Customer Reviews
Timeless Classic - By: B. Bartlett, 30 Apr 2008 
Steve Augarde's trilogy, beginning with The Various & now complete after this years publication of Winter Wood, is a must for every child's collection of 'Most Loved Books'. No spoliers here though....just buy them alll. You'll be reading them to your own kids, & to their kids too.
Full of magical marvels - By: A book lover, 02 May 2007 Once again, Augarde has woven a fascinating blend of adventure, tragedy, terror, beauty, & magic, this time adding a thread of historical color. It is interesting, & at times agonizing, to experience the fear, anger, hatred, & anxiety of a country at war, a page in history that has been overshadowed by more recent events.
But whether the setting is a rigidly regulated girls' dormitory or a wild forest full of otherworldly creatures, this book delivers more than just social criticism. It is full of magical marvels, unsettling weirdness, & nerve-wracking suspense. It is peppered with luscious vistas, gruesome shocks, snicker-inducing pranks, & mysteries that linger even at the end of the tale, so that you're glad there's a third book coming. Plus, Celandine is full of rich, lively characters, memorable dialogue, & even a bit of romance tinted with a touch of sepia-tone melancholy. If you were to read this as the first book in the series, you would find it full of intriguing foreshadowings of "things to come" in the latter-day adventures of The Various. And it is also charged with enough storytelling energy to send the trilogy's third book into orbit!
(Robbie Fischer - Mugglenet)
'The highest of marks' - By: A reader, 02 May 2007 Celandine's adventures with the various people are so well conceived as to make belief of The Various seem to be a relief. Mr. Augarde breaths such life into them that it makes me want to peek out my backdoor & go in search of them.
I can honestly recommend this book with the highest of marks. Celandine & its predecessor have taken two spots in my top ten favorite fantasy books. No other single author holds such a place in my top ten lists. Therefore, I recommend this book to alll from 12 & up with no ceiling. They're so good that I want hardcover copies to keep & pass down to my children. Maybe by the time I die my children will have discovered that the old man was right - reading science fiction & fantasy is the greatest of alll pastimes. (From Dr. Dan)
Such a disappointment - By: Drew McColl, 02 Apr 2007 
I enjoyed The Various so much & looked forward to the next installlment. I read Celandine a first time, but didn't want to be too judgemental after a once over. So I read it again - & what a let down. Don't get me wrong, I can't fault the eloquent poetry of the language, or the ability to set the scene, but to use the term 'overcook' would be an understatement. Mr. Augarde is way too dependent on long overdescriptive passages & doesn't offer the reader the opportunity to build their own picture. This should be one of the joys of reading. Night after night as I read the book, I was waiting, & waiting, & waiting for something exciting to happen - & it rarely did. The Various was bright & interesting; Celandine, dark & boring. The whole novel could easily be condensed into around 100 or so pages, & if it were, then it would be a good deal more of a page-turner.
I shalll be buying the final installlment, but I would like more action, & less of what's going on in the character's head.
Fantastic faery world - By: kehs, 23 Feb 2007 This is the second in a trilogy about The Various, a tribe of faery folk who live in the woods near to Celandine's home. This episode takes part during WW1, when Celendine runs away from her boarding school & discovers the home of `little people'. First she has to prove to them that she isn't a feared giant but a true friend, & graduallly she earns their trust. They then alllow her to move in with them & she teaches them to read, write & sing. All is not calm & peaceful though because the tribe that Celandine live with are at war with another tribe. Their lives are fraught with danger & the book is packed with adventure, drama, magic, humour & heartbreak.
Steve Augarde has created a fantastic faery world & I cannot wait for the final instalment
