Jan Siegel

Siegel was a completely new to me author when I picked this book up at the (semi)local used book store. I had seen it around for a bit, but for whatever reason I didn't pick it up until an idle Saturday afternoon. It caught my interest then with tales of a mermaid and Atlantis and a magical destiny. This isn't as old as I thought it was either--published originally in 1999, I thought this was from the 80's.

The beginning is simply captivating. The story begins with a mermaid who makes a show more bargain with a fisherman, though neither enter into the deal in good faith. The fisherman demands she pay him back for the life she took (she killed his son after her capture) and in turn the mermaid offers a key to a treasure they can never touch. This sets into motion events that encompass Fern and her family centuries later.

I didn't really warm to Fern. She's 16 going on 50 it feels like. Levelheaded, composed and seemingly devoid of the teen characteristics one expects she seems so...remote. Even as she acknowledges that her attitude or behavior is out of character for herself, those moments don't serve to warm the reader to her at all.

This is also a very languid novel. Many things happen that defy reason, but the pace of the book doesn't alter one iota. Siegel determinedly forges forward detailing the Capel children's investigations with very little determent. Their father's sinister girlfriend does creepy things at night--first investigate, ask questions, test the theory, then form a plan.

The writing is very dense though despite the languid pace. So much happens in so little time that's its easy to feel like the book is much longer than it is (barely 350pgs, which is nothing by today's fantasy standards) or that you haven't progressed very far into the book.

Mainly I became engrossed in the story because Siegel ties in the Atlantean mythology with other mythologies. The back of my edition had a glossary and a character list, offering tidbits about how this or that name related to other mythologies. Its very obvious that Siegel spent a lot of time researching and it shows in her writing. Her words shine the best when this or that character is discussing history (or as happens later, the past is brought to life in vivid detail). Siegel really immerses you in the scene.

I plan on reading the next two books (which I am given to understand Fern progresses in age as the books go on so that we end with her as a young woman). I want to see how this plays out and whether Siegel is able to keep the immersive feel going for another 600 pages or not. show less

To be perfectly honest, I thought this book was something completely different than what it was. I thought it would be a search for Atlantis and include mermaids or something. Nedless to say, I was a bit disappointed.

But the story is solidly written. I liked the characters, I liked where the story was going, that is until Fern was sent back to Old age Atlantis to close a door. It seemed like the last third of the book was tacked on. It made sense, I liked how time travel was handled, but show more there was too much detail in too little of a space.

And, I still want my book about Mermaids :) show less

I should have read this closer to reading the rest of the series, to be honest it took me a long while to get into the swing of the story and to realise what was going on. Mostly my own fault.

Nathan travels in his dreams to other places and now he's travelling to a watery world where a water goddess has risen the water and only small frozen spots are still solid. Merpeople, silke and some icebound creatures and birds exist. The goddess is determined to eliminate all of these people and show more Nathan is looking for a crown she has. Meanwhile he still has to deal with his own life and school and the relationship between him and the burgeoning witch Hazel. Meanwhile Bartelby is dealing with repercussions and changes and trying to help Nathan without steering him too much.

It's interesting but needs to be read close to the previous stories. show less

3.5/5 stars

Based on the title, cover, and description, I thought I'd be reading something closer to urban fantasy in a YA vein. What I got was fantasy, of a kind that reminds me of Diana Wynne Jones in some ways. The writing is lyrical and lovely, and the children are wise, brave, and above all still children.

There are two stories in this book, with more time given to the story set in present day than to the story set in the past. That's good, because I prefer the present day story, but show more confusing in that the titular character is in the past.

In the present is young teen Pen Tudor, want-to-be lawyer, given the opportunity to be the executor for the dead but not yet gone Mr. Pyewacket. Her job will be to guard the house at No. 7 Temporal Crescent until it's proper guardian, Bartlemy Goodman, can be found. With her is Gavin, also searching for Mr. Goodman (Mr. Bonhomme, Mr. Guteman) a chef from what Gavin thinks is a long line of chefs. Joining them is Jinx, also searching for Mr. Goodman, because he is her magical mentor and uncle of sorts.

In the past is Ghost. He's living in Dickensian squalor and poverty, trying to survive and ensure the survival of his a"lost boys." But he doesn't belong there, and Pen is determined to bring him home. The only problem is that when he comes home he just might be the human in line to take over for the Dark One in his Dark Tower.

But before all of this, there was a door. And around the door grew a house. And in the house there were more doors. Those doors lead to the historical past and to lands of imagination. If you go through one of those doors you could become lost, absorbed by the past, never knowing you had any other life. It's Pen's job to guard that house and those doors and she hopes that soon it will be Mr. Goodman's job.

(Provided by publisher) show less