The islands of Chaldea
Ratings3
Average rating3.3
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.3
Aileen's family of magic makers includes Aunt Beck, the most powerful magician on Skarr, but her own magic does not show itself until a mission for the King and a magical cat help her find strength and confidence.
Aileen's magic has yet to be revealed when she is sent on a mission for the King and help from a powerful cat makes her stronger and more confident as her magic blooms. The plot contains mild profanity and violence. Completed by Ursula Jones.
Reviews with the most likes.
I was beyond thrilled to find that there was another, posthumous, DWJ book. Unfortunately, DWJ died before she could finish the book, and to me, it was very, very obvious where she'd left off and her sister had taken over. Most DWJ books have a twist-ending that is built on the seemingly irrelevant facts introduced earlier. In contrast, in The Islands, I found the tail-end rushed and flat. I think her sister found the half-finished manuscript and just tried to get it done as soon as possible. Even in DWJ's very young adult books, there's a sincerity and depth to the plot and character development and especially coming of age that just doesn't shine through in the Islands of Chaldea.
It's still a fun romp. In particular, I enjoyed the alternate history of the UK/Ireland feel. I thought the world-building felt relatively complete. The animals and child protagonists were cute.
Yeah, I don't have that much to say – it just felt shallow and unfinished.
