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Earthaven #1
Spellfall
This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN: B004HW7CYE
Natalie thinks she is an ordinary girl until she sees a spell in the supermarket car park.
She soon discovers her mother came from Earthaven, a place of breathtaking wonder where unicorns roam and giant trees talk. Her father is a Thrall who sells spells across the boundary between worlds. And Natalie has inherited powers the exiled spellmage Lord Hawk needs if he is to take his revenge on the Spell Lords who banished him.
Snatched from her family and forced to choose sides in a magical battle between two worlds, Natalie's only hope is to join forces with her captor's son, the young spell-caster Merlin. Can they discover Hawk's evil plans in time to save Earthaven and its magic?
Natalie thinks she is an ordinary girl until she sees a spell in the supermarket car park.
She soon discovers her mother came from Earthaven, a place of breathtaking wonder where unicorns roam and giant trees talk. Her father is a Thrall who sells spells across the boundary between worlds. And Natalie has inherited powers the exiled spellmage Lord Hawk needs if he is to take his revenge on the Spell Lords who banished him.
Snatched from her family and forced to choose sides in a magical battle between two worlds, Natalie's only hope is to join forces with her captor's son, the young spell-caster Merlin. Can they discover Hawk's evil plans in time to save Earthaven and its magic?
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
14 people are currently reading
880 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Roberts
73 books144 followersI grew up in the south west of England and studied Mathematics at the University of Bath, writing fantasy and science fiction in my spare time. After graduating with 1st class honours (in maths, not fantasy writing!), I worked with computers for several years before redundancy convinced me that working with horses might be healthier.
I spent the next decade working in various horse racing yards, and kept on writing. "Song Quest" was eventually published in 1999 and went on to win the Branford Boase Award for best debut children's novel by a UK author.
I spent the next decade working in various horse racing yards, and kept on writing. "Song Quest" was eventually published in 1999 and went on to win the Branford Boase Award for best debut children's novel by a UK author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
January 28, 2018
I read this as a child and it was one of my favourites, I need to re read this soon
September 23, 2014
I feel cheated by the back cover.
Nowhere did the description indicate the first half of this book reads more like a slasher horror film. Natalie has an encounter with a strange man who takes far too much interest in her, who later comes back with a group of people, physically overpowers her, drugs her, kidnaps her, and locks her up in his home in the wilderness where no one can find them. And then proceeds to subject her to not only casual brutality but things that are supposed to be torturous to her (and magically aren't because he made a miscalculation).
So, right away I'm wondering who the target audience is supposed to be. The cover shows a girl with a tree and something magic, a dog/wolf, and a unicorn. This doesn't exactly feel like the kind of book I was reading. How about a dark forest, an empty chair, and a set of shackles? The first half would take a very mature reader in the estimated age range. There are, indeed, unicorns. They stab people. Natalie gets to watch firsthand someone getting gored. (And then he doesn't even die properly until later, because ZOMBIES . . . what were we reading again?)
The second thing that bothered me incredibly about this book was its depiction of alcoholism. Natalie's dad is alcoholic to the tune of 78 bottles of beer a week (sometimes more), yet when Natalie vanishes, he stops drinking? When the whole reason he's drinking in the first place is because he can't deal with the loss of her mother? Not to mention the fact that he not only has the magical ability to overcome the chemical addiction to alcohol his body has sustained, he also has the magical ability to overcome its complete withdrawal with no side effects whatsoever. I have been around alcoholics going off less severe addictions than that. Some of them shake, many of them smoke or drown themselves with coffee, and when confronted with any sort of hardship it's all they can do (and often more than they can do) not to go back to the bottle.
Compounding the incredulity is the way her father acts while drunk. Although Natalie, her stepmom, and even her stepbrother are afraid of him, he actually restrains himself from hitting them---while drunk---because someone is watching. And although they're supposedly afraid of him, he only has to be off the bottle for a few days before they're relieved he's quit and acting normally around him again. Natalie herself is ludicrously brave around Hawk, considering he does a thousand times more than her father is shown to do and yet she's supposed to be too afraid to even backtalk her father. Merlin, actually, is a much better picture of that kind of relationship. He's timid, won't disobey his father despite his father's abuse, and struggles with worthlessness (not something Natalie finds hard, which is odd because no one seems to care that much about her except Jo).
