Nightfall Gardens Volume 1 Allen Houston 9780615804453 Books
Download As PDF : Nightfall Gardens Volume 1 Allen Houston 9780615804453 Books
_feature_div" class="feature" data-feature-name="bookDescription">
Nightfall Gardens Volume 1 Allen Houston 9780615804453 Books
“Only later, when she was locked away at Nightfall Gardens, would Lily realize that the moment she saw the man with the wolf’s-head cloak was the beginning of the end of her old life.”Fourteen year old Lily has dreams of being an actress on the famous stages of Paris. Her brother Silas is writing a play. Theirs is a family of the stage, their parents trying to make a go of a run-down theater in New Amsterdam.
Lily is a bit shallow and vain, Silas a bit of a dreamer, but as the story unfolds they both show they have more spunk and backbone that we might have thought. I liked them both. Silas especially is caring, empathetic and loyal. Lily isn’t as superficial as she comes across in the beginning. And they care about each other, which is nice.
This book starts out in New Amsterdam, which would be New York about 100 years prior to the Revolutionary War. I had thought it had a bit of a Victorian era feel, with carriages, etc. I was only off by a bit there. :D
Soon though the story moves on to Nightfall Gardens, the mysterious, spooky and exceedingly strange estate of the children’s dying grandmother.
Their uncle tells them, “I’ve done my duty keeping the dark at bay for 13 years, but it draws closer with each sip of Deiva’s faltering breath. Only a Blackwood daughter can keep the final night from coming.”
We get our first view of the house, “The ancient-looking palace rose out of nowhere to dominate the landscape. It was protected by a high stone wall that stretched to the horizon. He saw a jumble of towers, spires, and walls of windows that soared toward the heavens. Statues of gargoyles dominated the eaves.”
On the Blackwood estate it is always dusk or dark, never day. The gates only open to the outside world once a year for just a few days.
The house is strange, rooms move around, there are strange noises and sights. There are dangers for the unwary. The grounds, with the gardens, are strange and dangerous as well, full of odd, and bloodthirsty creatures determined to end the Blackwood line.
There are some grisly bits, and it’s definitely spooky, but would be fine for middle grade readers who can tolerate dark tales. Not for those sensitive, nightmare prone kiddies though. (Well, that depends too, I was one of those sensitive, nightmare prone kids and I would have liked it around the 8 – 12 age, but I would have been sleeping with the hall light on!)
But, I wouldn’t classify it as firmly middle grade, in spite of the ages of the main characters. It’s more complex in story and in writing than is typical for middle grade books. I’d recommend this from older middle grade to young adult readers, and even adult readers who can enjoy stories with young protagonists.
The story incorporates the myth of Pandora in an ingenious way, making it family history rather than myth. There are plants with magical properties such as healing or protection from evil creatures. The use of Greek myths, folklore, and other strange creatures, was reminiscent of Harry Potter. Although the plot is very imaginative and original and not anything like Harry Potter. I was very impressed, I can’t remember reading a book with a similar plotline.
A dark fantasy, also may appeal to fans of ghost stories, haunted house tales, and dark fairy tales. This is not a ghost story or fairy tale, but some of those elements are here.
Fair warning, the book does end with a cliffhanger.
I’ve already purchased and started reading the next book in the series.
Product details
|
Tags : Nightfall Gardens (Volume 1) [Allen Houston] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.,Allen Houston,Nightfall Gardens (Volume 1),Flycatcher Books,0615804454,FICTION Fantasy Epic,Fantasy,Fantasy - Epic,Fiction - Fantasy,Fiction : Literary,FictionLiterary,Literary
People also read other books :
- Creating An Ebook Through Fiverr A Quick Guide to Ordering Cover Art Proofreading and Formatting edition by Jack Delaney Arts Photography eBooks
- Buffalo Jones' Forty Years of Adventure Charles Jesse Jones 9781142730420 Books
- Hot Bites Erotic Morsels edition by Kimberly Chase Literature Fiction eBooks
- The Divine Dance The Trinity and Your Transformation (Audible Audio Edition) Richard Rohr Arthur Morey LLC Dreamscape Media Books
- Nicole Star Crossed Lovers A Wish for Love Series Book 2 eBook Mia Shales
Nightfall Gardens Volume 1 Allen Houston 9780615804453 Books Reviews
It Is 18th-19th Century, And Teens Silas & Lilly Are Struggling Actors In The Crumbling Theatres Of Paris. A Stranger Arrives One Night Claiming To Be An Uncle And Kidnaps Lily. Silas Very Stealthily Follows And They Soon Find Themselves Trapped Behind The Gates Of A Magical World Where Nothing Is What It Seems And Danger Calls To Them From The Gardens. Now, Their Rogue Uncle Has Become Their Defender And Protector. A Dying Queen Over All Good And Evil Is The Grandmother They Never Knew And Lily Is Expected To Take Her Place And Keep The Balance. Reading This Story Gave Me Chills, Thrilled And Fascinated Me, I Was Taken There And I Could Not Return And Leave The Characters Until The Very Last Page! I Quickly Downloaded The Next Book In This Series And Will Be Reading It Tonight! Reader Beware, Your In For A Delicious Scare!!
