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In the Shadow of the Bear #3
Sorrel: In the Shadow of the Bear
Clovermead, a shape-shifting fifteen-year-old girl, must not only convince others to join the fight against evil but also rescue the people of her best friend from enslavement.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2007
57 people want to read
About the author
David Randall
13 books16 followersthe link above has some more information
While still a graduate student, David Randall wrote Clovermead: In the Shadow of the Bear, a fantasy adventure novel. The story tells of Clovermead Wickward, a twelve-year-old tomboy, as she attempts to assist the innkeeper Waxmelt, a man who has raised her as if she were his own daughter. Clovermead's journey leads her into a battle between good and evil that allows her to see past society's many deceptions and find her own place in the adult world.
Jennifer Mattson, in a review of Clovermead for Booklist, commented on Randall's decision to add a dark side to his young heroine's personality, noting that it "puts an intriguing spin on the otherwise archetypal fantasy plot." A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Clovermead "vivacious, loquacious, precocious," and "a delightful heroine," while in School Library Journal, Jane G. Conner deemed the novel "a challenging high fantasy for those who can keep straight many details and forces, and who don't mind a good bit of violence." Dubbing Randall "a writer to watch," a Publishers Weekly contributor concluded that Clovermead will attract "fantasy buffs" due to its "fast-paced plotting and the turn of events at the end."
In discussing his novel and its influences, Randall explained: "Clovermead looks with admiration to L.N. Montgomery, Lloyd Alexander, Ursula K. LeGuin, C.S. Lewis, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien. Unlike my heroine, I am not twelve years old, blonde, or female, but I have been known to fence, and I am told we talk alike."
(an interview with David Randall http://mistysmess.blogspot.com/2010/0...)
While still a graduate student, David Randall wrote Clovermead: In the Shadow of the Bear, a fantasy adventure novel. The story tells of Clovermead Wickward, a twelve-year-old tomboy, as she attempts to assist the innkeeper Waxmelt, a man who has raised her as if she were his own daughter. Clovermead's journey leads her into a battle between good and evil that allows her to see past society's many deceptions and find her own place in the adult world.
Jennifer Mattson, in a review of Clovermead for Booklist, commented on Randall's decision to add a dark side to his young heroine's personality, noting that it "puts an intriguing spin on the otherwise archetypal fantasy plot." A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Clovermead "vivacious, loquacious, precocious," and "a delightful heroine," while in School Library Journal, Jane G. Conner deemed the novel "a challenging high fantasy for those who can keep straight many details and forces, and who don't mind a good bit of violence." Dubbing Randall "a writer to watch," a Publishers Weekly contributor concluded that Clovermead will attract "fantasy buffs" due to its "fast-paced plotting and the turn of events at the end."
In discussing his novel and its influences, Randall explained: "Clovermead looks with admiration to L.N. Montgomery, Lloyd Alexander, Ursula K. LeGuin, C.S. Lewis, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien. Unlike my heroine, I am not twelve years old, blonde, or female, but I have been known to fence, and I am told we talk alike."
(an interview with David Randall http://mistysmess.blogspot.com/2010/0...)
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 8, 2015
Really impressed with this book! How Clovermead must tell best friend no, because she won't turn her back on her duties and responsibilities, even though she thinks he'll hate her. I thought one of the best parts is when she stands up for herself and calls him out for being "petty and small-minded." Also, deals with mercy and turning against those who save you.
October 7, 2012
Warning: This review contains minor spoilers.
In terms of writing style, scenery and character development, Sorrel is just as pleasing as the other two books in the series. However, the overall tone of the book seems slightly darker, which is strange, considering the absence of dead bears that were present in Book 2, Chandlefort. However, the dead bears have been replaced with deadly silver-bears - bear priests formed into something else through a dreadful combination of power, blood-magic and quicksilver.
