Literature Shaping the Mind

Ann Sophie was contemplating the question of literature and its influence on us, asking herself how they enrich our comprehension of the world that surrounds us, and disturbingly enough, she couldn't actually find an answer. What do you think? Have you ever wondered?

The Adventures of Edward Tulane

I have had this book for a few years and never read it.  That was a mistake.  It is an easy read, nothing really challenging with the vocabulary or complexity of the writing.  I believe it is an upper elementary book.  What is brilliant about this story is how DiCamillo brings in the theme of love.  She tackles love head on with her bunny character and as a reader, I found myself slowing down and really focusing on those moments when love is discussed. Pay particular attention to how Edward gets told he needs to let love in.  Wonderful story and message for all ages.

City of Bones

I've started reading The City of Bones right now, and it is a fantastic book. I think the trick to writing fantasy books the general population will enjoy is to have a normal human as a main character. This way, other characters will have to explain what is going on to the human, so the reader does not feel confused when anything out of the ordinary occurs. Anyways, I'm glad to have a new book to read!

~Alisha

My son and daughter have both read and enjoyed the City of Bones series.  I think I will tackle it this summer. 

--Mr. Elms

The City of Bones seems like a really great book - I'm going to try it! Thanks for the recommendation.

Regards,

Alisha

Just before that though I finished the before-last book of a series I'm sort of hooked to called the Mortal Instruments -- it's fantasy, yes, but it's got a very real, very gritty side to it (happens in modern day New-York with people that actually feel human) that I love, not to mention it's so witty it's got me laughing every other page. Read it! The first book is called City of Bones.

AS

The Sisters of Battle

The Sisters of Battle

By: Connie

Prologue

            The Sisters of Battle was an organization. It held fierce women, who were excellent at fighting. Assassins, warriors, mages, any female who could fight in any way, were accepted. And these fierce women earned a name for themselves by single-handedly starting a war in the land of Arendia, and winning it. They did not ask for tribute. They took a piece of land, a bit from each of the four kingdoms. And so, the land of Arendia was split into five parts.

            The Sisters of Battle were united under one leader, a leader whose word was the law. A Counsel advised her. She would rein for the extent of her life. Before she died, she named a successor. If she did not, then those who thought themselves worthy would present herself to the Queen’s Counsel. Whoever the Counsel chose would be the leader. And the new leader would choose a new Counsel.

            Every now and then, a Sister of Battle would find love. The men were allowed to stay, and allowed to learn the battle techniques of the Sisters. But they were never allowed to leave. They were not allowed to share their information with the rest of the world. If they somehow managed to escape the sunlit halls of the castle of the Sisterhood, then they were hunted down mercilessly. Sometimes, they were even hunted by those who once loved them. Once captured, these men would be brought back to the castle of the Sisterhood. They would be knocked out, and then their tongues would be cut out. These men became slaves. A new name would be given to them. An iron cuff would be attached to their neck, and a chain would be attached to the cuff. The chain would be attached to a peg in the dungeons. A mage cast a spell over them, so that the chains and the peg were unbreakable. The chains were also enchanted so that the chains could become longer or shorter. However, the limit of the chains was the walls protecting the castle. Therefore, the slaves could not exit the castle walls.

            Females could not become slaves because they swore a binding magical oath that prevented them from treachery, or to do anything against the rules of the Sisterhood.

            And so, the story of the Sisters of Battle begins.

Chapter One

Calantha

            Acacia threw a dagger at a straw training dummy. The dagger impaled itself into the head. Acacia looked at Baylaa and I, her partners of battle. Baylaa frowned. I smiled.

Acacia was an assassin. Beautiful and elegant with her flawless white skin, fiery red hair, and emerald green eyes, she could be easily mistaken for a pretty court servant. By the time you realized she was an imposter, you would be dead.

Baylaa was the oldest of us, and she was a warrior. She was well muscled, beautiful, and deadly. Brown eyes and brown hair graced her image, but she was not to be underestimated. When clothed in armor and given a weapon, she was a killing machine. She even braided a hard circular stone into her hair, to knock out opponents when her helmet came off.

I was the youngest of the trio. I was a mage. With the trainers helping me, I shakily began to learn water magic. I was black haired, and had black eyes. But everyone said my eyes were frightening. They said that when I looked into your eyes, you felt as though I was reading every thought that was passing your mind. You would think that I was reading your soul, your darkest secrets. And in a way, I could. I was one of the last telepaths in the land of Arendia. I was still learning my powers, so I was not that powerful, yet.

We had befriended each other when we had entered the Sisterhood. Together we prevailed over the preliminary tests, and together we had become one of the most powerful partnerships in the Sisterhood. In a way, we felt as close as real flesh-and-blood sisters.

“Acacia, you should actually aim!” snapped Baylaa.

