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5 in 5
What is 5 in 5?
What is 5 in 5?
5 Questions in 5 Minutes.
In this section, you will find my responses to some of the questions listed in What to Ask Yourself.
Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress - Sarwat Chadda
Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress - Sarwat Chadda
Title: Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress
Author: Sarwat Chadda
Release Date: March 1, 2012
This is the first book in the Ash Mistry Chronicles Series. There are currently 3 more books in the series: Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress, Ash Mistry and the City of Death, and Ash Mistry and the World of Darkness.
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
If you had to pick one colour to describe Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress, what colour would you pick? Why?
I would choose the colour red to describe Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress because red is the colour of blood, and it is often associated with danger and peril. There is a lot of blood, gore and death in the book so red describes the book very well.
What would you want to read about in a sequel or prequel?
I would want to read a prequel of the Ash Mistry Chronicles about the history of Lord Alexander Savage through his perspective to understand him and his past better. I know that he seems evil, but he might not be completely evil. Like most villains in the fictional world, such as Darth Vader in Star Wars, they didn't start off as villains, but instead ended up going down an evil path due to some event in their life. It would be interesting to find out why Lord Alexander Savage turned evil and felt the need to be the greatest sorcerer of all time. I could probably understand and sympathize with his viewpoint better by reading a story about him and his history.
If you could change one part, what would you change?
If I could change one part, I probably would make the deaths and battles less graphic. When I first started reading the book, I did not expect to read extremely descriptive gruesome scenes. The scenes may show how evil and fierce the antagonists are and the hardships the heroes have to go through, but I think there are many different ways to convey this in the story.
Does Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress remind you of another book you know? Does it remind you of something you’ve experienced in real life?
Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress reminds me a lot of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. They are both about a teen boy who finds out that the world of mythology is actually real. Ash and Percy have very similar personalities, and both rely heavily on their female best friends, Parvati and Annabeth, for help and knowledge throughout their quests.
What was the most interesting thing you learned from Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress?
The most interesting thing I learned from Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress was about Indian Mythology. I had not encountered Indian Mythology before, and I really enjoyed reading about it. I have previously read other mythologies, including Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse, and find the tales very interesting.
November 2021
A Tale of Magic - Chris Colfer
A Tale of Magic - Chris Colfer
Title: A Tale of Magic
Author: Chris Colfer
Release Date: October 1, 2019
This is the first book in the prequel series to the Land of Stories. The second book and the third book of the prequel series are A Tale of Witchcraft and A Tale of Sorcery, respectively.
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
Does A Tale of Magic remind you of another book you know? Does it remind you of something you’ve experienced in real life?
A Tale of Magic reminds me of The Wishing Spell from The Land of Stories series, which A Tale of Magic prequels. Brystal Evergreen, the main character, is a lot like Alex and Conner Bailey (more than you think). Both Brystal and the twins started off with normal lives, until something particularly magical happened, and they were sucked into a dangerous world whether they wanted to or not.
Did any of the characters change through the story? Who changed, and how did they change?
Two of the characters, Tangerina and Skylene, started off seemingly rude and mean. These characters were jealous that Brystal, Emerelda, Xanthous, and Lucy were getting the same amount of attention as them, which they thought was unfair because they were magical apprentices. Throughout the story, they get to know everyone better, and realize that they are all equal.
Did the problem of the book’s plot get solved?
Yes. The main problem of the book was gender inequality and prejudice against magic. At the end of the story, Brystal and her friends convince King Champion XIV to abolish the laws restricting equality. The Justices try to stop them, but back down in the end.
Were you satisfied with the ending of the story? Why?
I was not satisfied with the ending of the story because the characters found out that their teacher turned into the Snow Queen. My problem with this is that in the Land of Stories series, it seems like Xanthous kills the Snow Queen without a second thought when she was his teacher in the prequel.
Was there anything in the book that surprised you?
The main part of the book that surprised me was not the major plot twist, but the fact that many of the people Brystal met ended up being part of the Fairy Counsel from The Land of Stories. Brystal ends up as the Fairy Godmother, her classmates at the school of magic are Tangerina, Xanthous, Emerelda and Skylene, Mrs. Vee is Violetta, and they meet Rosette on an adventure. I liked this surprise because it connected A Tale of Magic (the prequel) to The Land of Stories (the main series).
August 2021
Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger
Keeper of the Lost Cities - Shannon Messenger
Title: Keeper of the Lost Cities
Author: Shannon Messenger
Release Date: October 2, 2012
This is the first book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. There are currently 8 more books in the series: Exile, Everblaze, Neverseen, Lodestar, Nightfall, Flashback, Legacy, and Unlocked.
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
If you could be a character in Keeper of the Lost Cities for one day, who would you choose to be? Why?
I would choose to be the character Biana Vacker. She is one of the main characters who looks fragile but is actually quite brave. She is also a Vanisher, which means that she can sense light particles and let them pass through her body, allowing her to become invisible, which I think is a really cool ability.
Why do you think Shannon Messenger wrote this story?
I think Shannon Messenger wrote this story to bring awareness to discrimination. The main character, Sophie, is discriminated against for being different, with her brown eyes and human childhood. People are rude to her because she is a misfit, who was not only created by a rebel group, called the Black Swan, but is constantly in danger because she doesn't fit in with the rest of society.
If you had to pick one colour to describe Keeper of the Lost Cities, what colour would you pick? Why?
I would choose the colour blue, because this book primarily centres around elves, whose eyes are a shade of blue (other than Sophie, who has brown eyes). The fact that most of the people in the book have blue eyes is why I think the colour blue best describes Keeper of the Lost Cities.