And then there's the really disturbing fact that Natalie's mother has, from her spirit state, used magic to nudge Natalie's stepmom into marrying her father, despite the fact that her father was already a drunkard. As though the marriage would fix him (hint: it doesn't.... at least that much was right). Nor does Natalie's mom show any sign of regretting turning someone else's life into hell.
From the second half onwards (after Natalie's escape from the cabin) it does try to read more like a fantasy adventure, but the good guys are even more frustrating than the bad guys. They torture people, too, and lock people in little rooms, only we're supposed to be okay with them overall because they're living in the magical land and they just really want what's best for the trees. To be fair, Natalie is no fan of their methods, but that doesn't change the fact that there's nothing to admire about either side.
The end gets ridiculous again and goes back to the horror-slasher-fic vibe from the beginning. Natalie is forced to watch her wolf/dog being eaten alive by a hawk to complete the obscene ritual she neatly escaped in the beginning (no mention is made of how much of a giant dog this hawk was supposed to ingest to effect the spell.... this is just handwaved away). Hawk, who was already fooled once by her fake subservience which allowed her escape, somehow blindly believes her the second time when she pulls the exact same trick. Then Natalie gets splashed with a poison so toxic it's giving her immediate symptoms, but it only takes a week to recover once she finally gets to a hospital, and there is no lasting ill effect.
So... there's really no reason I would ever tell someone to read this book. The plot holes are gaping and the overall tone is quite frustrating. I rate this book Not Recommended.
Nowhere did the description indicate the first half of this book reads more like a slasher horror film. Natalie has an encounter with a strange man who takes far too much interest in her, who later comes back with a group of people, physically overpowers her, drugs her, kidnaps her, and locks her up in his home in the wilderness where no one can find them. And then proceeds to subject her to not only casual brutality but things that are supposed to be torturous to her (and magically aren't because he made a miscalculation).
So, right away I'm wondering who the target audience is supposed to be. The cover shows a girl with a tree and something magic, a dog/wolf, and a unicorn. This doesn't exactly feel like the kind of book I was reading. How about a dark forest, an empty chair, and a set of shackles? The first half would take a very mature reader in the estimated age range. There are, indeed, unicorns. They stab people. Natalie gets to watch firsthand someone getting gored. (And then he doesn't even die properly until later, because ZOMBIES . . . what were we reading again?)
The second thing that bothered me incredibly about this book was its depiction of alcoholism. Natalie's dad is alcoholic to the tune of 78 bottles of beer a week (sometimes more), yet when Natalie vanishes, he stops drinking? When the whole reason he's drinking in the first place is because he can't deal with the loss of her mother? Not to mention the fact that he not only has the magical ability to overcome the chemical addiction to alcohol his body has sustained, he also has the magical ability to overcome its complete withdrawal with no side effects whatsoever. I have been around alcoholics going off less severe addictions than that. Some of them shake, many of them smoke or drown themselves with coffee, and when confronted with any sort of hardship it's all they can do (and often more than they can do) not to go back to the bottle.
Compounding the incredulity is the way her father acts while drunk. Although Natalie, her stepmom, and even her stepbrother are afraid of him, he actually restrains himself from hitting them---while drunk---because someone is watching. And although they're supposedly afraid of him, he only has to be off the bottle for a few days before they're relieved he's quit and acting normally around him again. Natalie herself is ludicrously brave around Hawk, considering he does a thousand times more than her father is shown to do and yet she's supposed to be too afraid to even backtalk her father. Merlin, actually, is a much better picture of that kind of relationship. He's timid, won't disobey his father despite his father's abuse, and struggles with worthlessness (not something Natalie finds hard, which is odd because no one seems to care that much about her except Jo).
