The beginning of it all.

I decided I would also do reviews on this blog so here goes the first one.

  The book is called Sunlight and Shadow. It was written by Cameron Dokey. This particular book is part of a series called the Once Upon a Time series. Several authors got together to rewrite many of the old fairy tales.
  When I first came across this series I expected very little. There have been so many people who have attempted to rewrite fairy tales. I have now read most of the books and am quite decided that these authors have accomplished much more than "rewriting" the fairy tales. They have made them their own in a beautiful and unique way.
  Sunlight and Shadow is a retelling of the tale "The Magic Flute." The Magic Flute is an opera containing two acts that was composed by Mozart in 1791. According to Wikipedia, The Magic Flute is noted for its prominent Masonic elements. The opera is also influenced by Enlightenment philosophy, and can be regarded as an allegory advocating enlightened absolutism. The Queen of the Night represents a dangerous form of obscurantism or, according to some interpreters, contemporary Roman Catholicism. Her antagonist Sarastro symbolises the enlightened sovereign who rules according to principles based on reason, wisdom, and nature. The story itself portrays the education of mankind, progressing from chaos through religious superstition to rationalistic enlightenment, by means of trial (Tamino) and error (Papageno), ultimately to make "the Earth a heavenly kingdom, and mortals like the gods."
  Cameron Dokey's retelling is altered just enough that any age could read and enjoy the tale. In Sunlight and shadow she brings the characters to a more personal level by having the whole tale related to you in first person from each character in turn. Together they weave the details of the their parts of the story into the pattern of the tale. The dialogue is simple enough to be understood by a younger audience but is dramatic and attention catching for adults as well.
  In Dokey's version of the story the Queen of Night is not a bad person but merely a mother who has been wronged and wishes to have her daughter returned. Michele Capozzella, in a review on Amazon.com, summarizes it nicely.
    "On her 16th birthday, Mina, the daughter of Pamina, the Queen of the Night, and Sarastro, the Mage of the Day, is to be taken to live with the father she hardly knows until he can choose a suitable husband for her. When he arrives early to sweep her away, Pamina seeks revenge by enlisting Lapin, a local boy, to play his enchanted bells and call Mina's true love to her. Tern, a prince, hears the bells and, unable to resist their call, arrives with his magic flute, with which he is able to play the music of his heart. Mina and Tern fall in love, and an angry Sarastro sets a deadly trial for Tern to complete in order to have his daughter's hand. Mina, refusing to stand by and have her life decided for her, accompanies Tern so that they may face the challenge together. The telling alternates among four points of view: Mina, Tern, Lapin, and Gayna, an orphan girl whom Sarastro has raised and who mostly gives readers insight into his way of thinking. The setting is otherworldly but the voices are modern, making it easy for teens to relate to the narrators. The strong female characters and the blend of fantasy and romance make this a great light read."–Michele Capozzella, Chappaqua Public Library, NY

P.S. Well I suppose that wasn't really a review but anyway I just wanted to put that out there for people to read. It was a fantastic book and should be read over and over again by anyone and everyone who enjoys or has ever enjoyed the old tales.

Ta ta for now,
Hannah

The part in which I introduce myself.

Hello Everyone,
 I thought I would post a simple intro so that there is actually something on my blog while the first post is still in editing...(so the page doesn't look so sad with nothing on it... :)

My name is Hannah and for the past few years I have been writing short stories and poems. I am not supremely good but I wished to seek out an audience to give me anonymous feedback so that I might improve my works.

Thank you for stopping by to read this. I will have my first post out soon.


Not exactly yours, yet quite sincerely
Hannah  ;)