“I’m sorry!” replied Acacia, readjusting the grip another knife. “I just forgot myself for a minute.” She threw another dagger. This time, it impaled the dummy’s stomach.

“Much better,” Baylaa sighed.

“Sisters, are you nervous about our first assignment?” I asked, fiddling with her staff. It was a magnificent staff, adorned with markings of the four elements, with a beautiful opal on top of it. I asked because I did not probe their minds for the answer.

“Yes,” admitted Acacia, “To be outside doing an assignment, and not staying in the castle and training? The very idea is strange.”

Baylaa shrugged. “It does not matter. Orders are orders, and today, they come from Queen Daeunna herself.”

“I’m nervous,” I whispered.

Baylaa reached over and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “It’s all right, Calantha. Don’t worry.” I nodded, nervously twisting my hands.

Acacia strode over to us, and sat down. “I wonder when they will call us in. I would like to know our assignment, so that we can prepare.” No sooner had she said this, a slave emerged from the door to the training hall. He walked over to us, bowed, and handed Baylaa a scroll. Being a slave, he could not talk.

Baylaa unrolled it. Acacia and I read over her shoulder. The letter said:

Baylaa, Acacia, and Calantha,

            You know that your first assignment has come. Meet me in the throne room. I will give you your assignment there.

Queen Daeunna

Queen of the Sisters of Battle

“Well, let’s go,” Baylaa said, rising from where she was seated. I got up nervously, clutching my staff. Acacia followed them.

We exited the training room, and walked out through the sunlit halls. We passed the banquet hall, and the dormitory, and finally, came to a stop before the throne room.

The doors that loomed before them were superb. They were real gold, with ornate designs inset with gems. The hinges were glistening. They must have been just oiled.

Baylaa stepped forward, and pushed on the door. They opened without a sound. The Queen was waiting for us.

Queen Daeunna was a tall woman. Her blue eyes flashed, and her long blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders in a glossy curtain. She was dressed in a sky-blue dress with long sleeves and a long train. She wore a leather belt with a sapphire imbedded in it. She did not wear a crown like the monarchs of the other kingdoms. Instead, she wore a thin band of silver upon her brow. On it was yet another sapphire.

“Baylaa, Acacia, and Calantha!” Queen Daeunna approached us, smiling. “You know that you are here to receive your first assignment?” they nodded assent. “Well, I am also going to bestow your partnership name.”

The whole system of the Sisterhood runs on partnerships. When a woman enters the Sisterhood, she chooses two partners that fight in a different way than her. They are then partners for life. Once the partners are ready for their first assignment, they will choose their partnership name. If two of the three die, then the one left would be given two new partners. If two die again, and the same person survives, then that person gets two new partners again. However, if the same thing happens a third time, then that person becomes a trainer. She will no longer do assignments, but will train the new Sisters. If only one in a trio dies, however, they might get a new partner. But they might not.

I saw Acacia looking curiously at the woman standing behind the throne of Queen Daeunna. Queen Daeunna saw her looking, and smiled.

“May I introduce my only surviving partner? This is Edana.” Edana nodded. She held a curiously carved staff in her hand. Instead of a simple gem on the top, the top had a diamond carved in the shape of a hawk.

“Queen Daeunna, what is our assignment?” Baylaa stepped forward. “We are ready.”

“Ah, yes.” Queen Daeunna walked over to her throne, and sat down. Her throne was a simple wooden chair, but with gemstones encrusted in it. She seemed to be gathering her thoughts. Then she spoke again.

“You know the five empires of the land of Arendia. Fangorndina, the land claimed by the King Fangorn. Gaetonis, the land conquered by King Gaeton. Haddendore, the land won by King Hadden. Iagona, the land claimed by King Iag. And last, the Sisteria, the land the Sisterhood won.”

“We know this,” Acacia said.

“There is a nobleman, who lives in Gaetonis. His name is Kalidas. He is becoming a threat to Sisteria. He is becoming greedy. He sends men into our territory, without invitation or notice, to try and take our land. Your task is to stop him. Kill him. Acacia, you are of noble birth?”

“I am. I was the daughter of a duke, but he never cared for me. I ran away.” Acacia replied, her eyes hardening.

“Good. You could easily disguise yourself, and sneak into the palace,” The Queen got up, and paced around the room, “I do not care how you kill him, but that you do it inconspicuously. Now go, and prepare yourselves. When you have prepared yourself, come back here, and I shall bestow partnership name, and give some last-minute advice.”

We bowed, and left. We walked slowly towards the dormitory.

“Is it true?” Baylaa asked.

“Is what true?” Acacia said.

“Is it true that you are of noble birth?”

