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The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming |  |
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The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming | |
Anand makes his choice and embarks on a spectacular adventure that takes him not only across contemporary India but also several hundred years into the past to the time of the Moghul rulers. There he encounters powerful sorcerers, a haughty and arrogant prince, and a jinn capable of unspeakable magic.
作者简介 Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is the author of three acclaimed novels, The Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, and The Vine of Desire; two short story collections, Arranged Marriage and The Unknown Errors of Our Lives; four volumes of poetry; and a novel for young readers, Neela: Victory Song. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and The New York Times. Born in India, she currently lives in Texas, where she teaches writing at the University of Houston.
编辑推荐 Amazon.com
The boy magician Anand, his sassy partner Nisha, and their beloved teacher Abhaydatta reunite for a new adventure in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's second installment of her folkloric Indian fantasy series, The Brotherhood of the Conch. Anand, having discovered his vocation as Keeper of the Conch, now lives in the Himalayan Silver Valley, where he is training to become a Healer in the Brotherhood. While practicing the art of far-seeing, Anand receives a vision of a terrified wise-woman, pleading for help. Devastated by Master Abhaydatta's decision to leave him behind while he goes to the woman's aid, Anand convinces the conch to create a magic portal that he and Nisha can use to suddenly appear by Abhaydatta's side. Unfortunately, during the metaphysical hurtle, Anand is separated from Nisha and the conch and thrown back in time to an ancient Indian kingdom, where an evil sorcerer is planning the downfall of the royal family. What hope does Anand have of defeating the sorcerer, locating his friends, and returning to his own time without the powerful conch? The answers may lie in the depths of the Mirror of Fire and Dreaming...
Divakaruni maintains the spare, poetic tone, exotic setting, and diverse cast of quirky characters that made The Conch Bearer so appealing to young fantasy readers. Evoking the magic and mystery of India and the Far East, this classic quest story will be enjoyed by middle grade fans of Shiva's Fire by Susanne Fisher Staples and Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson. --Jennifer Hubert
Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.
Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: Two have been equally significant. Where are you going? by Swami Muktananda, and Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now.
Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The book: The Bhagavad Gita. The music: any classical music CD by Ali Akbar Khan. The movie: The Lord of the Rings.
Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: When my son was little and wouldn't go to sleep, I told him that the red garbage truck would come and get him.
Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: My study, where my computer faces a wall (to minimize outside distractions). On my desk is a dancing Shiva Nataraj, symbol of the cosmic creative principle.
Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: "FOREVER LOVE"
Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: The Dalai Lama, or my spiritual teacher, Swami Muktananda
Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: To heal the human heart
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
专业书评 From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–In this sequel to The Conch Bearer (Roaring Brook, 2003), Anand and Nisha have just begun their schooling in magic when their mentor, Abhaydatta, is sent on a dangerous mission. Impatient to help, the kids and the conch leave the Silver Valley illicitly through a time/space portal (the mirror of the title) to help a contemporary Indian village escape the clutches of a spirit-sucking jinn that lurks in the forest. The focus is on the males, especially Anand, though Nisha and a wise-woman provide some help. Once again, evil is seeking a magic token that will give it dominance (shades of Tolkien's Ring). Anand travels still farther into the past, finding himself in a Mogul palace pretty much on his own. Seasoned with generous helpings of Hindi words (almost always explained in context), Divakaruni's novel offers the flavors, sounds, sights, and stories of past and present Bengal. The description of a jinn is masterly, and the values (don't run away; think for yourself; don't expect to be good at everything; use kindness and humility, not force) are solid, but unexceptionable. LeGuin appears to have been another influence, but to the good. In this fast-paced story, perhaps the young prince Mahabet changes too quickly to be convincing, but Anand remains a character of some depth, and he does the most growing here. Although this is the second book, it is self-contained. Fans will be looking for another adventure, promised to follow.–Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. The first book in Divakaruni's The Brotherhood of the Conch series, The Conch Bearer (2003), ended with boy-hero Anand's joyous initiation into the enchanted Silver Valley. In the second book, frustrations set in. He bungles his lessons and mentor Abhayatta passes him over for a new mission. A vision of Abhayatta in danger convinces the sacred conch to send Anand and his friend Nisha to their master's aid, but the magic goes awry, and when the three characters finally reunite, they're occupying alternate identities in the court of a nawab who ruled 300 years ago. As Nisha has amnesia and Abhayatta has lost his powers, it's up to Anand to rescue the court from a vengeful magician, a challenge that requires unlocking the secrets of a powerful magic mirror, finding the missing conch, and "sharpen[ing] his senses until they are keener than the keenest knife." In the end, the time-slip element seems more a device for introducing ever more sumptuous settings than a means of thoughtfully extending the fantasy. Still, the richly painted cultural details and the Harry-Potter-Goes-East handle will continue to gather an enthusiastic readership. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
"Fans of The Conch Bearer will be every bit as riveted to this sequel." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Offers the flavors, sounds, sights, and stories of past and present Bengal....Fans will be looking for another adventure, promised to follow." -- School Library Journal
