The Last Enchanter (The Celestine Chronicles, 2)

In THE LAST ENCHANTER, months have passed since they succeeded in their quest. One of the boys, Kelvin, is living as royalty in Dokur, and Marcus is studying magic with Zyll. When Lord Fredric is murdered and Kelvin becomes king, the Enchanter Zyll and Marcus head for Dokur in hopes of protecting Kelvin from meeting the same fate, though it quickly becomes apparent that none of them are safe, and Marcus has had disturbing visions of Zyll's death. With the help of his old friends Clovis and Bryn, joined by new friend Lael, a feisty girl in search of her mother, Marcus uncovers a powerful secret that will change the course of his life forever." Opinion - This book is an AWESOME sequel to book 1 in the series, the Rock of Ivanore! I enjoyed The Rock of Ivanore because it is a great Middle Grade Fantasy book with a good plot and great characters. It is great to find a fantasy book for younger kids. For as much as I liked The Rock Of Ivanore, I enjoyed The Last Enchanter even more. First the cover of the book is really cool. I even like the expressions on the kid's (Marcus and Lael's) faces. I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover but it's really what makes you pick it up in the store. The plot was exciting and keeps you turning the pages. I liked that some of the things from the first book are explained a bit better in this book. The action was exciting and the characters are very believable. I really liked the spunky new character, Lael. She is fun to read about. There are great plot twists and things revealed that are a total surprise. At 275 pages this kid-friendly fantasy novel is great for younger kids - or even older ones who want a great story with fabulous characters. *NOTE I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really liked this book. I must state that I have not read the first book in the series, The Rock of Ivanore, and that didn't matter at all. I had no trouble following this book. I also really appreciated the fact that this book did not end in a cliffhanger. There will be a third book in the series, yet this book felt complete. I am not a fan of cliffhangers, and I really appreciated the fact that this book ended this particular tale. I think young readers will love this book. The author does a great job of sprinkling in great characters (Rylan, Brommel, to name a few). I loved Lael. She is a real firecracker. All in all; a hit! I recommend you read this book as well as the 1st book in the series (which I intend to do). I received a free book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Story- Marcus is at home again after healing his brother Kelvin and figuring out about the Rock of Ivanore. Kelvin has stayed behind in Dukur to train as a royal, while Marcus is once again studying magic with Zyll. All is not well. Marcus suffers severe pain every time he tries to use magic, a result of bringing Kelvin back from near death, and Marcus swears to never use magic again. When word of the king's death (murder) reaches Marcus, Zyll heads to Dokur to help Kelvin, leaving Marcus behind. However, Marcus sees a vision of Zyll's death and follows to warn and protect his grandfather. Clovis and Bryn join Marcus, along with Lael, a young girl from their village looking for her mother. Together they discover there is trouble in the Kingdom and secrets yet to be revealed. My Thoughts- A great fantasy sequel that will take readers on a journey into a new and magical world. The story takes place only months after the first book. Marcus is still a strong character, but the consequences of using his magic have affected him deeply. It took him so long in the first book to believe in himself, and now in the second he is hampered by pain. However, this brave boy is not stopped when he believes his grandfather's life is in danger. He heads out on a journey, ready to face what may come. A new character is introduced, Lael. She is spunky and feisty and I love her character development. She comes from an abusive family, where her father beats her, and her mother was sold into slavery. Instead of cowering, she hides money away from her father for years, waiting until she has enough coin to buy her mother back. She obviously has an interest romantically in Marcus, but poor girl, he is oblivious. One thing that confused me was the ending where Lael finds her mother. When the woman is revealed it didn't quite jive right. There is no way the mother would not have recognized Lael's story and learned her name. But, as a motive, a missing mother drives Lael to progress in the plot. I think I would have like a bit of a quest feeling when Marcus heads off to find the maker of the key. He heads into no-mans land, but the journey is way too easy and ends too fast. The conclusion of finding the key maker does reveal secrets to Marcus that advance the story and bring the whole book full circle, leading back to saving Kelvin and the kingdom. There are a couple character twirks that bothered me, but the overall story is fun and imaginative. There are motifs of family, bravery and courage that are well developed and add action to the story. As the characters grow, I'm thinking that we will be moving into YA for the next book. Hopefully there will be one, because we end with a great revelation.

Laurisa has put together an amazing world with characters so real, they could walk through the door, and you'd feel like you'd known them forever. The main character, Marcus, might be an enchanter's apprentice and of royal blood, but he still comes across as a normal boy with flaws and mistakes. His friends, with their fun banter and individual personalities, not only help him through even the tightest situation, but add the perfect amount of fun and spunk to the story. The story around Marcus is very complex for the intended age group and doesn't run the danger of talking down to them. If nothing else, I found some parts/themes maybe a little too mature for this age group, although the writing itself fits very well. There's lots of action; I especially enjoyed the sword fighting scenes - terrific! Although the main plot centers around Marcus, I enjoyed the sub-plots and the way they weaved together at the end. At times, I would have liked to have seen the story move along a little faster, but there were enough unanswered question and surprising twists to keep me turning page after page. The short chapter length was definitely a plus, giving the reader a chance to take a break and not loose their place. The ending? Of course, I won't spoil it, but it has all the tension and adventure and discoveries that a fantasy like this needs.

THE LAST ENCHANTER is the sequel to THE ROCK OF IVANORE, and I definitely wished that I had read that first. I picked up most of the details, but I was confused about some bits, like why Marcus wasn't invited to court with his brother Kelvin, since he should be in line for the throne as well. However, I still enjoyed THE LAST ENCHANTER. I wish the storyline about Lael, a childhood friend who tags along with Marcus when he sets out to warn his brother about an assassination threat, was better incorporated. It seemed like an attempt to shoehorn in a female character and a romance. I'm always up for more female characters, but it could've been a touch smoother. THE LAST ENCHANTER is a good pick for young fans of traditional fantasy, with the caveat that the series should be read in order.

Good read