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The Red Ring
Maggie Stuart, now 16, feels alienated and lost – her former friends ignore her, and magic, something that once came naturally, has deserted her entirely. But when she interrupts a dangerous occult ritual, it is the beginning of another baptism by fire for both her and the boys she once Jason Lawson, Scott Saunders, and Aaron Scribner. And she discovers that the supernatural world has never been as far away as it had seemed. . . ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jen Frankel is the author of THE LAST RITE and its sequel THE RED RING, the first two books of the Maggie Stuart series. She writes in many different genres, but speculative fiction of any sort is what she loves best. She lives and works in Toronto, Canada. Visit Jen at www.jenfrankel.com
412 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 13, 2015
Jen Frankel's sequel to The Last Rite might at first glance seem to be a bit of a letdown. After all the action that took place in the first volume, the reader might be wondering if there is anything left for heroine Maggie Stewart to do. Maggie wonders the very same thing, and that's where this novel finds its heart.
What happens to you when the event your life had been building to has been, come and gone? How do you cope when you go from being the most important person on the planet (give or take) to the weird social outcast in high school? Add in the fact that nobody remembers who and what you were, and you've got a pretty good idea what Maggie's life is like 3 years after the events of Last Rite.
Maggie Stuart had been a powerful magic user, and the object of desire for a similarly powerful sorcerer named Char. Maggie gave up her power and returned to mundane high school life, and living with that choice eats away at her mind. Then, she interrupts her former friends in the middle of a magic ritual, and she sees an opportunity to be special once more. Maggie's struggles, both with the forces of darkness and just plain being a teenager, are given equal weight; for my money, the dark forces are the cakewalk.
Jen isn't afraid to make Maggie unlikable at times. She's hardly a saint, as her interaction with other teens (and her mother) makes clear. That makes her more relatable; we've all been there.
I'm going to be blunt; I liked The Last Rite better. There were more interesting villains, for one thing, and the memory of those antagonists seems more threatening than the creatures Maggie faces this time. The return of Hunt, a sly magic user with his own agenda, certainly helps - he's a much-needed wild card who brings his own unique blend of creepiness and intrigue. Nevertheless, The Red Ring's biggest weakness is Maggie's constant reflection on her struggle with Char - it plays well into her feelings of loss of identity and purpose, but constantly reminds the reader that Book One was where all the important stuff happened.
That said, a more honest and genuine portrayal of teenage life I have not read in a long time. I saw myself in Maggie many times, and rooted for her the whole way through.
The Red Ring takes a page from The Empire Strikes Back/Back to the Future Part II/Exorcist III school of sequels; not managing to top the original but not trying to, either. I would also compare it to The Last Wizard by Tanya Huff. Last Rite was Maggie's struggle against Char. Red Ring is, for the most part, her struggle with herself. Does she still have a place in the world? Is it okay to be who she is (even if she needs a non-magical re-definition first)? How many of us have wondered the same thing after being laid off/graduated from high school/recovered from a career-ending injury/just plain growing up?
The Red Ring doesn't have The Last Rite's special effects budget (so to speak), but it's a lot more relevant and meaningful to its intended audience.
Not bad, Jen! Keep 'em coming.
What happens to you when the event your life had been building to has been, come and gone? How do you cope when you go from being the most important person on the planet (give or take) to the weird social outcast in high school? Add in the fact that nobody remembers who and what you were, and you've got a pretty good idea what Maggie's life is like 3 years after the events of Last Rite.
Maggie Stuart had been a powerful magic user, and the object of desire for a similarly powerful sorcerer named Char. Maggie gave up her power and returned to mundane high school life, and living with that choice eats away at her mind. Then, she interrupts her former friends in the middle of a magic ritual, and she sees an opportunity to be special once more. Maggie's struggles, both with the forces of darkness and just plain being a teenager, are given equal weight; for my money, the dark forces are the cakewalk.
Jen isn't afraid to make Maggie unlikable at times. She's hardly a saint, as her interaction with other teens (and her mother) makes clear. That makes her more relatable; we've all been there.