And then there's the really disturbing fact that Natalie's mother has, from her spirit state, used magic to nudge Natalie's stepmom into marrying her father, despite the fact that her father was already a drunkard. As though the marriage would fix him (hint: it doesn't.... at least that much was right). Nor does Natalie's mom show any sign of regretting turning someone else's life into hell.
From the second half onwards (after Natalie's escape from the cabin) it does try to read more like a fantasy adventure, but the good guys are even more frustrating than the bad guys. They torture people, too, and lock people in little rooms, only we're supposed to be okay with them overall because they're living in the magical land and they just really want what's best for the trees. To be fair, Natalie is no fan of their methods, but that doesn't change the fact that there's nothing to admire about either side.
The end gets ridiculous again and goes back to the horror-slasher-fic vibe from the beginning. Natalie is forced to watch her wolf/dog being eaten alive by a hawk to complete the obscene ritual she neatly escaped in the beginning (no mention is made of how much of a giant dog this hawk was supposed to ingest to effect the spell.... this is just handwaved away). Hawk, who was already fooled once by her fake subservience which allowed her escape, somehow blindly believes her the second time when she pulls the exact same trick. Then Natalie gets splashed with a poison so toxic it's giving her immediate symptoms, but it only takes a week to recover once she finally gets to a hospital, and there is no lasting ill effect.
So... there's really no reason I would ever tell someone to read this book. The plot holes are gaping and the overall tone is quite frustrating. I rate this book Not Recommended.
April 16, 2008
Not a bad read, and definatly one I was interested in. The author has a very creative mind and has firmly set her own world up. While I think it was written for a younger audience, (maturity of the writing a little low) she was able to keep my interest despite the fact that I was above the reading level on this book.
And the magehounds are beautiful. If anything, read it for the magical wolves ^^
And the magehounds are beautiful. If anything, read it for the magical wolves ^^
Read
August 28, 2024There’s a photo of me, age 9, reading this on a plane to Tasmania (in April 2008)! Specifically, I am reading the edition with purple on the back cover. The protagonist, Natalie, is 12 years old, wears glasses and has a pet spider named Itsy (because her Dad won't let her get a dog).
November 27, 2013
Spellfall is a really great book. Very good for an introduction for youngsters into the fantasy genre. I first read it when I was much younger and found it in the library. Now almost 21, the only things I could remember about it was the cover (the unicorn one), and that it was about a girl called Natalie, a sad boy called Merlin, and that spells looked like paper/sweet wrappers. That was it. A quick google search later and I found out what it was called. A few days later I had it in my hands, and a few days after that I've finished it.
The story has great concept, imagery and particularly impressive character development. I really felt for Merlin, I just wanted to give the poor boy a hug, even his familiar was horrible to him! Spellfall is very easy to slip in and out of, and has a great plot. You're not quite sure which side to root for, as the "good" guys are not necessarily painted all white (see: Lord Pveriyan). It's great that Katherine acknowledges the complexity amongst people. Instead, you just root for Natalie and her friends. It's good to see the parallels between Earth and Earthaven whilst focusing on the perspectives of those in each place.
I would have liked for the book to be longer to give us more time to learn about Earthaven, the characters and its history, but this was probably rather difficult as the span of the story took place in a few days. Also, I'm older than the particular target audience so perhaps the story length is intended to be this way; it's still a decent sized book. It would make for a great series but is nonetheless suitable as a standalone.
It would make for a great present and I would happily read it again.
The story has great concept, imagery and particularly impressive character development. I really felt for Merlin, I just wanted to give the poor boy a hug, even his familiar was horrible to him! Spellfall is very easy to slip in and out of, and has a great plot. You're not quite sure which side to root for, as the "good" guys are not necessarily painted all white (see: Lord Pveriyan). It's great that Katherine acknowledges the complexity amongst people. Instead, you just root for Natalie and her friends. It's good to see the parallels between Earth and Earthaven whilst focusing on the perspectives of those in each place.
