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Young Adult 

5 ***** If you are already a Dragonsdome fan, then here's more riches for you - a new story, a new set of characters, a clever juxtaposition of two worlds, the Stealth Dragon Services (hooray!), some genuine wizards and a bright young lady with magic coursing through her veins.

Fantasy Book Review ~ A Recommended Book of the Month    10/10  

The White Sorcerer

Faculty of Fire robes...

TWS 1

The White Sorcerer and Catastrophe arrive in Thistleburr on his BSA Bantam...

Flee!

Lucy, Kealan & Oliver flee the Black Raven through the Wychs Wood. Ghillie Charlie guides them to an ancient tree for protection..

Rescuing Fergus

Whitewater ride through the mountain....

Mrs McFeeley & Haggis

'Mrs McFeeley dropped the empty cauldron with a clang and weighed up the group with an experienced eye. The goblins quailed under her scrutiny. Goblins, and indeed all peoples and creatures of the Fifth Dimension have an instinctive and deep rooted respect for sorcerers.'

Kelpies

All around her the horses were vanishing, melting into the foaming dark water...

TSG complete book cover 2-page-001

The moon is waxing, The time is near, When mortals walk, in mortal fear. The mists grow thin Night matches day, Then ghosts can walk, And ghouls can prey.

art competition Western Isles

Chapter heading by Natalie Maclean ~ pupil at Sir E. Scott School, Tarbet, Isle of Lewis

Fantasy Book Review ~ A Recommended Book of the Month    10/10   

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Fans of Hare’s previous books in The Dragonsdome Chronicles will be delighted with The Sorcerer’s Glen. It bares all the trademarks of classic Hare – brave female characters, hilarious side-kicks and Hare’s characteristic wit (What’s a vegetarian and how do you cook them?). There is one big difference with this book – it is set in our world.  Fear not, this doesn’t mean fantastical realms are long-gone… but Hare presents our world as a different kind of magical.

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In the opening pages we are introduced to the charming village of Thistleburr.  If you live in a city – you’re going to wish you lived here. If you live in a village – you’re going to wish you lived here. If you live in a magical realm – you’re going to wish you lived here.  Seemingly lifted right off a chocolate box, Thistleburr is all small cafes, village greens and beautifully named places (Ratchet and Hatchet Solicitors!); but by far, the one place I wished was real was The Chocolate Cauldron. Hare tells us right away that this is an ‘old-fashioned sweet shop that conjured up confectionery of every imaginable shape, size and description’.  You won’t even be half-way through the book before you’re wishing toffee wands were sold in the supermarket.

More than just village life, Hare gives us the modern world, and presents the modern world as a modern magic (the internet, nanotechnology, biometric scans) that sits by the side of (and often clashes with) the deeper, older magic of the Fifth Dimension.  This is where fans of the Dragonsdome Chronicles will see familiar favourites the SDS, goblins, and dragons… but as I said before, this book is different. Hare takes dragons to a whole new level, too. Sea Dragons, that’s all I’m saying. Wait for the Sea Dragons.

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All this goes on around our main character, Lucy Pemberton, a young girl learning to deal with magical powers (in our world, a world that has, seemingly relegated such power to folklore and fairy-tales) as she faces the Black Raven. There are many beautiful passages where Lucy ‘connects’ to the Fifth Dimension – but my favourite element of her magic, was her ability to connect with the animals. The various animal totems in this book (can mine be the Wooly Mammoth?) show us the author’s great compassion for, and understanding of, animals.

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Lucy has a permanent companion in her brother Oliver, so as with the Dragonsdome Chronicles, you’d be mistaken for thinking this was a book for only the girls. There is enough rugby, mountain-bike mishaps and beasties to please any boy reading.  In short, this is a book for everyone. Want to enter Hare’s world – pick up this book?  You don’t have to have read the Dragonsdome Chronicles to understand this (but they are brilliant – so you really should read them!). The final difference with this book was Hare’s fantastic illustrations – saved only for the front cover of the previous novels, The Sorcerer’s Glen is filled with them – the work of both Hare and local primary school children.

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Overall: This book gets 5 toffee-wands (out of five!).

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This The Sorcerer's Glen book review was written by Liz Wride

5.0 out of 5 stars

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Just Brilliant!   *****

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I couldn't wait to read this book. Another brilliant story from Lucinda Hare. A wild and wonderful adventure that once started you will be unable to put down. Set between this World and the Fifth Dimension the story follows Lucy as she befriends and battles Sea Monsters, flying brooms, and Battle Dragons... as well as the evil Black Raven and his maelstrom magic. There is a vast cast of gnomes, animals, goblins, dwarves, sorcerers, and many other creatures and humans of every shape and size. From the first page I found myself laughing, and sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation in equal measure. I highly recommend this book to readers of any age who love humour, magic, and adventure

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