Deva FaganCritiques

A girl who steals faces. A prince in a cursed sleep. An imposter that spreads blighted magic. It's a fabulous adventure! And there's a small gray cat named Moth whose thoughts the protagonist can hear. Cat characters are always a plus!

I read this as part of my Nebula reading packet. This book is a finalist for the Norton Award.

Fable lives near the Mirrorwood, a wall of thorns that contains a cursed kingdom. Fable has also endured her own curse her entire life--she has no face, and must steal someone else's every few days or she gets weak and begins to waste away. Other people who are "Blighted" might have animal characteristics or magical powers, which is why there are Blight hunters who kill people who are cursed. Fable's large family loves her and has kept her hidden--until now. A Blight hunter with a young apprentice find her, and Fable is stunned when she flees and ends up on the other side of the thorns--right along with the apprentice who was supposed to kill her.

The book is a fun read, though pretty predictable all the way through. Even so, Fable is a great character, and I just adored her loyal talking cat, Moth.

I loved the ending of this novel when Lark realizes that she can't be a hero alone, that was lovely. Sophie and Prince Jasper are awesome supporting characters, they are both smart, quirky, and loyal friends. I love middle grade fantasy novels, they are quick reads and keep you interested from beginning to end.

What an amazing adventure! Nightingale thrills readers with a story of magic, mystery, and a hair-raising battle against a supernatural villain.

There are many things I love about this book. The story is told from the perspective of Lark, and you feel completely in her shoes and immersed in her world. At first she is distrustful and just trying to survive, but the momentous changes in her life lead her to become someone very different, and it’s wonderful to experience her transformation.

(💫For my full review and to find out what book you should read next if you liked The Great Fox Illusion check out my book blog: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2022/07/27/review-nightingale-by-de... )

The story is fast-paced and keeps you wanting to know what’s going to happen next. The theme of fighting injustice, no matter who you are or where you’re from, is particularly powerful. The background world of Gallant feels real – even the magical “aetherium” which is dug up in the mines and has so many strange uses seems like an actual substance. Reading the book, you almost feel as though you are walking down the kingdom’s streets – or rather, with the help of Sword, flying over them!

This book was a cross between Divergent, I Am Number Four, and Harry Potter. The main character spends most of the book trying to find out whether she belongs in this crazy, amazing circus only to discover that it isn't really a circus at all, but a space ship which may or may not be a living organism. By the end, it seems that nothing will be settled unless there is a sequel or series.

I feel like this is a younger, less violent, sister to [b:Graceling|3236307|Graceling|Kristin Cashore|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xYPjLFCTL._SL75_.jpg|3270810] and [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1209501026s/2767052.jpg|2792775]. Fortunata is so aggressively self-reliant; she just struck me as the sort of girl who could grow up into a Katsa or Katniss if the circumstances required. Plus she’s smart and resourceful and funny. I love how the story suggests that trusting yourself and working for what you want will get you a happy ending you might not have even dared to dream about.

With all the best bits of fairytales popping-up, and a girl who doesn’t always get things right but doesn’t give up hope, I think this is a great read for kids and tweens. It would probably be really fun as a read aloud as well.

This book had a good foundational story, but, when you wanted the excitement to come as the story was leading you to it, it dropped the ball, the excitement only came once even though the build up was in so many chapters... So sad.

A fresh homage to the fairy tale tradition. Very brave and smart girl, who shows us how magical and thrilling life & the world & love can be, despite no actual magic. Clean and accessible for children as young as 9 or so, even though the girl is 17.

A quick-paced fairy tale about a false prophecy, royal deception and the love of a prince.

Fortunata and her father have fallen on hard times since her mother’s death. They end up joining a group of traveling performers and Fortunata learns the deception of telling fortunes to make money. She ends up being tricked into spinning a grand fortune for a prince; Fortunata prophecies that a hidden princess will be found and proven by the fitting of a golden slipper but first the slipper must be obtained from a witch in the woods who will be defeated by a weapon found by the prince. The kindgom’s future leadership rests on this elaborate story and Fortunata has to ensure it all comes true or her father will be killed. However her “prophecy” never accounted for her falling in love with the prince herself.

