Witch Dreams

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780761454601
• Acclimatize: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Courage, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and amenities to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

Sixteen-year-old Nyssa can enter into people's dreams. Although the authorities of the medieval town of Lindenwolde would put her to death if they realized she was a witch, she feels compelled to practice her unique brand of witchcraft to answer the biggest question of her life: who broke into her father's woodworking shop and killed her parents? Six years after the murder, Nyssa finally gets her chance to enter the dreams of the man she suspects is responsible. Suddenly she finds herself on a reckless, relentless journey that leads her through a maze of adventures - both in the real world and in the world of the unconscious. Nyssa risks death as she finally identifies the murderer in a shocking and unexpected climax.

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Customer Reviews

Much more than I was expecting
Nyssa's parents were murdered when she was a young girl and her older brother was the only witness. Nyssa is convinced nobleman Elsdon is the murderer. but Elsdon's parents create a false alibi for their son and use their noble weight to avoid an inquiry. Soon after, Elsdon is sent away and Nyssa spends the next six years brooding as a local serving girl. Nyssa is not an ordinary girl, however; she is a witch. With a person's token hidden under her pillow, Nyssa is able to enter the token owner's dreams and see dreams of things they wish, things they fear, or things that have actually happened. When Elsdon returns six years later, Nyssa decides to use a token of Elsdon's to spy on his dreams and discover once and for all the truth of her parents' deaths.

Like all of Vivian Vande Velde's books, Witch Dreams is deceptively deep. Clocking in at only 158 pages, this slim novel packs in sympathetic and well-drawn characters, an engaging plot, and an emotional punch. The questions of who murdered Nyssa's parents and how are expertly spun and keeps the reader guessing until the end. Unlike many of her fantasy stories, this one is much more serious and has almost none of VVV's notable wry humor. Sad, but very recommended.

2010-07-08 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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surprisingly impressive
I was really surprised by his book. I've read some of VVV's stuff and mostly found her books not too impressive. I know her to be funny and sometimes kind of sweet, but mostly funny. Never very serious. I grabbed this off the shelf and ten pages in I thought I knew exactly where it was going, based on the theme she knocked us over the head with in "now you see it" and "a well-timed enchantment." I wasn't wrong, but she kind of skipped over that for more important things and went a lot deeper than I expected her too. The body of the book was passable though not incredibly engrossing, but the ending more than made up for it. I had not thought her capable of this subtly. Truth to tell, I would probably not be so very impressed if I had not started the book with such low expectations. But it really is a good story.

2009-05-19 (Seattle, WA USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Excellent book, interesting twist, great title
You won't know all the title entails until you read the whole book. I'll admit it doesn't take much to take me by surprise but this books ending fits it very well.

It takes slight madness to be genius. Vivian Vande Velde's an entertaining author. Short, short read, but it's worth it.

2007-08-23 (NJ United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Unique but choppy...
Arguably, this book was written for someone much younger than myself, yet I found I still enjoyed reading it. The sentence structure is a bit choppy, but considering the lead character and the age group this book was intended for, it works.

The lead character, Nyssa, discovers that there is something about her that makes her different... she's a witch. So not only does she have to learn to deal with that fact, the fact she can enter other people's dreams, and then having to deal with the death of her parents, all at a very young age, there is plenty in this book to keep the action and suspense going.

The subject matter of the book, sorcery and witchcraft, may not appeal to everyone, but it is written from that fantasy perspective, and shows the human side of a very tough time for a young girl, written during a time period when things such as witchcraft and sorcery were a part of history. Remember, this was during a time period when witches were burned for practicing sorcery of any kind, thus adding to the drama of this young girl's life.

All in all, not a bad little book. Great for teens, and for adults who want an easy read that is enjoyable too.

2006-09-11 | ~~Professional Dreamer (Texas, USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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Surprise Ending
Only VVV can pack so much in just 120 pages. Nyssa is a witch. When she goes to sleep with a token under her pillow (a lock of hair, a stone, a knife, a piece of clothe) she falls into the dreams of that person. Nyssa thought herself a selfish child until her parents were killed, now, six years later their killer has returned and she plans to expose him or else. But this strange young man seems to know more than Nyssa expects.

