Audience
Teenagers!
Genre
YA, Fantasy, Humour, Adventure
Book Number
Book 2 of 3
Pages
311
Recommended For and Similar Reads
The Star of Whatever is a joyful and impeccable sequel to The Purple Haze that will leave you laughing out loud and cheering on your favourite characters. Similar reads are Alice in Wonderland, Doctor Dolittle, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and anything by Terry Pratchett - especially the Discworld series! Make sure you read the first book of this series. Check it out here!
Summary by Author
The slightly OCD princess was doing just fine, thanks.
Then she got thrown to her death.
That might have put a crimp in things.
Princess Eloise, Future Ruler and Heir to the Western Lands and All That Really Matters, swallowed back her "habits" and went after her missing twin sister.
She found her.
Awesome!
And then they both got chucked into the mysterious, magical, deadly Purple Haze.
Less awesome!
While her champion (a nervous, yammering chipmunk) and her guard (the human incarnation of rectitude) rot in prison and her two horses desperately try to find some way to help, Eloise and her sister go deeper into the Purple Haze to discover the source of the inner tug they both feel.
The Star of Whatever (book two of The Western Lands and All That Really Matters series) is a humorous, Discworld-ish novel set in a world of weak magic, talking animals, and wäÿ töö mänÿ ümläüts. If you like quirky, clever characters, lively dialog, and fun, ripping yarns, then you'll love this fabulous second novel from Andrew Einspruch.
Get The Star of Whatever today, and dive into the freshest fantasy series in years.
Our Statements
We can practically copy and paste our review from The Purple Haze because Einspruch continued the humour, writing level, and likeability for The Star of Whatever. There was an unbelievable amount of creativity and, at times, randomness in this sequel, which undoubtedly does not suffer from sequel syndrome, allowing it to be an easy and fun read. Because of the length (much shorter than The Purple Haze), it is easier to stay engaged and enthusiastic. We loved it!
Our Favourite Quote
“Sometimes that meant [the horses] heard things that were supposed to be private. That was why all Horse Guards and Guard Horses received spycraft training.”
Review, 4.5/5
Gemma’s Thoughts: I would give The Star of Whatever ⅘ stars because I really liked it! There were moments that were intriguing where you simply didn’t know what was going to happen. My favourite part of the book was when Hector rescued the two princesses from the purple haze, saving their lives. It was touching and climactic! My least favourite part was when Hector couldn’t wake up Princess Eloise and Princess Johanna because I was very worried that they were going to die. No more spoilers, but Einspruch reached out to the emotional side of readers for this part of the book. I think The Star of Whatever is an excellent sequel because it began very interestingly, and I could perfectly recall what happened in The Purple Haze. I often read sequels because when I finish and love a book, I like having the second book so the magic continues and I can keep reading about its story. I believe that everyone that likes reading humorous fantasy will love this The Star of Whatever and the rest of “The Western Lands and All That Really Matters” series!
Julia’s Thoughts: Overall, The Star of Whatever is even better than The Purple Haze! I appreciate that it's much shorter and more to the point although still humorous in the plot, characters, and writing style. The intensity has risen, the characters have developed, and the writing style continues to be fun and creative. It is clear Einspruch found his groove with these characters and the idea of the purple haze because everything is consistent and more artistic. Time and time again, I appreciate Einspruch's writing abilities; specifically the innocent humour of the whole series. A lot of YA authors stretch themselves to write innuendos, roasts, or other inappropriate jokes, but Einspruch continues to write what was natural. In all of his books are a lot of plays-on-words, bizarre stories, and ridiculous word choices. I think I’m able to say we all enjoyed the break from all of the awfully written sex jokes.
This review was written by Gemma and Julia!
Author Information
Andrew is the author of the humorous YA fantasy series The Western Lands and All That Really Matters, as well as more than 120 books for primary-aged readers, both fiction and non-fiction. First published in the 1990s, Andrew's work has covered everything from basketball to DNA, from biographies to histories to mysteries, from outback heroes to Christmas Island red crabs, and from how the rides work at amusement parks to how the Australian Government works (that, perhaps the greatest mystery of all).
Andrew is an ex-pat Texan living in Australia, and is the co-founder of the not-for-profit charity the Billie Dean Deep Peace Trust (http://deeppeacetrust.com), which fosters deep peace for all species.
If pressed, he'll deny he ever programmed in COBOL for a bank.
Please visit http://andreweinspruch.com and say “howdy.”
Giveaway for Reviewers!
Want to be a reviewer? Email us at internationalgirlsandbooks@gmail.com and let us know which book you would like to read and review first! As soon as you have reviewed one of Einspruch's books, you're eligible for the competition!
FREE BOOK ALERT
FREE BOOK ALERT
The Purple Haze, The Star of Whatever, The Light Bearer, and The Thorning Ceremony are available on Kindle Unlimited! Make sure to download and read them as soon as you can!
ANOTHER FREE BOOK ALERT
The Purple Haze has a prequel that is just as amazing! You can get “The Wombanditos” for FREE by clicking the link here: http://bookhip.com/FLNZSB
Interview with Andrew Einspruch
When did you realize you wanted to be an author?
I came to writing through journalism. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I had a chance to have a number of articles published in computer magazines. But my life changed when, around the same time, I had a few humour pieces published in a Sydney newspaper’s weekend magazine supplement. I was really proud of those, and that’s when I first got the *ping* for being an author with them.