I would have liked for the book to be longer to give us more time to learn about Earthaven, the characters and its history, but this was probably rather difficult as the span of the story took place in a few days. Also, I'm older than the particular target audience so perhaps the story length is intended to be this way; it's still a decent sized book. It would make for a great series but is nonetheless suitable as a standalone.
It would make for a great present and I would happily read it again.
Read
March 27, 2008 The book Spell fall by Katherine Roberts is about a girl name Natalie who discovers about her secret powers and learns about the magical world. Natalie was kidnapped by this mysterious person who wants her to join them. The mysterious person wants to destroy the soul tree.
I think this book is pretty good because it gives you another view of wizards and witches.The author really describes the setting and characters really well. I learn that not all witches and wizards cast spells, some of them need to purchase spells. This books makes me wonder if there are really witches and wizards in the world.
I think this book is pretty good because it gives you another view of wizards and witches.The author really describes the setting and characters really well. I learn that not all witches and wizards cast spells, some of them need to purchase spells. This books makes me wonder if there are really witches and wizards in the world.
December 8, 2007
If you look above, you will see that I haven't read this book in a long time. I remember it to be a satisfactory fantasy book, and I liked the ending. If you need something to read, go for it.
December 4, 2021
3.5 rounded up because I suddenly remembered this after a long time. I remember buying this from one of the scholastic catalogs back in middle school and it was pretty neat read. Much better than the whole vampire craze. I remember it had a kinda Phillip Pullman meets Avalon kinda feel to it. Kinda dark in places too. Pretty neat. I felt like the premise was neat, as were the character interactions with spells and familiars and all that.
March 6, 2018
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
This will most certainly be a rant-y review so do with it what you may.
It was so hard for me to get into this book. With the promise of unicorns, magic, and talking trees, I really thought I would enjoy this book. However, for most of the book, I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters. Well, that's not entirely true. I did care about Bilbo, the dog, because no one can not love a dog named after a hobbit. But...
I wish I would have stopped reading there. I almost did, but I have this annoying habit of trying to stick with a book once I start it. It didn't get much better from there.
The whole thing is insanely dark. There is kidnapping, alcoholism, children being drugged, murderous rampaging unicorns. Oh, and having ones familiar eat other people's familiars in order to bind them to you. Seriously, eat them. Because there wasn't enough gross animal abuse to begin with.
This book is a high fantasy that is meant for young-ish readers, I would guess middle schoolers. But I used to read books like this when I was that age (because I was obsessed with unicorns) and I hated them then too (because they all somehow made unicorns boring). Overly long and surprisingly dull. I hated reading this as an adult and my middle school self hated that I didn't learn my lesson about these kinds of books back then.
Also, the magical elements just felt lazy. There was a tendency to just add the word spell to anything to make it sound more magical (spellfire, spellrope, spellclave, Spellfall, Spell Lord, Spell Lady, Spellmage, just to name a few). It was horribly unimaginative.
The magic was also weirdly scientific. I've read books that combined magic and science successfully, but this is not one of them. If anything, it just made the text more boring and confusing.
Okay read. I could have done without finishing it, but it is what it is. I'm so glad to be done with it so I can read literally anything else.
This will most certainly be a rant-y review so do with it what you may.
It was so hard for me to get into this book. With the promise of unicorns, magic, and talking trees, I really thought I would enjoy this book. However, for most of the book, I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters. Well, that's not entirely true. I did care about Bilbo, the dog, because no one can not love a dog named after a hobbit. But...
I wish I would have stopped reading there. I almost did, but I have this annoying habit of trying to stick with a book once I start it. It didn't get much better from there.
The whole thing is insanely dark. There is kidnapping, alcoholism, children being drugged, murderous rampaging unicorns. Oh, and having ones familiar eat other people's familiars in order to bind them to you. Seriously, eat them. Because there wasn't enough gross animal abuse to begin with.
