Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

At two hours and ten minutes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is the shortest film in the franchise. And within these two hours and ten minutes, Potter fans are treated to a masterpiece of epic proportions.

Harry Potter is now closer to discovering and destroying Voldemort’s remaining horcruxes. Along this journey, he has to deal with devious goblins, fire-breathing dragons, new and untried hexes, guilty ghosts, cursed fiendfyre, old enemies and the promise of a new, hitherto undiscovered, truly terrifying Horcrux. And the poor lad’s work is never done. At the end of these gruesome tasks, he must face his nemesis : The Dark Lord...The most powerful evil magician of all times...the monster who has killed Harry’s parents, his godfather, his mentor and many more who have played a poignant role in Harry’s life. Fighting and vanquishing Voldemort means accepting death gladly. It means stepping into unchartered territory with sheer guts bolstered by hope and a prayer.

Part 2 is the tale of the ultimate battle...the battle between Good and Evil...the battle between ‘The Boy-Who-Lived’ and ‘The Vile-Noseless-Villain-Who-Refused-To-Die’. It is a setting that gathers up the slow threads of Part 1 and flings it headlong into a chaotic battlescene that is awe-inspiring and heart-wrenching in equal measures.

The movie, to put it mildly is *BRILLIANT*

The movie, to put it in the words of a true-blue Potter fan is *MIND-BOGGLINGLY-FANTASTIC*

Concentrating on the ‘Battle of Hogwarts’ meant that the entire movie could have disintegrated into a never-ending round of wand-duelling, muggle-worthy punching and the dire destruction of a set that holds a special place in our hearts. Thankfully, the director (David Yates) has played a beautiful game of explosive action combined with deliciously slow and intense moments.

SPECIAL CHARACTER MENTION:

~ ‘Snape’s Memory’; one of the best chapters in the book was converted into a perfect ten-minute montage that made my vision blurry with unshed tears. Alan Rickman is always a joy to behold and his rendition of the magnificent Snape leaves you satisfied that the movie did credit to the written word.

~ Prof. McGonagall has always been one of my favourite characters. Maggie Smith as the unbending teacher with a heart of molten gold has a few (but just enough) moments that make you whoop with glee (yes, I did indeed whoop with glee)

~ Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) has come such a long way from being a scared student who quivered under the scathing disapproval of a long-suffering teacher. Tall, weary and covered with battle-scars....Neville is an unlikely hero who plays a crucial role. It helps that he has some wicked-cool lines to boot.

~ Oddly enough, I don’t have much to say on Harry, Hermione and Ron. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) plunges forth with a quiet intensity. Hermione (Emma Watson) is a tad muted but her usual spunky self. Ron (Rupert Grint) has his endearing gormless act in place. Their combination works like a well-oiled spring; courtesy the long-standing familiarity and suffice to say, the trio keep you hooked.

At the end of it all, it was so much more than just that. It was a magical battle to end all the mini-squabbles. It was a shining symbol of the power of friendship, love and loyalty. It was the befitting end of a glorious era.The director, cast and crew tied up one of the greatest and most successful stories of our time into a fitting conclusion.

Glaring dissimilarities aside, fans will be hard-pressed to nitpick.

I want to write so much more. I want to write eloquent prose that conveys my affection for these fictional characters. I want to write a glowing statement of adulation for the author who can tell a tale like no one else.

Thank you, J.K.Rowling.

Thank you for your imagination that is so rooted in reality.

Thank you for reaffirming my belief that love, friendship and faith can brighten up the darkest corners of our minds.

Thank you for the magic...

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #2)

The defenses of Camp Half-Blood have been breached, Thalia’s tree has been poisoned and ‘goat-boy’ Grover is in danger of becoming a reluctant bride to the Cyclops Polyphemus!!!

All in a day’s work for demi-god, Percy Jackson as he sets off on an unofficial quest to recover the magical and healing “Golden Fleece”. Accompanied by Annabeth and a new friend cum half-brother, Tyson the Cyclops…….Percy ventures into the treacherous Sea of Monsters.

Old enemies, new monsters and untold prophecies come to the forefront. Once more, we get a delightful insight into the world of Greek Mythology. Glimpses of Homer’s Odyssey are dropped in at regular intervals and there is a whole new jamboree of fantastic creatures and menacing villains!

Percy once again proves to be an endearing hero. With so many odds stacked against him, he rarely whines or cribs. More often than not, he resorts to a droll sense of humour and foolhardy courage to rescue himself and his friends in this magnificent tale. Definitely worth a read!

Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)

I am not exactly an unbiased soul when it comes to reviewing a Harry Potter book. My Potter reviews wax lyrical, are full of praise and admiration and rarely do negative words get typed in.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix however was a little roadbock to my motherhen express. Too many pages, too much information and too, too rambling in it’s narrative. Do a vanishing hex on a handful of chapters and it would have been another perfect gem from Rowling’s desk.

The basic premise of the fifth book was that the magical world is now divided into two warring factions :

a) Those who believe that Voldemort is back and are taking the necessary steps to face the possibility of a second war and

b) Those who don’t believe that Voldemort is back and are taking every unnecessary and abysmally foolish step to thwart Team a)

Harry Potter has returned to his fifth year in a troubled state. The wizarding world at large (except for his loyal friends) believe that Dumbledore has gone senile and Harry is nothing more than an attention seeking git. Harry has to deal with people thinking and voicing out loud that the Potter lad has finally gone...to put it a tad inelegantly...potty. He has to face the simpering wrath of Prof.Umbridge, the newest Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who has been planted by the Ministry to keep her noxious nose in the affairs of Hogwarts. He has to bear the mixed romantic blessing of an interested Cho Chang; who snogs him and weeps all over his cloak at regular intervals.

But all this pales in comparison to Harry’s newest problem. In his dreams, Harry appears to be travelling into the mind of Voldemort. He seems to share an undesired mental link with The Dark Lord. Whether Voldy is ecstatic with joy or bloodthirsty with rage, Harry senses it. While this situation might prove to be useful to Dumbledore and other members of ‘The Order of The Phoenix’, it has a nasty sting at it’s tail. The mental link is reciprocal, which means that Voldemort can also make roadways into Harry’s mind....delve into his darkest secrets and worst of all....actually possess him.

If Rowling would have stuck to this basic plotline, it would have been an engaging read. No meandering, just straightforward story-telling. Sadly, it unravelled into a heavy lo-oong winded read.

On the plus side, new characters like Tonks and Luna Lovegood make an interesting addition. Bellatrix Lestrange is deliciously deranged. Sirius Black, my favourite bad boy, got enough pages devoted to him to exhibit varied nuances of his character. The roles of Ginny and Neville Longbottom are smartly fleshed out, laying the groundwork for future full-fledged appearances.

Harry makes a departure from his perfect-hero portrayal. Gone is the unsure, slightly shy, self-deprecating, wee Potter lad. What we now have is an impatient teenager who exhibits bouts of rage tempered with confused silences. Hermione and Ron provide able support to their grumpy best friend. Sadly, their fledgling romance has been put on the back-burner. Dumbledore is magnificent in his stellar role as “The Only One He Ever Feared”.

The one good thing about this book is that Harry may finally learn why the darkest, wizard ‘moste-eville’ has been hounding him since his childhood.

In all, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix could have been shorter and less of a stomach-crusher. It’s a long tale with flashes of brilliance and one distinctly heart-wrenching moment.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 releases on July 15’ 2011. And with it, ends one of the grandest obsessions of our times.

No, I’m not mocking it. Far from it. I am an unabashed member of the PotterBrigade. I have read the entire series more times than I can count. I have caught the movies when they hit the theatres (and cribbed about the disparities in plot). I have scoured through exquisite FanArt and imaginative FanFiction. I have followed the wise homilies of the great Dumbledore and treated him as my Spiritual Guru. I have rooted for Hermione and Ron’s almost-there-but-not-quite-yet love story. I have lusted after Sirius and loathed Umbridge, both in equal measures. I have attempted to make ButterBeer (and succeeded). I have done a spot of wishful thinking and hoped that Hogwarts has misplaced my letter (well, not really...but yes). And yes.............I have stuck with Harry till the very end.

