Beyond the Valley of Thorns

Format:

Audio disc

Title:

Beyond the Valley of Thorns

Author:

Carman, Patrick.

ISBN:

9781597374026

9781597374019

Publication Information:

Grand Haven, MI : Brilliance Audio, ℗2005.

Physical Description:

5 audio discs (approximately 5 hr.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.

Series title(s):

Land of Elyon ;

Number in series:

BK. 2.

Summary:

When thirteen-year-old Alexa embarks on a mysterious quest, she finds her old friends Yipes the little man, Murphy the squirrel, Odessa the wolf, and Squire the hawk have been designated to help her.

Subject(s):

Human-animal communication -- Juvenile fiction.

Magic -- Juvenile fiction.

Adventure stories.

Human-animal communication -- Fiction.

Magic -- Fiction.

Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction.

Genre:

Added Author:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... McMinnville Public Library	Carman, P.	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	J CD-BOOK CARMAN	Searching... Unknown

Alexa thought her troubles were over when she defeated the man who had threatened to bring down Bridewell from within. But now that the walls around her land have fallen, a new, unexpected threat has risen from outside. Suddenly, Alexa is involved in a battle much, much larger than her own life . . . a battle in which she is destined to play a key role. In order to help good defeat evil, Alexa and her friends must venture farther than they've ever gone before - confronting giants, bats, ravenous dogs, and a particularly ghoulish mastermind in order to bring back peace.

Author Notes

Author Patrick Carman was born in Salem, Oregon on February 27, 1966. He received a degree in economics from Willamette University. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked in advertising, game design, and technology. He is the author of The Land of Elyon series, the Atherton series, and Skeleton Creek.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-Only one year has passed since Alexa Daley thwarted the evil plans of Sebastian and his battalion of convicts to save the city of Bridewell from being overtaken in Patrick Caman's The Dark Hills Divide (June 2005, p. 81), the first title in this projected trilogy. In Beyond the Valley of Thorns (Orchard, 2005), Alexa, now 13 years old, returns for her annual visit and receives a mysterious letter beckoning her to explore the unknown territories beyond the Dark Hills. Once again, impending danger threatens to disturb the peaceful land of Elyon. Accompanied by her friends, Yipes (an agile little fellow), Murphy the squirrel, Odessa the wolf, and an entrusted ex-con named John Christopher, Alexa discovers she has an important new role in a quest to save her homeland. With the guidance of her creator, Elyon, and the last remaining Jocasta stone, she ventures into the City of Dogs, the Valley of Thorns, and Castalia to fulfill her destiny. Along the way she encounters a fugitive giant, some unruly peasants, and packs of ravenous dogs. Flesh-rotting ogres, virile bats, and an evil mastermind obscure their pathway. They finally arrive at the Dark Tower where a decisive battle ensues. Filled with background history, religious undertones, and gruesome battles, this title is not easy to follow in audiobook format. Narrator Aasne Vigesaa creates interest by giving each character a distinguishing voice, but the sheer detail of the geographical terrain and the battle tactics used to fight the evil Victor Grindall is better executed on paper. Without the aid of a visual map, listeners may be lost by the time they reach the end of the long and arduous journey to Castalia without backtracking several times. The ideas and subplots are hardly original, borrowing from writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. For libraries that already own the first book.-Ann Crewdson, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

PW's starred review of The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman said, "In the launch of the Land of Elyon series, Carman crafts an intriguingly insular world, and introduces a plucky, convincingly curious heroine." In Beyond the Valley of Thorns, the second tale in the paper-over-board series, the walls surrounding Elyon are down, and Alexa faces new challenges. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Horn Book Review

Almost a year after the events of The Dark Hills Divide, Alexa once again faces mysteries only she can solve. Following the dying request of her community's former leader, she leaves home to fight the growing menace of a distant regime of giants. Despite the novel's rather slapdash composition, Alexa's fans will enjoy this fast-paced fantasy. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.