Before I go on to mention anything else, I would just like to say: Please, no other readers make the unutterably silly mistake of thinking of this series as a trilogy, before (for many years) checking if there were in fact any more books in the Shadow of the Bear series. There is in fact a fourth novel after Clovermead, Chandlefort and Sorrel; Ursus. Though it seems by the end of this book that Clovermead and Sorrel have a future together, it is by no means certain what that future might hold - I guess I was just happy not knowing, happy with the characters being content now. Anyway, you have been warned. :)
We do not see very much of Saraband in this book, which will delight readers (not including me) who were sick of the dancing-girl so often present in Chandlefort. We are, however, introduced to many new characters - which I will not name, being major revelations to those who have not already read the book.
There is quite enough to talk about in regards to those characters to which we have already been introduced. The three that immediately come to mind are Boulderbash, Snuff, and Sorrel.
Boulderbash - The huge white bear, though admittedly enslaved and suffering, slowly loses at least my sympathy with her continuing complaints to Clovermead. Though I certainly mourned for her situation, and wished her to be freed, it seemed obvious to me that Clovermead had many good reasons for not releasing her at certain times when she had the chance. That is one of the main themes of this book, I think - how hard it can be to bear (no pun intended :D) pain and suffering for other people's sake, for the greater good. And throughout that book it is a hard lesson that Clovermead as Demoiselle needs to learn - that somebody has to make the harsh decisions for the greater good, which can include hurting those individuals whom she most loves.
In Lucifer Snuff we find a surprising past - the story of a promising young man who, because of ambition, blood-lust, and an unfortunate moment in which he is unable to see the light from Our Lady (the deity of Clovermead's world) has turned into the bloody bear-priest forever serving Lord Ursus. Events transpire to show a more merciful side of Snuff, and though he is still, of course, thoroughly despicable, we pity him for just a moment, and see the wasted potential, the beaten down promise of a wonderful young man, now gone to dust beneath the bloody bear-priest Lucifer Snuff.
Finally, Sorrel - Perhaps what is most saddening about this book is that though in the previous novels Sorrel was always there to help both Clovermead and the reader through the darker times with bravery, banter, joking, true friendship and trust, in this novel the Sorrel that we came to know if partially obscured in a bout of almost-justified petulance and hatred. Although finally he comes to see that he was (mostly) in the wrong, for a time we despair with Clovermead of ever seeing that wonderful, light, funny and caring Sorrel ever again. But with that crisis comes a deepening of understanding, proving crucial to Clovermead and Sorrel's relationship.
There are a myriad of darker stories twisting through the main plot of this novel, but all in all the book was thoroughly engaging, emotional, entertaining and at times a little scary. Fans of the previous books in this series will not be disappointed in any way.
In terms of writing style, scenery and character development, Sorrel is just as pleasing as the other two books in the series. However, the overall tone of the book seems slightly darker, which is strange, considering the absence of dead bears that were present in Book 2, Chandlefort. However, the dead bears have been replaced with deadly silver-bears - bear priests formed into something else through a dreadful combination of power, blood-magic and quicksilver.
Before I go on to mention anything else, I would just like to say: Please, no other readers make the unutterably silly mistake of thinking of this series as a trilogy, before (for many years) checking if there were in fact any more books in the Shadow of the Bear series. There is in fact a fourth novel after Clovermead, Chandlefort and Sorrel; Ursus. Though it seems by the end of this book that Clovermead and Sorrel have a future together, it is by no means certain what that future might hold - I guess I was just happy not knowing, happy with the characters being content now. Anyway, you have been warned. :)
We do not see very much of Saraband in this book, which will delight readers (not including me) who were sick of the dancing-girl so often present in Chandlefort. We are, however, introduced to many new characters - which I will not name, being major revelations to those who have not already read the book.
There is quite enough to talk about in regards to those characters to which we have already been introduced. The three that immediately come to mind are Boulderbash, Snuff, and Sorrel.