So obviously, with the end in sight, I HAD to reread the series. And when I reached ‘Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire’, I realized that alas....alackk....and also, ERK!....I hadn’t written a review on it! *shock* *horror* *convincing Victorian swoon*. Soon I recovered from the fiendish blow and penned down a wholly biased review. Here goes:

The Quidditch World Cup followed by The Triwizard Tournament form the backdrop for the fourth instalment. As The Quidditch Finals culminate in the sudden appearance of THE DARK MARK, a wave of panic spreads through the wizarding world. The Mark is the sign of ‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’; a mark that heralds the return of pure, undiluted evil. Our wee Potter isn’t feeling too uppity either. The scar on his forehead has been ailing him; another indication that ol’Voldy is either very near or he is feeling particularly murderous. Sirius (in hiding) is worried and sends comforting owl mail at regular intervals. Hermione is worried and races to the library at regular intervals. Ron is worried and turns an unbecoming shade of red at regular intervals.

So when Harry is chosen by the magical ‘Goblet of Fire’ as one of the contenders for The Triwizard Tournament, it’s only natural that everyone starts having kittens; left, right and center. The tournament which claims to be an attempt to improve relationships in the Wizarding Community is no game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Past history reveals that the tasks are dangerous and injurious to health in every sense of the word.

Soon, Harry is battling dragons, merpeople, unexpected jinxes, hexes and the odd Blast-Ended Skrewt. But it’s the end that decides it all. In a startling twist, Harry will soon face a task that will make The Hungarian Horntail Dragon look like a mild-mannered lapdog.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire can adequately be summed up in one word : DRAMATIC.

Whether it’s the sporting fervour whipped up at The Quidditch World Cup or the wave of excitement and danger that holds together The Triwizard Tournament, J.K.Rowling is the Mother Monster of Event-Managers. A host of enticing new characters make their entry : Cedric Diggory, Mad-Eye Moody, Barty Crouch (Sr. & Jr.), Ludo Bagman, Madame Maxime, Viktor Krum, Karkaroff, Rita Skeeter and.....The Dark Lord himself.

Despite being a fairly heavy book, the pace never wanes. One endearing quality of Rowling’s writing is that no fact or seemingly odd bit of trivia is ever merely that. Somewhere, somehow, she will dip into her Pensieve, extract the miniscule detail and entwine it with the plot. So while reading her books, remember to be in a state of (as Mad-Eye Moody would term it) “CONSTANT VIGILANCE”.

Endearing sub plots are the fledgling romances: Harry and Cho, Ron and Hermione and Krum and ofcourse, Hagrid and Madame Maxime. Snape continues his reign of unabated nastiness. Malfoy is his usual charming self. Cedric (the future Mr.Edward Cullen) is a wholly likeable character who stays with you till the end. Dumbledore is pitching his perfect performance as usual : whether it’s turning a blind eye to the never ending pranks, or giving a fair listening to an improbable tale or doling out wisdom in his unique way or standing tall, eyes ablaze in the face of dark times.

Tight storyline, shocking twists and throat-clogging moments. In all, a magnificent read.

Igraine The Brave

Let me just start by saying that I loved every page of this medieval tale. So if I seem effusive in my praise, you.have.been.warned.

Igraine is the twelve year old daughter of the great Magicians : The Fair Melisande and Sir Lamorak, The Wily. She has a magically inclined, know-it-all brother : Albert. The family of four live in a magical albeit small castle which houses the legendary ‘Singing Books of Magic’. The castle is magically protected by ferocious stone lions, cannonball swallowing gargoyles and a moat swarming with endearing water snakes. Despite the above mentioned overdose of magic all around her, young Igraine has no wish to follow in the enchanting ways of her kin. Magic for her is an unnecessary but undeniable facet of her life. Magic is something that she just has to grit her teeth and bare with.

Her aspirations lie in a totally different arena.

Igraine wants to be a Knight; a full-on, armour-clanking, lance-hurling, dragon-fighting Knight. She wants to emulate her great-grandfather Pelleas and have her day of glory in a battlefield. And sooner than she ever imagined, her dreams come true, in a rather uncomfortable way.

For the castle is soon in danger of an attack by the vile Osmund also called Osmund The Greedy. Osmund is a practitioner of Dark Magic and wants to lay his hands on ‘Singing Books of Magic’. He believes that their possession will soon make him the greatest magician and the master of all he surveys.

