Saga :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

A brilliant adventure

2008-05-29
Reviewed by Dylan James (age 11) for Reader Views (3/08)

Ghost is named that for a reason: she has no memory of her past. Her only family is a gang that loves tense, death-defying action. She longs to regain her memory, but before long she is mixed up in more than thought possible. There is some crazy girl (or boy?) called Cindella Dragonslayer that tells them that they are living in a game! Then the gang and she meet a creepy assassin called Michelotto that wants Ghost's help to defeat the dark queen. Ghost doesn't know what to do. One option is to keep her gang personality and help the humans get out of her world. The other option is to learn her name and past, but she may not have time for the humans.

What Will Ghost DO?

My reader point of view would rate this book as fantastic: recommendable to friends, cool thoughts, and just a plain good book. My reviewer side though noticed things like: repulsive violence, major use of drugs ("jeebies," rush...), and alcohol. All the main characters are gang members, hence multiple break-ins and defying the law. Just because the dark queen is evil does not make it okay to use drugs, alcohol, any violence they feel like using, plus a whole lot more. The way the (15 and 16-year-old) characters make it seem like everything they do is fine might worry parents. Again my reader side LOVED this book: the action from gangs, the wild stunts, and the freaky parties. But because the violence was just so awful in a few parts, even my reader side was a little shaken. It helped a little (it IS in a game...) that when the big rebellion happened every one knew how awful it was to kill something and were all dead set against it. I recommend the book be for kids ages 14 and up, not 12+. The main thing I loved about this book was that you didn't have to read the first one to love this one. It all makes since even if you haven't read the first one, but it will be an over all better experience if you read the first one before this one. The writing in "Saga" was the best I have ever seen as far as everything flowing together

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

2008-05-15
Eric and his new girlfriend are vacationing when a new computer game infiltrates the system of EPIC. Everything except Cindella disappears, and a new game is left in its place. The new game of Saga has similarities to the old game; it revolves around class and trying to improve one's standard of living.

However, Cindella begins to realize that this new game - is not really a game. She also learns that the mastermind behind the game put a little something extra into it that seeps out into New Earth, infecting the players so they become addicted to the game. Cindella could kill the Queen of Saga, but in doing so would have to kill two million of her people simultaneously.

With the help of Ghost, a girl who doesn't know her own power, Eric must find a way out of this disaster.

The twists and turns of life on Saga make this science fiction novel a quick and enjoyable read, especially for those who play video games.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Airboarding Adventure

2007-07-24
Saga is an excellent stand alone work. I could not imagine how it could sequel Epic, especially knowing Epic's ending. I was very surprised, and pleased to find the story line to be much more than I expected. Readers of Epic have only a minor advantage over those who start with Saga in that they understand the culture of non-violence from which Cindella springs.

If you have ever ridden a skate board or admired anyone who has, you will relate to Saga's teenage Ghost. Ghost does not have the problem Cindella does, that of staying in character. From the beginning through the end of Saga, Ghost is rift from any real past. Living on the fringes of a virtual society, never really having a place to call home, Ghost becomes the center of a well balanced tale of a tragic future open to a new and enfolding universe of possibilities.

Where as Epic's science fiction tag simply provides a setting for an inviting fast paced RPG novel, Saga breaks the barrier into full fledge science fiction by pursuing the question "What if?"

Saga's haunting ending leads the way to a future novel that will draw upon the frienships made in both novels' worlds. It was well worth doubling the price of the book to have it shipped from Londonderry(UK) to the USA so that I could continue to be part of what has truly become a marvelous adventure.