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Summary: Gabriel was strong enough to follow a "different drummer."
Review: There is an ancient prophecy in Navora that the downfall of the empire will be brought about by the rise of the conquered and banished Shinali people. When he was little, Gabriel had tried to run away from his father. During his escape he watches from cover as an escaping Shinali woman is attacked. Gabriel begins to have dreams which he finds he cannot understand. After his father dies, Gabriel disappoints everyone but his mother, by refusing to take over his father's business in Navora. Gabriel earns the chance to receive healer training. He is happy with his training when a chance meeting with a Shinali girl changes his life and his views. He begins to think that he may be the agent in the prophecy who will bring about war. A good, exciting tale about the abuses of power, two different societies and values, and the person who must make the choices which will determine the future of both.
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Summary: Makes you cry...
Review: This is a good book, not one of my favourites, but at the end it made me cry. Its a well thought out book, with a good story line.
Although it was good, and I would recomend you read it, just get it out of the library.
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Summary: "I'm not Navoran...I'm Navaili!"
Review: This is a really cool book, long but worth it. It teaches a boy about patience, who you should trust and when some sacrifices MUST be made. Over seven years he has managed to make a few enemies but more forgien friends. I give this book a 3½ stars because I must say I was a lil disappointed in the end.
~Amber~
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Summary: Beautiful, heart-wrenching...
Review: This is not my fav Sherryl Jordan book (that will forever be The Juniper Game), but Secret Sacrament runs a very close second. The ending made me cry, and for days afterward I'd be picking the book up and reading random passages again, it was that good. I read the UK version, published by Simon and Schuster in 2003, (it has the most amazing cover) and apparently this is a changed version of the original published in 1996. Anyway, Sherryl wrote an preface to this version saying that "the scene in this book of Myron's death, what he and Gabriel experienced in the Valley of the Shadow, is taken almost word for word from my diary (after her mother died)." Interesting stuff.
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Summary: Unlike any other book I've read
Review: When I finished this book I sat back and said "wow". I have to say three days later, when I was re-living Gabriels story I cried. I didn't cry during the book, but after! I'm crazy. Well, most AWESOME books on my A List make me want to read them so fast that I miss half the meaning and never fully capture the essence of the book. This book however, was one where I read it, then I thought about it and I was never bored. I dunno what else to say. I wanted to write this just to make even 1 person read this wonderful book. Im not very good with words....But, lol, READ THIS PLEASE! Thanks a million!
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Summary: A touching MUST read!!
Review: Where, do I begin?? Well, I will start out by saying that this is one of THE BEST books I have ever read in my life. It is very cool in most parts, but really prtty sad in the end.Whenever I thought about, I cried and this lasted a few days!! What's more is that I am pretty solid when it comes to tears, and I'm a 14 year old boy!! Anyway, I won't write much about what happens it the story, exept that it is about a young child to young man healer named Gabriel who is extremely talented. He is accused wrongly of treason, and fleas to stay with a tribe called the Shinali. He eventually must make a HUGE sacrifice, and the book is just very wonderful. I know my review makes it sound really stupid, and it does start out kind of slow, but once you finish it, you will realize that it was definetly all worth it. But don't take my word for it, just read the bok yourself, and find out how GREAT it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Summary: Secret Sacrament
Review: With SECRET SACRAMENT, New Zealand teen fiction writer Sherryl Jordan adds richly to her fantasy oeuvre. In her convincingly realized world, two nations --- one powerful, one weak --- live side by side. One inhabits a vast empire; the other, a narrow strip of land. The Navorans are civilized (or so they think). The Shinali are traditional, living their lives as peaceful hunter-gatherers. Enter the unlikely hero, Gabriel Eshban Vala, toss in a prophecy and words like destiny, vows, and dreams, and you have the makings of a perfect fantasy --- a fantasy in which one man will bring about both destruction and rebirth.
Born the son of a wealthy merchant-mariner, Gabriel is to take over his father's thriving business one day. But when he witnesses a brutal act committed against a Shinali women, he is inextricably bound to a different destiny. Highly intuitive by nature, Gabriel is a born healer, a vocation he pursues despite his father's demands. His gift as a healer is finally legitimized when he is accepted into the Citadel, the most esteemed institution in the land. He is soon in league with the powerful of the empire, including Empress Petra herself, who comes to rely on his ability to interpret dreams. In gaining her favor, he makes powerful enemies and witnesses firsthand the corruption that is weakening the empire, rotting it from the inside out. Soon, he will be called upon to make a choice --- a choice that will threaten Navora, his beloved Shinali, and his very life. Who will prevail?
--- Reviewed by Tammy L. Currier
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Summary: Pretty Good Stuff...
Review: You can probably see from the blur and other people's reviews what the story is about - a young man called Gabriel fufilling his destiny of becoming a healer against the wishes of his father and relatives, while bringing his childhood connection with a barbarian tribe (the Shinali)into his life and discovering who he is and his purpose - to fufill a prophecy that will rid the Navorian Empire of the evil that has befouled it. Firstly, the book is extremely enjoyable to read, without a doubt!! But the book has its flaws - its not very original and the concepts are not realistic (even a fantasy book should be believable!?). Still it is a beautiful, satisfying read - its not very long so you may as well give it a try. It seems a sequel will follow, you'll see when your finished!). If you don't like romance (especially since this book is quite descriptive when it comes to it) you might like to read something else because it will make you cringe!!
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