Product Description
From one of the world's best-loved storytellers comes a magical novel of adventure and discovery Alexander Cold knows all too well his grandmother Kate is never far from an adventure. When International Geographic commissions her to write an article about the first elephant-led safaris in Africa, they head-with Nadia Santos and the magazine's photography crew-to the blazing, red plains of Kenya. Days into the tour, a Catholic missionary approaches the camp in search of his companions who have mysteriously disappeared. Kate, Alexander, Nadia, and their team, agreeing to aid the rescue, enlists the help of a local pilot to lead them to the swampy forests of Ngoube. There they discover a clan of Pygmies who unveil a harsh and surprising world of corruption, slavery, and poaching. Alexander and Nadia, entrusting the magical strengths of Jaguar and Eagle, their totemic animal spirits, launch a spectacular and precarious struggle to restore freedom and return leadership to its rightful hands. The final installment of Isabel Allende's celebrated trilogy of the journeys of Jaguar and Eagle soars with radiant settings, spirits, beings-and the transformation of an extraordinary friendship.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.5 based on 7 reviews)

Great Book!

I really enjoyed this book. It is written for adolescents but I am 24 and reading it for grad school for a literature for adolescents class. There are two that come before that I am going to read also.
February 20, 2007

Absolutely great characters who achieve hero status

Isabel Allende CAN WRITE. This series of three tales in the lives of two young heroes who travel to three exotic lands. Should keep most teenagers reading for the pure enjoyment of watching the young American boy and the young South American girl come of age through challenges that test their hearts and minds. Always there
is one foot in the physical world, and the other in the metaphysical world. Allende presents these two states
of being as one in the same in the world of these three stories. Not hokey, not Magic-on-demand, but a widening of awareness for the reader.
January 11, 2007

Oh decepcion!!

Hace poco terminé de leer este libro el cual a diferencia de La ciudad de las bestias y El reino del dragón de oro me tardé en leer más de dos semanas, y no porque lea muy poco o muy lento, sino porque jamás logró pescar mi interés y atención como lo hicieron los otros dos libros, de verdad que quedé terriblemente decepcionado en la forma que la señora Isabel escribió y dio fin a la que yo pensé sería una muy buena trilogía, había momentos en que me parecía estar leyendo el libro de un neófito escritor, de plano me dio tanta pereza leerlo que ni ganas me dieror de volver a leer El zorro y otros dos o tres libros que todavía no he leído de ella.

Espero que su creatividad y lo que me hizo interesarme por sus libros no haya muerto todavía y que pronto nos sorprenda con un nuevo libro como La hija de la fortuna, Retrato en sepia o el mismo La casa de los espíritus que tanto amé.

En serio que si la trilogía estaba dirigida hacia un público lector adolescente o infantil yo no se lo daría a leer a ninguno de mis sobrinos.
February 25, 2006

Blend of magic and fantasy with realism

The finale of the acclaimed trilogy, that began with Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, has had a lot to live up to. Alex, now 18, along with his grandmother and friend, Nadia, travel to Kenya on an elephant safari. Like the previous two books, things do not exactly happen simply, and the trio encounter a whole host of problems such as after a plane crash, they end up trying to help save primitive Pygmies from slavery. A mixture of magic, adventure, and a sensous surrounding gives this book an edge that many children's books do not have.

Having read a few of Isabel Allende's books I was certainly looking forward to this one, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first two. However, by the time I got around to reading this one, I realized something was missing; it may have been that I was older and a more experienced reader, for it has been a while since I have read the first two. The character's still amused me, and the magic they possesed created something far more interesting than the trilogy would have been had they not had it. However, I found myself bored with a long drawn out plotline that, although had twists, followed the same basic outline as the first two. Despite my problems with it, and my need for a change, I feel that many people will enjoy it, and I am certainly going to reread the first two books. The blend of magic and fantasy with realism, and an amazing setting, certainly gives this book a head start to many children's books.

Reviewed by a student reviewer for Flamingnet Book Reviews
www.flamingnet.com
Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations
January 13, 2006

a really great book, though maybe not as good as the ones before it

I really liked this book, although it was a bit slow at the start, and i didn't think it was quite as good as the two books before it.
I love the Alex and Nadia trilogy, there's a twist at the end of each excellent book and i always finish each book wanting to hear more from Alex and Nadia. Isabel Allende is, i think, a fantastic children's author.
I think in this book Alex and Nadia didn't really seem to use their totemic powers, and i wish they had, because for me, that was what separated this trilogy from the other children's books.
I guess i was a little bit disapointed, as i was expecting more from isabelle allende, but this book is still one of the best i have ever read.

July 18, 2005

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