An absorbing read for those who appreciate a sweeping, romantic fairy tale and a strong female character who’s not afraid to take matters into her own hands.

A fast-paced book, which made it quick and easy to read. The technology and science-fiction aspects, like space battles, aliens and planets, made it interesting.

Beatrix Ling has problems. As if it wasn't bad enough that her astronaut parents died in a rocket explosion, leaving her stuck in a boarding school full of mean girls and harsh teachers, now there is a mysterious man creeping into her room at night, trying to steal the one thing her parents left in her care. When her hair inexplicably turns bright pink, Trix knows she is in for even more trouble than usual. But before the headmistress can catch a glimpse of Trix's new 'do, Trix stumbles through a mirror at the Circus Galacticus, which she is visiting on a school field trip. And that's when she learns that the Circus Galacticus is no ordinary circus . . .

I'm not sure if it was the mostly-black cover or the circus-inspired title font, but this book languished on the "New Books" shelf at my library for some time. I was intrigued by the description on the back of the book, so I took a chance on it, and I'm glad I did. This book is a lot of fun to read. It's a little bit typical in spots (outsider orphan, bleak boarding school, then the orphan is whisked away to a life of adventure where she is accepted and valued and gets a chance to save the universe/her friends/etc.) but enjoyable nonetheless. The best part, in my opinion, was the description of Trix's life on board the Big Top as she makes new friends, experiences new food, and learns how the circus operates and finds a place within it. There's no romance, but there's a hint of the possibility of future romance, making this book just about right for the upper elementary or middle-school reader. The plot has a couple of weak spots of the sort you would expect in this type of story -- some things are not fully explained, and some things are a little too conveniently coincidental, but it's forgivable because the story as a whole is so much fun.½

When Fortunata's mother dies, and her gentle father - believing that the fairies had abandoned him - loses his shoe-making skills, the young girl must grow up fast, shouldering the burden of caring for herself and her befuddled parent. Fleeing the city of Valenzia, after she makes an enemy of Captain Niccolo of the Guard, Nata and her father fall in with a traveling fortune-teller, and her violent companion. With her quick wit, and keen eye for detail, Nata is soon training as a fortune-teller herself, although she has no belief in magic or divination. But when she is forced to make a prophecy for the royal family of Doma, and her father's life depends on that prophecy being fulfilled, Nata finds herself setting out, in the company of Prince Leonato, to make fairy-tales come true...

This book came highly recommended by a number of friends, some of whom are far stricter than I, when it comes to rating children's fantasy, so when it was chosen as this month's Children's Fiction Club selection, I was quite excited to read it. Unfortunately, although I found it an enjoyable story, on the surface level, it failed to really engage me, emotionally or intellectually. The settings, whether Valenzia, Doma, or the Black Wood, never felt entirely real to me, and I couldn't take the characters wholly to heart. I liked the allusions to various fairy-tales - the Cinderella-esque slippers, the Rapunzel-ish long-haired princess in the tower - but although I am sympathetic to this sort of project, and deeply interested in the fantasy and retold fairy-tale genre, Fortune's Folly felt a little flat to me. Still, I did enjoy it, it read fairly smoothly, and as it's a first attempt on author Deva Fagan's part, I'll probably give her work another try, at some point.

This book is about a teen outcast who gets swept off her feet by an intergalactic circus whose members happen to be a players in a longstanding space feud. I'm sure if I were in middle school and reading this book I would absolutely love it. There are some neat ideas (intergalactic circus=awesome) though I felt like the whole plot was a little unconvincing. I think the big problem I had was that the girl who claims to be so ill-treated by society can pick a side in what is essentially a race war so easily. But, all-in-all, not a horrible way to spend a few hours.

couldn't get into the fantasy world Fagan created perhaps another time

This is a charming fairytale with a clever heroine. It's also squeaky clean, suitable for the 8 and up princess-struck set, I'd think. It would be great fun to read aloud to someone all wrapped up in pink and glittery pajamas. There's plenty of adventure, a little bit of derring-do but never any actual gore. I look forward to seeing what comes next from Fagan's pen.