This book is a high fantasy that is meant for young-ish readers, I would guess middle schoolers. But I used to read books like this when I was that age (because I was obsessed with unicorns) and I hated them then too (because they all somehow made unicorns boring). Overly long and surprisingly dull. I hated reading this as an adult and my middle school self hated that I didn't learn my lesson about these kinds of books back then.
Also, the magical elements just felt lazy. There was a tendency to just add the word spell to anything to make it sound more magical (spellfire, spellrope, spellclave, Spellfall, Spell Lord, Spell Lady, Spellmage, just to name a few). It was horribly unimaginative.
The magic was also weirdly scientific. I've read books that combined magic and science successfully, but this is not one of them. If anything, it just made the text more boring and confusing.
Okay read. I could have done without finishing it, but it is what it is. I'm so glad to be done with it so I can read literally anything else.
June 19, 2013
This was a very good book. I actually wish the author had made it a series because it left me wanting to know what happened to Merlin and his familiar. This book is about Natalie, who is a young girl of about 15 living in a small town on earth next to the woods that hold the thrallstone. Our first encounter with Natalie is when she is walking through a parking lot and sees a shiny paper on the ground that seems to be talking to her. It seems to be saying "pick me up" and "innocent enough to crawl through the Thrallstone". We soon find out that this is a spell placed in front of Natalie so that a man named Hawk can see if she has any magical powers. If she didn't the spell would look like a piece of trash to her. As the story progresses we learn that there is an alternate world called "Earthaven" and that there is only one night a year when everyone is allowed to cross through to the "other" world and that is Halloween. How do you get from earth to earthaven you maybe asking why through the Thrallstone! We also learn that in earthaven people live or are supported by Soultrees. Soultrees are large trees that people can climb inside they are alive and actually rule the world of earthaven.I'm sure I've left plenty of details out like how Hawk wants to hurt the soultree and how Natalie needs to stop him. This is a very good book.
August 8, 2013
I must say, this book really gripped me. The characters and their personalities are all clear and likable, except maybe Merlin, who didn't have that much of a personality in all, and was poorly thought out.
I have one complaint for this book, though.
I have one complaint for this book, though.
However, I still obliged to give this book five stars, for its originality and its ever present action and suspense. I loved it, despite the confusion. So, I would recommend Spellfall. One of the best books I've read this year nevertheless.
July 14, 2008
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It starts as a traditional story about a girl who's lost her mother and a young boy with an abusive and controlling father. The reader in instantly drawn to these two poor lost souls, just trying to get through the day. But soon the unsuspecting reader is drawn into the twists and turns of a fast-paced fantasy story, full of outlaw mages trying to defeat the uppercrust magicians living in a huge sentient tree. As the unikely heroes unite against the growing threat to a society that has virtually no prior assoication with most of them, they learn things about themselves that they would have never otherwise. This is an enchanting story about growing up that incorporates a little bit of hardcore fantasy. A wonderful read.
September 30, 2012
My children and I read this one together each night right before bed time. My daughter said that she loved it and that's why she gave it five stars. I personally am glad to be finished with this story! For me it was painful and I just couldn't stand it, but as it was written more for my daughters age group and not mine that might explain it. My son always fell asleep while I was reading but he says that he likes it, but I'm thinking he just liked having me sit next to him each night while he fell asleep more than the story.
November 4, 2008
I really like this book. This book has a very interesting and thoughtful plot.
Natalie- She is so COOL!!! I really like her and her brother. This fantasy is really great a book that everyone should read and enjoy. I fell in love with Spellfall and the world represents! It is different from any other book I've ever read. Fantastical and depthful this is a book whose characters will stay with you long after the last page is turned.
Natalie- She is so COOL!!! I really like her and her brother. This fantasy is really great a book that everyone should read and enjoy. I fell in love with Spellfall and the world represents! It is different from any other book I've ever read. Fantastical and depthful this is a book whose characters will stay with you long after the last page is turned.
May 7, 2009
I'm reading this through for the second time, after finding it in my attic. I read this and loved it in third grade, and am totally loving it again! It may be a bit of a strange concept sometimes, but waaay less so than a lot of fantasy books can be! Very cool, very fun, and very timeless!