I can't say more, otherwise I'll ruin it. This book is advertized as young adult, but believe me, it doesn't matter if your an adult or young adult you'll love VVV's books. They're vivid, interesting, action packed, definitely worth your time. I've loved everyone I've read thus far.

2006-07-17 (Duson, Louisiana United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Heir Apparent

Description

In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, there are way too many ways to get killed--and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Which is a darn shame, because unless she can get the magic ring, locate the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue, charm the army of ghosts, fend off the barbarians, and defeat the man-eating dragon, she'll never win.

And she has to, because losing means she'll die--for real this time.

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Customer Reviews

good book
A thriller for all gamers. You will be talken thought an andventure made just for gamers. a nether great book by vivian vande velde.

2010-06-07 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Heir Apparent is amazing
This book Heir Apparent is probably the best sci-fi, videogame, and fantasy book I have ever read. It is action packed and an addicting page turner. I couldn't stop reading Heir Apparent. I was like Abas when he couldn't stop boasting about himself. The events were also intriguing.
It was very scary when Princess Janine went into the burned down church with the hundreds of dead bodies. I thought one of them would jump up at her. The other scary event was when the barbarians attacked the royal castle and kidnapped Wulfgar. Luckily nobody was shot with an arrow {except maybe a few guards and barbarians}. This book was serious but, very funny.
Queen Adreana repeatedly called the Princess a sheep or pig girl. Abas never stopped bragging about him. Sister Mary Ursula was one with oneness pretty much the whole book. That is why I will cherish this book. I would recommend reading this book.

2010-04-20 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Heir Apparent
Heir Apparent is one of the most fun books I've ever read. It's what choose your own adventure books should be. Every little choice that the main character makes could end up leading to her death, and it often does. I did not mind the story starting over numerous times because Giannine learned from her mistakes. It could have easily been repetitive, but every story was different. I felt there was a perfect mixture of trial and error and I enjoyed every path that was taken. I also enjoyed that Giannine didn't do anything that was obviously wrong or stupid. She thought out every choice and understood the severity of her situation. Obviously, Heir Apparent isn't focused on character development, which may be a problem to some. For me it is understandable since the main character is playing a fictional character over a short amount of time. Instead, Heir Apparent is a fun adventure that is funny, heartwarming, and charming. I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed myself. If you are looking for a fun adventure style fantasy then look no further. YA fantasy at it's best.

2009-12-06 | Ravenous Reader | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Crazy great for anyone who enjoyed "Groundhog Day" the movie
This book includes swords and battles, kings, peasants, barbarians, puzzles, dragons, magic users and light hearted teen-romance. It is the best book my boys, ages 11 and 12, and I have read from this genre.

They enjoy playing video games that involve problemsolving in order to make it to the next level. This book is a living video game in which the main character is playing a virtual reality game. The incredible choices she makes are full of character, thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and kindness. Making decisions based on this type of character lead her to victory. It is stunningly creative!

If you enjoyed the ending to the movie, "Groundhog Day", you will thoroughly love this book.

2009-06-17 | Director of the Longway Academy (Trophy Club, Texas United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Pretty boring
Being a lover of video games for my entire life I was excited to read this book. The start of the book had me turning the pages quickly eager to see what happened. Our girl, telling the story, is given a gift certificate to use at the virtual gamily facility. She goes to redeem her certificate. Shortly after entering the game Heir Apparent, she is informed that the game is more than that. Her life is on the line due to an attack by an anti-game group protesting outside. This was where I was really starting to get into the book. Then she died and had to start over. This is a common occurrence in video games. Then she dies again, a different way. This is where I begin to lose count on how many times she died, why she died, what was happening next, etc. At this point in the book I became bored. The farther I got into it the more I had to force myself to continue reading. I kept hoping it would liven up, but it just didn't. This isn't a bad book; I found it more boring than exciting and the page turning died off the more the character died. If you're looking for a video game related story I'd suggest Epic (Epic) over this book.

