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HomeShop at BookSurgeEducationEducational Policy & ReformWhat Choices We Made: Short Stories from the History of Onweald |
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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 3 customer reviews )
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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
What Choices We Made May 08, 2009
By Linda Bindner
"fanficwriter"
In What Choices We Made, fantasy author Sandy Lender has given us another great treat for those of us who loved her first book, Choices Meant for Gods. In this book of short stories, we are again transported to the magical world of Onweald where we are then treated to insane dragons, magic powers, killers, rescuers, and all sorts of unexpected characters along the way. The only sad comment I have to make is that each story she treats us with isn't long enough - you get that feeling of 'Oh darn! That's it?!' each time you read an ending to one of her short stories. It is, however, a great way to whet the appetite for when her second book comes out. And after reading fantasy books for a lifetime, I find that her writing style is fresh and new, much akin to the descriptive passages of Tolkien, and the snappy dialogue of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. While I eagerly await the publication of her second book, I'm happy to fall back into Onweald for an excellent, if too short, history of the world she's created. What a great and fun way to spend an evening!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Review Nov 27, 2008
By Cheryl Koch
Sandy Lender, author of the Choices trilogy has written this short story collection based on the wonderful, fantasy world of Onweald. Within this collection you will learn a little bit more background information on your favorite characters from the Choices books as well as be introduced to a few new ones.
This book gives you five short stories like Dunny and Quill, Joveran Border Crossing, Brell's Rite of Passage, and Dewberries and Bonds, plus a deleted scene from Choices Meant for Gods, the first book in the trilogy and a sneak peak at the second book, Choices Meant for Kings.
I thought Quill and Dunny from Dunny and Quill were a bunch of fun characters that fit together, kind of like The Odd Couple. What with Quill being a dwarf and Dunny a human. Even though they good on each other's nerves, they made a great team. Then there was the story of how Chariss became who she was today. What I liked the most about this short collection of stories was that it was like getting an exclusive back stage to experience all the makings of how a character was created and the history behind the book. I think this is a great introduction to new readers of Ms. Lender's Choice books, even though I know they will fall in love with her books as soon as they read them, like I did.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Incredibly Wonderful Nov 27, 2008
By Jamieson Villeneuve
"Author at Large"
After reading Choices Meant for Gods by Sandy Lender, I was held spellbound. Lender had done the impossible: she had revived the genre of high fantasy and brought it back to life, handling this impossible task with a deft hand and great scope.
After reading Choices Meant for Gods, I knew I had read the work of a genius and found it hard to believe that it was her first novel.
Upon hearing of What Choices We Made, I was a little skeptical to read it. A companion book to the trilogy? I was wary of reading it as I was afraid it would take away from the power of Choices Meant for Gods. Thankfully, Sandy Lender is an author who loves to prove me wrong.
What Choices We Made was a sheer delight from start to finish. Not only do we learn more about the land of Onweald, but we get to know and learn more about some of the most amazing characters to grace high fantasy literature in years and, though short, this collection packs a whollop!
We get to visit with Chariss and Hrazon when Chariss is a child and just coming into her powers. We find out what happens when two unsuspecting men are charged with the task of releasing a dragon by order of the wizard Hrazon. We also meet with Gella, a young woman who possesses the Geasa, who must heal a king's protector from harm and her heart from herself.
The stories in this collection are a rare gift, a look inside an already amazing world. Each story is a gem, a precious jewel, that shines when you read the words Lender has written. She has crafted such wonderful stories that you can't help but fall in love with the world of Onweald all over again.
Filled with shocks, twists, turns, humour and magic, What Choices We Made is the work of a word artist at the height of her craft. What Choices We Made will leave you wanting more and will fill the need until Choices Meant for Kings, the second book in the epic fantasy trilogy, hits the shelves.
I know that I'll be reading What Choices We Made again and again. It's a treasure that deserves to be read.
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