October 7, 2008
I loved this book i read it a long time ago and i intend to read it again when i can find it but it is really good
October 8, 2008
such a good book read it
November 23, 2008
I love the details and magic of this book, or maybe it was just the exotic names I loved so much?
December 2, 2008
This is the worst book I have ever read, so if you pick it up, PLEASE PUT IT BACK DOWN before it's to late!
August 20, 2009
Its a great book about a fantasy world hiding in the forest behind a ordinary town.
March 31, 2017
FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD BOOK EVER!!!!
September 23, 2018
This book is definitely different from the other books about magic that I have read. I love that the author didn't stick with the norm. She created a whole new way of performing magic. I really like how many different types of familiars a Caster or Spell Lord/Lady can have. This was definitely an interesting start to the series and gave the reader some insight into the world that the characters live in. I am curious enough to want to see where the author takes the series. There is so much potential with this world she created.
April 24, 2019
When Natalie meets a strange man talking about spells in the supermarket car park, she has no idea of the trouble she's about to be in...
I've tried to read this about a hundred times before and never succeeded. Even this time round, I found it quite hard to get into, and kept putting it off. I think it's just a bit slow to get started, and while I'm sure it's enjoyable for children in its intended age range, there wasn't anything magical enough about it to make me think of it as more than just an okay kid's book.
I've tried to read this about a hundred times before and never succeeded. Even this time round, I found it quite hard to get into, and kept putting it off. I think it's just a bit slow to get started, and while I'm sure it's enjoyable for children in its intended age range, there wasn't anything magical enough about it to make me think of it as more than just an okay kid's book.
May 9, 2016
Written by Katherine Roberts, Spellfall is a truly amazing book about a girl named Natalie and her magic abilities. The book follows Natalie on her journey to find out who, or what, she really is and where she’s from. As a young woman living with her drunken father, a mean step-mother, and a rotten step-brother, Natalie didn’t expect much out of her life. Then a stranger reached out to her. Unlike typical stories about people discovering that they’re magic, Roberts approaches the situation differently. While in the parking lot of the grocery store, an evil sorcerer reaches out to Natalie by leaving a spell on the ground for her to find. When you think about the word ‘spell’, you think about something you read that will have a magical outcome. Well, in this story, a spell is something that shimmers, almost like a wrapper of some sort, and only people with magical abilities can see them. When Natalie discovers her first spell it thrusts her into her long and treacherous journey. If you haven’t already guessed, Roberts intends to entertain her readers in this fantastic work of fiction that moves like a rollercoaster.
After reading this book, the theme stands out pretty well. Katherine Roberts tells her readers to always have courage because courage is what you need to be able to find yourself. For Natalie, courage is what keeps her fueled in the darkest times. A great quote that demonstrates Natalie’s courage is, “Natalie’s blood stirred. Kiss his feet? His boots were caked in mud. She started to tell him so, then stopped herself. Play along. Meekly, she crawled forward and touched her lips to the cleaner boot. A sigh rippled around the cellar”(78). Natalie, for someone who knows nothing about magic, handles her situation very well. When she is kidnapped by the evil sorcerer, Lord Hawk, she finds a new friend and another reason to fight. Merlin, like Natalie, has not lived a life that belongs to him. He has lived under Lord Hawks command and supervision even though he does not want to harm anyone. Natalie sees Merlin as someone who needs to break free and go out and find himself like she does. After escaping from Lord Hawk with Merlin, they run into a magehound. This creature is only allowed to be owned by Spell Lords, magic peoples of a very high rank on the good side of the magic council. A quote that gives us a sneak peak into Natalie’s history is, “‘My mother used to have a dog like this,’ she said, captivated by its amber eyes that seemed to stare right into her soul. ‘I don’t really remember him, but I’ve got a photo on my bedside table’”(94). Magehounds do not like people from the dark side of magic, and this one seems to have nothing against Natalie. Merlin however, is terrified of this hound at first because he knows that they do not like people like him, and knows that even Lord Hawk is afraid of them. However, this magehound is their guide into the place known as Earthaven, which is where they will uncover deep secrets and find their true selves.
