Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War

Rating:
Summary: Days of Magic, Nights of War
Review: "Days of Magic, Nights of War" is the second book in Clive Barker's "Abarat." Not only does it meet any expectations I had hoped for from the first book, it exceeds and rises above them. "Days of Magic, Nights of War" is amazing, incredible, adventurous, and chock full of the most dream-like illustrations that are sure to please any fans from Barker's previous book.
PLOT: Candy Quackenbush, still living in the amazing world of the Abarat, and Malingo, her Geshrat friend, are still running from the forces (Christopher Carrion, Mater Motley, Otto Houllihan and the list goes on. . . ) that want Candy captured. In her wild adventures, Candy finally meets up with the Prince of Midnight himself and some of her own mysterious history, a history that will soon become vital to the war of day and night that is soon to take place.
But Candy is not alone and never will be. . . Join her as she and her friends (some new, some old) travel, barely escape from enemies, and wait for an end they know not what of, in this second book to the "Abarat".
POSITIVE POINTS: As I said in my review of the first book, I was surprised (and relieved) as I read that this is not a dark, morbid tale. Instead, it was light, enjoyable, adventurous and completely absorbing. Yes, it's full of monsters and some illustrations to accompany the monsters, but they're there for enjoyment, not the kind to make you fall off your chair. ;)
NEGATIVE POINTS: My own worry that Clive Barker will disappoint me in the next "Abarat".
AGE RANGE: 10 and up because of the "monsters" and oddities.
RECOMMENDED? Oh yeah, for pre-teens, teens and adults alike! Clive Barker has an incredible, at times humorous, imagination that is sure to please everyone.
WHEN TO READ: Any mood, perfect on rainy days or when you'd like to be "somewhere else". ;) Surprisingly, this is very lighthearted, so I recommend reading it when you are in a negative or depressed mood. It will actually lift it.
EFFECT: Read somewhere private or quiet, where you can envelop yourself into the imaginative world. If you listen to music when you read, I'd recommend listening to something light but deep. Such as Rock, Oboe, Viola, Pipes....
As always, if you have a question about the book, feel free to email me.

Happy Reading!!!






Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Even if you hate to read, buy this book for the outstanding Artwork! Clive is a major talent on fire.

Rating:
Summary: MUST READ for any HP fan!
Review: I received the 1st Book of Abarat as a gift from a friend to read while waiting for the 5th Harry Potter book to be published. I absolutely loved it, and waited just as impatiently for Book 2 of Abarat as I wait for the Harry Potter books!

The world that Clive Barker creates in Abarat is so amazing, it almost requires his fantastic paintings to guide the imagination in the right direction. Candy Quackenbush, the ultimate example of "born in the wrong town at the wrong time needing so much more" can be related to by any teen pining for adventure. The villains of Abarat are so frightening and despicable that you shake when reading; Candy's companions are so wonderful you wish that they were your friends as well.

Journey with Candy as she literally stumbles upon the 25 islands of the Abarat, a welcome change from the monotony of Chickentown, her home. She finds there everything she could've ever wanted--exciting friends in people like John Mischief, terrible villians in Christopher Carrion and Mater Motley, magic, adventure, but above all, danger. She quickly begins to doubt the accidental factor of her arrival, and as the books progress, so do the plot twists.

All in all, the adventure-fantasy tale is a must read for all ages, especially the Harry Potter crowd.

Rating:
Summary: doesn't measure up to the original
Review: i was very very VERY excited when i finally recieved this book, after a wait that seemed to last an eternity for the sequel to Clive Barker's unique and amazing Abarat.

I was very cruelly and harshly let down.

the first Abarat was an amazing story, full of amazing things and places, so far removed from everyday life that it was a wonder to read. The characters were interesting and very well developed, from heroine Candy Quakenbush to villain Christopher Carrion. It captured the imagination and made me beleive that if i jsut walked out of my life, i could find my way to the Yebba-Dim-Day and the Abarat.

but this book...something changed. Candy Quakenbush is no longer a heroine we can respect and care about. in fact, she's become...well...annoying. Malingo, who i utterly loved, became very two-dimensional and alomst as annoying as Candy. John Mischief wasn't funny or loveable, just creepy. almost the worst offence was Christopher Carrion, who was reduced from an interesting, not-quite-anti-hero to a basic run of the mill bad guy who cackles and rubs his hands together often. The sets were boring, the action dissapointing, and the big revelation was not a revelation at all. it was more of a 'well DUH' then an 'oh my GOODNESS!' I honestly didn't care whether Candy drowned, went home, or foudn out her mysterious 'destiny'.

so though Abarat was a fantastic book that i love terribly, this book could be part of a completeley different series. and a lesser, boring one at that.

