Rating: 
Summary: Not Garth Nix's best
Review: After reading Sabriel and Shade's Children, I was hungry for more Garth Nix. When I came across The Ragwitch, I bought it immediately. It wasn't nearly as involving as Sabriel and Shade's Children and even lagged in areas, even though The Ragwitch seemed to be an amalgam of these two books. The Angarling and the Meepers reminded me strongly of Myrmidons and Wingers. The Ragwitch was just an Overlord in an indestructible body. The main characters (Julia and Paul) were vividly developed, but not really very sympathetic. A few chapters of Paul's whining was more than enough. At the end, I was left unsatisfied, especially by the Deus ex Machina (i.e. the Patchwork King). I would have preferred an ending more along the lines of those of Nix's other books.
Rating: 
Summary: A Light Fantasy Novel, but don't get me wrong
Review: As Nix's first novel, this book is astounding. The story is new and creative and takes the readers through a magnificent journey through the mind of The Ragwitch, the villain of this story. The characters are fun and inventive, and the land is created with clear imagination and thought. Each page provides readers with magic and mystery, as they unravel the secrets of the Ragwitch's realm, while striving to stop her from her evil intentions. I would suggest this book mostly to a younger audience, from around 8-13, though I was 15 when I read it and I love the story, along with all of Nix's other books. He is definately a new author to discover.
Rating:
Summary: Not classic Nix
Review: Don't get me wrong, this is a good first novel, but its really not up to the standard of his later work. This is a fairly standard work of fantasy, children-get-entangled-by-evil-and-have-to-escape which, while it hints at the great imagination Nix shows in later work, doesn't really follow through. If you're looking for more of what you found in the Sabriel series, don't, because he's a better writer than that, but I'd recommend Shade's children if you're looking for a stand-alone instead of this.
Rating: 
Summary: My first book, begun when I was 21
Review: I began THE RAGWITCH when I was 21 and wrote about half of it as part of the requirements for my degree in professional writing. It took me five years, on and off, and probably suffers from that stop-start process and my relative youth and inexperience. Even so, I still like parts of it a lot and I think it stands up quite well compared to other 'children transfer from the real world to a fantasy world' books. It's also probably interesting to see the development of my thoughts and writing between THE RAGWITCH (finished in 1988) and SABRIEL (finished in 1994), though I did write an unpublished historical novel in between the two . . . just for practice.
Rating:
Summary: The Best or one of the best books you'll ever read.
Review: I got my copy a loong time ago via Hastings or some other such book store. Even though it's very long and has little to no "pictures" , I love it very very much. I'm surprised anybody would dislike it but, eh, everyone has their own opinions. I think this is a great book to give as a gift to people..It's a wonderful fantasy of the age old "war of the self" and "war between good and evil" motifs.
Rating:
Summary: Hansel and Gretel on steroids
Review: Julia and her brother, Paul are two perfectly ordinary children who happen to discover a ragdoll in a midden heap. Julia is sucked up into the mind of the ragdoll who is really a powerful and evil witch. When Julia and the ragwitch disappear through a ring of fire, Paul bravely follows them. From then on, "Ragwitch" follows the ancient fairy-tale structure of children versus evil---a `Hansel and Gretel' story where the witch actually devours one of the children. Garth Nix adds a ferocious edge to Paul and Julia's adventure. I never knew what was going to happen next.
Both children actively oppose the ragwitch, although Julia's situation is far more horrific. She is wired into the ragwitch's nervous system while the evil, old sorceress shambles from atrocity to atrocity. (Actually, I grew fond of some of her minions, called the Stone Knights. If you've ever seen the movie, `Monolith Monsters' you'll be able to figure how the Knights pounded into combat). Once Paul is transferred to ragwitch's original world through the ring of fire, he suffers more than his share of perils, including a battle or two. He finally finds friends and sets out on a quest to locate each of the four Elementals, Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth. If he can talk a good line, they might help him defeat the ragwitch and her destructive minions. This is my favorite part of `Ragwitch.' The Elementals are not the usual clichéd characters found in other fantasies I could mention. The author expends lots of imagination on them---I was never certain whether Paul was going to succeed in his quest, or die trying. It isn't every boy who gets to meet Mother Earth, while digging for potatoes. I can't remember how I would have handled this horror-fantasy mixture when I was under the drinking age. The book certainly veers toward the gruesome edge of Young Adult fantasy ---think of it as `Hansel and Gretel' on steroids.