Katherine Roberts’s style is narrative. In this story, the reader follows Natalie and gets introduced to a different world of magic. You have dirty, evil sorcerers with nothing but each other and their familiars, and then you have the good guys. Natalie was born to be with the good sorcerers. They are clean and listen to the earth. They have only good intentions and learn to accept Merlin as a good boy, despite his history. Here, in Earthaven, Natalie discovers what her father and mother hid from her. Of course they were trying to keep her safe. They must have known, like Lord Hawk, that she was special- different. In the beginning of the story, Lord Hawk appears as an old man, lying in wait to see if Natalie was who he thought she was. A quote from this part of the story is, “The man chuckled. ‘What are you afraid of? That I’ll tell on you? You and I are of the same blood, the ancient blood that sees what men do not. That’s why I asked you to read the sign for me. It was a test - which you passed, by the way. Most people can’t see the spell bank at all’”(4). With lines like these in Roberts’s writing, you want to know what happens next. This is what makes her a good writer. She want to make you keep turning the pages of this brilliant masterpiece until you’ve run out of pages to turn.
I loved Spellfall because it was different from the other books I’ve read about magic. Katherine Roberts has her own idea about the kingdom of magic looks like and she decides to share it with her readers. Not many books can keep me hooked from beginning to end. Usually I get halfway through a book and find out that nothing has really changed, but finish it anyway because I want to know what happens in the end. This book is a quick read with many lines of imagery. It leaves your mind to imagine everything freely in this magical tale, with no limits. The beauty of this story is really yours to create with the outline that Roberts gives you. As she tells the story, you get to decide just how grubby Lord Hawk looks and just how majestic the magehounds and the soultree look. What I imagined while reading this book was breathtaking. I believe that this is part of what the author wanted to do. Every author tries to make their reader have a different experience than other writers. Their writing style is what sets them apart. I love the way Roberts writes and I wish there was a series to go along with this book, Spellfall.
After reading this book, the theme stands out pretty well. Katherine Roberts tells her readers to always have courage because courage is what you need to be able to find yourself. For Natalie, courage is what keeps her fueled in the darkest times. A great quote that demonstrates Natalie’s courage is, “Natalie’s blood stirred. Kiss his feet? His boots were caked in mud. She started to tell him so, then stopped herself. Play along. Meekly, she crawled forward and touched her lips to the cleaner boot. A sigh rippled around the cellar”(78). Natalie, for someone who knows nothing about magic, handles her situation very well. When she is kidnapped by the evil sorcerer, Lord Hawk, she finds a new friend and another reason to fight. Merlin, like Natalie, has not lived a life that belongs to him. He has lived under Lord Hawks command and supervision even though he does not want to harm anyone. Natalie sees Merlin as someone who needs to break free and go out and find himself like she does. After escaping from Lord Hawk with Merlin, they run into a magehound. This creature is only allowed to be owned by Spell Lords, magic peoples of a very high rank on the good side of the magic council. A quote that gives us a sneak peak into Natalie’s history is, “‘My mother used to have a dog like this,’ she said, captivated by its amber eyes that seemed to stare right into her soul. ‘I don’t really remember him, but I’ve got a photo on my bedside table’”(94). Magehounds do not like people from the dark side of magic, and this one seems to have nothing against Natalie. Merlin however, is terrified of this hound at first because he knows that they do not like people like him, and knows that even Lord Hawk is afraid of them. However, this magehound is their guide into the place known as Earthaven, which is where they will uncover deep secrets and find their true selves.