Disclaimer: I know the author of this charming book. But I'm also working hard to be objective. Just so you know.

Prunella Bogthistle is an inept bog-witch who can't even charm a wart onto her face. She does, however, catch a young thief in her grandmother's garden. Mischances and problems ensue, and the two of them end up having a host of scary adventures and meeting up with some unlikely heroes and villains. It's a whooshing ride of a book, with plot twists in plenty.

I love Prunella. When the book started, I thought she was going to be another ordinary misfit middle-school heroine, but she is so much more than that. She's prickly and confused and annoying and real. She's also maybe, just maybe, a little more magical than she thinks.

Fagan's got a deft hand with language. She delighted me early on with this:
"I'd beheld snappy city boys scrumming and playing like a pack of young hounds."
And this, much later, about a carnivorous flower:
"Those flowers are ravenous, and one of them had quite a lump in its trumpet."

Playful and fun. I enjoyed this heartily.

MSBA Nominee 2010-2011

This is a fairy tale about a girl who doesn't believe in magic but has to tell fortunes in order to keep her and her father alive. When she has to tell the prince a fortune, she tells a fantastical one that she's not sure is going to come true. And what happens if she falls in love with the prince in the meantime?

I thought it was pretty good but it wrapped up too quickly at the end.

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-7

Plot Summary: Nata's father went from the best shoemaker in the town to the worst after his wife passed and the fairies who cleaned his equipment disappeared. It's been up to Nata to run the household and sell the ugly shoes. On a bet with Niccolo, she is able to convince a girl to buy ugly shoes, and since he lost, Niccolo must wear a most hideous pair himself and give Nata 20 guilders. She uses the money to buy a feast for dinner and a donkey, and out of fear of Niccolo's anger, she and her father pack his tools in a wagon and flee the city. After a few weeks, Papa gets sick and when they wake up they discover their donkey was stolen. Ubaldo passes by and Nata has no choice but to ask for help. She discovers her donkey in his possession. Allesandra feels bad for Nata and convinces Ubaldo to let them travel with them. With no other choice, they do. Ubaldo is vicious and violent and Nata tries to stay away as much as possibly. Allesandra teachers Nata how to be a fortuneteller and pretend to be dead loved ones coming back to chat. She also tells Nata to save up pennies here and there so Ubaldo won't notice they are missing so that they can buy a donkey and be rid of Ubaldo. Before she has a chance to do that, Ubaldo beats up Allesandra. He doesn't stop until Nata started fighting him and lost her father's gold chain of honor. Distracted, he walked away with the gold chain. When Nata wakes up, Allesandra is gone. With no hope of catching her, Ubaldo tells Nata she is the new fortuneteller.

They travel to a few towns before heading to Sirenza, home of the Bloody Captain who killed all the royals so he could be king himself. After Ubaldo speaks with the Bloody Captain himself, they quickly leave town for Doma. Once there, Ubaldo leads Nata to the Queen, where Nata is surprised she must tell the fortune of the prince if he is to become King. She fumbles through it and is told she will accompany the prince the next morning for the quest.

Angry at Ubaldo for not telling her what she was going to do so she could come up with a better story, she is forced to go on the quest if she wants her father to survive. She sets herself to use her wits and charm to make everything happen. With doubts, Prince Leonato, Captain Ribisi, and Nata head out the next morning on the white horse Nata said they would find in the village and Nata's donkey. According to Nata's prophecy, which matches one of the tapestries in the palace, they must take a white horse to a village three days east, get a weapon to kill a witch and claim the other slipper, then head to Sirenza to find the princess who is still alive. Will they succeed? Will Nata let her own feelings for Leonato get in the way of their quest?

