A Hidden Magic
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A Hidden Magic
by Authors:
Vivian Vande Velde , Trina Schart Hyman
Released: 01 August, 1997
ISBN: 0152012001
Paperback
Sales Rank: 119,856
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List price:
$6.00
Our price:
$5.40
(You save: $0.6)
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| Book > A Hidden Magic > Customer Reviews: |
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Average Customer Rating: 
A Hidden Magic >
Customer Review #1:
 A Hidden Magic
A Hidden Magic is a great book. In A Hidden Magic a not-so-ordinary princess (Jennifer) and a handsome but self-centered prince (Alexander) wander into a magical forest, but a magic mirror casts a spell on Alexander making him fall into an endless sleep. Jennifer ends up teaming up with a not-so-powerful warlock named Norman thus, beginning their adventure to save Alexander. I think that A Hidden magic has an awesome plot line and the characters are very colorful. There is almost every magical creature you can think of in this book, from dragons to giants to genies to witches and warlocks. If you enjoy fantasy books you will love A Hidden Magic.
A Hidden Magic >
Customer Review #2:
Fun Read
This is the first book Ive read by Vivian Vande Velde, and Im sure I will return to her. A Hidden Magic by her was utterly delightful. It is a rich parody of the fantasy genre. The plot follows Jennifer. She is a princess, but certainly not the usual type. Her country is so poor that she is basically a peasant. One day the most handsome prince ever comes through her country looking for a wife. Theyre going to fall in love, right? He is rich and handsome, but he is also arrogent and dumb. Together one day, the prince and Jennifer wander into the magical forest of her country. The prince, being his usual brilliant self, falls under a spell of the evil sorceress Malveenya. Jennifer is forced to try to save the prince. She eventually happens upon Norman, a sorcerer. Hes young and not overly powerful, but he is smart and a friend. Together, Jennifer and Norman set out to confront Malveenya and save the prince.A Hidden Magic is a pretty exciting story. The greatest thing about the book though is its humor. Vande Velde uses a lot of word-play which works very well. The scene with the dragon is the best in the book. A Hidden Magic is a very entertaining novel. Other books in this vein are the Dealing With Dragons series by Patricia Wrede, of course the Harry Potter books, Smith of Wooten Major and Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Princess Bride by William Goldman (though this one is for older readers), and also everything by Lloyd Alexander.
A Hidden Magic >
Customer Review #3:
 Lovely, but . . .
Just a quick blurb for the time being, as everyone is already heaping praise on it. Warning: Im playing Devils Advocate here.
I loved it, too, but in retrospect, the book is a trifle misleading. I mean, the title of the book is better suited to the cover picture, and the cover picture is better suited to the title, than either is to the actual story.
Its a charming picture with a charming title. The substance of the tale -- a country princess trying to get a foppish prince out of trouble with the help of an absent-minded magician and the hindrance of a couple of witches -- is, however, rather fluffy (in spite of how much fun the synopsis is), and slightly too predictable. Anyone reading fairy-tale sendoffs should expect a certain amount of predictability, of course, but in some places I could guess exactly what was going to happen chapters ahead of the actual event. And its kind of a letdown when you expect something to happen, and read through the several pages or chapters pre-event, only to find exactly - and only - what you expected.
Vivian Van Veldes trademark blend of gentle humor, sharp wit, quirky characters, and that teensy bit of grimness is still here, but not in enough abundance to justify the books outward appearance.
On the other hand, those are the only things I can really think of to say against the book.
In spite of appearances, Im actually a huge fan of Van Veldes work. Even her lesser works (Companions of the Nightlt;/i>, anyone?) show off her genuinely unique powers of imagination.
And, I like her style.
Vivian Van Velde, as much as Ive whined here, you rock!
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A Hidden Magic >
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