This, the first in a trilogy, was one of the best books I've read in a long. Forget that it is supposed to be for young adults. The story is a twist on Pandora's Box, Pandora's descendants charged with protecting mankind from the evils she unleashed by holding them in three gardens on the Blackwood estate. Lily is the last female Blackwood, and when she dies the imprisoned nightmare beings and old gods will be loosed upon the world. Of course this means they are all trying to kill her and free themselves. The author has brought Nightfall Gardens to life. It remained vivid in my mind since reading it the first time. It is perfect for a dark and stormy night. Grab a bowl of popcorn, grab a flashlight and read it under the covers just like you did as a kid. Marvelous story, well developed and well deserving of five stars. And you'll want to pick up books two and (finally) three.
“Nightfall Gardens” was a surprisingly good read. I knew from the book summary that it was going to be a fantastical adventure, but never would I have been able to guess just how much of a fantastical adventure it was going to be. I was astounded by this author’s obviously limitless imagination! He conjured up creatures I’ve never heard of before, and then proceeded to entwine them with mythical creatures to create a novel that would test the boundaries of every imagination.
The writing itself is off to a bit of a rocky start, but a few chapters into it the author finds his rhythm and the pacing evens out. The two main characters only grew on me more towards the end, and it is rather the secondary characters who made more of an impact on me. I was one hundred percent fascinated and enthralled with the wholly terrifying world of the Nightfall Gardens. This is definitely not a light read for younger readers, but most certainly one that will be enjoyed by tweens, teens, and older readers. “Nightfall Gardens” is a captivating story with loads of surprises, twists, secrets, magic, and deadly creatures. I’m eagerly anticipating reading the next book in this series, as this one ended with a huge cliffhanger finale.
REVIEW NIGHTFALL GARDENS by Allen Houston
Oh, what a wonderful book! This book ( and series) appeals to that deep part of my soul that was enraptured by THE SECRET GARDEN as a child, and by the concept of Brigadoon (appearing only centennially). WHO cannot love a living, sentient, always mutable house? Or gardens full of shapeshifters, monsters, and the Dead? I am always magnetized by stories of family curses and a family chosen to hold back evil, throughout their generations. Here there are two such lineages. And the characters!! The housekeeper weaves a web and cocoons herself every night; long-deceased Grandfather periodically rides his steed near the house, to check up. Brother Silas is quintessential Hero; and Sister Lily is beautiful and vain, but has potential. I can't wait to read the next two in the series.
“Only later, when she was locked away at Nightfall Gardens, would Lily realize that the moment she saw the man with the wolf’s-head cloak was the beginning of the end of her old life.”
Fourteen year old Lily has dreams of being an actress on the famous stages of Paris. Her brother Silas is writing a play. Theirs is a family of the stage, their parents trying to make a go of a run-down theater in New Amsterdam.
Lily is a bit shallow and vain, Silas a bit of a dreamer, but as the story unfolds they both show they have more spunk and backbone that we might have thought. I liked them both. Silas especially is caring, empathetic and loyal. Lily isn’t as superficial as she comes across in the beginning. And they care about each other, which is nice.
This book starts out in New Amsterdam, which would be New York about 100 years prior to the Revolutionary War. I had thought it had a bit of a Victorian era feel, with carriages, etc. I was only off by a bit there. D
Soon though the story moves on to Nightfall Gardens, the mysterious, spooky and exceedingly strange estate of the children’s dying grandmother.
Their uncle tells them, “I’ve done my duty keeping the dark at bay for 13 years, but it draws closer with each sip of Deiva’s faltering breath. Only a Blackwood daughter can keep the final night from coming.”
We get our first view of the house, “The ancient-looking palace rose out of nowhere to dominate the landscape. It was protected by a high stone wall that stretched to the horizon. He saw a jumble of towers, spires, and walls of windows that soared toward the heavens. Statues of gargoyles dominated the eaves.”
On the Blackwood estate it is always dusk or dark, never day. The gates only open to the outside world once a year for just a few days.
The house is strange, rooms move around, there are strange noises and sights. There are dangers for the unwary. The grounds, with the gardens, are strange and dangerous as well, full of odd, and bloodthirsty creatures determined to end the Blackwood line.
There are some grisly bits, and it’s definitely spooky, but would be fine for middle grade readers who can tolerate dark tales. Not for those sensitive, nightmare prone kiddies though. (Well, that depends too, I was one of those sensitive, nightmare prone kids and I would have liked it around the 8 – 12 age, but I would have been sleeping with the hall light on!)
But, I wouldn’t classify it as firmly middle grade, in spite of the ages of the main characters. It’s more complex in story and in writing than is typical for middle grade books. I’d recommend this from older middle grade to young adult readers, and even adult readers who can enjoy stories with young protagonists.
The story incorporates the myth of Pandora in an ingenious way, making it family history rather than myth. There are plants with magical properties such as healing or protection from evil creatures. The use of Greek myths, folklore, and other strange creatures, was reminiscent of Harry Potter. Although the plot is very imaginative and original and not anything like Harry Potter. I was very impressed, I can’t remember reading a book with a similar plotline.
A dark fantasy, also may appeal to fans of ghost stories, haunted house tales, and dark fairy tales. This is not a ghost story or fairy tale, but some of those elements are here.
Fair warning, the book does end with a cliffhanger.
I’ve already purchased and started reading the next book in the series.
0 Response to "∎ [PDF] Gratis Nightfall Gardens Volume 1 Allen Houston 9780615804453 Books"
Post a Comment