2009-02-26 (Colorado, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Never Trust a Dead Man

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Boldness, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and serving to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780152064488
• Prepare: USED - Very Good

Description

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Customer Reviews

Engrossing and Fun
This is a fun medieval fantasy. It has unique plot twists, though at times it's predictable. It makes us feel for the hero, hold our breath when he's in danger, and root for him. There is some great humor in it, maybe a little risqué for readers under twelve. For example, a young man is disguised as a young woman who left town for mysterious reasons, and is asked `when was your baby born?'
To add to the fun, the victim comes back to life, in the form of a very annoying bat that follows our hero around demanding people work harder to solve his murder.
The characters are well developed, some as likable, honest people, others as jerks, some as villans
If you want a short book that is full of suspense, mystery and laughs, this is for you. Recommended especially for young teens, though older teens who want something light will enjoy it too.

2009-12-21 | SR | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Well Written, Well Done Medieval Mystery/Fantasy Book
Vivian Vande Velde is a terrific writer and writes great young adult books. This is the second book of hers that I have read and it is just as wonderful as the other. The story takes place in Medieval Britain. A young man who is disappointed in love becomes accused of the murder of another young man who is going to marry the girl the other young man loves. This accusation causes him to receive the death penalty - to be entombed with the young man's body forever. A witch steps in and saves him for a price - years off his life span and allows the dead man's spirit to guide him in the form of a bat. There is humor, adventure and mystery in the story as well as fantasy. I don't think anyone but Vivian Vande Velde can bring it off so well. She's a great writer and better than most young adult writers. I think she is highly underappreciated. Hopefull she will be recognized soon.

2009-01-05 | The ESOL Teacher (Webster, NY United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Dirty Laundry
One day while removing stumps from a field, young Selwyn finds out that he is being accused of the murder of a semi-rival. The both were trying for the hand of the same girl and Selwyn lost. Now that his rival is dead, Selwyn is believed guilty as a matter of course. Before he even knows what is happening, he is officially found guilty and imprisoned in the burial tomb where the dead rival is being laid to rest. All seems hopeless until Selwyn gets a visit from a witch looking for some hair from a newly dead man. Selwyn now has a chance of survival and that means a chance of clearing his name.

Clearing his name is not a simple as Selwyn thinks it should be. To do so he will need help from the witch and that will cost him time in her service. One of the things he needs is to contact his dead rival who's soul is then brought back into a bat. At every turn Selwyn finds himself deeper in debt to the witch and no closer to his goal. His new bat companion is a real jerk and Selwyn keeps uncovering details conveniently not mentioned previously. As the plot progresses, the number of suspects continues to grow as the deceased was not exactly liked. How Selwyn manages to complete his task in the little time he has makes for a fun story.

Part of this book reminded me of the film Drowning Mona where the question isn't so much who committed the murder but who didn't. It is fun to see the town's hidden scandals and secrets revealed as Selwyn tries to figure out who the murderer is. A fun and fast-paced tale full of magic, mystery and scandal. Check it out.

2006-06-13 (Chicago, IL United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Lilliths review
sewlyn is accused and stuck in a cave to die. elswyth an old witch helps him out but he has to pay a year for it he alsoasks her to bring back farolds soul so he can help find who might have killed him. They go back to the town as a pilgrim a bat and are ran out by orik the tavern owner. the next time they go back he is disguised as kendra, oriks daughter, and a golden finch for farold. during this time they find out that anora was mad at kendra because she had farolds baby. thats why kendra was sent away. then she comes back while sewlyn is at farolds uncle and still disguised like her.

2005-12-16 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Fun read
Young adult book about seventeen year old, Selwyn Roweson. The story begins with Selwyn being accused and convicted as a murderer. It's kind of hard to protest when they've gagged your mouth and you have no say in the matter. Because there is no executoner in the small town and the townspeople don't want to have to wait for the authorities, they decide to bury Selwyn with the dead body in a local burial cave. The dead, Farold, was never a friend of Selwyn. As a matter of fact, the two boys were both vying for the hand of the same pretty girl. (She chose Farold.) But when a strange witch shows up inside the dark cave and shows Selwyn the way out (after agreeing to payment), Selwyn finds himself with a chance to find the real killer (with the help of the witch and the dead Farold).

Wittily told. I laughed throughout.

