Swordbird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swordbird is an amazing novel by Nancy Yi Fan that holds an important message of peace. The author, age thirteen, was born and raised in China until the age of seven and did not begin to learn english until this time. At this moment the author is working on writing a prequel to Swordbird, tentatively called Quest. There is no current motion picture of this work.
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[edit] Plot Summary
The cardinals and blue jays of Stone-run forest were once friends. Now they have become enemies. The evil hawk Turnatt has stolen their eggs, food, and supplies, but logic has both groups convinced that they have taken from each other. Turnatt rules over a large group of crow and ravens. This group is driving the many slavebirds they have captured to finish building Fortress Glooming, a fort that Turnatt needs in order to take over more of the land. With the help of a theatre bird group, the blue jays and cardinals must work together to defeat Turnatt and his allies. But the only way to do this is to summon up Swordbird, a legend in their heritage. Swordbird is a huge white bird with powers that no other bird carries. But nobody knows if Swordbird is real or just a myth. Can they summon him in time to save the forests, defeat Turnatt, and free the slavebirds? Only time will tell.
[edit] Reviews
“This avian fantasy is an engaging and propulsive read … an extraordinary accomplishment for a young author.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"It’s an extraordinary work, and would be an accomplishment for an adult author. That the writer was so young really makes this work remarkable. The bird characters, the juxtaposition of the Book of Heresy and Old Scripture sayings, and the almost allegorical tone give it a solid fantasy feel."
— Kevin Washburn, Ed.D. Make Way for Books
"This allegorical tale of warring birds and their struggle for freedom has attracted an unusual measure of attention because of the author's young age. But there is nothing childish about Fan's innate gift for pacing, characterization, or storytelling. We predict many more successes for this talented prodigy."
— Staff of Barnes & Noble. com
"The story is tidy, pleasant and compelling.... The book is brilliant in all of its detail and craft."
— Linda L. Lamme, Professor of Children's Literature, Ph. D., University of Florida
[edit] About the Author
Nancy Yi Fan spent the first part of her childhood in China, where she was born in 1993. When she was seven years old, Nancy moved with her parents to the United States and attended American schools. Birds, a life long passion of the author's, provided the inspiration for Swordbird. After awaking from a vivid dream about birds at war, Nancy wrote Swordbird as a way to convey her message of peace to the world.
[edit] References
Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan
Official Swordbird author's website- http://www.swordbird.googlepages.com
Barnes & Nobles official website- http://www.barnesandnoble.com
