 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Hound of Rowan: The Tapestry, Book 1
- By Henry H. Neff
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Similar to Potter, but stands well on its own.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there is some moderately rough violence here. More disturbing is that Max is encouraged by his teachers and headmistress to lie to and deceive his caring father, and they magically manipulate his father's feelings and memory when he doesn't go along. Max is also left alone overnight at home, only to allow in two strangers, one of whom lies to Max's friends so that he can spend the night at Max's house.
What's the story?
Max McDaniels discovers he has magical powers when he receives an invitation to attend Rowan Academy, a secret school of magic. But he also learns that other children with similar talents have been disappearing, and that an ancient enemy may be reawakening and searching for him, in fulfillment of a prophecy, as a means of reentering the living world.
Is it any good?
Ok, let's get the obvious out of the way first. Yes, there are many, many, perhaps too many, similarities to the Harry Potter series. If that bothers you, then don't even bother picking this up. On the other hand, if something like Harry is just what you've been looking for, then this is the series for you.
While the characters could be more clearly delineated, the setting and set-ups are vivid and fascinating. The author takes the time to explore the school: the bedrooms that change to suit their occupants; the Sanctuary, wherein live magical creatures, sometimes the last of their kinds, that the students are assigned to care for and bond with; and the Smithy, where the students undergo combat training in holodeck-like simulations of increasing difficulty. One could spend a great deal of time finding both favorable and unfavorable comparisons between the Tapestry and Harry Potter series, but it's a pointless exercise: on its own merits, this is an exciting and clever story, and a promising debut of both a new author and a new fantasy series.
What families can talk about
Families who read this book could discuss the inevitable comparisons to Harry Potter. What are the similarities, both large and small? What are the differences? Does it matter if a book is similar to another? Is this different from movies or TV shows that are similar to each other?
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AGE
A great read!
The tapestry book 1: The hound of Rowan was a fantastic book. I'll admit it did remind me of Harry Potter A lot but it still had a numerous amount of differences! I thought that all the characters were written very nicely also!:]
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AGE
Good Book
This was a very good book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend it. A few swear words: nothing horrible. Only other thing is that a boy moons some girls, but there isn't any exlicit description.
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AGE
great reading and keen to read the 2nd one!
man i think is one of the best books had in a long time! it reminded me of harry potter a bit but then at the same time was so much better and had its own uniquiness to it and originality!! no book ever got me more interested then this one did and really loved it!! liked all the characters and cant complain!
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Kid, 12 years old
February 3, 2011
AGE
perfect for kids who love mygical thing ( the tapesty )
im 11 and love the book im reading it for the sencond time and love it, it's great
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AGE
Perfect for kids about 10+
I really enjoyed this book. It was a good read. Some swear words; nothing too bad, a boy moons some girls; no details, other then that it is safe for any one that doesn't mind those things to read :D
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| Author: | Henry H. Neff |
| Illustrator: | Henry H. Neff |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | Random House |
| Publication date: | September 1, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 414 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 8 - 12 |
| Read aloud: | 9 |
| Read alone: | 10 |
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