Boulderbash - The huge white bear, though admittedly enslaved and suffering, slowly loses at least my sympathy with her continuing complaints to Clovermead. Though I certainly mourned for her situation, and wished her to be freed, it seemed obvious to me that Clovermead had many good reasons for not releasing her at certain times when she had the chance. That is one of the main themes of this book, I think - how hard it can be to bear (no pun intended :D) pain and suffering for other people's sake, for the greater good. And throughout that book it is a hard lesson that Clovermead as Demoiselle needs to learn - that somebody has to make the harsh decisions for the greater good, which can include hurting those individuals whom she most loves.
In Lucifer Snuff we find a surprising past - the story of a promising young man who, because of ambition, blood-lust, and an unfortunate moment in which he is unable to see the light from Our Lady (the deity of Clovermead's world) has turned into the bloody bear-priest forever serving Lord Ursus. Events transpire to show a more merciful side of Snuff, and though he is still, of course, thoroughly despicable, we pity him for just a moment, and see the wasted potential, the beaten down promise of a wonderful young man, now gone to dust beneath the bloody bear-priest Lucifer Snuff.
Finally, Sorrel - Perhaps what is most saddening about this book is that though in the previous novels Sorrel was always there to help both Clovermead and the reader through the darker times with bravery, banter, joking, true friendship and trust, in this novel the Sorrel that we came to know if partially obscured in a bout of almost-justified petulance and hatred. Although finally he comes to see that he was (mostly) in the wrong, for a time we despair with Clovermead of ever seeing that wonderful, light, funny and caring Sorrel ever again. But with that crisis comes a deepening of understanding, proving crucial to Clovermead and Sorrel's relationship.
There are a myriad of darker stories twisting through the main plot of this novel, but all in all the book was thoroughly engaging, emotional, entertaining and at times a little scary. Fans of the previous books in this series will not be disappointed in any way.
March 14, 2008
I enjoyed Clovermead and liked Chandlefort. Now I'm at the end of what should have been a nice trilogy. Except it isn't a trilogy. Oh no, it's going to keep going long after I've lost interest in Clovermead, Sorrel, and Ursus and his minions.
I think a smart writer knows when to say "FIN," and also knows that they have many other stories within themselves. Did Dickens write David Copperfied and His Four Boys, David Copperfield meets Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and the Temple of Chancery? NO. He wrote amazing stories and all of them are different. Long and wordy, but they keep moving.
Because I do want the bad guys here to get the butt-kicking they so richly deserve (but haven't gotten yet) I will persevere through another book, but that's it. If I learned nothing else from the Piers Anthony experience it's that you must know when to cut your losses and let a series go on without you.
I think a smart writer knows when to say "FIN," and also knows that they have many other stories within themselves. Did Dickens write David Copperfied and His Four Boys, David Copperfield meets Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and the Temple of Chancery? NO. He wrote amazing stories and all of them are different. Long and wordy, but they keep moving.
Because I do want the bad guys here to get the butt-kicking they so richly deserve (but haven't gotten yet) I will persevere through another book, but that's it. If I learned nothing else from the Piers Anthony experience it's that you must know when to cut your losses and let a series go on without you.
September 2, 2014
Okay, so this is the final book in the story of Clovermead, and I've got to say probably the most disappointing. Not to say it's not well written, or enjoyable, I just found the ending rushed and also a bit of a let down.
I'm grateful that a fourth book has been added to the trilogy, and I hope in some part that it finalises this story. I just feel that this book was rushed and so it's quite a let down - when it could have addressed some of the larger issues at play here, and Clovermead could have grown more.
I'm grateful that a fourth book has been added to the trilogy, and I hope in some part that it finalises this story. I just feel that this book was rushed and so it's quite a let down - when it could have addressed some of the larger issues at play here, and Clovermead could have grown more.
January 12, 2014
I am reading this series aloud to my teen daughter. She enjoys them a bit more than I do. That said, each book carries me along with a currant of emotion. The story may be the classic tug between Good and Evil but there are some very human and humane nuances. Looking forward to starting the last book in the series right away!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews