Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Module 5 - Fantastical Fiction

 Module 5 – Fantastical Fiction 


 

1. THE CRUEL PRINCE by Holly Black 


  1. Bibliography 

Black, Holly. (2018). The Cruel Prince. Little, Brown and Company.  


  1. Plot Summary 

Jude’s parents were murdered in front of her when she was seven years old. She and her two sisters were then taken and raised by the man who murdered her parents in the land of Elfhame under the hill. The man, Madoc, is her older sister Vivienne’s father and a faerie, whom her mother fled from. Jude is determined to earn her place in Elfhame and wants badly to belong there. She is bullied by a group of faeries, one of whom is a prince. She is betrayed by her twin sister Taryn and goes to extraordinary lengths to protect her little brother Oak from her adopted father, Madoc. In the end, she is allied with her enemy and divided with her twin.

   

  1. Critical Analysis 

Cruel Prince is a deeply engaging young adult fiction fantasy novel. Holly Black has created an entire supernatural world under the hill. Black is able to create a believable world by keeping the settings realistic; there are hills, grassy fields, streams, houses, castles, and horses. She relegates the supernatural elements to the use of magic (glamouring and flying) and to the descriptions of the characters themselves. The faeries have pointed, furred ears with slightly green skin and black or split-pupiled eyes. Faeries don’t have to use the bathroom and rarely get their periods.  


Love is a theme in the novel. The difference between familial love and romantic love, the distinction between passion and a juvenile crush is also made. Jude’s love for her little brother is tested when she must choose between his future happiness and well-being and her own goals. A mother’s love is shown in her mother’s defense of her and her sisters and in her adopted mother, Oriana’s deep desire to protect her little brother, Oak at any cost. This is contrasted with the way the royal family operates, with the King disregarding his youngest son, Cardan, who is Jude’s tormentor. Jude also struggles with her contradictory feelings towards Cardan, with whom she shares a passionate kiss.  


In Jude, the author gives young adult readers an outsider character to immediately connect with. Like a typical teenager, Jude longs to fit in with her peers, the faeries, and to be just as pointy-eared and beautiful. She has found a strength in fighting and wants to earn her place in the High Court of Faerie by becoming a knight. She is kept from this goal by others who don’t think her suited. Jude’s journey to discovering her own power and path in life, is something teenagers and young adults can readily identify with, making this an excellent read.   


  1. Review excerpts 

- School Library Journal: “First in a planned trilogy, this YA fantasy features a political scramble reminiscent of Game of Thrones, with spies, manipulation, romance, swordplay, betrayal, and an intoxicating darkness that manages to enrapture Jude and readers. Black has created a brutal and captivating world, filled with complex characters and their intricate and layered relationships.” 

- Kirkus Reviews: “This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.” 

 

  1. Connections 

- Further reading in The Folk of the Air Series: The Wicked King, The Queen of Nothing, and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black 

- Students can analyze the map at the beginning of the novel and compare/contrast it with real, geographic maps. 
- There is a preview of The Wicked King and a short story, A Visit to the Impossible Lands, at the end of the novel. 

 

 



2. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones 


  1. Bibliography 

Jones, Diana Wynne. (1986). Howl’s Moving Castle. Eos 


  1. Plot Summary 

Sophie is the eldest of three sisters. She is resigned to not becoming much, as she is the oldest. After her father dies, her stepmother sends her two younger sisters away on apprenticeships. Sophie stays behind to refine her trade in the family’s hat shop. Soon, the Witch of the Waste casts a spell on her turning her into an old hag. She goes off in search of Wizard Howl to become his cleaning lady. When she arrives at Howl’s moving castle, she meets his fire demon, Calcifer and his apprentice Michael Fisher. The troupe goes around distributing magical remedies and avoiding The Witch of the Waste. When the King calls upon Wizard Howl to find his missing brother, the trio save the day and Wizard Howl and Sophie declare their feelings for one another.    