Katherine Roberts’s style is narrative. In this story, the reader follows Natalie and gets introduced to a different world of magic. You have dirty, evil sorcerers with nothing but each other and their familiars, and then you have the good guys. Natalie was born to be with the good sorcerers. They are clean and listen to the earth. They have only good intentions and learn to accept Merlin as a good boy, despite his history. Here, in Earthaven, Natalie discovers what her father and mother hid from her. Of course they were trying to keep her safe. They must have known, like Lord Hawk, that she was special- different. In the beginning of the story, Lord Hawk appears as an old man, lying in wait to see if Natalie was who he thought she was. A quote from this part of the story is, “The man chuckled. ‘What are you afraid of? That I’ll tell on you? You and I are of the same blood, the ancient blood that sees what men do not. That’s why I asked you to read the sign for me. It was a test - which you passed, by the way. Most people can’t see the spell bank at all’”(4). With lines like these in Roberts’s writing, you want to know what happens next. This is what makes her a good writer. She want to make you keep turning the pages of this brilliant masterpiece until you’ve run out of pages to turn.
I loved Spellfall because it was different from the other books I’ve read about magic. Katherine Roberts has her own idea about the kingdom of magic looks like and she decides to share it with her readers. Not many books can keep me hooked from beginning to end. Usually I get halfway through a book and find out that nothing has really changed, but finish it anyway because I want to know what happens in the end. This book is a quick read with many lines of imagery. It leaves your mind to imagine everything freely in this magical tale, with no limits. The beauty of this story is really yours to create with the outline that Roberts gives you. As she tells the story, you get to decide just how grubby Lord Hawk looks and just how majestic the magehounds and the soultree look. What I imagined while reading this book was breathtaking. I believe that this is part of what the author wanted to do. Every author tries to make their reader have a different experience than other writers. Their writing style is what sets them apart. I love the way Roberts writes and I wish there was a series to go along with this book, Spellfall.
February 1, 2017
While it was rather a bit inventive, it wasn't magical to me or fantasy enough but rather more like a mystery book - with one annoying character, Merlin.
Yes, you might think "Merlin? That legendary wizard that is featured in the Arthurian legend?"
"Uh, no"
This Merlin here is quite the opposite, he doesn't seem to get anything right and on top of it, he is always complaining. So whiny.
Yes, you might think "Merlin? That legendary wizard that is featured in the Arthurian legend?"
"Uh, no"
This Merlin here is quite the opposite, he doesn't seem to get anything right and on top of it, he is always complaining. So whiny.
September 25, 2021
Young, but good. I first read this many year ago and wanted to reread it now. It wasn't bad and while it's definitely aimed at younger readers, I would read it again. It had enough plot and a grown up enough theme to make it fun for age. What I liked most is that there's no romance. They're kids. They're running for their lives. They don't need to fall in love. Many other authors don't get that, but Roberts does.
September 23, 2018
I read this book when I was a kid and forgot the title. I remember trying to describe the book to the librarians and none of them could find it. One google search now in my 20s and hey look that was easy to find. Anyways I remember loving this book. I haven’t read it since but it was good when I was in middle school. A fun, unique adventure.
April 28, 2019
First read in 2001
Reread on April 25, 2019
I first read Spellfall 19 years ago. I remember searching month after month for a book 2, until eventually I got older and just stopped. Then the other day I was cleaning and came across Spellfall on my shelf. I looked it up, saw there was a book 2 published in 2016, and decided to reread Spellfall. Now on to Spellspring. I am so happy!
Reread on April 25, 2019
I first read Spellfall 19 years ago. I remember searching month after month for a book 2, until eventually I got older and just stopped. Then the other day I was cleaning and came across Spellfall on my shelf. I looked it up, saw there was a book 2 published in 2016, and decided to reread Spellfall. Now on to Spellspring. I am so happy!
February 1, 2021
Not sure how I ended up with this book, or even if I had read it before, but it was a delightful read. For YA, it's a story about a girl that doesn't know her or her family's magical roots. The writing was great for YA, and the characters were fun. Fast read. Would read the 2nd book if it's out there
August 21, 2025
I read about two and a half chapters of this book before deciding to stop. For a children's book, there is a lot of dark stuff going on immediately: In the first two and half chapters! Not what I was expecting. Not for me.
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