Bring on volume 3!! "ABSOLUTE MIDNIGHT"
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This book (along with book one, ABARAT) is surely going to go down in history as a "classic series" of books. It's the second in a 5 part series aimed at young adults and adults in general. Book one sets up the story and even though that book leaves alot unanswered this second book delivers on the promises of the first. The only problem is that we still have to wait until September/October 2009 (at the earliest!) for the 3rd volume!!. It's worth a mention on how well produced these books are, rich glossy pages which contain some truly bizzare pieces of art work and even under the dust jacket the books have superb cover boards. Everything about these books has quality about them (in addition to the story itself), they are heavy too, which adds to thier sumptuous feeling. Buy the hardcovers for your collection and buy the mass market paperbacks (no illusrations) for reading copies. Im certain book 3 will go one better than the first two in the series and I for one, can't wait!
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More Abarat? Yes please.
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Now I'm not a huge Barker fan, however I enjoyed the first Abarat book and was looking foward to the continuing adventures of Candy Quackenbush. "Days of Magic, Nights of War" covers another handful of Hours (islands) from the world of Abarat, giving Barker free reign to be inventive, bizzare and, as ever, all tinted with an edge of possibility. It's the hint of realism that keeps you reading - it's written in such simple narrative how can it not be fact. As far as the style, I found it to be less dark that the predecessor, and although Carrion and Mater were still very much present, their malign characterisations were not as strong. Without offering any spoilers, I believe Barker attempts to fix this at the end of the book. The book introduces a strong central story which will propel us through the next volume and has created the idea of a Tolkein "company" to fight the evil menaces from the Midnight Hour, almost all of the characters you'll already know from the first book. Overall, there's a great movie like feel to the book. It's fast paced, surreal and nightmarish in parts; a page-turner with lots of surprises and a brilliant plotted end.
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