Setting: make believe cities reminiscent of fairy tales, including the travel to and from towns

Characters:
Nata - AKA Fortunata, nearly 18 y/o, quick-witted
Papa - received a gold chain for being the best shoemaker in Valenzia, sad and pathetic now, loves Nata
Niccolo - evil man in Vicenza, loses a bet with Nata and is forced to wear ugly shoes, is eventually forced to leave the town
Ubaldo - leader of traveling group, throws daggers as his money making scheme, violent and bad-tempered
Coso and Cristo - Ubaldo's sidekicks, help cook and run the place, Ubaldo doesn't share his fortunes with them
Allesandra - fortune teller who takes Nata under her wing, protects her from Ubaldo, saves her father with her medicine, and teachers Nata how to tell fortunes, about herbs and medicines, and shows her how to be a dead loved one when she has a customer who wants to talk to their dead loved one
Captain Ribisi - Leonato's body guard, Nata sees him sleeping on a letter he wrote, Nata suspects he is against Leonato and might be siding with Donata
Leonato - 18 y/o, Prince of Doma, stutters his S's and feels like it is his fault that the prophecy has not come true, very sweet and caring
Princess Donata - Leonato's aunt, mean-spirited and once sent away a beloved chef who was giving treats to Leonato and accused Leonato of doing it in the first place, doesn't want this adventure to happen either
Grimelda - witch in the woods, shares the story about Leonato's Grandmother and spills the beans about why Donata is so evil and how to make her go away
Princess Maridonna - screams when she isn't supposed to, fakely sweet
Tomas - Allesandra's husband, candlemaker and fireworks maker, helps rescue Nata from the water

Recurring Themes: loss of parent, fortune telling, travelers, first love

Controversial Issues:
repeated as a curse and location several times: seven Hells
wine is drunk by Ubaldo, Coso, and Cristo, Allesandra has a swig of a dark liquid when she gets back from Ubaldo throwing daggers, Nata comments one time toward the end that she might need some wine

Personal Thoughts: This one was pretty good. I liked the characters and character development. I had to keep guessing who was against Nata succeeding. There were a few twists but I still have some questions. How much was set up by Ubaldo and Niccolo? It seems like some of it was real, otherwise how would the witch have really gotten the other slipper? And what about the town having only one weapon?

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale-like, but not a fractured fairy tale and the main characters mention that they've read fairy tales befor

Pacing: medium, except for first 100 pages when the story gets set up
Characters: easy to keep track of, decent character development
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: Design shoes

There was just something about the book cover art and title that made me want to read Deva Fagan’s Circus Galacticus. I’ve known three people who previously worked in circuses, which always fascinated me. How cool it would be to have an intergalactic circus! Creatures from every galaxy coming to your hometown – WooHoo! After reading it, I can truthfully say this is going to appeal to people of all ages. After all, hasn’t everyone wanted to run away and join the circus at some point? You don’t have to be a scifi or fantasy fan to enjoy this one. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=2297

Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog

Beatrix Ling ,a teen misfit, wants nothing more than to belong in a place where she can be accepted. All her life she's been shunned and when she meets a dazzling young man named Ringmaster he knows things about her she can't resist. Completely fun read that's fast-paced with lost of adventure in between. A good care-free fantasy about learning to accept yourself and your search to get there. Beatrix is a brave girl I loved reading about along with her space adventures.

*Advance Reader Copy Provided by Publisher at Netgalley*½

Circus Galacticus

By Deva Fagan
Harcourt Children’s Books
(Ages 9-12)

Review by Debra L Scott

Imagine a circus hurdling through the stars. Imagine this star circus sets down in your town. Imagine falling through a mirror…. Circus Galacticus is the story of the daughter of astronaut parents who are killed in a space shuttle accident. This young orphan is sent to a boarding school where she just never seems to fit in. Then the circus comes to town. When Trix sees a message that seems tailor made for her on the circus poster, she is determined to find answers among the carnies and mirror houses. But there is a mysterious man chasing her and in her panic to get away, she falls through a gateway not meant for humans.

Fagan weaves a fun tale about cliques (as in not being part of one), friendship, and making assumptions about others. It is also very much about self-image and measuring ourselves against the abilities of others. It starts a little slow, but soon builds to a more intricate plot with several sub plots woven into the whole. The ending leaves a possibility open for sequels that follow the interesting stories of each of the different characters.