Rating:
Summary: Barker: A Phenom
Review: I'm not sure how I discovered Clive Barker. Maybe a student told me about The Damnation Game or I stumbled onto Imajica, but when I saw The Abarat, I knew I had to delve into the fine paper, art and writing. The book was hidden away in the basement of a book store on a special rack all its own, but out of the way -- by the bathrooms. I was struck by the cover, struck by the lucidity and waded in like I'd never read a book before (believe me, I've read plenty). When I saw Days of Magic, Nights of War proudly displayed up with the other new releases last month, I was just as eager as I was the first time I saw the artwork of the Abarat. I'd have bought it no matter where it was lurking. Thank you, Mr. Barker, for creating this world of hours and dreams. I am transfixed and moved by your imagination. If you haven't stepped into the world of The Abarat, do yourself a favor and ride the Izabella with Candy Quackenbush et al. You won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: feast for the eyes
Review: the artwork fleshes out the fantastic imaginings of cliver barker. beautifully bejewelled with colors texture. a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Made me Cry
Review: The combination of paintings and beautiful writing was just fantastic in this book. When I read the first Abarat, I liked it, but it seemed rather plotless to me. However, I couldn't stop thinking about it- and later, when I read it again, I really appreciated how many different layers there were to the book. I figured everything would be explained in good time. It was! The second Abarat is about twice as good as the first one, enriching on the characters and the entire world of abarat. I honestly felt like I could read this book a hundred times and not grasp everything. I've heard complaints that the main character (Candy) is boring, and without personality. I saw this in a different manner, as it allows her to reflect off of her surroundings. Her secret at the end of the book, is shocking! Perhaps what I love most about these books, is I am purchasing a work of art in several senses. At first I thought the illustrations would distract from the story, but it was the complete opposite. The best example I can give, is when a character is telling a story about how his house burned down- and when you turn the page, WOW! The spread is alive with red and orange flames. It's powerful. This is simply a lovely fantasy book (along with the first one) that will change your life. Honest.

Rating:
Summary: A Rich Banquet of Delights
Review: This is a story many of us have read before, in one form or another: a child on the brink of adulthood finding themselves in another world and in a position to change it, often dramatically. We've seen it recently in Harry Potter, but before that we saw it in Neil Gaiman's "Books of Magic," in Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising," in C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles, and even earlier than that in Lewis Carroll's tales of Alice and her looking-glass world. It is perhaps to this last that Barker owes his greatest debt, but it is a common theme in literature, especially childrens' literature.

What makes this story different is, quite simply, the fact that it's told by Clive Barker.

Barker has long been a favorite writer of mine for the richness and depth of his imagination, and for the fantastic worlds he is capable of creating. From the horrors of "Weaveworld" to the depths of "Imajica" to the magic found in "The Thief of Always," Barker is often a visionary without comparison. Some of his recent work does not live up to this potential, but his Abarat series is as bravely imagined as anything he's written.

Just listen to the names he populates the world of the Abarat with: the people have names like Candy Quackenbush, Malingo, Christopher Carrion, Mater Motley, Finnegan Hob, and the Princess Boa. Places are named things like the Efreet and Babilonium and the Yebba Dim Day and the sea of Izabella. Creatures are named mantizacs and geshrats. Just Barker's names roll off the tongue in delightful combinations and spark the imagination.

And the ideas -- if the names hint at a mystical world, the true magic lies in Barker's ideas. The Abarat itself is conceptually brilliant, a world in which time is place, and each hour of the day is represented by an island upon which it is always that time. The people of the islands go about their lives without experiencing time as we do, divided between day and night. For them, they always live at six o'clock in the evening, or at 10 in the morning, or at midnight. The only way to experience a different time is to brave the Izabella and visit another island. It's quite a concept to wrap your mind around, but it's incorporated into the story so well that it seems quite natural.

And, oh, the illustrations. One mustn't ignore Barker's paintings in this book. He has spent years illustrating the books of the Abarat lovingly and profusely, and nearly every page has at least a morsel for the eyes to enjoy. Taken together, the illustrations of the Abarat are a visual feast, full-bodied, rich, and perfectly-suited to the depth of the story. Barker has long been a Rennaissance man of sorts, as both a writer and a painter, and it is a supreme pleasure to see both aspects of his work come together so brilliantly in the books of the Abarat.