I'm going to be blunt; I liked The Last Rite better. There were more interesting villains, for one thing, and the memory of those antagonists seems more threatening than the creatures Maggie faces this time. The return of Hunt, a sly magic user with his own agenda, certainly helps - he's a much-needed wild card who brings his own unique blend of creepiness and intrigue. Nevertheless, The Red Ring's biggest weakness is Maggie's constant reflection on her struggle with Char - it plays well into her feelings of loss of identity and purpose, but constantly reminds the reader that Book One was where all the important stuff happened.
That said, a more honest and genuine portrayal of teenage life I have not read in a long time. I saw myself in Maggie many times, and rooted for her the whole way through.
The Red Ring takes a page from The Empire Strikes Back/Back to the Future Part II/Exorcist III school of sequels; not managing to top the original but not trying to, either. I would also compare it to The Last Wizard by Tanya Huff. Last Rite was Maggie's struggle against Char. Red Ring is, for the most part, her struggle with herself. Does she still have a place in the world? Is it okay to be who she is (even if she needs a non-magical re-definition first)? How many of us have wondered the same thing after being laid off/graduated from high school/recovered from a career-ending injury/just plain growing up?
The Red Ring doesn't have The Last Rite's special effects budget (so to speak), but it's a lot more relevant and meaningful to its intended audience.
Not bad, Jen! Keep 'em coming.
April 21, 2015
The Brave Teenage Heroine, confronting the offer of unimaginable power from the dark mysterious figure. All she has to do is accept and be queen in a world of darkness and pain. Valiantly she rejects the offer, forsakes her magical power and defeats the dark lord.
Than what.
That's some-what the premise that 'The Red Ring' starts out with. In a way the beginning of this book seems like a dodge. Because of her magical sacrifice no-one remembers the events of the first book, and thus much of the character growth there-in seems to have been wasted. Yet what's at the core of this beginning of the feeling of alienation that can come of being a teenager, magnified beyond all proportion. It delves into characterization in a way that is somewhat unusual. Rarely do we see the teenage heroine actually wonder if her actions were the best ones. Maggie, on the other hand, is wracked with self-doubt. She constantly wonders at the worth of her sacrifice, while engaging in plenty of masochistic behaviors.
When some of her old 'friends' are drawn back into the magical World, so is she, and it becomes clear the she isn't to be permitted to wallow in self-pity.
Like it's predecessor, The Red Ring delves deeply into issues of power and powerlessness. It also touhes on the lives of adolescents in a way that is refreshingly frank. I will say that the relationships, the turns of friendship, the petty betrayals and the awkwardness of teenage relationships all shine through. A thoroughly enjoyable continuation of the previous tale that makes me interested to see what Maggie will be in young adulthood.
Than what.
That's some-what the premise that 'The Red Ring' starts out with. In a way the beginning of this book seems like a dodge. Because of her magical sacrifice no-one remembers the events of the first book, and thus much of the character growth there-in seems to have been wasted. Yet what's at the core of this beginning of the feeling of alienation that can come of being a teenager, magnified beyond all proportion. It delves into characterization in a way that is somewhat unusual. Rarely do we see the teenage heroine actually wonder if her actions were the best ones. Maggie, on the other hand, is wracked with self-doubt. She constantly wonders at the worth of her sacrifice, while engaging in plenty of masochistic behaviors.
When some of her old 'friends' are drawn back into the magical World, so is she, and it becomes clear the she isn't to be permitted to wallow in self-pity.
Like it's predecessor, The Red Ring delves deeply into issues of power and powerlessness. It also touhes on the lives of adolescents in a way that is refreshingly frank. I will say that the relationships, the turns of friendship, the petty betrayals and the awkwardness of teenage relationships all shine through. A thoroughly enjoyable continuation of the previous tale that makes me interested to see what Maggie will be in young adulthood.
December 16, 2013
I had some difficulty getting into the first book. That was very much not the case with this one. I got into it right from the first page.
I liked how realistic it seemed. The first book had a thirteen year old girl experiencing a traumatic event and instead of her carrying on with her life, a gap of three years had occurred where she had to deal with the experience of the trauma. I liked that.
The story itself was very enjoyable from the first page to the last. I look forward to the next one.
I liked how realistic it seemed. The first book had a thirteen year old girl experiencing a traumatic event and instead of her carrying on with her life, a gap of three years had occurred where she had to deal with the experience of the trauma. I liked that.
The story itself was very enjoyable from the first page to the last. I look forward to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews