Rating: 
Summary: fantastic. do it again!
Review: It has been quite a while since I have enjoyed a piece of fantasy like Prospero's Children, long enough that I had almost (not quite) completely stopped reading the genre. This book reminded me why I always read Fantasy novels to begin with, showed me the worlds I cannot visit and made me feel a part of a story again! I can't wait until the sequel comes out.
Rating:
Summary: A modern masterpiece
Review: Jan Siegel's main characters in this book are ones we can all ascoiate with in one way or another. Fern wanting to protect her father after her mothers death, Will boyish nature which makes him naturally inquisitive. When a distant relative leaves a house in york to the Capel family Fern is at once pushing her father to sell it. The house although at first useless has kept a carefully gaurded secret and now Will and Fern are thrown into a world of witchcraft and the supernatural
Rating:
Summary: Magical
Review: Jan Siegel's Prospero's Children is a wonderful, magical, spellbinding book. Gush, gush, gush, I can't say enough about it. It's one of those books that when you finish it, you just sort of sit there and try to remember it, and just go "Wow." Siegel writes each sentence filled with magic and detail, letting you see everything the way the characters do. Fern Capel, our main character, is someone you can relate to. She's sixteen, sometimes wise for her age, not believing in flights of fantasy or magic. Then, her father inherits an old house in Yorkshire, and while he's off in America, Fern and her twelve year old brother, Will, live there with Alison, her father's girlfriend, who just might be a witch. There's the snuffling by her window at night. The old, creepy looking idol in the house. The ship in the barn. Fern soon realizes all is not as it seems. The old hermit, Ragginbone, or The Watcher, who at times is a rock, tells Fern that Alison is in search of a key, the broken heart of the Lodestone of the lost city of Atlantis, forged when a mad queen wanted to enter the realm of death - still alive. Now Alison, once Alys, who now calls herself Alimond, wishes to use that same key and enter the world, and succeed, where the queen failed. Fern, who discovers she has the Gift, a power from the Atlantis strain, must beat both Alimond and Javier Holt, a man more evil and older than time, to finding the key. The search, and the finding of a key, will result in an adventure Fern could never have anticipated, leading straight into the heart of Atlantis, into a past that will leave Fern different, from who she once was. Older, wiser, with a lost love, and with a gift she never would have believed in. This is a wonderful, magical book. You should definitely read it if you've taken the time to look this up. You WILL NOT forget it. The way Siegel connects beginning and ending . . . Read it. I know I can't wait for the sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: A British writer with a Folklore story
Review: Jan, like a lot of British writers, has a folktale style about a young girl and her family. You can almost break it down into traditional folk tale elements. Which means it is plot driven but the characters are very real and colorfull. You find yourself involved with their lives and you care about them. I find myself immersed in the beauty of the tale. Fern is a 16 year old girl that finds herself drawn into a fantasy world of children that she denied herself when she was younger because she needed to take care of her family. The tale sweeps through london york and eventually atalantis where it comes to a full circle. You find yourself believing in the land of the little people and that magic does exist. It is also a metaphor about what we lose when we become adults. I read a lot of fantasy and would love to believe in the world of fairies and spirits. I enjoyed this book to its fullest and would recommend it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Live Long, and Prospero?
Review: Maybe not... The story line linking the fabled world of Atlantis with magic and mystery is certainly an intriguing one. The eerie episodic effects and some of the lovable yet mysterious characters are some of what help this book receive it's stars. On the flip-side though, the story does tend to draw out a little too long in some spots. Overly lengthy descriptive paragraphs also have a tendency to creep up and frustrate the reader. I also get the sense that the author attempts to use a thesaurus to find new words, but the fact that some "big" words just shoot out of nowhere kind of dampen the effect that they might have had. All around, the book was fun and entertaining, although in a literary sense, it has some obvious problems.
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Summary: it was great!
Review: out of all the books written about Atlantis so far, this has been the best one that I read. rich plot, lotsa characters, rich descriptions...Prospero's children has it all. oh, and You will love the ending...
Rating:
Summary: A refreshing fantasy story with a very compelling female lea
Review: Overall, I liked this book very much! It was a refreshingfantasy story with a very compelling female lead. I felt as though Icould almost feel the story unfolding, for Jan Siegel painted such a vivid, lush environment. I enjoyed the European setting with the mystery of Atlantis as a backdrop. The characters remain clear and memorable long after the story has been read. It is very rare to read fantasy stories that use Atlantis as part of the storyline - which makes this novel standout. Her words are almost lyrical and poetic - yet every sentence is intensely riveting, and almost draining. For me, this style of writing became somewhat ackward to read at times, for the lavish descriptions almost detracted from the story itself. I felt that there were many similes used throughout the novel, which seemed to momentarily divert my attention. Nevertheless, a wonderful new fantasy novel!
Rating:
Summary: A very solid fantasy with engaging characters
Review: PROSPERO'S CHILDREN is a good example of the way fantasy authors can bring the past and the present together to produce a tale with mythical resonance. Fernanda and her younger brother Will inherit a house in the English countryside, and find they are heir to a set of supernatural problems as well. Unlike most stories of circular time, this one hangs together all the way through, and though the ending cannot exactly be called a surprise, at least it is a pleasure to arrive. Siegel has created an engaging heroine and a strong supporting cast. Recomended for sheer enjoyment and escapism.
Rating:
Summary: A very solid fantasy with engaging characters
Review: PROSPERO'S CHILDREN is a good example of the way fantasy authors can bring the past and the present together to produce a tale with mythical resonance. Fernanda and her younger brother Will inherit a house in the English countryside, and find they are heir to a set of supernatural problems as well. Unlike most stories of circular time, this one hangs together all the way through, and though the ending cannot exactly be called a surprise, at least it is a pleasure to arrive. Siegel has created an engaging heroine and a strong supporting cast. Recomended for sheer enjoyment and escapism.
Rating:
Summary: a neat painting in time
Review: Prospero's Children is a great book, one of those books that begins at one point in time, and does an infinity loop back to that point. This book starts slowly, and builds up a roaring fitting finish. I don't like giving away plot details but suffice to say, yes, this book is worth reading. About halfway through I started to wonder, "where is this book going?" And kept reading. I'm of the belief that patience is eventually rewarded, and in this case, yes, we do find out the answers to Ferns questions. At first I didn't like Fern. Thought she was a brat and controlling. As the search for the key progressed, I realized that she really did have her family's best interest at heart. Yet it was also interesting to see how she was put squarely into her place as the child by Alison. I also enjoyed a different view of Atlantis here. Rather than a shining utopia, I thought it was cool to see such a mythic city portrayed as a corrupt, venial city- almost a metaphor for our own big cities today. This book doesn't get the 5 stars it should get because I'm a bit perturbed by its ambiguities. (the age transition for one) also the glaring sequel plot holes, which where too obvious to me. Even still, I'm looking forward to checking out the sequel.
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