Book Review #10 - The Green Ember

Thoughts:

Readers, you are once again stuck with Raya Lee. Your precious hostess still remains in my clutches… though perhaps next week you shall hear from your beloved Ella Grace. In the meantime…

*inhales slowly*

I don’t believe you are quite ready to hear about my thoughts on this series. Too bad for you though, because you shall hear about my thoughts anyways.

From the ages of 10-13, this was my favorite book series. EVER. I spent countless hours reading (and rereading) the series, then more countless hours working the nine fanfictions I wrote for it. Though it is no longer my favorite, it still remains very near and dear to my heart. However, just because it was a favorite doesn’t mean it had no flaws. This will be a very honest post, but I hope it convinces you to give the book a shot!

I will say, this series is intended for younger children. While teens and adults may find it enjoyable (my dad loved this series, and I still love it at 16 years old), it may not intrigue older imaginations as it would younger audiences. The first book will be harder to get through, but starting at book two, even older audiences can be thoroughly engaged!

Author: S.D. Smith

Genre: fantasy, action/adventure

Series: This is part of a four-book series!

Time period: Heck if I know, sometime after the death of King Jupiter the Great and the following Afterterrors. You may interpret that as you wish.

Summary: 

"Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world.

Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.

Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?"

(Summary is taken from back of book)

Main Characters:

(ages are unknown because the author does not state how old the characters are throughout the series. They are also rabbits, and rabbit years to human years are very confusing. Believe me, as a loyal fan, I still haven’t figured them out)

Heather Longtreader

Picket Longtreader

Smalls

Wilfred Longtreader

Emma

Writing Style: 

The whole book is written in third person, usually switching between Heather and Picket’s perspective. As a kid, I loved Smith’s writing style! However, that’s the thing. This book was written for kids (he originally came up with the story for his own kids), so it doesn’t have the same type of mature writing a book like, oh, Cloak of the Light (the last book I reviewed, go check it out!). The sentences are easy to read, and sometimes there is some repetition in them. There are long sections without dialogue, which can be slow at times.

Plot Development: 

Okay… so to be completely honest, the plot development is kinda slow at the beginning. They talk a lot about the old days during “King Jupiter’s reign” and there are several long scenes where things move pretty slowly. HOWEVER I promise it is worth reading! Things slowly start picking up around chapter sixteen, and things just move faster from there. By the end of the book, you’re sitting in shock from how it totally blew away your expectations, especially after the slow beginning. I immediately grabbed the next book off the shelf and started reading it when I finished this one.

Theme of the Book: 

Loyalty, family honor, people can change

Spiritual Content: 

Make-believe religion vaguely similar to Christianity, following in the footsteps of “Flint and Fay.” Has a sect of people called votaries who are kind of like priests, but aren’t strictly religious at all times.

Warnings: 

Death of family members, suspenseful battle and escape moments, dangerous situations, war/death, weapons (swords, bows, spears, etc), characters being verbally harassed, birds and wolves who want to eat the characters.

Age Rating: 

officially 6+, but I would recommend 7-8+ for some suspense.

7-9:

10-12:

13-15:

16+:

Personal Rating:

This post was written by Raya Lee. Book lover. Fashionista. Folder of Paper Cranes.