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

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

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

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

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

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