The PhD student sent me a text message on Friday, as I was meandering around the library. “Book 5 of Obernewtyn is out! I just bought my copy.” I replied, “Argh! Thanks for the news! Am heading to bookstore now.”
I first read Isobelle Carmody’s book Obernewtyn when I was about 11, I think - it’s one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading. I adored it, and read all its sequels throughout high school. The fourth book was published during my final year of high school, which was 9 years ago. Every time I saw a new book by Carmody on book shelves that wasn’t an Obernewtyn book, I stomped in frustration. “What is she thinking?” I would cry to bookshop staff as they surreptitiously backed away from me. “I don’t want to read a new series! I want her to finish the old one, damn it!”
And so finally, Carmody appears to have listening to my piteous cries, and has published book 5, The Stone Key. She’s also promised that book 6, the final book, is not too far off, but I’m not holding my breath. I did, however, gallop from the library to the bookstore, and buy myself a lovely fat copy of The Stone Key, and immediately start reading it. After the weekend, I’m about halfway through. And despite it being apparent that it’s a series the author originally developed when she was 18, and despite all the awkward exposition through dialogue, I still love it. I regress back to my childhood self while reading it, falling back in love with the characters, forgiving any awkwardness in the writing. It’s not exactly critical reading, but terribly enjoyable nonetheless.
1 Comment
4 February, 2008 at 1:45 pm
OMG! I didn’t know there was a new one! It’s not listed on Amazon, so I guess it’s not out here
Maybe by the time I reread the first four to remind myself, it’ll be available…
I haven’t read many of her new series, since I figured they’d only lead to years of frustrated waiting, too.
Leave a Reply