2005-09-19 (Duson, Louisiana United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Dragon's Bait

Product Details

• ISBN13: 9780152166632
• Accustom: New
• Notes: BUY WITH Nerve, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and servicing to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

Fifteen-year-old Alys is not a witch. But that doesn't matter--the villagers think she is and have staked her out on a hillside as a sacrifice to the local dragon.
It's late, it's cold, and it's raining, and Alys can think of only one thing--revenge. But first she's got to escape, and even if she does, how can one girl possibly take on an entire town alone?
Then the dragon arrives--a dragon that could quite possibly be the perfect ally. . . .

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Customer Reviews

Tastes like Chicken
First off, I'm not a huge fantasy fanatic. I delve mostly into chick lit and YA romances, but this sparked my interest. Velde paints a wonderful and charming pictures of persecution, and the toils of revenge. The dialogue is quick-witted, the characters spunky, and the plot is quick. I wish she could've lingered a bit more on the character relationship between Selendrile and Alys as their friendship blossoms from a parasitic contract into...well, you'll see. I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel, that's for sure!

If you aren't a huge fan of high-fantasy, at least give this one a try. Velde's writing is charming and cuts to the point. She doesn't over-flatter the reader with useless adjectives or page-long descriptions. She writes in a flow that's so quick, you find yourself turning to the last page before you know it!

Wonderfully written. It comes highly recommended by a non-fantasy bookworm!

2010-04-27 | Pash (South Carolina, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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LOVE it wish there was a sequel
i fell in love with this book when i read it. its one of those that i could reread over and over because it is entertaining.Very witty with subtle hints at a possible romance. the characters are endearing and wouldnt i love to find a guy like selendrile tho he isnt really human. It is a must read! you wont be dissapointed.

2010-03-29 (bay area) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Short and Sweet
I've read a few short YA books lately, most of which have been good. This one is the shortest of any of them, and it is also good, but lacks the depth that the other books have. The dragon character doesn't have much of a personality at all, and the girl accused of being a witch is driven only by revenge. I was waiting for the part where the girl realized that revenge doesn't make you feel any better, but I don't think she really got to that point, not truly. I still don't understand why the dragon is drawn to the girl, nor why he decides to help her with her revenge. Since he barely talks and has no feelings, I guess we will never know. Still, the book is enjoyable. It is so short that I had no problem reading it quickly, I finished it and thought it was okay. Nothing special about it at all that would warrant any rating above a three. There is no complexity, no excitement, just go from here to there, plot a bit of revenge, and move on. I know that YA can be deeper and better than this, but oh well. Dragon's Bait is an enjoyable little escape from reality, and to some it may be fun to see a girl reek havoc on her tormentors. To me it just felt shallow.

2009-11-24 | Ravenous Reader | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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Great fantasy for anyone, though a little short
As a young teen, this book introduced me to the world of fantasy and dragon loving.

15-year-old Alys is falsely accused of witchcraft by a greedy shop owner who wants her deceased father's property. She is left out as dragon's bait and is convinced she's going to be eaten, but then the dragon decides on a whim to help her get revenge. Selendrile, as he calls himself in human form, helps Alys ruin the lives of the people who ruined hers. But in the end, she starts wondering if revenge is all it's cracked up to be.

This book has a great message about revenge and is highly entertaining. Just watching Selendrile trying to fit in with humans is reason enough to pick up this great fantasy story. I read it when I was 11 and almost ten years later I still go back and reread it. You won't regret buying this book!

2008-01-20 (Wisconsin, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Alys & Selendrile
I first read this book when I was 12. Years later, the characters and plot are still very alive in my mind. This is something to mention, due to my attention span (not really what you'd associate with a temperament of endurance).

I like books that are fast-paced, and that do not bog the reader down with too many unnecessary details. The way the romance played out in this book was done with much skill and taste. The author engages readers of all ages, which is both admirable and inspiring.

I found myself going back to Dragon's Bait, and many other books by Vivian Vande Velde, throughout my teenage years. That hasn't really changed now that I'm older. Her books lack yawn-worthy pretentious prose which I find all too abundant in many other books for Young Adults, which is of course just in my opinion, but also why I give this delightful book five stars.

--Jess C Scott, Author of EyeLeash: A Blog Novel

2007-08-22 (Outer Space) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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The Conjurer Princess

Description

A young princess, Lylene apprentices herself to a wizard in order to gain the power to rescue her older sister, kidnapped during her wedding by armed knights, and, armed with her new magic, she joins forces with a couple of handsome outlaw companions as she embarks on her quest. Original."

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Seventeen-year-old Beryl's wedding ends in murder when a baron abducts the bride. The church and law turn a blind eye to the abduction while Lylene, Beryl's younger sister, is left homeless and seething for vengeance. Lylene goes to a wizard for help, bargaining to learn magic. The bargain has a bitter dark side not fully explained to Lylene ... and so does Beryl.

Like the stories in Vivian Vande Velde's collection Curses, Inc., this character-driven novel has an ironic bite. Despite her good intentions, Lylene's naïvete is her undoing.

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Customer Reviews

Wonderful! Gets a spot on the "Special Shelf"
Beryl is abducted on her wedding day by a rival noble, the groom killed, and the church turns a blind eye to the whole episode. Frustrated and seething for revenge, Lylene, Beryl's younger sister, sets out to save her sister and bring justice upon her abductor. Consulting first an immoral wizard and then taking up with an amoral but kind pair of mercenaries, Lylene's quest gains her magical powers, maturity, enemies, loss, and friends.

Vivian Vande Velde is a master at creating entertaining stories with fast-paced plots, wry humor, and snappy dialogue that keep the reader thoroughly engaged. Perhaps even more important, however, is her ability to create multi-dimensional characters who are both flawed and endearing. The Conjurer Princess contains three of my absolute favorite literary companions and gets a well-deserved spot on the "Special Shelf" of books that are near to my heart and have been read and reread countless times.

2010-07-05 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Does Not Wrap up 'Changeling Prince'
You won't enjoy this book if you're looking for a sequel to `The Changeling Prince'. Weiland and Shile are only supporting character in this book. Their pasts aren't mentioned nor are any other characters from `The Changeling Prince' mentioned.
The heroine is not a princess, nor are her powers described very much. She only does one type of spell, and we never learn if she can do more. She is not a very well-developed character. At one point she's turned into an old woman and we don't really hear much from her about it. Plus she's always thinking she isn't pretty - the cover illustration is of course beautiful. Her motivations for what she does aren't explained enough. Shile and Weiland aren't well-developed in this book, either. (And Weiland was great in the `Changeling Prince')
The book starts out being pretty exciting and good, but it gets frustrating. The romance at the end doesn't make sense, because it's developed after the death of a friend of the couple, and while they are running for their lives.
It would be a much better book if it were longer, spent more time on the characters, and had a sequel

2009-12-21 | SR | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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The Conjurer Princess...so close to being a significant fantasy read.
An fantasy/adventure that had great potential!

I picked up this book as I was looking for something to read at the local library and despite the 'Harlequin Romance' like cover I decided to try it.

Some likes and dislikes...

The Pros:

1.)The core of this book was developed around a very intriguing and interesting fantasy twist, i.e. the unique talent(s) this heroine had been given.

2.)The character developments were fairly well done; reasonably genuine and believable people with traits the reader will identify with, and either like or dislike as the case may be.

3.)The story itself was very good; it had the potential for being developed into a major stand alone work or maybe even an ongoing series.

The Cons:

1.)Although there were some great moments in this book, I found a few areas in which some of the writing was rather weak; especially with dialogues between characters in some situations.

2.)The book was quite short; just over 200 pages, so some of the miraculous escapes (especially at towards the end) were done with out much explanation and generally seemed to lack detail. I had the feeling the author just wanted to get this work finished and said the heck with a realism or attempting to put more plausibility into the latter part of the story.

3.)And finally, one personal concern. When I mentioned above that the cover had a 'Harlequin Romance' appearance to it...well so did an ongoing and undercurrent theme of this story. Unfortunately, the 'romance' aspect seemed to become more dominant towards the latter part of the book, and this may have been the reason that the description the 'escape' near the end seemed to 'suffer' in relative importance, receiving less attention than it deserved.
To me I guess it comes down to this; if you like your high fantasy 'burdened with swooning hearts' well fine and good; but not for me, thank you very much. It's just that I like fantasy that tends (by and large) to separate the its action from the romance.

