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The Secret Kingdom (2011)

by Jenny Nimmo(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0439846730 (ISBN13: 9780439846738)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Scholastic Press

series

Chronicles of the Red King

review 1: Great read, I loved the setting this book has and the events that took place. I have no idea why it's called 'The Secret Kingdom' though. It wasn't about the kingdom at all, but about a boy with a camel who is constantly on the run from bad guys. :oEverything happened VERY quickly in this story, and most of it felt like a blur too me. I'm sad that I don't really remember much of the details that took place...! (I guess I'll have to read it again!) It's kinda funny, because things were happening so quickly I thought chapter 1 a was a quick prologue to the story! *laughs* Though I guess it COULD be one!~Now I don't mean to sound mean or anything, but I don't really understand why the main character, who is all powerful and mighty (and is probably a god) doesn't just deal wit... moreh the viridees and do something about them right away? Instead, he runs away and hides from them constantly... It bothered me because I don't believe in running away from your troubles and fears - unless you truly ARE powerless, but Timoken was obviously not. I didn't think it was the best message to give in the world...While the book was fast paced for me, it sure told quite the adventure in every chapter! And that ending? Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! :) I love endings that leave a sweet feeling inside my heart, and this book definitely did that for me.~
review 2: The events felt arbitrary, but that might be because their significance is better explained in the Charlie Bone series. (which I did not read.) I would have appreciated enriching details of the characters and why they acted as they did. However, if this was only made from an outline of the ancient characters' importance in the Charlie Bone series, the sparseness of characterization is understandable. The story itself largely felt more like a history book with some trappings of narrative.None of the female characters are as important as the male ones, or even characterized much. There are four female characters important to the plot: Timoken's mother, who is partly responsible for Timoken's and Zobayda's magical powers. Zobayda serves as a companion early in the book, doesn't do much, seems useless in comparison to Timoken, and seemingly dies early in the book and is shoved aside by the narrative as she ages. (Zobayda also does nothing important in the years between her separation from and return to Timoken.) The mother of Harken is insignificant to the plot other than producing Harken and giving him his part-human resistance to cold. Beri, who has little characterization and is more distinguished by her parentage than her personality, is responsible for Timoken going to Castile and does nothing else.I expected Zobayda to have some protective, important role early on; just because she wasn't as magical as Timoken didn't mean she had to be put aside. The narrative glosses over long stretches of time, over which something worth telling should have happened. (Over hundreds of years of travelling among settlements, absolutely nothing worth telling in detail happened? Really? Those settlements can't be that humdrum and isolated.)While I understand Timoken is supposed to be really magical, later in the book he seems a Gary Stu in his level of convenient magical ability. Yes, he can make rain. Yes, he can fly. But using the secret language to arm his followers with great weapons by converting natural objects---along with invincibility---is too much. There's no limit to his powers, which makes his failures inexcusable.Despite the book's shortcomings, I must note that there's an person of African heritage (indeed, pure African) in a fantasy book. That's refreshing. Fantasy books don't often take place in Africa. (other than Egypt)The book isn't worth reading unless one has already read the Charlie Bone series or has low standards. less

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