  1. Critical Analysis 

Howl’s Moving Castle is a high fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones. One of the story’s settings is in Wales, Market Chipping. The descriptions of the homes and locales, like the school Howl’s nephew attends, give the story a grounding in the real world. The moving castle is full of magic. The door opens to different realms depending on which color it is turned to. There are powerful witches and wizards whom can create and cast spells on others. Sophie is transformed into an old hag and runs from a possessed scarecrow for much of he book.  


The character of Calcifer allows the story to breathe. Calcifer is a fire demon, and acts as the story’s comic relief. He is seemingly all-knowing and is at once powerful and completely subservient. The plot is fast enough that you don’t question the fantastical scenarios in the story too deeply.   


  1. Review excerpts 

- Kirkus Reviews: “Jones has a plethora of characters who are seldom what they seem...” 

- School Library Journal: “... humorous and puzzling tale of fantasy and adventure...”  
- Booklist starred: " The fantasy is elaborate and clever, combining wild magic with cozy domesticity.” 

 

  1. Connections 

- Further reading in the Howl Series: Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones 

- There are excerpts from The Merlin Conspiracy, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and Archer’s Goon, and a section about the author at the end of the book.  

 

 



3. CINDER by Marissa Meyer 


  1. Bibliography 

Meyer, Marissa. (2005). Cinder. Alfred A. Knopf. 


  1. Plot Summary 

Cinder is a young adult science fiction fantasy novel based on the classic story of Cinderella. Linh Cinder is a cyborg in the distant future. After her adopted father dies from the plague, her stepmother becomes her guardian. She has two younger stepsisters, Peony and Pearl. Cinder is forced to work as a mechanic to support her family. After the plague, letumosis, is found at the market where she works, her stepsister Peony contracts the disease. Then, her stepmother, Adri, volunteers her for plague-testing on cyborgs. Cinder is taken away and made to undergo testing. She meets a kind doctor, named Dr. Erland, who tells her that she is Lunar and immune from the disease that has spread all over the world. Cinder learns that she is in fact the lost Lunar Princess Selene, and she works to stop Queen Levana and save Earth. 


  1. Critical Analysis 

This novel follows the character dynamics and plot points of the classic Cinderella. Cinder lives with her stepmother and stepsisters, with whom she has a fraught relationship. She does get along with her youngest sister Peony, but much like Cinderella, her stepmother and other sister are jealous of her and cruel. Like Cinderella, her friends are not human. Cinder’s closest friend is her droid, Iko. Cinder is forced to clean and take care of her family. There is an upcoming royal ball, hosted by Prince Kai of New Beijing. Cinder’s stepmother will only allow her to go if she can find a dress for herself and can fix the “carriage” so that they have a ride.  


In a departure from the traditional Cinderella, Cinder deals with prejudice as a cyborg. In the beginning of the novel, characters treat her differently and avoid her. They use her status as a cyborg to degrade her. She is consigned to the outskirts of society and is subjected to inhumane medical testing. In the end, Cinder shows her strength by saving herself and venturing out on her own. Prince Kai (Prince Charming) does not rescue her. 


  1. Review excerpts 

- Booklist: “...Meyer brings a good deal of charm and cleverness to this entertaining, swiftly paced read.” 
- Kirkus Reviews starred: “...this series opener and debut offers a high coolness factor by rewriting Cinderella as a kickass mechanic in a plague-ridden future.”
- Publisher’s Weekly: “Meyer's far-future Earth is richly imagined, full of prejudice and intrigue, characters easy to get invested in, and hints of what might await in future books.” 

 

  1. Connections 

- Students could compare/contrast the prejudice in our world with the prejudice that Cinder faces in hers. 

- Further reading in The Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet, Cress, Winter, Stars Above, and Fairest 
- The end of the book has a lengthy excerpt from Renegades, information about the author, and a newsletter sign-up. 

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