Product Description

Set seventy years before The Various, the second book in the trilogy follows the adventures of young Celandine at the onset of the First World War. Having run away from her detested boarding school, Celandine is too afraid to go home in case she is sent back. As she seeks shelter in the Wild Wood near her home, little does she think she will encounter a world where loyalty and independence is fiercely guarded, and where danger lurks in the most unlikely of places. Celandine's troubled character finds both refuge and purpose among the secret tribes of little people that she alone believes in.

The novels of the Various trilogy are full of mystery, beauty and adventure; this second novel is both page-turning and life-affirming.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #579320 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-22
• Released on: 2006-08-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 496 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10–A prequel to The Various (Random, 2004). Celandine is the odd student at her new boarding school, the one who doesn't fit in. World War I has just begun and her brother has enlisted, leaving her feeling even more alone. She hatches a plan to escape the institution's cruelty and ridiculous rules and regulations, returning to familiar ground and the friends she left behind–the Various, who inhabit Howard's Hill near her home. But all is not well with the little people, and a tribal war breaks out. The intrigue begins early in the story, but some readers might find that the flashback takes up too much of the novel; it travels back three years in time and doesn't return to 1915 until 200 pages later. However, those who stick with it will be rewarded, as, in the end, they find out why Celandine acted as she did and learn more about the Various.–Dylan Thomarie, Johnstown High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. This prequel to The Various (2003), which focuses on Midge's great-aunt Celandine, amplifies the little peoples' saga. Celandine's beloved brother is lost in the Great War, and boarding school is a horror; the set pieces about the war and about the cruelty of girls and female teachers are powerful and terrible. But on her parents' farm, Celandine has found a way to the Various--winged warriors, travelers, foragers, and others, who do not mingle or trust one another and call humans ogres and Gorji. They possess two great treasures, the touchstone and the orbis. The safety of and the relationship between these artifacts form the unresolved core of the story line. Both worlds are finely imagined, down to the details of a tiny Various child or the burdensome maintenance of Celandine's thick golden curls. This is a fast and compelling read despite its length, although it ends with the fate of the Various unknown and Celandine about to make a cliff-hanger of a choice. Celandine is a teen protagonist who doesn't fear her own darkness but hasn't yet mastered her gifts. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Praise for the Various:
"A marvelous blend of old-fashioned storytelling, the book has a freshness and immediacy that will intrigue fantasy lovers of all ages."--VOYA
"A rousing addition to the durable genre of British fairy lit."--The New York Times Book Review
"Augarde unfolds the events gradually, allowing readers to luxuriate in the near-idyllic setting he has created and beckoning them back for future installments."--Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews

It just keeps getting better!!!
When I started "The Various" (on the recommendation of a friend), I was a bit skeptical. Let's face it, there comes an age in MOST people's lives when fairies just don't make for interesting reading material anymore. That is until Steve Augarde took up their cause. After the first 50 pages of "The Various" I was hooked. And by the end of the book, I was dying to know what happened next. Well, rest assured; Augarde has done it again! "Celandine" is even MORE captivating than "The Various" (which I didn't think possible).This owes very much to the strength of Celandine herself. While I admired Midge's tenacity, Celandine's had me laughing out loud. Part historical fiction, part fairy story and - yes - part "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (much of the book takes place in a girls' school), this book will keep your eyeballs busy! But be warned: the third book has not yet been written, so be certain that you can survive the wait. I read "Celandine" over a year ago, and I'm almost a nervous wreck in anticipation of the final installment! Bravo, Mr. Augarde.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
In book two of THE TOUCHSTONE TRILOGY, we are introduced to Celandine and her life in 1915.

Her governess is horrible and enjoys making her life miserable. When she's sent off to boarding school, she hopes things will be better. Instead, she discovers things can and do get worse. She's bullied and accused of being a witch, and to make matters worse, her country is at war with Germany.

When Celandine has the chance, she runs away from school and goes to the only place she thinks she'll be safe - the secret world of the little people.

Unfortunately, her existence among the Various doesn't stay safe. A new tribe, the Ickri, descend upon the forest. They bear the Touchstone and are seeking the Orbis. Unbeknownst to the tribe, their king has gained his power through deceit and murder. Now he's willing to do anything to obtain the Orbis, even if it means killing Celandine and the other tribes.

Like THE VARIOUS, CELANDINE is a thrilling book told from several different points of view as we are taken back in time before Midge's adventure to learn how the Various and Celandine became acquainted and come to a better understanding of the events mentioned in THE VARIOUS.

I enjoyed being introduced to CELANDINE, though I missed Midge and the characters in THE VARIOUS. I am looking forward to seeing how Midge and Celandine's stories wind up in WINTER WOOD, Augarde's final book in the trilogy.

Reviewed by: Joan Stradling