If you could ask Shannon Messenger one question, what would you ask?
I would ask her why she changed the publication date of the 9th book from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022, and ask her to publish the book sooner. I have been waiting for the next book since March 2021, thinking it would come out later this year, and was very disappointed when I found out that it will actually be another 1 1/4 years before it is released.
What was your favourite part of Keeper of the Lost Cities? Why?
My favourite part of the book is when Sophie, Biana, Fitz and Keefe first play Base Quest. I like this part because it feels like Sophie is starting to fit in to her new world, making friends, and that everything will be okay for her.
July 2021
The Dangerous Gift - Tui T. Sutherland
The Dangerous Gift - Tui T. Sutherland
Title: The Dangerous Gift
Author: Tui T. Sutherland
Release Date: March 2, 2021
This is the fourteenth book in the series Wings of Fire and the fourth book in the third arc.
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
Did any of the characters change through the story? Who changed, and how did they change?
The main character, Snowfall, Queen of the Icewings, changes throughout the story. She starts off as a grumpy, snappy, nervous, and paranoid dragon, but with an enchanted ring, The Gift of Vision, she enters the body and mind of other dragons. She becomes them and feels what they feel, but with no control over what they do. This allows her to understand what Pantala (the other continent) is, and relate with other dragons.
If one of the characters could come to your house for dinner, who would you like to have visit?
I would want to have Wren to come over for dinner because she could tell me what it's like to ride a dragon, talk to dragons, live with dragons, etc. She is also the most interesting human in The Dangerous Gift. In addition, I wouldn't want to have dinner with a dragon, because I might become their dinner!
What was your favourite part of The Dangerous Gift? Why?
My favourite part was that I got to see a different dragon's point of view. Snowfall is an Icewing, and I had only read the point of view of one Icewing before. After reading The Dangerous Gift, I understand more about Icewings, the Ice Kingdom, and what it takes to be a queen.
If you had to pick one colour to describe The Dangerous Gift, what colour would you pick? Why?
I would pick the colour white to describe The Dangerous Gift, because Snowfall, who is the main character, is an Icewing, lives in the Ice Kingdom, and loves ice and snow and cold things. All of these things make up the book, and the colour white is associated with all of them.
What questions do you have after reading The Dangerous Gift?
After reading the book, I had many questions. I was wondering: Who will the next book be about?, What do the humans on Pantala know?, How will they defeat the Breath of Evil?, What is in the abyss?, and many more.
March 2021
The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
Title: The Lost Hero
Author: Rick Riordan
Release Date: October 12, 2010
This is the first book in the The Heroes of Olympus series. The book is based on Greek and Roman mythology, and is a spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
Was there anything in The Lost Hero that surprised you?
I was surprised that the story wasn't about Percy Jackson, because the previous series was about him, and I thought this book would be about him too.
Did any of the characters change through the story? Who changed, and how did they change?
Jason is one of the main characters in the story. He started regaining his lost memory, which doesn't happen all at one time but throughout the story. This changed Jason because he started to understand more about Camp Jupiter and Camp Half Blood.
How did the setting of the story impact the characters?
The characters go to many different places throughout the story, including Long Island Sound and Quebec. These characters are traveling to many different places in their quest to ultimately save Hera. In these different places, things are always trying to kill them, so they must pay attention.
If you had to describe this book in one word, what word would you choose?
I would choose the word adventure because the three main characters are always finding new things and going to new places.
Were you satisfied with the ending of the story? Why?
I don't like cliffhangers and because this book has a partial cliffhanger, I was only partially satisfied with the ending. I knew this book was the start of a series, so I knew the ending wouldn't be entirely resolved.
November 2020
A Tale of Witchcraft - Chris Colfer
A Tale of Witchcraft - Chris Colfer
Title: A Tale of Witchcraft
Author: Chris Colfer
Released Date: September 29, 2020
This is the second book in the prequel series to the Land of Stories. The first book in this prequel series is A Tale of Magic (released October 2019).
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
5 Questions in 5 Minutes
Why is A Tale of Witchcraft a good title for the book? If you had to give it a different title, what would be another good title for it?
I think A Tale of Witchcraft is a good title for this book because it is a story about witchcraft. In The first book, called A Tale of Magic, a school opens up for young fairies using magic to help people. In A Tale of Witchcraft, there are many plot twists where there is another school...for evil.
Did you have any predictions before you started reading A Tale of Witchcraft? Were your predictions correct? Where did you have to fix your prediction as you read?
When I get a hold of a new book, like A Tale of Witchcraft, I am too excited to know more about the story, so I don't take the time to think about what's going to happen in the book. I just want to read it!
Was there anything in A Tale of Witchcraft that surprised you?
There were many things that surprised me in this book, including when Mistress Mara opens a school for witchcraft. I was equally surprised that Pip is not who she seems to be and that Lucy has a feathery surprise waiting for her. The thing that surprised me the most was... I can't tell you because it's a major plot twist and a HUGE spoiler. If you want to know, you'll just have to read the book to find out!
If you could ask Chris Colfer one question, what would you ask?
Now I know this might sound silly, but if I could ask the author one question, it would be, "Why do you always leave it as a cliffhanger?". I am a person who really doesn't like cliffhangers because they leave me wondering when I will FINALLY get the answer.
What questions do you have after reading the A Tale of Witchcraft?
I have many questions after reading this book. They include: If not Seven, who is John and Lloyd's father? How come in The Land of Stories, Witches and Fairies are enemies but they are not in this book? What is the next book going to be called? Most importantly, when is the next book coming out?
October 2020
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