Handling Osmund would have been embarrassingly easy for Igraine’s parents, but unfortunately the powerful magicians had a spell go awry which converted them into talking but wholly non-magical pigs!

It is now up to Igraine to save the day. She must return her parents to their natural form, assist her brother in protecting the castle and generally have her much longed for (but now truly terrifying) wish to be a brave knight come true.

The tale is tight, packed with sharp plotlines and endearing characters. Magic is used in enchanting and unpredictable ways. I liked the unexpected twists that occurred at regular intervals. It’s heartening to not be blasé about where the story is heading. Igraine is a wonderful heroine, a charming mix of kind-heartedness and spunky fervour. The illustrations by Funke enhance her narration and make the book a joy to possess. The best bit for me was that while I loved The Inkheart series, my main grouse was the unnecessary rambling that swallowed up so many pages. This defect was heartily absent in Igraine The Brave. Cornelia Funke was precise and engrossing in ever line.

An enchanting tale of a girl-knight embroidered with magic, cleverness and sheer gutsiness.

Battle for Bittora

Anuja Chauhan follows the success of ' The Zoya Factor' with yet another desi firecracker. Battle for Bittora is all good, tried-and-tested Bollywood clichés parcelled into one enticing masala-read.

Jinni Pandey is a happy-go-lucky animator drawing award-winning ‘kitaanus’ (germs/bacteria) for Harpic and other noteworthy brands. She’s young, spunky and has a carelessly-on purpose dishevelled half-rosebud haircut that she's mighty proud of.

But Jinni is also, infact Sarojini Pande, granddaughter of the fearsome political matriarch Pushpa Pande. The Pande clan is an illustrious (albeit with a dubious background) political dynasty. For a long time, they have contested the Lok Sabha elections through their hometown Bittora. Sometimes they have had resounding victories and at other times, embarrassing losses but it’s always been a full-on tamasha.

And now in true-blue unbendable grandmother/ conniving politician mode, the great Pushpa Pande has manoeuvered the clueless Jinni into contesting the upcoming elections from Bittora. Soon Jinni finds herself togged up in starched sarees and matronly blouses. She’s thrown headlong into a world of kleptomaniac Election agents; Crack teams who will “do anything” to help ‘didi’; hormonal pet dogs; frenemies; stalwart ladies who don’t visit parlours but bite off their underarm hair with their teeth (a very disturbing exaggeration, that); manipulators; back-stabbers; gropers and the entire rigmarole that is our grand Indian Politics.

Standing on the tip of this fast dissolving Gola, is Jinni's opponent : The idealistic (also, chiselled), intellectual (yes, his tan is honey colored) and universally loved (well, with that build-up....he obviously has to be lustworthy!) Zain Altaf Khan. Maruti Zain (as Jinni had mockingly nicknamed him) and Jinni share a rich past. They were childhood friends who were almost lovers before the great Pushpaji brought their raging "haarmoans" under control.

As the two youngest ever Lok Sabha candidates battle out the elections in grimy Bittora; kid gloves are shed, dirty politics lunge forth in full force and the trusty ol’ “haarmoans” make a predictable reappearance.

Anuja Chauhan strikes gold yet again. I am thoroughly chuffed to say that I have a favourite Indian author who doesn’t play the displaced NRI/ skanky urban cougar/ Indian travelogue card. Her dialogue is a delightful blend of propah English with a spicy tadka of local dialects. She captures the dusty contours of rural India, jazzes it up with a host of laugh-out-loud caricatures and gives you a stellar lead pair who make you root for them.

Kudos to Chauhan for plumbing her political lineage (her mother-in-law is Margaret Alva) and employing it with insouciance. I loved the book and would strongly recommend it for all who are still searching for that elusive "must-read Indian Author".

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #2)

Whenever I visit my lovely (albeit a tad lonely) ancestral home, I instantly associate with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. I have the mysterious house with a few empty rooms...the boredom of being stuck-in that makes me rattle around like a disgruntled pea-in-a-pod......and......I even have an unused wardrobe. Sadly, to my abject disappointment, the wardrobe doesn’t open into Narnia or even a respectable secret passageway. (I checked). But since reading The Narnia Chronicles and having to make regular visits to my hometown; I more often than not always carry along my copy of ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’.

