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Ashling - Obernewtyn Chronicles 3
Isobelle Carmody Book Review

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Plot Summary of Ashling - Obernewtyn Chronicles 3
"

Tor, Sep 2001, 26.95, 428 pp.
ISBN: 0312869568

    She has been expecting the summons forever, but Misfit Elspeth always hoped it would never come. Alas, the time arrives and she reluctantly starts her trek to forge an alliance between the paranormal Misfits and the rebels against the Council and the Herders, who want all Misfits dead.

    Elspeth's dreams demand she destroy the weapons of destruction left behind by the Beforetimers when they obliterated their world. However, her nocturnal visions remain mysteries to even her. Adding to her discomfit, the rebels have doubts about a coalition with the Misfits because the leadership thinks there are safer, better unions available to forge a stronger team. Can Elspeth obtain the cooperation the Misfits needed in their fight for survival and can she learn the secrets of her haunting dreams that propel her to leave her mountain home to risk everything including her life.

    ASHLING, the third book of Isobelle Carmody's powerful Obernewtyn Chronicles, is the strongest tale of a wonderful fantasy series. The story line moves quite a bit forward with the action remaining at the high peaks of the previous novels, but readers gain tremendous understanding of the charcaters, especially the lead heroine. Other cast members are also developed to a degree that allows the audience to fully understand the varying people and animals populating Obernewtyn. Fantasy fans have quite a treat with this superb entry that raises an already wonderful saga to much higher levels of quality.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

"Elspeth Gordie is an orphan because her family were burnedfor sedition, she is a 'misfit' with amazing mental abilities and is sent to the misfit refuge Obernewtyn. While she is there Elspeth and friends discover an evil plot to overthrow their goverment. "
Kate, Resident Scholar

"The rescue of a gyspsy woman that is about to be burned at the stake leads to Elsepth having to find the woman's people within a week otherwise she will die as foretold. A meeting takes place with the Rebels who are plotting to overthrow the Council, resulting with the Misfits offering their talents for the cause, which they have to prove the worth of in a contest in the land of Sador. Elspeth learns more facts that will aid her in her quest to destroy the weapon machines that previously had caused a nuclear apocaplypse."
Sara, Resident Scholar

"A young girl, Elspeth Gordie, finds herself sent to an isolated place where Misfits, people with magical power, live. She soon discovers that the owners of that place are searching the Misfits for a dark secret."
Vervian, Resident Scholar

"Elspeth once more is sent to the lowlands- but this time it is to secure an alliance with the rebel leaders. After an eventful journey in Sutrium, Elspeth travels with a group of misfits to Sador for an epic battle to see if there will be an alliance with the rebels against the repressive Council or not."
Maddi, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Ashling - Obernewtyn Chronicles 3
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Repressive society story Yes
Mental/magical powers focus Yes
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - coping with mental/magical powers
Kind of series - Star Wars
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Who's a slave/repressed? - discrim against people with mental powers
Star Trek or Star Wars book? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Age: - a teen
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - can talk to animals - mind reading - mind control - clairvoyant
Eccentric: Yes
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - a teen
Profession/status: - mastermind
Has magical powers? Yes
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed - deluded
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Desert - Water - Mountains - Forests
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times - medium future 22-24th century - distant future
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - humans in a primitive/fantasy society - empty, or nearly empty world
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Ashling - Obernewtyn Chronicles 3
The Farseekers - Obernewtyn Chronicles 2 by Isobelle Carmody
The Dark Rival - Jedi Apprentice 2 by Jude Watson
The Rising Force - Jedi Apprentice 1 by Jude Watson
Star Wars: Dark Journey by Elaine Cunningham
Balance Point - Star Wars, The New Jedi Order 6 by Kathy Tyers


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