Rating: 
Summary: A brilliantly creative fantasy
Review: I am a sucker for line drawings, having fell in love with Robert Lawson's books as a child and artists like Berni Wrightson in comics as I got older. The art in Beyond the Deepwoods is just amazing. The detail and expressions keep you looking at the pictures to pick out things you didn't see the first time.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the book is a bit episodic. Twig, the main character, is sent on a journey by his mother. He has never really fit in at home, and he hopes this will change during his travels. In each chapter, he meets a new race of people or a new creature. The inventiveness of Paul Stewart as it relates to these inhabitants of the Deepwoods is superlative. However, most of the encounters end abruptly and the characters are never seen again. On a journey, this would happen, but the transitions between chapters are a bit jolting.
My guess is that Mr. Stewart is trying to introduce us to the world that Twig will inhabit in future books, so the brief associations are there to give us background on this imaginary world. Look at it as a primer for the world of the Edge.
With this said, I still immensely enjoyed the book and look forward to starting the second book tonight. By the way, my 9-year old finshed all three books in a week and a half - a good indicator of how they held his attention.
The books seem to be The Lord of the Rings Light and are not as good at developing characters as the Harry Potter stories. They are more accessible for younger kids, however.
Rating:
Summary: Not just for kids
Review: I can't believe anyone else hasn't reviewed these books. I picked up Beyond the Deepwoods as a birthday present for my 12 year old brother, but then flicked through it, decided I wanted it, and read it in one night. The writing is wonderful - elegantly creepy and terribly evocative. Chris Riddell's illustrations are amongst the best I've seen, whether in black and white or in colour. I cannot rave enough about this book or the next two that I've read in the Edge Chronicles. Am on the edge of my seat waiting for The Curse of the Gloamglozer to come out. I tend to enjoy childrens' books almost as much (often more) as adults', and these books have pride of place on my favorite bookshelf. Go read them now!
Rating: 
Summary: Oh please
Review: I did not really like this book at all. Its too cute in its attitude, as if fairy stories that we've heard a million times or like the Hobbit. The author seems to have missed the change between children's books which have a storytelling sound and young adult books which need a more mature narration.
Rating: 
Summary: What a cool book
Review: I read this as a galley (I work in a bookstore) and couldn't wait for it to be published so I could tell people about it. The illustrations are *amazing*, so intricately detailed and integrated with the story. Sure, the plot's nothing new, but the characters are, and I thought it was especially interesting how the many different ... species, I suppose, are all treated as equals, where humans aren't necessarily superior. Not often seen in fantasy. So it's not the first time you've read about a boy sent into the world, but it's definitely an original way to tell it.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: I teach fifth grade and I am always on the lookout for a great new book to read to the kids...I found this over the summer and could not put it down. The vocabulary is rich and the descriptions are vivid. It is a page turner and a great asset to have in the class when teaching creative writing! I highly recomend this book to any one.
Rating:
Summary: A great story for the young and the young at heart
Review: I was attracted to this series before it hit the US. After reading the entire series thus far ( 7 including Cloud Wolf ) I must say that I enjoyed it. The world that is within these books have a great deal of original ideas and characters that tend to stick with you after you finish the book. All human( and creature ) emotions are visited, some light hearted and some dark. However this adds texture to the world that Mr. Stewart and Mr.Riddell have created. The artwork is of the highest caliber giving the reader advanced visualization of the Edge World environment. I look forward to the next book and I am so sad that I missed Mr. Stewart and Mr.Riddell's visit to Chicago. Maybe next time.
Rating:
Summary: Deliciously dark inventive fantasy.
Review: I'm not in the target audience, being 58 years old, but I LOVED this book! Re-discover your lost childhood with this scrumptious story.
A roller-coaster (hate that phrase!) ride that just gets better and better with each chapter - reminded me a bit of Terry Pratchett's books but without the inane humour. The chapters are just long/short enough to hold a child's attention (and mine!) at bedtime, without risking sleep/boredom. My grandchildren (girls aged 9&6) can't get enough of Twig's adventures.
The illustrations gel the picture in your mind's eye into what the authors would like you to imagine - and such illustrations! Deliciously dark and detailed pen&ink drawings... in the same vein as Aubrey Beardsley and Arthur Rackham, Chris Riddell deserves to have a book of larger illustrations to himself.
I can't wait for the next edition of Twig's adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Promising Fantasy Series
Review: If this first book is any indication, The Edge Chronicles promises to be an enthralling series, possibly a young reader's warm up for Discworld.
The binding is similar to other popular series such as Lemony Snickett or The Spiderwick Chronicles, but the maps and illustrations are superior in this one. The fauna and flora are new creations, numerous, vividly described and many of them are awesomely evil to the point of being absolutely disgusting.
The places are also intriguing - The Deepwoods, the Edgelands, the Twilight Woods, the Mire, the Stone Gardens, Undertown, Sanctaphrax and the River Edgewater, each with different types of inhabitants and topography.
The main character is a youngster named Twig, who discovers that the Woodtrolls he lives with are not his true family. When he comes of age, he is forced to leave for his own protection, after being spotted by sky pirates.
Against all warnings, Twig leaves the safe path, and finds himself in predicament after predicament, meeting dangerous foes, but also making a few valuable friends.
This episode ends with Twig discovering who he really is, as he struggles towards his destiny "beyond the Deepwoods".
A great start to a promising series.
Amanda Richards, January 15, 2005
Rating:
Summary: Master Piece!
Review: If you haven't read this by now, run to the library! This delicious saga, relating the aventures of Twig in the first three books then Rook Barkwater's, is the perfect reading! The illustrations of the books gives a 'cartoonish' side of the books, what's make it even more funny! I litteraly felt in love with Twig. We can easily find ourselves in him and Rook. And the imagination of the author makes us pass through so much kind of creatures! The writting is somewhere Tolkien and Rowling, the perfect mariage of the two writters of the Gods of litterature! Really really reaaaaaally good books!
Read this!
Another master, right beside Tolkien.. except he's not dead..
Rating:
Summary: Superior to Eragon in every way.
Review: This book was bought for me before we began a road trip from New Mexico to Kansas. It was a godsend. I was able to tune out bickering parents AND a horribly antagonistic little brother by becoming engrossed in this fantastic novel.
The storyline was very well-written; there was only one plot point I saw coming as opposed to every single "twist" that was glaringly obvious in Eragon. The writing was entertaining and witty and the wonderful drawings made it even better.
I'm hooked on this series now, the only faults are the occasional typo and some dialogue that seemed a little TOO eloquent for a thirteen-year-old. I recommend this book instead of Eragon and am planning on purchasing the next installments as soon as possible.
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