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2012 late July book: Wrede
Jul. 31st, 2012 03:21 pmPatricia Wrede wraps up Eff's story in The Far West. Set in an alternative history, Eff lives in Columbia, aka the US, around the late 1800s. The new world didn't have any humans living in it before being settled by Avrupans (Europeans), Aphrikans (guess), and Cathayans (on the west coast). What the new world does have are a lot of dangerous creatures, both magical and not. Some of the founding fathers (Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson) created a magical barrier (Great Barrier) that runs along the Mississippi, over to the Great Lakes and then down the St. Lawrence Seaway/River. This blocks most magical creatures out and allows the country to be settled relatively safely.
Eff is the thirteen child of a professor who moves a lot of his family out to the great barrier to a new college that's starting up. Eff's twin is a seventh son of a seventh son with plenty of magical power to spare and she's always been overshadowed by him, and all the older siblings. She's been forging her own path in the two previous books, Thirteenth Child and Across the Great Barrier. She's studying both Avrupan and Aphrikan magic styles because she's always had trouble getting her magic to work properly. She also assists some professors with the college's menagerie. Because of this work and her previous experience on the far side of the Great Barrier, she's chosen to accompany one of the professors as an assistant on a scientific journey of discovery. They're going to try to reach the rocky mountains and see if they can figure out why some very dangerous magical creatures have started migrating towards the settled lands.
I liked the book, but nothing really stood out for me. Much of the book is homey details about Eff's relationships with her family and friends. The trip also discusses a lot of the logistical planning and accommodations that have to be made on any long trip like this. For instance, they winter over and how they prepare and cope is quite interesting. I do look forward to re-reading the entire trilogy which may change my feelings about this book.
Eff is the thirteen child of a professor who moves a lot of his family out to the great barrier to a new college that's starting up. Eff's twin is a seventh son of a seventh son with plenty of magical power to spare and she's always been overshadowed by him, and all the older siblings. She's been forging her own path in the two previous books, Thirteenth Child and Across the Great Barrier. She's studying both Avrupan and Aphrikan magic styles because she's always had trouble getting her magic to work properly. She also assists some professors with the college's menagerie. Because of this work and her previous experience on the far side of the Great Barrier, she's chosen to accompany one of the professors as an assistant on a scientific journey of discovery. They're going to try to reach the rocky mountains and see if they can figure out why some very dangerous magical creatures have started migrating towards the settled lands.
I liked the book, but nothing really stood out for me. Much of the book is homey details about Eff's relationships with her family and friends. The trip also discusses a lot of the logistical planning and accommodations that have to be made on any long trip like this. For instance, they winter over and how they prepare and cope is quite interesting. I do look forward to re-reading the entire trilogy which may change my feelings about this book.
