Elliott, Patricia. Ambergate.ELLIOTT, Patricia. Ambergate. (Companion novel to Murkmere.) Little, Brown. 390p. c2006. 0-316-01060-X. $16.99. JS An imaginary world An imaginary world is a setting, place or event or scenario at variance with objective reality, ranging from the voluntary suspension of disbelief of fictional universes and the socially constructed consensus reality of the "Social Imaginary", to alternate realities resulting from more ghastly ghast·ly adj. ghast·li·er, ghast·li·est 1. Inspiring shock, revulsion, or horror by or as if by suggesting death; terrifying: a ghastly murder. 2. than Oliver Twist's England is expanded in this companion story. Murkmere takes place on an isolated estate on the edge of a strange kingdom; Ambergate takes the reader from that estate to the capital city, where power and corruption threaten our characters relentlessly. Sometimes the voice telling the story is that of the girl with no name, known as Scuff, who has the number 102 branded on her arm. Aggie ag·gie 1 n. A playing marble. [ag(ate) + -y3.] , managing Murkmere in Leah's absence, has taken Scuff in as a maid and she tries to shelter her when soldiers come. Sometimes the story is told in the third person, looking at Scuff's escape, her perilous journey through the Wasteland and on to the capital, where she is pursued by both sides in an escalating civil war. Scuff doesn't know who she is. She has skills--she is a hard worker and she is a talented singer--but frequently she is misguided and naive. The reader is in the position of wanting to warn her of impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. doom at nearly every plot turn. Her true identity is revealed dramatically in the last pages of this novel. The suspense SUSPENSE. When a rent, profit a prendre, and the like, are, in consequence of the unity of possession of the rent, &c., of the land out of which they issue, not in esse for a time, they are said to be in suspense, tunc dormiunt, but they may be revived or awakened. Co, Litt. 313 a. is formidable, the descriptions superb. Leah from Murkmere is held prisoner, forced to marry the son of the Protector. There are spies spies n. Plural of spy. v. Third person singular present tense of spy. everywhere; even Erland, who is loved by both Leah and Scuff, is not who he appears to be. I wouldn't be surprised if this saga continues in a third book. Oddly enough, a reader could begin with this book and re-turn to Murkmere for the backstory--the two books could be read in either order. For lovers of gothic fantasies. Claire Rosser, KLIATT J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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