the-last-siege
Details
<p><p><b>The author of the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling The Bartimaeus Trilogy brings listeners an exciting new adventure about three teens who break into a forbidden castle and lay themselves open to the lure of its past history and mystery.</b><p>A chance encounter on the snowy slopes of a castle moat throws together three lonely teenagers: Emily, Simon, and the highly imaginative but enigmatic Marcus. At first the castle's ruins are merely the backdrop to a day in the snow. But when the three break in to the forbidden interior of the keep, they find the castle taking on a different and deeper meaning. Despite the freezing conditions, they spend the night there, to experience the power of occupation. But when the re-enactment gets out of control and a very real siege ensues, their playful dare soon turns into a frenzy of nightmarish action.</p><h3>VOYA</h3><p>Three teens meet on the snow-covered grounds of a ruined castle and form a tentative friendship. Emily is the practical only child of distracted parents, Simon is the youngest in a brood of hoodlums, and Marcus is a boy burdened by secrets. Spurred by Marcus's intense interest in the violent history of the castle and its keep, the three embark on an unauthorized exploration of the ruins. Their investigations become even more daring when they decide to spend the night at the castle, an evening embellished with Marcus's tale of a long-ago castle siege that ended in tragedy. When morning comes, the trio oversleeps. Marcus becomes completely unhinged when he realizes that his father will discover his overnight absence. When Emily and Simon next see Marcus, his face is covered in bruises, a punishment from his father. With mixed emotions, Emily and Simon join Marcus when he takes refuge in the castle, resulting in a modern-day version of the medieval siege. Many of Stroud's fans will be interested in this stand-alone novel, originally published in the U.K. in 2003, although it lacks the complexity and imagination of The Bartimaeus Trilogy. The character development is sketchy, with a leaning toward stereotypes: Emily is stolid, Simon proves his manhood, and Marcus is mysteriously troubled. The correlation between the historical siege of the castle and the present drama is also weak. This paperback release of a 2003 British novel is presumably intended to piggyback on the author's newfound popularity. Libraries with a strong Bartimaeus following will probably want to invest in this one.</p>
the-last-siege Jonathan Stroud and David Thorn
Details
<p><p><b>The author of the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling The Bartimaeus Trilogy brings listeners an exciting new adventure about three teens who break into a forbidden castle and lay themselves open to the lure of its past history and mystery.</b><p>A chance encounter on the snowy slopes of a castle moat throws together three lonely teenagers: Emily, Simon, and the highly imaginative but enigmatic Marcus. At first the castle's ruins are merely the backdrop to a day in the snow. But when the three break in to the forbidden interior of the keep, they find the castle taking on a different and deeper meaning. Despite the freezing conditions, they spend the night there, to experience the power of occupation. But when the re-enactment gets out of control and a very real siege ensues, their playful dare soon turns into a frenzy of nightmarish action.</p><h3>VOYA</h3><p>Three teens meet on the snow-covered grounds of a ruined castle and form a tentative friendship. Emily is the practical only child of distracted parents, Simon is the youngest in a brood of hoodlums, and Marcus is a boy burdened by secrets. Spurred by Marcus's intense interest in the violent history of the castle and its keep, the three embark on an unauthorized exploration of the ruins. Their investigations become even more daring when they decide to spend the night at the castle, an evening embellished with Marcus's tale of a long-ago castle siege that ended in tragedy. When morning comes, the trio oversleeps. Marcus becomes completely unhinged when he realizes that his father will discover his overnight absence. When Emily and Simon next see Marcus, his face is covered in bruises, a punishment from his father. With mixed emotions, Emily and Simon join Marcus when he takes refuge in the castle, resulting in a modern-day version of the medieval siege. Many of Stroud's fans will be interested in this stand-alone novel, originally published in the U.K. in 2003, although it lacks the complexity and imagination of The Bartimaeus Trilogy. The character development is sketchy, with a leaning toward stereotypes: Emily is stolid, Simon proves his manhood, and Marcus is mysteriously troubled. The correlation between the historical siege of the castle and the present drama is also weak. This paperback release of a 2003 British novel is presumably intended to piggyback on the author's newfound popularity. Libraries with a strong Bartimaeus following will probably want to invest in this one.</p>