The Kestrel (The Westmark Trilogy, 2)

I liked Westmark, but that was just the start, this takes the world to a whole new level, it has turns I never would have thought it'd take. I'm not a fan of this cover in particular because it's very easy to look past and say it looks like it was on sale in your local supermarket but trust me the content inside is what matters! I thought Theo was borderline to coming off as a wimp in the last book but they throw that out of the window this time around, it definitely improved on things the last one had, however there were times such as Weasel and Sparrow that I wasn't too fond of just because you could have taken it out and it wouldn't have much effect at all,it might've just been in there to have a bit of scope as to who this war affects.

This novel is very well-written. The action keeps the reader engaged, and perhaps distracts him from the thought-provoking exploration of war, democracy, class struggle and revolution that it frames. The first book of a trilogy is limited by the need for exposition, and the last by the need for conclusion. As such, it is only in the second book that a trilogy can stretch its legs and explore the world into which it ushers the reader, and this book does so with aplomb. Highly recommended.

Lloyd Alexander is the best author since Tolkien for the fantasy genre. Clare B Dunkle’s The Hollow Kingdom are also excellent.

I have enjoyed reading this second book in the Trilogy.

Always love Lloyd Alexander's books. This is the second in a trilogy that is fascinating. The characterization and plot structure are excellent.

great

A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a Shakespeare Festival in a small town down south. DH and I have gone three times in the last few years, as children and time off work permitted, and each time it's been an utter delight. This year we went with some good friends so it was twice as fun. One afternoon we were in between plays, and I was determined to get back to this little used bookstore we'd visited the last time we made it down. For many years now, I have been involved in a prolonged and illustrious love affair with used bookstores. This one is my latest crush. I walked in the door, wandered over to the YA section, and lo and behold the exact edition of Lloyd Alexander's  The Black Cauldron  that I have been searching for for what feels like forever--the one missing from my collection--was sitting there on the shelf in gorgeous condition with a price tag of two dollars. Needless to say I snatched it up immediately and the smile it put on my face has lasted. It also put me in mind of another Alexander book I wanted to review. I love all his books, and the Chronicles of Prydain will always hold a place of honor in my heart as they were the first of his I read and I'm finishing up the last one with my son right now. But the Westmark series is something special.Warning: It's always a bit hard avoiding spoilers when reviewing sequels. So please proceed with caution if you have not yet read  Westmark . Instead ask yourself, "Whyever have I not read  Westmark ?" And then go remedy the situation immediately.Theo is lost. Geographically he knows exactly where he is. He's crisscrossing the country, getting to know every nook and cranny of the land he is to rule over with Mickle. Mickle--the girl who was nothing more than a guttersnipe thief. The girl he fell in love with who turned out to be a princess and heir to the throne of the beleaguered kingdom of Westmark. Now he is set to become prince-consort, and Theo is as far from knowing where he is or being sure that's who he should be as is humanly possible. Mickle (or rather the Princess Augusta) is stuck in the capital city, regaining the life she lost as a small girl, while Theo is forced to see his nation and his people for what they really are--toppling over the brink of revolution. Tasked with reporting the findings of his wanderings to the royal family, Theo soon realizes he will be fortunate to survive at all. And before long, he isn't at all sure he wants to as his life is changed irrevocably by a single gunshot. Little does he know, back at the capital Mickle's life has been equally as altered. Determined to find Theo, she sets off on a dangerous adventure of her own. By the time she locates him, however, Theo is changed far beyond recognition. Whether they will be able to return to some sort of common ground is only one of a thousand questions raging along with the war.First published in 1982, THE KESTREL is the best kind of historical fantasy. It is also everything the middle novel in a trilogy should be. And by that I mean it is darker, more ambiguous, painstakingly layered, more political, just altogether more. I remember the first time I read it being so afraid for Theo. He was one thing in the first book, and here he was being violently forced into being another thing. I was so afraid he wouldn't survive. Lloyd Alexander is a master of character evolution and at asking the hard questions. Theo begins to believe he is the Kestrel, that the feared soldier, the learned and later craved violence, is the real him. That the printer's apprentice of his youth is a mere memory, a boy he thought he was. It was one of the first times I came up against a character confronting himself and not being sure which facet of his personality was the genuine one. I have not forgotten the experience and only learned to appreciate it more for its brutal honesty in the years since. Fortunately, Mr. Alexander is brilliant at wry humor and love as well. So you're never left entirely without recourse when the demons come calling. Mickle is pure gold in this book, and she will always be one of my very favorite fictional thieves. Her ability to know who she is and meld the two aspects of her broken life provide inspiration and lifeline to Theo and the reader as the tale wends its way to its excellent close. I always recommend this for those in the mood for some more mature character-driven YA fantasy with an emphasis on the political rather than the fantastical.

This is the second book in the Westmark Trilogy and starts up a short time after the last book left off. It was a solid young adult fantasy; I didn't like it quite as much as the first book but it was still a very well put together fantasy.Theo is assigned with going exploring around the kingdom and reporting the findings back to the Queen and King. While he is out news comes to him from Florian that one of the kingdom's main generals may be a traitor; right after Theo gets this news he receives news that the king has died...now Mickle is Queen of the realm. Theo sets off to find Mickle but instead gets embroiled in fighting and it is fighting that brings out the more violent side of his nature. Mickle, meanwhile, has other ideas of what a Queen should be doing and takes off to find Theo.This book switches perspective a lot more than the first book. We hear things from Theo's view, Mickle's view, Kellner's view, the Chief Magistrate's view, Prince Connie's view, and the water-rats' view. All that switching around breaks up the story a little, but for the most part things flow very well.As in the first book, the plot is very engaging as are the characters. This book is a bit of a tougher read because you have to read carefully to follow the plot and all the people; in that it is typical of most epic fantasies. The style of the writing is very similar to the first book.There were a couple this about this book that were a bit "off" for me. The first was that there was so much discussion of politics; I personally prefer reading about adventuring versus politics...the politics are well done but there are a lot of them. The second thing was Mickle's character. It bothered me how she spent most of her childhood as a beggar and then she is Queen and suddenly she understands military strategy and is super strong and proficient. I think if I were a younger reader this wouldn't bug me as much; but as an adult I want to know where she learned all these military tactics...I know she is smart, but still.Outside of the above mentioned quibbles, this was a very well done novel. You definitely need to read the first book first. I would recommend this for young adults and older, it is not that content is inappropriate for younger children...it is just that I don't think younger children will be all into the politics going on here. I am eager to read the third (and final) book in the trilogy  Beggar Queen (Westmark Trilogy) .

Taken alone, the Kestrel is an excellent (and easy to conquer) story from one of the great fantasy writers of the late twentieth century.But after the brilliance of Westmark (a superior version of the "Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian" in every way), it was a bit of a let-down.Given how much dirt it on the market now, this Trilogy is still an excellent bit of gold.

I have not finished it yet and the action is moderate.

Staat van boeken was precies zoals gedacht (en meteen weer aan herinnert dat Amerikaanse paperback uitgaven niet te vergelijken zijn met NL uitgaven qua grote en lettergrote, maar enfin : prima)