Rating:
Summary: Hansel and Gretel on steroids
Review: Julia and her brother, Paul are two perfectly ordinary children who happen to discover a ragdoll in a midden heap. Julia is sucked up into the mind of the ragdoll who is really a powerful and evil witch. When Julia and the ragwitch disappear through a ring of fire, Paul bravely follows them. From then on, "Ragwitch" follows the ancient fairy-tale structure of children versus evil---a 'Hansel and Gretel' story where the witch actually devours one of the children. Garth Nix adds a ferocious edge to Paul and Julia's adventure. I never knew what was going to happen next. Both children actively oppose the ragwitch, although Julia's situation is far more horrific. She is wired into the ragwitch's nervous system while the evil, old sorceress shambles from atrocity to atrocity. (Actually, I grew fond of some of her minions, called the Stone Knights. If you've ever seen the movie, 'Monolith Monsters' you'll be able to figure how the Knights pounded into combat). Once Paul is transferred to ragwitch's original world through the ring of fire, he suffers more than his share of perils, including a battle or two. He finally finds friends and sets out on a quest to locate each of the four Elementals, Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth. If he can talk a good line, they might help him defeat the ragwitch and her destructive minions. This is my favorite part of 'Ragwitch.' The Elementals are not the usual clichéd characters found in other fantasies I could mention. The author expends lots of imagination on them---I was never certain whether Paul was going to succeed in his quest, or die trying. It isn't every boy who gets to meet Mother Earth, while digging for potatoes. I can't remember how I would have handled this horror-fantasy mixture when I was under the drinking age. The book certainly veers toward the gruesome edge of Young Adult fantasy ---think of it as 'Hansel and Gretel' on steroids.
Rating:
Summary: Nix provides another escape from genre fantasy
Review: Okay, okay, so it has the classic kids-get-pulled-into-magic-world-from-earth kind of beginning, but The Ragwitch is not your typical fantasy. While some fantasy authors tend to sound a bit like copyists of the greats-Tolkien, Lewis, Nesbit etc-Nix is obviously different. He and Philip Pullman come to mind as the cream of the recent fantasy writer crop. Each of Nix's worlds is totally unique, with new creatures that remind you of no one (Gwarulch, Angarling, Meepers and the title character for the Baddies, Rowan ladies, May Dancers, Elementals, and the Wise for the Goodies). Nix's other great strength (along with originality) is plot weaving and this is true for the earlier Ragwitch almost as much as for Sabriel and Lirael. You are immediately engaged when the Ragwitch takes over the body of a girl from our world-Julia-and flees to her world, followed by chance by Paul, Julia's sister. Paul is taken in by the kindly people of the strange country who are desperately unprepared for war with the returning Ragwitch. They aid him as he searches for a way to save his sister, and action follows at every turn, as both Paul and also Julia (from within) battle to Ragwitch. There are no strong fighters to help Paul, no saviors for him. He must find his own way, and that it what makes the book and unique. Because Paul is no hero, his war is one of bravery and brains, not braun. Julia has her own story. Although she is more full of bravado than Paul and a sister spirit to Sabriel (and maybe the inspiration for her), her war is one of the mind, resisting the power of the Ragwitch from within the witch's very body. From what I have said, the book might sound pretty boring: no epic battles, no clash of roaring powerful mages. If I can guarantee you one thing about this book, though, I can guarantee that this book does not lack action. There ARE battles, fights, and struggles, and they are ferocious and gripping. It is almost as much of a page turner as Sabriel and Lirael. Anyone who liked those books is bound to find the earlier Nix just as engaging. Read this book, and you'll be glad of it. I give it five stars for originality and the fact that I at least, was never bored.
Rating:
Summary: Nix provides another escape from genre fantasy
Review: Okay, okay, so it has the classic kids-get-pulled-into-magic-world-from-earth kind of beginning, but The Ragwitch is not your typical fantasy. While some fantasy authors tend to sound a bit like copyists of the greats-Tolkien, Lewis, Nesbit etc-Nix is obviously different. He and Philip Pullman come to mind as the cream of the recent fantasy writer crop. Each of Nix's worlds is totally unique, with new creatures that remind you of no one (Gwarulch, Angarling, Meepers and the title character for the Baddies, Rowan ladies, May Dancers, Elementals, and the Wise for the Goodies). Nix's other great strength (along with originality) is plot weaving and this is true for the earlier Ragwitch almost as much as for Sabriel and Lirael. You are immediately engaged when the Ragwitch takes over the body of a girl from our world-Julia-and flees to her world, followed by chance by Paul, Julia's sister. Paul is taken in by the kindly people of the strange country who are desperately unprepared for war with the returning Ragwitch. They aid him as he searches for a way to save his sister, and action follows at every turn, as both Paul and also Julia (from within) battle to Ragwitch. There are no strong fighters to help Paul, no saviors for him. He must find his own way, and that it what makes the book and unique. Because Paul is no hero, his war is one of bravery and brains, not braun. Julia has her own story. Although she is more full of bravado than Paul and a sister spirit to Sabriel (and maybe the inspiration for her), her war is one of the mind, resisting the power of the Ragwitch from within the witch's very body. From what I have said, the book might sound pretty boring: no epic battles, no clash of roaring powerful mages. If I can guarantee you one thing about this book, though, I can guarantee that this book does not lack action. There ARE battles, fights, and struggles, and they are ferocious and gripping. It is almost as much of a page turner as Sabriel and Lirael. Anyone who liked those books is bound to find the earlier Nix just as engaging. Read this book, and you'll be glad of it. I give it five stars for originality and the fact that I at least, was never bored.
