Sky Carver

I read Sky Carver in three hours. I really enjoyed it, despite the few flaws. The world and its peoples, its magic- all were well-conceived and written. The main characters were a bit stereotypical, but I have a LOT less problem with this in a YA novel! I really enjoyed the story, and the well-hidden allegory within it. Like Tolkien's LoTR, its story can be seen as "applicable" to our own situation in modern times. I would recommend it to any teens who like fantasy- but it's good enough to delight anyone!

SKY CARVER begins slowly and quickly gathers momentum, building up to a speed so fast you don't want to stop reading. Character development, suspense, action, and story line with writing so descriptive you can see what's happening, all meld together to create a riveting tale of budding friendship, nascent and accomplished magic, and good vs evil. I highly recommend it, not only for young adults, but for grownups as well. Fun, entertaining, imaginative, and action packed.

This book has its high points and low points. It wasn't the best-written book I've ever read, and it didn't have the best story, but it was enough to keep me happy, and that's good enough for me. I have to give Dean Whitlock a lot of credit for the plot he put together, although I've seen better. When I started Sky Carver, I immediately noticed the story's originality. I'm sick of reading fantasy stories that sound the same as any other fantasy story, and I'm glad for everyone's sake that Whitlock took the trouble to make up some of his own ideas. Although the elements of a quest and the hero discovering previously unknown places and people has been overdone, Whitlock made that idea his own by inventing an original form of magic and by adding elements to the plot that aren't found in most fantasies. For example, Whitlock's world has three reaches, the upper reach, the middle reach, and the lower reach. The lower you go, the more modern the reach is. While the upper reach's inhabitants live in a society with old-fashioned guilds and small villages, the middle reach people have steam boats and guns, and the ones who live in the lower reach ride bicycles and wear pants and shirts with pockets. By sending his main character through this uneven world, Whitlock adds some very refreshing touches to a general fantasy plot. Although the story seemed a little awkward and unformed near the end of the book, I still think that Whitlock did a pretty good job. It's no Lord of the Rings, but then, it's pretty hard to beat Lord of the Rings. The writing was simple. That's the only way to put it. In some ways, this is a good thing, but it detracts from the story in others. Some books overload the reader with description, and Whitlock certainly didn't do that. His writing is easy to follow, and it doesn't bog down the plot. The story kept moving, so something new was always happening. I didn't get bored once. On the other hand, Whitlock didn't put enough detail in a few parts of the book. When his main character looked out over a waterfall, for example, I couldn't get a good picture of the view in my mind, although I knew it was supposed to be striking. That's the kind of place where an author should put some extra description in to emphasize the intensity of the scene and the character's sense of awe, and to project that awe onto the reader. I also had some trouble envisioning the geography in a few places, and the characters' appearances should have gotten some more detail. Basically, the writing was good, but I would have liked it if the author had put more effort into his descriptions. The worst part of Sky Carver was the characters. The hero, a boy named Thomas Painter who later changes his name to Carver, doesn't really have that much to him. He's faithful to his friends, he wants to do good things for everyone, he likes to carve wood. That's pretty much it. He's the kind of character where, if you try to think of a list of adjec

"Sky Carver" is the finest piece of young adult literature I've read in quite some time. Following in the wake of the Harry Potter juggernaut, it is a skillful tale of magic and adventure that appeals to a more intellectual preteen. The magic in Whitlock's story is not the gee-whiz vaudeville of Harry and Co., but a more subtle and down-to-earth brand of wizardry that seems to have seeped up from the depths of nature. When added with a thrilling quest and winning characters, it makes for quite an entertaining read. In this world, the landscape is divided into huge plateaus, or "reaches," and five major rivers provide the native people with trade and commerce. The folk of the higher reaches lead a more primitive lifestyle, while those at the bottom rely on industry and have almost crushed magic out of existence. In a small village in the Upper Reach lives Thomas Painter, who is terrible at painting but loves to carve wood. Unfortunately, Thomas' father was a celebrated painter and everyone expects him to follow suit. One day, a raven flies overhead and drops a willow branch -- a magic wand -- on Thomas' head. With the wand, Thomas discovers that he can "carve" the sky itself, thereby controlling the weather. Long story short, the wand becomes his to keep and he sets off downriver to find someone who can help him use it. He is accompanied by the raven who dropped the wand, and who is really a transformed girl (also named Raven). Grouchy, acidic, and cantankerous, she makes the perfect foil for Thomas (now calling himself "Carver") and is by far the most entertaining character. Their other sidekick is Fireboy, a wage slave who runs a steamboat and helps them flee various bad guys and make it to the sea. The final act of the book deals with Carver's encounter with a sinister mage named Krimm who has dire plans for Carver, his friends, and the world in general. Does Carver thwart the forces of evil and discover how to unelash his magic talent? Read for yourself. Whitlock's contrast between magic and technology is fascinating, his prose simple but elegant. Unlike all the condescending YA novels that assume preteens are idiots, "Sky Carver" challenges the reader. Everyone I know who has read the book has loved it. I was fortunate enough to meet the author at a reading, where I was thrilled to learn that a sequel, starring Raven, is on the way. Anyone who reads "Sky Carver" will agree that she deserves her own book. I highly recommend "Sky Carver" for young fantasy fans...and grownup fantasy fans. Whitlock's book should win an award.

I just finished reading Sky Carver by Dean Whitlock and found it to be a very enjoyable ride. When the book ended, I was left wanting to know what happens next. I found the characters to be well developed, though one of them really started to grate on my nerves! The world that Mr. Whitlock created was fun and interesting and easy enough for me to believe in. I would definitely recommend this book for any young adult. It is free from the violence and sexual content that I have found in so many other books. I look forward to reading the next book by Dean Whitlock.