Make no mistake, this should be considered a very dark fantasy. While not nearly as graphic or brutal as Barker's "adult" fiction, the Abarat stories definitely have a dark edge and are probably a bit much for younger children. Older kids in their teens, though, should be able to fully enjoy the worlds of the Abarat without having nightmares about it later.

Also, don't forget that this is the second book in the series. Candy's introduction to the Abarat and the chief players in this drama has already taken place in the first book, and what we see in this one are the further adventures as she learns more about this new world and its people, and how it all integrates with her own world -- our world, known to Abaratians as the Hereafter.

Physically, "Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War" is a heavy, thick, weighty book, as befits its subject matter. Candy's journey -- like Harry Potter's and Will Stanton's and even young Alice's journey -- is one of discovery. As she discovers this new world and her place in it, she is also discovering things about herself that she never knew existed. It is the depth and courage of Barker's imagination that sets the book apart from others of this kind, giving readers of all ages a banquet of delights. This is no light fantasy fare to be nibbled and sampled, but a feast to be devoured fully, and savored for all the exotic flavors that it has to offer.

Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: When is the next ship to the Abarat? Fantastic!
Review: This is honestly a wonderful story. It works upon logic, but a twisted logic that is imbued with elements of the wonderful, terrifying, and humorous. It will literally take your breath away. However, I must warn those who have not yet read the first Abarat not to tread upon these paths until they have done so. :)
This new portion of the Abarat saga begins once more with Candy - the novel's quirky heroine. Events quickly spiral out of control, however, and Candy finds herself pursued relentlessly by Otto Houlihan the Criss- Cross Man, one of the Midnight Prince's most potent henchmen. She uses quick wit and a bit of luck to escape him, and each escape only fuels his rage and resentment.
Enter Christopher Carrion - the Lord of Midnight. Carrion, a complex villian to be sure, has been nurturing plans of destroying the Abarat and remaking it entirely according to his rules. Although this may seem cliche, (trust me) Barker's twists succeed in throwing this notion out of the window. Anyway, both his and Candy's futures are entwined somehow; yet even he cannot begin to fathom the extent. He constantly feels an undeniable urge, to meet her, to understand her - a pull not even he completely comprehends. Candy, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to free herself from his obsession and riddle out her mysteries for herself.
All in all, you will be at the edge of your seat until the final gripping climax, when a revelation will be unleashed among the people that threatens to overturn the tide of war raging between the Night and Day Hours. Even at the end, you are not totally sure of what you have witnessed, and ponder that perhaps the event did not turn out how you perceived!
Whew! Now that the plot has been touched upon, I can highlight a few of my favorite, less visible, facets of the novel. There are countless undercurrents that will require a second glance (or third, or fourth ...) to fully grasp. One cannot help but dwell upon how good and evil, love and hatred, irony, eroticism, and other topics are portrayed. Barker successfully blurs the line between good and evil, and depicts a required balance that can easily be disrupted and righted again. Not wishing to bore you my delightful readers, I shall not dawdle any more upon my undecurrents and allow you to buy the book for yourself.
Truly, this books is to be appreciated to the highest degree. So, if anyone states that is too fantastic to believe, you know the truth of the matter.


Rating:
Summary: Reincarnation, shamanism and....well, It won me over.
Review: This second installment takes us even further into the Abarat in terms of character, motivation and imagination. Finally we start to learn and care about the characters of the series. Candy at last ceases to be a cardboard cut-out girl and becomes something far more fiesty. Relationships are formed and plot-lines are filled out.

Needless to say, the first book left me uncomprehending why Mr Barker had allowed so much of his precious talent to be taken up with something so repetitive of previous works of his (Weaveworld and Imagica)yet watered down for children. But in this volume I really sensed the heart of it, and the heart in it. I think the metaphysical elements are very subtly introduced. I like the way he talks about love in the book and what it can mean in all its forms. I like the way he discusses death and metaphorizes reincarnation. I have always suspected that Mr Barker was a shaman of sorts - a 'world walker', if you will, and this book really suggests to me that even if it is not something he identifies in himself, is most certainly there in his work, as evident as the gentle spiritual lull of the Hawaiian Islands he frequents. It makes me smile to see that he is suggesting quite new-age spiritual concepts in the same way that C.S Lewis suggested Christian ones in his 'Chronicles'.

I got a little bit tired of the whole thing being based around a chase to maintain tension. At times, it seemed as if the chase was purely there just to provide tension and nothing more.

But, after being hugely dissapointed with the first book, I have to say that this is the only criticism I can make. It won me over. I love the way he paints sky. I lovethe way he paints sea. I'm glad I persevered with it.