There’s something truly delightful of hiding in a fur coat laden wardrobe and coming out into a parallel world replete with a winter wonderland, a nasty Snow-Queen, troubled mythical creatures, and the truly splendid character of ASLAN.

ASLAN

C.S.Lewis gave a very apt description in his introduction of Aslan. It goes thus:

The Beaver said, “They say Aslan is on the move – perhaps has already landed”

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something that you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it has some enormous meaning ¬– either a terrifying one that turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each child felt something jump in it’s inside. Edmund felt a sense of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delicious strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

This has always been my favourite passage. It’s sheer simplicity and accuracy pens the exact emotions which we have all experienced at the onset of something life-changing (nice/nasty, depending upon our perspectives and personal demons) .Aslan is a memorable character and the tale, according to me, the best of the Narnia Chronicles. It’s believable, doesn’t drag or preach unnecessarily and is a delightful treat for fantasy-lovers like me.

I usually tend to read the book first and follow it up with the movie viewing. I love both versions and ‘The Battle Tune of Narnia’ is on my perpetual Playlist. It’s almost my own personal ‘defeat-your-demons’ tune.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the Grand Poobah of fantasy reads (Lord of The Rings, notwithstanding) and I would strongly recommend it for all wide-eyed children with a longing for magic to drive away the monotony of everyday life. If I could, I would also insist on scornful adults to capture a bit of their young wonderment and escape into The Land of Narnia.

C.S.Lewis in his dedication to his goddaughter, aptly summed it up:

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy-tales again”

KANE CHRONICLES : The Throne of Fire (Book #2)

*TEAM A*

~ The Egyptian deification of Darkness and Chaos, Apophis (who also takes the form of a sincerely scary humungous snake)

~ The third most powerful (and evil) magician in the world; Menshikov also fondly termed as ‘Vlad, The Inhaler’. He dresses like an ice-cream salesman but pretty much wants the world to end in chaos, in like four days time.

~ Host of minor Gods ranging from Nekhbet (Goddess of Vultures) to Babi (God of Baboons). I.kid.you.not

*TEAM B*

~ Brother-Sister teen Magician team of Carter and Sadie Kane

~ A griffin with a personality disorder that goes ‘FRE-EEEK’ in response to most calamities.

~ A team of fledgling magicians still undergoing training.

~ BES, the God of Dwarves who scares people by appearing in nothing more than a Speedo.

Yep, a fairly unequal battle there.

The Kane siblings had just won a gruesome round with Set in The Red Pyramid.....only to discover that more evil lurks around the corner. Evil, that makes Set look like a wilful kid who doesn’t want to eat his broccoli. Apophis is soon going to break free from his centuries-old prison. If he succeeds, he will swallow the sun and plunge the world into Chaos. Ergo, *Doomsday*.

Sadie and Carter have a fighting chance only if they can find Ra, the ancient and powerful Pharoah of The Gods. Legend has it that only Ra, The Sun God who battled Apophis on a nightly basis has the ability to vanquish the latter. To recall Ra from his retirement, Sadie and Carter need to lay their hands on The Book of Ra( three separate scrolls, hidden in three different, unknown and obviously dangerous locations ).

And so begins the....yes....I’m going to say it.....rollercoaster ride! (Thank God for tried and traumatised clichés)

The tale is splendid. Choc-a-bloc with action, adventure, mythology and devious and dastardly plots. All the above elements are welded together with Riordan’s trademark wit. As usual, he makes the ancient Gods approachable and infuses them with foibles and flaws. Obscure myths are woven into an urban fantasy that keeps you turning the pages with growing anxiety. Sadie and Carter are a delightful, snarky brother-sister duo. They are extremely likeable and foolhardy enough to carry the story forward.

As usual, I do what I always do after reading a Riordan book. I go into full-on Wiki-Mode and read up on the ancient Gods. I cannot stress enough as to how the author deserves credit for dusting off forgotten stories and repackaging them in a way that retains the essence while giving them a contemporary edge.

Kudos, Mr.Riordan.

Ella Enchanted

*Beware of delusional fairies bearing gifts*

This is the main premise of Ella Enchanted.

