ON FORTUNE'S WHEEL

Rating:
Summary: One great adventure!
Review: All I knew when I first picked this book up was that 14-year-old Birle, an Innkeeper's Daughter, and a 19-year-old lord (soon to be Earl) named Orien were to have many adventures together, and there would be romance. I was pretty disappointed that there was not near as much romance as I thought there would be. However, it was still an EXCELLENT book, stuffed full of adventure! Birle and Orien encounter pirates, who sell them and cause the two to become separated. Then both of them plan to escape from their masters and head back to the Kingdom. The only problem was that I had difficulty understanding at some parts who "Jackaroo" was, which is the title of the book before this, which I have not read.
I definitely recommend reading this book, it was so interesting!

Rating:
Summary: "There are some who say Lady Fortune has a wheel..."
Review: Fourteen year old Birle, an innkeeper's daughter, is not content with her life. One night she sees a thief stealing her father's boat, and pursues him. She finds out the thief is really a lord, unreachable but very loveable. Much to Orien's (the lord) chagrin, Birle accompanies him on a journey they will remember forever. They become ship wrecked on a deserted island, only to be rescued by pirates and sold into slavery. Birle gets the good fortune of being the slave to a philosopher, who is extremely kind. Orien is not so lucky. He is sold to the mines, where it is said that everyone dies and no one escapes. However, Orien manages to escape, right about the time the city where Birle is in bondage is going to war. With the help of Birle's master and Yul, a gaint man but simple minded, they escape slavery and the impending war. Birle nurses Orien back to health, and in the forest they realize their love for one another. They return to Orien's kingdom, and soon Birle and Orien are caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. Birle is unhappy to be a lord's wife, and voices her requests to Orien's grandparents that herself (and her coming child) can leave the kingdom-forever. Birle lives by herself in her grandparent's cottage, growing a garden and tending to her daughter, Lyss. Orien visits her in the night to tell her that they are wed, and that he loves her, and yadda yadda yadda...and they all live happily ever after.
Now it may seem like I didn't enjoy this book, but I did-I really did. I love fairy tale stories, and this one was no exception. I thought the romance level could have been played up more, but whatever. The action scenes were pretty awesome, and the book vaguely reminded me of ancient Greece for some reason. If you like adventure and romance, you'll like this book.

Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected
Review: I expected this book to be just another stereotypical teenager book. But I was surprised by how good it was. It was hard to put it down.

When Birle, an innkeeper's daughter, finds a man stealing her father's boat in the middle of the night, she follows him. The next morning, when she wakes up in the same boat with the man, she decides that she wants to stay with the handsome stranger. This choice leads to a cycle of events that change Birle's life.

This is a great book. While the beginning and the end weren't as good as the middle, this book is worth reading and buying.

Rating:
Summary: A young woman's review
Review: Of all the books in Cynthia Voigt's Kingdom series, "on Fortune's Wheel" has always been my favorite. It is a very good story about growing up. Voigt introduces Birle as a rather immature young woman with a lot of growing up to do. She has promised to marry Muir, and she isn't ready. Even she realizes this when she meets Orien. Her stubborn insistence that he allow her to serve him as he journeys away from the kingdom into the unknown proves the be the very thing that leads to her gaining the knowledge she needs to properly grow up. As a slave, she learns that life was not so bad with Nan as a mother figure. By the time she manages to escape that life she has learned the value of hard work and friendship. I think it is because of those hard earned lessons that she is able to win Orien's heart in the end.

Rating:
Summary: REALLY, REALLY great book!
Review: Oh, I totally love this book! It is so realistic, and so well-written!

Birle ( such a cute ( I would consider it French, but I could be wrong ) name ). Okay, back to Birle- Birle is a sweet girl with wit, humor, but she can just jump before looking, but anyway, she is just a great person. Orien is a royal, but he was going to steal a boat, for some stupid reason, like he's got money, why can't he just buy himself a boat. Anyway.... Birle sees someone stealing her family's boat so she tries to stop them, but decides to run away with the hottie. So she is instantly in love, and he is instantly interested in her. One thing leads to another, and they go through one thing after another, until they both realize they are meant to be together. But, Birle becomes unhappy, for reasons you'll know once you read the book, and she leaves Orien. Don't take this book as a sad book, because I only read happy, fairy-tale ending stories, and trust me, this book ends on a happy, romantic happily-ever-after note. And if you don't like happy endings- good endings, then...well.. find some other unhappy depressing book to read. Anyway, this is a great, good book to read. And rather long.

Rating:
Summary: a great book
Review: On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt was an amazing book. Cynthia Voigt's characters were believable, compelling, and well thought out. The plot is exciting yet *romantic*, surprising, and convincing. I was drawn into the story, interested, and attached to the characters. The ending made me cry... and then there was a surprise which tied it all together! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in romance, fantasy, or enthralling stories of slaves, Earls and their Ladies, and compelling characters.

Rating:
Summary: Well written with bad morals
Review: This book is well written, with a good story line. But I find it very troubling that the main character of the story is immoral and never feels bad about it throughout the whole book!! An author with this talent should write better books for all of us.

Rating:
Summary: On Fortune's Wheel Book Review
Review: This novel, written by Cynthia Voigt, explores the adventures and dangers experienced by an adolescent girl named Birle, and her companion Orien. Voigt did a good job of describing the two protagonists in an indirect way. She did an excellent job of portraying their round and very dynamic personalities throughout the entire novel. Voigt keeps you very intrigued throughout by constantly throwing conflicts at the two protagonists. By the end of the novel, both Birle and Orien have conflicted in many ways. They have conflicted in Man versus Man, Man versus Nature, Man versus Self, and Man versus Fate. All these conflicts make it very interesting to see if the two protagonists will come out of them and succeed. With all the conflict the protagonists develop very round, dynamic personalities and you feel as though you know them personally. The novel is a real page-turner, and keeps the reader wanting more!

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: This, the second installment in the Kingdom saga, is wonderful to read. The main character is intelligent, and has a mind of her own. Her loyalty to Oriel is interesting, and her relationships and struggles feel real. This is not the typical girl, and she's quick to show the stuff she's made of. I believe that anyone who enjoys fantasy/adventure would enjoy the entire saga, and I really enjoyed the ending. All the characters have depth, and are easy to relate to. The look at how fortune works, how you can be an earl one day and the next day a slave, or an ignorant girl one day and a prized Lady next, is very interesting, and well thought out. The entire plot is compelling.

Rating:
Summary: This is an awesome book!
Review: When my friend first showed me this book, I read the first pageand wouldn't let her have it back untiI had finished it. That's howawesome this book is. It is about a young girl named Birle who dislikes her life at her home and one night discovers a thief stealing a boat from the inn. She follows him and they embark on a series of adventures that will keep you turning the pages, one after another! If you like romance, adventure, or just a plain good story, this book is for you.