Conclusion:
A fantasy/adventure that was so close to being great. The 'gift?' the heroine had, was extremely interesting; so much more could have been done with some better writing (in spots), providing some added descriptions and substance. One had the feeling that a good editor could have really helped polish this story and subsequently raised the standard to a greater height. 3 1/2 Stars.

Ray Nicholson

2009-01-07 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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I am fast becoming a V.V.V. fan!
This is only the second book I read by Vivian Vande Velde, and it was very good. It is a quick fun read, but don't let that throw you off the deeper point - the cost of magic, and the responsibility that comes with having it.

Lylene's sister Beryl is kidnapped on her wedding day by an evil bandit, who kills several people in the process. Furious, Lylene decides to learn magic in order to rescue her sister. However, the magician tries to trick her, and in the end, she winds up being able to duplicate any object she can touch. The catch is she becomes about 80 years old! She is able to wish her years off onto anyone that she can touch though.

She leaves the magician and soon takes up with two bandits. They decide to help her, not that they have much choice after they have the whole county after them, but well.... And the rest of the story is about how she rescues her sister. Except at the end there is a twist that NO ONE sees coming, so I won't give it away. The ending is sad, but satisfying and has a good moral. I just want to know what happens to Lylene and Weiland!

2005-08-06 | Wren | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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A great book with twists, turns, death, betrayal and magic!
This book is a great book that had me on the edge of my seat. Every chapter has great twists and unexpected turns. The main character, Lylene, is on a mission to rescue her "pretty" sister after she was kidnapped on her wedding day. Lylene seeks the help of the wizard, Harkta. He agrees to teach her magic but Lylene was less than satisfied with her new 'powers'. She stops at a small inn in a strange town seeking the help of anyone who will help her retrive her sister. She makes two unexpected friendships when she meets Weiland and Shile, two traveling friends who help Lylene out of a sticky situation. The trio set out on an exciting adventure that lead them through twists, turns, death, betrayal, magic, suspicion, and even a little romance. This is a fantastic novel that I would anyone who likes great books.

2003-01-03 | Helpful Votes: 4 | Rating: 5

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Magic Can Be Murder

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Belief, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and air force to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Form: New
• ISBN13: 9780547258720

Description

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Customer Reviews

Hard to put down
Two witches, Nola and her mother, are living a tough
life. They are constantly on the run, fleeing from towns
people who suspect their secret. When Nola casts a spell,
and leaves it unattended, everything goes wrong. She finds
herself wrapped up in murder story. Will she be able to
reveal the murderer, or will she be accused, herself, by
the man she's falling for?

This story I found, was hard to put down, especially
near the end. It has an ending I never expected. I was
surprised by how well she put together the plot, with it
being a mystery, and a romance. I recomend this book to
anyone who loves a funny, mystery, and a little bit of
romance.


Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

2010-02-27 | FLAMINGNET COM (Baltimore, Maryland USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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Quite an Enchanting Read!
Such a fun (and totally cute) read. Magic Can Be Murder harkens back to yesteryear...there is no specified location or time but one gets the feeling of feudal Europe. In this story we meet Nola and her mother who are constantly moving from place to place to hide their special abilities....because they are in fact, witches. They travel from place to place seeking a bit of work for some food and shelter but at each stop, something seems to go slightly wrong and forces them quickly along to a new place. We are drawn into a feeling of connection to and an appreciation of these characters as we learn a bit about Nola and her mother's backgrounds. Now 17, Nola had a sad and lonely childhood where she could never really connect with or relate to her friends because what was normal for her (magic) was alien to them and dangerous for both her and her mother should anyone find out. Complicating things are all of the "voices" her mother listens to in her head. As we join the story, Nola and her mother are working in the hot sun, picking berries for a farmer in Low Beck. A simple (if backbreaking) job; unfortunately the farmer has more in mind for Nola than paying her a days wages for picking berries...and thus begins their most recent round of fleeing the area. Not long after they run from the farmer they come to a Silversmiths house and there Brinna the maid needs extra help in preparation for the Silversmith's upcoming wedding.