Ella, as a child was given the dubious gift of “OBEDIENCE” by the smarmy fairy, Lucinda. Since then, Ella.Must.Obey. She is forced to obey every single command directed at her. And commands range from the perfectly innocuous ‘Ella, stand up’ to the highly dangerous ‘Ella, chop off your head’. So Ella, her mother and their devoted cook, Mandy had decided that this gift (read : curse) should be kept a secret. If the knowledge fell into the wrong hands, Ella would be in grave danger.

But the big, bad world awaits and Ella cannot be cushioned from the nastiness of conniving minds. As she loses her mother, she gains a host of problems. She now has to deal with her scheming father, gold-digging stepmother, obnoxious pair of stepsisters and the new friend she makes: Prince Charmont (or Char, as he likes to be called by friends ). In order to right-the-wrongs in her life, Ella knows that she must seek out the elusive Lucinda and request her to take back the gift.The book follows Ella’s adventures, her fledgling romance and her struggle to obtain a free will.

Ella Enchanted is one of the best fairy tales that I have read and I loved Ella’s character. She is spunky, loaded with the right attitude and is utterly humane in her faults and choices. She’s a far cry from the doe-eyed, self-sacrificing, snivelling-near-the-fireplace, worried-about-their-spun-sugar-hair heroines. You root for her, gnash your teeth at the injustices meted out to her and earnestly hope for her *happily-ever-after*.

Gail Carson Levine is the fairy tale-smith who weaves an ancient tale with alacrity. She also displays an endearing fondness for Tolkien by introducing alternate languages like Elven and Ogreish and a handful of other enchanting gobbledygook.

In all, a perfect fairytale.

The Dragonfly Pool

Eva Ibbotson’s books do two things for you:

a) They transport you to a place, time and ambience that is redolent with olde-worlde charm and mystique.

b) They make your cynical soul believe that there are people (and especially children) who want to make this world a nicer place to live in.

Ibbotson’s books have always been comfort-food for my soul. She’s another author who finds a place in my travel-bag. You may be in a paradise (or personal purgatory, as the case may be), but dip into her stories and you are immediately hooked.

‘The Dragonfly Pool’ is no different.

It tells the tale of a much-loved and surprisingly unspoilt little girl called Tally. Tally lives in London with her widowed father, Dr.Hamilton and a pair of maiden aunts. Despite her idyllic existence, the shadow of impending war looms heavily over their heads. Hitler is at his despotic worst and The Second World War is imminent.

Around this time, Dr.Hamilton receives an unexpected scholarship for Tally at a boarding school called Delderton. Delderton is located in South Devon countryside and safely ensconced from the dangers of war. After many protestations and misgivings, Tally is parcelled off to Delderton and there she discovers a whole new world…

For Delderton is a progressive school. There are no rules, the students look like a bunch of happy savages, the principal judges people by their reactions to the ancient Cedar tree that stands tall in the school garden, the school cook is a beautiful ex-model and biology lessons could start at four in the morning without any prior warning whatsoever.

And then there is the enigmatic Matteo von Tarlenheim; biology teacher by profession but bandit in appearance. Much loved by the students for cutting a dashing figure and respected for his infinite understanding of the fauna and flora that surrounds them, Matteo is the most popular teacher in school. But Matteo has mysterious foreign roots and his past is soon entwined with Tally and her adventures.

In course of time, Tally and her quickly formed friends are off to Bergania to take part in a folk-dance festival. Bergania is a tiny country in Europe ruled by just king, Johannes who has stoutly refused to assist Hitler. And Johannes has a young son, Karil, who lives the life of a poor little rich boy.In Bergania, adventure raises it’s tantalising head and soon the fates of Tally and Karil and irrevocably entwined.

The story is a splendid blend of nature ramblings, wry humour, touches of darkness and the quintessential overriding message of *being true to oneself*. Ibbotson’s characters are well-etched, be it the Aragorn-like Matteo or the stubbornly optimistic Tally. The palette of supporting characters keep you engaged with their quirks and individual strengths of character. The surroundings vary from a naturalist’s utopia to the despondency of a war-weary landscape. Ibbotson holds the reigns of both worlds deftly and keeps you enchanted till the very end.