“Yes,” said Acacia, “but I hate it. Father wanted a daughter. Mother gave him me. But he never bothered to visit me, or care for me. On the year that we met, I confronted him. I asked him. He grew angry with me, and he said that he was busy. I told him that he never loved me. He confined me to the dungeon for a month. Then I knew that he never loved me. During that month, I trained myself in weaponry. I had a dagger hidden up my sleeve. I used that. I made clumsy straw dummies. I practiced until I could hit it every time. Then I used small bundles of straw. By the end of that month, I could hit any piece of straw you cared to put in front of me.”

“Go on,” prompted Baylaa.

“When I was let out, I waited. I waited until I regained my strength. Then I escaped. I took nothing but twelve daggers, a single sword, and a bottle of the strongest poison the court physician had. I stole a horse, and I rode away to join the Sisterhood. There was no life for me in my father’s house. I heard my mother died of grief. But it’s turned out for the best.” Acacia smiled in a strained way.

By then, we were at our room. I went straight to the chest by my bed. I didn’t have much, but I drew out two pairs of wizard robes, a leather shirt, a pair of leather pants, and three plain silver chain bracelets. I handed one to each of my friends.

“A bracelet?” Acacia asked, raising her eyebrows.

I smiled. “I enchanted it. Look!” I pressed my staff to the bracelet. The staff started shrinking, shrinking, until it became a charm on the bracelet.

“Handy!” exclaimed Baylaa. “But how do you make it big again?”

“That’s easy,” I replied, tapping the charm of my staff. It became bigger, detached itself from the bracelet, and hovered in front of me in its original state. I grasped it. “I’ve put a spell on it, only if one of us three tap a charm, then it will become bigger. If someone else tries to, it won’t work.” I pressed my staff to the bracelet again. I then proceeded to do the same with all of my possessions.

“There’s no limit to how many charms there can be,” I explained, “but if there are too many charms, the bracelet will duplicate, and the duplicate will have the charm that you wanted to put on it.” I looked expectantly at Baylaa and Acacia.

Baylaa went over to her chest. She drew out a suit of shining armor. She pressed it upon the bracelet, and it shrunk. She did the same with her helmet, her clothes, and her weapons. Acacia followed her example. She put on her weapons, clothes, and the many deadly poisons that she had found on her travels.

I finished shrinking my items onto my bracelet and I turned to see what the others were doing. I saw Acacia draw out a beautiful gown. One glance at her face confirmed that it was no normal, everyday gown.

Made of beautiful lavender silk with long sleeves, it was stunning. The train was scattered with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. Lace peeped out of the neckline and sleeves. But why did Acacia look so pained?

I squeezed my eyes closed, and concentrated. My telepathic powers were working! My probe entered her mind, on a memory.

A young girl with mousy brown hair and brown eyes was running up to a woman. I was confused. Who was this girl? The woman looked tired, but her brown eyes brightened at the sight of the girl. She stood up, flinging her brown hair away from her eyes.

“Acacia! My daughter!” the woman, apparently Acacia’s mother, embraced Acacia.

“Mother!” Acacia smiled.

“I have something special to show you,” Acacia’s mother led her to the table where she had just been sitting. There sat a dress. It was made from lavender silk, with lace peeping out of the neckline and sleeves. But there were no gems on the train.

“Your father and I are saving up every dia we have!” she said, smiling. “I want to put some diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies on the train! We are going to give you this on your wedding day!”

Now, the currency of Arendia runs like this. There is a universal currency. We use the aren, silver coins. As for the dia, it is a tenth of the aren, and is made of bronze.

“It’s beautiful!” exclaimed the young Acacia, her eyes wide as she fingered the soft cloth. “But where’s father? He didn't make it?”

“Of course not! He’s a man, he doesn’t make clothes!” But there was something forced about the way she said it. Acacia’s eyes narrowed.

The memory changed. Acacia, many years older, was shouting at a man with greying hair.

“You never loved me! Never! Mother loved me, and she’s dead! You never loved me!”

“Daughter! I don’t know where you are getting such ideas, but I assure you, I love you!” the man, apparently Acacia’s father, roared back.

“You never loved me! Mother asked you to help with the dress! You never helped! She asked you!”

“How dare you! Guards!” Acacia’s father shouted. Two guards ran up, and each grabbed one of Acacia’s arms. “Throw her into the dungeon for a month, let us see if her temper does not cool.” He turned away from Acacia with an air of indifference.

“You put me into the dungeon, then!” screamed Acacia, her eyes burning with anger. “But I am no longer your daughter!”

I drew out my probe from her mind. Acacia was still looking at the dress, a mixture of sorrow and anger marring her pretty features.

“I’m bringing it,” she said quietly, and pressed it to her bracelet.

When we were done packing, we walked back to the throne room. Queen Daeunna was talking in low tones to Edana. She was gesturing to a pile of clothing.