectations even though they were astronomically high already. It is now my favorite, having edged out  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street . Minor spoilers for first three book are in this review. If you haven't read this series, get started: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street The Penderwicks at Point Mouette   Spring is coming to Gardam Street and Batty and Ben Penderwick couldn't be more excited. The season is bringing with it anticipation and new opportunities. Nick Geiger, the Penderwicks' neighbor, is returning home on leave from the Army after being at war. Both Skye and Ba...