At first I was a bit put off, as it seemed to borrow heavily from Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, and from every other story about an outcast orphan in a boarding school. The author also seemed to want to write a character specifically for one very well known actor known for his outrageous portrayals of eccentrics. However, once the story got rolling it brought out its own flavor and was enjoyable on its own merits. What would you give to live on a spaceship primarily staffed by young teenagers, who divide their time between ship duties and practicing circus routines? How would you handle being chased by someone who seems to be able to suddenly appear just about anywhere? Circus Galacticus brews up some fun adventures and a few nail biting dangers. The talented kids know how to put their talents as equally to mischief as to the task at hand, and aren’t shy about fomenting a bit of rebellion when needed.

Curiously, I found on a search that Circus Galacticus exists as an unpublished graphic novel by Michael Walker and was scheduled in 2009 to be made into a film by Vanguard Films (which employs Michael Walker as a screenwriter/producer). I don’t know if it is the same story, but certain elements in the promo appear to echo the new book by Deva Fagan. It could be a coincidence, or there could be some agreement for collaboration on the story line, but it is curious that the previous title use is not mentioned in the promotional blurb. Perhaps it will be, as I was given the uncorrected proof to review, not the final version which is due out in November 2011

Themes: Magic, Fortune telling, love
Setting: fictional fairy tale land

Despite her auspicious name, Fortunata is very much down on her luck. Her mother has died and her father is too wrapped up in grief to pay any attention to his cobbler's shop. He's waiting for the elves to come back with their magic and make things right. But Fortunata knows better - her mother was the magic, and nothing can bring her back. After they run into trouble with a local bully of a Captain of a Guard, the two set off on their own.

But it's not long before the rest of their luck deserts them. Her father becomes ill and they are indebted to another bully and traveling merchant. Nata is apprenticed to the fortune teller and only her wits can protect her and her father.

Then Nata gets a chance to prophesy for a local prince, which sounds good, but it's her father's life on the line for the prophecy to come true. It's a pretty standard prophecy - set off on adventure, defeat a witch, rescue a princess, marry her, and live happily ever after - but Nata is the one who finds herself falling in love with the prince. Now how is she going to get out of this one?

I liked this story. It was fun. Fortunata was a strong character, but I didn't like that her father was portrayed as so weak. I liked the prince better, but I felt we could have gotten to know him better. Altogether, I would recommend this to girls who like fairy tale type books, but it's not a MUST READ THIS BOOK kind of recommendation. 3.5 stars.½

The personal quests of a young witch who aspires to be a villain and a young thief who is determined to become a hero intersect in a swampy bog.

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

Prunella wants to be a proper bog-witch, but her curses end up helping instead of harming.

Her inability to curse allows a thief, Barnaby, to escape from her grandmother's garden and gets Prunella banished until she can do a proper curse.

Barnaby is on a quest to gain fame and fortune by finding the Mirable Chalice and returning it to the queen. Now, Prunella must team up with the very thief who got her kicked out of her bog if she hopes to prove herself and return to her family, but helping Barnaby find the chalice might prove more dangerous than she thought.

A tale worthy of sharing! With Fagan's combination of a bog-witch and a thief as unlikely heroes, THE MAGICAL MISADVENTURES OF PRUNELLA BOGTHISTLE is a brilliant tale of discovery and acceptance sure to entertain readers for years to come.

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

Life is difficult for a shoemaker who has lost his skills, and even more difficult for his daughter, Fortunata. When they are forced to leave their home, things get even worse. Nata is forced into telling fake fortunes for a living, and before she knows it, she's tricked into telling the fortune of a prince.

If the fortune doesn't come true, Nata's father will pay the price. Fortunata's only hope is to make sure the prince secures a magic sword, vanquishes a wicked witch to recover a lost golden shoe, and rescues the princess.

If only fulfilling the fortune were as easy as telling it.

Though often predictable, I enjoyed reading about Nata's journey in FORTUNE'S FOLLY. The characters were fun and the fairy tale-type story was engaging enough to keep me reading. It wasn't a thrilling adventure, but I'll read more of Fagan's work because I like her writing style and ability to make me empathize with her characters.