Rating:
Summary: "You're Not... A Creature from the North...?"
Review: The "Abhorsen" trilogy by Garth Nix is one of the best sets of fantasy books out there, and so when my reservation for "The Ragwitch" *finally* came through at my public library, I sat down fully expecting another exciting, original, fascinating story. And I got it...kind of. Though I was aware it was aimed at younger readers than the target audience of the "Abhorsen" trilogy, I was a tad disappointed by Nix's tale in comparison to many of his other books - though this is unsurprising considering this is one of his earliest published works.
Julia and Paul are two holidaying siblings, when Julia uncovers a strange ragdoll on top of a sinister beach-midden. Julia is transfixed by the macabre little doll, and to her brother's horror she is consumed by its evil and sucked through a ring of fire into another dimension. Despite his fears, Paul follows. From there, the children's paths divide: whilst a disoriented Paul tries to find his bearings and allies in a medieval realm, Julia finds herself deep within the Ragwitch's mind as she summons up her dormant armies once more.
Finding a range of unusual friends, including a boy who can talk to animals, a young girl who can breath underwater and a wise man more interesting in gardening than helping, Paul seeks out the four elusive and dangerous Elementals of the land in the hopes that they can give him aid in the realm's war against the invading Ragwitch.
Meanwhile, Julia is waging her own battle inside the Ragwitch's mind, aided by a humanoid Rowan tree that has purposely allowed herself to be consumed by the Witch and the former King of the land that is also trapped within her memories. Together, they go in search of the last vestiges of the Ragwitch's humanity, which may hold the key to defeating her from within.
Nix's impeccable style and imagery is in top form; he can effortlessly invoke woods, valleys, mountains and landscapes to create a beautiful, three-dimensional world that one thoroughly enjoys exploring along with the protagonists. Likewise, I believe he is Tolkien's equal when it comes to creating character and place names that resonate with a deeper sense of sound and meaning: Yendre, Cagael, Anhyvar, Rhysamarn, Lyssa - all invoke the feeling of history and culture that other fantasy books often do extremely poorly.
He is also a wonderful monster-masher, whether it's the gruesome Ragwitch herself, the winged Meepers, the Stone Angarling Knights or the terrible Gwarulch - these creatures would look great on the big screen... are there any movie-producers reading out there?
However, "The Ragwitch" falls short on several levels. First is the abruptness of both the beginning and end: we are given hardly any time to get to know the children before they are whisked off into the next realm, and the end is swift and short with many an unanswered question and thread left hanging. Throughout the course of the story we are brought a bit closer to Paul and Julia, but never to any of the other characters: Sevaun, Leasel, Cagael, Deamus, the May Dancers - they may be portrayed as honest, worthy people, but they don't actually contribute much (if anything) to the course of the story. I read the book carefully once, and then skimmed through it a second time, and still couldn't find any point in Leasel's continual presence throughout the book. Without even giving us a reason as to why these characters exist, I could never really bring myself to care about their fates, nor that of the land they were fighting for.
Furthermore, Nix counts on quite a few of the typical fantasy cliches and stereotypes in the telling of his story, least of all is the "two kids get sucked into magic world to battle against evil". The Ragwitch is an evil creature that was defeated once and has now risen again (like Voldemort and Sauron and legions of other "dark powers") and Paul's quest gets rather predictable quite fast: find the four Elements and get their gifts to the shadowy Patchwork King (who fixes the problem rather too easily for my liking).
Yet despite all this, "The Ragwitch" is a good read, especially if you're new to the writings of Garth Nix - from here you know it just gets better!
|
