The Wrath of Mulgarath (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 5) by Holly Black Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Wrath of Mulgarath (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 5)
Book Review: To rhyme, shouldn't the title be, "The Wrath of Mulgrath"?
Summary: 4 Stars
When I read "The Ironwood Tree" (number five in the Spiderwick Chronicle series, as I'm sure you well know) I speculated as to how it was possible that this, the final chapter in the series, would sum everything up. There are after all a lot of issues waiting to be resolved. You have Jared's constant anger and school problems. There's the fact that the bad guy has somehow gotten a very important book from the good guys. Arthur Spiderwick is apparently alive and well in the land of faerie, so he needs rescuing. And what about all the magical creatures we've met up until this point? Don't they get a final bow or anything? Well, as it happens, this book does attempt to touch on each and every one of these points. The fact that it's a little skimpy in some areas, that's another matter altogether.
The book takes off running right from the start. When we last saw our heroes, the Grace children had just escaped a pack of angry dwarves, only to watch those same dwarves be eaten. Bloodily. They're a bit shaken (understandably), so when the kids arrive home they're not exactly pleased to see their house torn to shreds. Thimbletack, the house brownie, tells them that their mother has been kidnapped by the nasty uber-ogre Mulgarath and taken to his hideout. Meeting once more the sly hobgoblin Hogsqueal (who's nose resembles nothing so much as a somewhat lumpy Christmas tree), the ramshackle crew sets out to save their mother, defeat Mulgarath, and take possession of the "Spiderwick Chronicles" for the last time.
To me, the thing that set "The Spiderwick Chronicles" apart from other younger reader fantasy fiction was the amount of attention the series spent on Jared's post-divorce anger. This was a kid that wasn't dealing with his family's break-up easily. The series reinforced this notion with continual references to Jared's inability to control his own emotions. I was skeptical as to whether or not the final book would wrap up this delicate theme, and I was right to be so. In this book, Jared goes through the typical denial-of-the-father moment (quite literally in this case) and apparently that solves everything. I, for one, could have stood a little more complexity from a series that continually impressed me every step of the way. To find this book descend to the level of "merely passable" is a disappointment, to say the least.
Not that the rest of the book isn't any good. It is! Quite, good, in fact. The villain is a definite threat, the heroes use their wits and intelligence (as well as the obligatory "Chamber of Secrets" sword scene) to defeat him, and in the end death is seen as an inevitable and understandable part of life. All in all, heady themes for a book intended for such young readers.
Even the kitten survives. Yes, if you're looking forward to the final chapter in the series, "The Wrath of Mulgarath" isn't a bad way to go. I, personally, would've enjoyed a little more thought (and a little less blatant advertising on the endpages for future spin-offs). However, I concede that this is a worthy successor to the series. A fine book and a satisfying, in most ways, conclusion.
Book Review: One Of The Best Books I've Read
Summary: 5 Stars
awesome pulse action book full of adventure.if i say so tony is like a kids john grisham.if you like magic like harry potter then thes books are for you.but i advise to read them in orderBook Review: The Wrath Of Mulgarath (Book 5)
Summary: 5 Stars
Mallory, Jared, and Simon are all back in the fifth and final installment of "The Spiderwick Chronicles".
In this final part of the story (or is it?), the children start off RIGHT where they ended. They get home from the Quarry, to find their house a wreck. Someone else has been captured, and another rescue ensues. This time though, they have allies, and from the most unlikely places. It's war against Mulgarath- the leader of the goblins (and dragons!). A battle begins at his "palace", and the ending will make you smile.
There is more to this book, (some great discoveries!) that I won't mention because it would ruin it for you.
This book was fantastic! I would give it more than 5 stars, if that were possible!
I think it's a TERRIFIC ending to the series (let's hope it's NOT the end, though)! Everything led up perfectly to this final book. My only disappointment is that I am now done with reading them. Otherwise, I find NOTHING wrong with this book (or series).
And, the illustrations in the 5th book are GREAT. It's nice to have a visual while reading, to give you a sense of how it might have looked . Most books don't give you that.
Pick up these books today, and let your imagination take over!
Book Review: The Spiderwick Chronicles
Summary: 5 Stars
What a wonderful group a books and a great read for kids and parents. We bought all five books and my 8 year old daughter read them all in a week. She couldn't put them down! We would love to see Tony DiTerlizzi write more!!Book Review: What's a Mulgarath? It's time for find out.
Summary: 4 Stars
The conclusion to the 5 book Spiderwick Chronicles picks up quickly in The Wrath of Mulgarath. The author's writing style assumes you have read the other books because not a whole lot of extra explanation is given to plot events that happened in the past. The action is pretty fast without a lot of contemplation -- perfect for young readers.
I think this book shows a different side to Simon (the pet-loving twin) because you see he's finally taken too much abuse and pushed over his limits in one particular scene. I was hoping the mother would show a more dramatic role in this book. I can only give her a little credit to say that she believes her children's "wild stories" after her own scary encounters. I liked the stereotypical scene with Mulgarath as the children are about to meet their demise. ("So why are you so villianous? Tell us your life story...") I also think the ending tied up a little too neatly.
There is the hint that there could POSSIBLY be more from the author/artist combo in the future. We'll just have to see. However, I was pleased overall with the ending to this series. I waited for Book #5 for a while.