Books
Reviews
Susan Kane – Amazon Reviewer.
The Industrial Revolution changed the world in broad strokes. More important is how it changed the lives of individuals, like the hero of this book. Children in the labor force then suffered terribly, without a hope for an upward mobility. This book provided a hope for light in a dark dark place.
Paddy Kennington – Ph.D., LPC, NCC, EMDR Level II.
In a world and time more like our own than we would admit, Carole Anne Carr creates a story woven with child-understanding, Anglo-Saxon history, and mythical allusions. While full of adventure, action, and mystery, this hero-tale is anchored in a young boy’s rite of passage that involves the killing of his first wolf and his survival in the destructive adult world in which he lives. More evident in our early history, than in our present time of science and technology, are the boy’s otherworldly helpers who are everywhere around him, and central to this story is Toland’s dedication to fulfilling his promise to the monks of Lindisfarne, despite the threats to his life that this single-minded focus brings. From the beginning, the story holds readers both young and old and does not fail to surprise throughout. Left wanting more of this boy-man’s life, I would pose that readers will not let Carole rest until she returns to this period of history. Attempting to describe the lives of those who lived in Northumbria in the Dark Ages presents her with many difficulties, but in our return to the 8th century we are given glimpses of beliefs that have been passed down to us through the ages and that we still hold more deeply than we ever recognise.
Sue Horder-Mason – Amazon Reviewer.
5 out of 5 stars Wonderful book! I don't often read 'childrens' fiction but this book grabbed me from the start. Carole Anne Carr takes you on an adventure, the book is fast moving and you can feel your heart beating as fast as the characters. Her description of life in by gone days in the Ironbridge Gorge is amazing, you can really see it as it was and how life was like for people in those days. I can't recommend this book enough for both young and not so young.
Lizzie – Amazon Reviewer.
5 out of 5 stars Exciting and very moving. Thoroughly enjoyed this book even though it was written as a child's book I couldn't put it down. Very well written and extemely moving and I want to read more.
Patricia (Paddy) Kennington – TSSFPh.D., LPC, NCC, Certified EMDR Therapist.
The life changes that we all face as we grow into our mature selves, often bring the pain of loss before the joy of understanding, and Alice’s journey in the story In the Snake-Dragon's Claws, with her many friends and helpers, and her meeting with the Green Man of All-Knowing, are growth experiences that are both fearful and welcome. As parents know, the stages of a child’s development can be fraught with tensions and testing behaviours, but they are necessary to enable the child to grow into an adult. Human effort and angst, leading to adult maturity, are accompanied by vulnerability and inner reflection: who will help me and why is this happening to me! Such developmental milestones are described in mythology, fiction, poetry, and endless, ‘if-only I had done so and so’, tales, and in Alice’s quest to find the seeds that will bring life back to the world. The author has captured human yearning in the real life struggles of Alice, as she comes to understand the confusion that has up-ended her world. The loss of her mother, and her gradual acceptance of her father’s marriage to a new ‘mother’, leads to a healing process that brings about her progress and reflection. These life changes, though sometimes unpleasant, are part of the family’s shared experience. As Alice and her friends grapple with the Snake-Dragon in the Cave of Mists, she also comes to embrace her new family who help her grow into the young adult she is becoming. Surrounded by a circle of both human and spiritual helpers, Alice reaches out to embrace divine intervention at ‘thin time’, and in doing so is able to take steps towards becoming what she is intended to be.
Sharif – Amazon Reviewer
5 out of 5 stars vivid, lyrical. Carole Anne Carr’s poetry is truly amazing. She strings words together in a vivid, lyrical manner. The words jump off the pages, as they are spellbinding and compelling. I hope another poetry collection is in the works from this author.
R. Healy – “fernhill gardener” (United Kingdom)
If this doesn’t get your son reading, nothing will! This is a rollicking, fast paced, action adventure with a believable young protagonist set in Anglo-Saxon Britain. Full of dramatic incident, every chapter ends on a cliff-hanger which keeps you turning the pages…. This reminded me of adventure books I read as a child; the sort that kept me awake and reading with a torch under the covers. Although ideal as a work to encourage a child to become reading-mad, it is completely absorbing for adults. (I am 57). I liked the sympathetic, though never sentimental, treatment of animals and children throughout the story. The author’s familiarity with the era, and confidence in depicting it, shines through. The events interwoven into the story seem credible without being invasive, although I am no expert in the period. I enjoyed the north-east English setting. There is a magical smattering of the supernatural which lifts the story out of the pragmatically historical and into a bewitching mythical world which is still recognisably our own. The baddie is horrid and there is enough nastiness for lads to get into. But there is a very beguiling, resourceful female character whom I am sure I would have loved when I was a girl. It leaves you wanting more, which is why I think it would be excellent to encourage independent reading in the target age group.
A message from a reader on Facebook
I cannot tell you how much I loved the poems – they really are absolutely wonderful, Carole. You draw the reader in from the first line, and one feels not only totally engaged, but often greatly moved. Your artistic sensitivity is in evidence throughout – the pictures you paint, the colour and texture, and general appeal to the senses – and I just love your imagery and wonderful use of metaphor. To me Kaleidoscope is a very fine collection of poems, and I do hope you continue down this road – and seek a wider audience. Joys and heartache of becoming a woman as seen through poetry.
Shelly-G, reviewer on Amazon.
Totally Absorbing! I love Carole Anne Carr's books. This was the first one to be published and I still think the best (although Candle Dark and Thin Time are both great reads!). As soon as I had read the first couple of pages I was hooked and truly could not put it down. I know it is aimed at a younger audience (I am in my thirties I will say no more!), but it reminded me of books I had read over and over in my youth such as 'I am David' by Anne Holm and 'The Silver Sword' by Ian Serrailier. As with all of Carole's books the story is engaging and all the way through you are rooting for the hero. There is enough tension which makes you want to turn to the next page and the next! The characters and backdrops are very real, with enough narrative for you to picture it without wading through lots of descriptive text. It is obvious that Carole has fully researched the period and thoroughly immerses herself in it to enable you to do the same. An amazing author - I cannot wait for the second book in the series!
Sophie Bignall
Ludlow author Carole Anne Car truly understands children. Her fourth book, In the Snake-Dragon's Claws, previously published as Thin Time, makes it quite clear as she explores relationships between step-families, and emotions such as honesty, truth, courage and love. She certainly knows how to tell a great tale. Thin Time, which is set in the famous Shropshire village church of Tong near Shifnal, with its life sized effigies of knights in armour, is no exception. In her latest publication, she weaves a fantastic adventure incorporating enchantment, fantasy, local history and Norse mythology.Alice may seem like an unlikely heroine, for she is rebellious and does not want to accept the task the four hundred year old dog Fymm has given her, but she is a child that youngsters can truly identify with. Passing through the Tree of Life with her small step-brother Thomas, Fymm the grumpy dog, Ratatosk the squirrel that can’t be trusted, and Bridd the cockerel from the church tower, she must face Niddhogg the snake-dragon armed only with a stone and a gargoyle’s shield. Inspired by her years as a primary school teacher, Carole is a master storyteller and her fans, old and young, will be looking forward to the sequel when once again Alice must set off on her quest. And both children and parents will enjoy visiting Tong church and searching for the four hundred year old dog Fymm!