Thirteenth Child

By: Patricia C. Wrede

Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 New York Times best-selling author Pat Wrede returns to Scholastic with an amazing new trilogy about the use of magic in the wild, wild west.

Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he's supposed to possess amazing talent - and she's supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild.

With wit and wonder, Patricia Wrede creates an alternate history of westward expansion that will delight fans of both J. K. Rowling and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

©2009 Patricia C. Wrede (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

An interesting story

I enjoy Amanda Ronconi's performance. She does an excellent job with her characters. The characters are very interesting. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I wish the author had put in a little more about her alternate world. She should have made it more dis similar or given a little more background. The little information she gives is scattered throughout. That makes it difficult to picture the world she has created. This alternate world is set on North America that is occupied by woolly mammoths, saber cats, dragons and other plants and animals. Some are magical, some are not. I did not hear anywhere if there was a native human population on north or south continents. The country is refered to as Columbia. I could not figure out if this was because of the country or Columbus. Settlers showed up, killed off anything considered dangerous and then begin reshaping the country as they think fit. Conflict is listed among 3 different schools of magic. But nothing is really clarified about why there is conflict. I hope any sequels fill in some information gaps.

Loved It!!

I read a review for this book that said it was like Little House on the Prairie meets Harry Potter and I agree. I loved the book right from the start! I wish there were more books in this series.

L`Amour style fantasy

If you like westerns and fantasy this is a great series.
Told from a point of view so like Tell Sackett, I was hooked.
Magic is a fact of life and some people and animals can use it.
Not a Dungeons & Dragons style story.
Only 3 books in the series, well worth every cent or credit.

Not just for young people

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Interesting characters, creative blend of existing and imaginary.

What did you like best about this story?

The main character and the many different kinds of magic. Who knew?

What does Amanda Ronconi bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has the ability to give each character their own voice. Easy to listen to and understand who is speaking.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nope. But I ended up buy and listening to all 3 stories one after the other.

Any additional comments?

If Ms. Wrede does not make this a longer series, I will be seriously annoyed with her.

fun and interesting read

What did you love best about Thirteenth Child?

too many people review this book and complain about historical inaccurancy. it's fiction! and its good fiction, well planned without story gaps. I enjoyed the book

Got a bargain and a great book!

Would you listen to Thirteenth Child again? Why?

I plan on listening to this book again. I loved the story and the depth that the narrator gave to a great story. I think the strength of this story lies in it's setting. I have heard time and again about how difficult frontier life was. It's hard to see that when, in the 21st Century, everything seems very tame. However, if you add mystical creatures to this as the Thirteenth Child does, you get that shiver down your spine. Maybe there were no Medusa Lizards or sphinxes or Saber tooth cats...but the settlers in the real world were truly facing the unknown. I got it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character, Eff, is a strong woman in a time when women were not held in high esteem. Maybe i

What about Amanda Ronconi’s performance did you like?

The narrator put life into Eff's story. I was pretty impressed at the number of accents and inflections this narrator brought. I really felt as if I was listening to different people speak.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire book is great!!

Any additional comments?

The author has the strongest descriptive language I have heard. You can "see" the scene through her words! What a great job!!

thanks

loved it. w w w w w w w w we. w w w w w w w. w we w. w w w w w w w do

Great story-total surprise- next one please

Great series start. I was pleasantly wowed by this unknown author, as we follow Eff, the "unlucky" thirteenth child as she grows into her magical own. What I loved: book translated to adults. No formula love triangle. Female heroine. Good adventure. Good storytelling...and great narrator. The bad: Could have had some more complex characters. Overall, a great, light adventure tale that I really enjoyed- hope they release the next two soon!

A fascinating alternate history for our land

Eff struggles to find her place while seeking to limit the damage she might cause, what with being the thirteenth child born to her family and the older twin to her brother Lan, a seventh son of a seventh son. Everyone knows, after all, that Double Sevens are both lucky and powerful natural magicians, while thirteenth children are bad luck to have around and certain to go bad. But in trying to control the curse she fears lies on her, is Eff likely to destroy her own considerable magic power?

Far from the prejudice shown by her father's family back east, Eff finds Mill City on the Mammoth River to offer far more acceptance than she'd known as a small child. And as she grows she becomes increasingly fascinated by the lands west of the Great Divide where a powerful magic boundary runs along the river, keeping creatures such as mammoths and wooly rhinos, sphinxes and ice dragons west of the mixed spells set up to protect the settled lands. In this alternate United States, after all, magic is a real source of power; and it is both respected and necessary for those who wish to settle in the plains west of the river. Or, is it as necessary as is commonly believed?

Patricia Wrede has written a fascinating first volume in what promises to be an entertaining and thought-provoking series of a girl growing up on the leading edge of a growing nation in which magic is a common feature of life. Perhaps inspired equally by Laura Ingals Wilder, J.K. Rowling, and Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker series. Narration is good, but could be better, I think.

A lovely surprise...

What did you love best about Thirteenth Child?

There was a lot to like about this book. I enjoyed the folksy language, the unusual animals, and the alternate historical timeline that is referenced throughout the book.

Would you recommend Thirteenth Child to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book. I read a review that said it was like Harry Potter and Little House on the Prairie. I would agree with that. It is an interesting story about a young girl growing up in a magical society on the frontier.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene may have been when Eff finally stood up to her awful Uncle.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Look out Laura Ingalls, there's a new girl on the frontier.