What seems like a stroke of good luck (several days work, food and a decent room for a few days) quickly becomes something much more than they bargained for when the silversmith becomes angry with them and they must flee again. Later, when they've settled in for work at an inn (which strangely suits both of them) Nola sees the silversmith murdered whilst scrying to see if her previous spell is still working (they had to leave so fast it she left the hair in the water). Worried that they will be discovered, Nola concocts a plan to return and undo the spell still in place at the smith's house...a plan that leads to one bad turn after another for her. How will she ever get out of this mess and back to her mother? Read and find out...you'll be enchanted, I'm sure.

Mostly Magic Can Be Murder is a mystery with a bit of a witchy twist and just a touch of happily-ever-after romance thrown in. It's a fairly simple and straight-forward story of two women barely scraping by in life, moving from place to place trying to hide natural witch talents and those talents are both a boon and a burden in the story. I loved the authors use of scrying and glamour...both served to move the story along without having to put in too much explanation (if the main character can see what's happening elsewhere that makes moving the story along much easier)...plus both abilities also provide humor in what might quickly become a tedious and depressing tale. I give Magic Can be Murder four stars...it's highly readable, just perfect for the 9-12 year old range! Heck, even I found it quite entertaining (and I'm 35).

2007-03-16 (Scottsdale, AZ) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 4

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Marissa's Magic Can Be Murder Review
Marissa Snow

Magic Can Be Murder
By: Vivian Vane Velde
An interesting fact about Magic can be Murder is that Nola, the main character, is a witch who can spy on people by plucking a hair from that person, getting a bucket of water, saying an incantation, and dropping the hair into the bucket.

I found the book because I love stories about magic and stuff like that. I would totally recommend the story. This story is suspenseful, enchanting, and hard to put down. The kind of person who would like this story would be any age person really and someone who LOVES magic related stories. This story was a page-turner because when you start to read it you like get sucked into the story you become Nola or you become Innis. It was not at all hard to concentrate on this book because if you really like magic books then you can't really get distracted while you read it. I connected the most with Nola's mother because she is some-what crazy and spontaneous just like me. I loved this genre because it is (like I said before) a really exciting type of story. I was not too fond of the writing style because I like the stories that are like diary format. YES, there were suprises in the story like when Kirwyn killed Innis I thought that he was going to kill Brinna or Alan but not his own father! No, almost every chapter ended with a cliff-hanger but not all of them. Like it when Kirwyn killed Innis the author tells you what Nola does and when she does it so it doesn't leave you hanging. This story was not the least bit boring to me at all. I loved the genre, the theme, the title pretty much everything except the style of the writing. Yes, my mind wandered when reading but it was always things like about the story that made my mind wander. The Plot was so unbelievable like shocking because I didn't think Nola's mother was going to make it to the end of the story. I think that everyone really would enjoy reading it.

2003-12-04 (Huntley, IL) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A Book that has Almost Everything
Magic Can Be Murder is a great book by a very witty author, Vivian Vande Velde, (try saying that five times fast).

The book is about Nola and her mother, who both are witches. After fleeing from their horrible employer they end up in a small town where they get a job as maids. One night Nola enchants a bucket of water and drops a human hair into the water (a way of seeing the person who the hair belongs to). As soon as the image appears in the bucket Nola regrets enchanting the bucket because she sees her employers son spying on Brinna, another servant. Then a murder takes place!

I enjoyed this book simply because it kept you at the edge of your seat and was dotted with humor (such as the fact that Nola's mother had a spirit of a baby in her pinky and that Nola's mother is very strange and eccentric. I strongly reccomend that you read this book.

2003-11-22 | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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Magic Can Be Murder review
Hi, I am here to tell you about the book Magic Can Be Murder. The author of this book is Vivian Vande Velde. There are 197 pages in this book. The author also wrote newbery winning story, Never Trust A Dead Man.Ther genre of this book is fantasybecause i contains a lot of magic in this book.
The setting of this book is about our time. The story is about a daugter and a mother. It starts at this one place where they are slaves for this one man to get food. The man thinks she is nice and they run away casting magic at them with magic...
Will they stay or will they get out?
The things that I liked about this book, are that it is a suspense book,adventure, and you try to find out what the book means.
I would reccomend this book to teen kids that a school might want to read together with a group. Again please read Magic Can Be Murder. THE END

2002-12-14 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

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