A couple of years later, I had a chance to put in a proposal for children’s books with an education publisher who was looking for high-interest chapter books for primary-aged reluctant readers. In our phone call, I asked her, “Is there something you haven’t been pitched yet that you’d like?” She answered, “No one has pitched me a basketball story.” So I came up with one about the worst basketball team in the school league, and what happens when the new kid shows up and he’s really tall and really good. That became DUNKIN DAZZA’S SOARING SLAMMER, which was published in 1996. Holding a physical copy of one’s first book is a great moment, and it makes you want to do it again.
What is your favourite part of the writing process?
My favourite part of the writing process is when I write something and think, “Where the heck did *that* come from?” Maybe it’s when a character does something I didn’t anticipate, which takes the story in a different and better direction. Maybe it’s a phrase that comes out unexpectedly interesting. Maybe it’s when I think, “If I do that over there, then this over here will make more sense,” and there’s the clink of pieces falling together. Maybe it’s when I think, “That could be funny.”
Those are all good moments.
Do you write for yourself or for your readers?
I hope I’m doing both.
There’s a movement among authors to “write to market,” that is, figure out what the market wants and deliver it. (“Hey, people are reading military sci-fi books featuring ballet-dancing dragons in space books. I’ll write one of those.”) There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, that’s a really good way to make money, especially if you can write and publish quickly. I tip my hat to those authors.
I may do that one of these days, but so far, I haven’t. I’ve written books that are fun for me to write and which I hope people find fun to read.
(Although, military ballet-dancing dragons in space? Hmmmm.…)
If a child or teen could only read one of your books, which one would you recommend and why?
I always encourage people to start with THE PURPLE HAZE, since that’s where we get to know the characters and the story gets launched. But there’s a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of it, and they tend to want to go on to THE STAR OF WHATEVER to find out what happens.
The Purple Haze and its series contains a variety of themes, creatures, and settings. What inspired you to write it?
In the 1990s and 2000s, I taught creative writing classes, and one of the exercises I did all the time was to say, “Write for two minutes as fast as you can starting with the following phrase.” And then I had a series of prompts that I’d give them. One of them was, “Please, please marry my son.”
Because it was more interesting to me to do the exercises rather than just watch everyone else, I always had my notebook with me and would scrawl along with the class in my terrible handwriting. In one of these classes, I wrote, “Please, please marry my son said the chipmunk to the maiden,” and was followed by her pleas that revealed her son to be totally unsuitable. It got a laugh when I read it out, and I thought, “Maybe there’s something here.” Over the years, I’d get the idea out, dust it off, and write a bit on it. Then in 2016, I thought, “I really have to write this thing.” So I did. And that phrase became the opening of THE PURPLE HAZE (as well as — spoiler alert — the ending of one of the others).
If you could ask a famous author three questions about their books/inspiration/etc, who would it be and what are the questions?
My favourite author is William Gibson, the science fiction author who invented the term “cyberspace” in his book NEUROMANCER. I eagerly await everything he puts out (his most recent, AGENCY, came out this year. It’s a sort of sequel to his previous book from about five years ago, THE PERIPHERAL.
What would I ask him?
/ Is there any way we can get you to write faster so we can get more books from you?
/ What’s your writing process? (Like, are you a pantser or plotter?)
/ How has your writing process evolved over the years?
/ Is there any way we can get you to write faster so we can get more books from you?
/ What’s your writing process? (Like, are you a pantser or plotter?)
/ How has your writing process evolved over the years?
Is there a story you’ve always wanted to write but never have?
There will *always* be stories to write that haven’t I haven’t written yet.
Elizabeth Gilbert (who wrote EAT PRAY LOVE) has a book called BIG MAGIC, where she talks about the creative life and harnessing the magic of it. In there, she talks about how stories seek to manifest themselves in the world, and how they fly around the ether seeking a suitable channel, someone who will help bring them into being. Sometimes, she says, the story is just not yours to write. It isn’t the right time in your life, or you choose not to be the person to help it out. (Bless you, story, but you need to find another author.) She tells about an idea she had jumped from her to another great author, Ann Patchett. You really should read BIG MAGIC, if just for that story alone.
I think Gilbert is right. It takes so much to bring books into the world, and there are only so many you can do. The right stories will pick you as much as you pick them, and together, you work to shape them into something others might enjoy.
What was your favourite book when you were a kid?
My favourite picture book was Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. “Let the wild rumpus start!”
My favourite chapter book was Madeleine L’Engle's A WRINKLE IN TIME. I re-read it a few years ago (actually, I listened to it as an audio book — that’s how I do most of my reading these days) around the time the movie came out. The book holds up pretty well, and I remember thinking, “Look at that. You liked weird science fiction from pretty early on.”
What does success mean to you? When do you become an 'author' rather than a 'writer'?
Success is getting to “The End.”
Success is pressing the Publish button.
Success is having someone part with their hard-earned money to buy one of my books.
Success is having someone say they enjoyed what I’ve written.
Success is having someone who has read one of my books decide to read another one.
Success is having the opportunity to share a few thoughts with International Girls and Books. Thanks for your interest in what I do.
So You Think You’re a Fan?
Have you already read and loved The Star of Whatever? Prove you're a fan by taking this quiz! Do you think you can get 100% of the questions about characters, events, and settings correct?
If you prove you’re a fan, you'll be named on our leaderboard!
Other Books by Andrew Einspruch
Andrew Einspruch has a message to share with younger kids, meaning he has written an unbelievable amount of books about science, humanity, and the future! To find the full list of books he’s written, visit here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1058064.Andrew_Einspruch
Links
Website: https://andreweinspruch.com/Twitter: http://twitter.com/einspruch
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41721560-the-star-of-whatever?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=e2xrjyMaWy&rank=2
Amazon: Amazon US Purchase Link
Full Book Review: https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-star-of-whatever-andrew-einspruch.html
Publication Date: 25 November, 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment