On Fortune's Wheel

by Cynthia Voigt

Book Overview

Thrilling high adventure and heart-stopping romance combine in the second book in the Tales of the Kingdom series from Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt, set two generations after The Tale of Gwyn .... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689316364
• ISBN13: 9780689316364
• Release Date: April 1990
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 402 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

A Grand Adventure

Birle is tired of living the laborous and boring life of an innkeeper's daughter. One night she attemps to stop a man from stealing one of the village's fishingboat. From there she is dragged down river where she loses her heart to the young lord. They are marooned in a rocky cove after a violent storm and are rescued by pirates who sell them into slavery. Seperated they live as slaves. They escape and return home where Orien (the lord) takes his place as earl. Birle tires and leaves. loyalty and true love wins in the end. A nice set of characters. A great string of events ties the story together nicely and provides a entertaining plot. A great story for those who like reading fantasy.

This is an awesome book!

When my friend first showed me this book, I read the first pageand wouldn't let her have it back untiI had finished it. That's howawesome this book is. It is about a young girl named Birle who dislikes her life at her home and one night discovers a thief stealing a boat from the inn. She follows him and they embark on a series of adventures that will keep you turning the pages, one after another! If you like romance, adventure, or just a plain good story, this book is for you.

Couldn't put it down!

This book was one of the best books I have ever read. It was full of romance, adventure, and more than one near death experience. My heart wrenched when Birle's did and I felt Orien's pain and loneliness. Although this is only the second book that I have read by Cynthia Voigt, I have already added her to my list of favorite authors. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy with a strong, ambitious, unpredictable lead character.

It is exciting and so very cute!

Here is the story:girl catches theif, girl meets boy, girl in love at first sight, questions, doubts, slavery, hunger, escape, boy realizes he loves girl, become lord and lady, girl gets pregnant, girl leaves because she doubts boy's love, boy gets heartsick and...you can find out the end for yourself. Along with Orien's bellflower eyes the best part of the book is all of the meaning you get from the book and how much you think about it when you aren't even reading it. My favorite part is the end when Orien wants to meet Liss and he says, "Lady, my heart, when you smile like that, let the child sleep..." Orien and Birle are complex "human" characters that feel and love deeply. They make you cry, laugh, dream and wish that someday you see a pair of eyes like Oriens or a minx's smile like Birles. It is a deep and beautiful story and I recommend it to anyone.

Voight does it again!

Beautifully written. This book can be devoured or chewed thoughtfully. I suggest first one then the other. The characters are captivating, and utterly real. Voight does some of the best characterization you'll find anywhere, not just the main characters but also the supporting characters. Even people who appear on one page of the book she draws so well you can see them clearly. This book contrasts beauty with sorrow, and explores subtlely the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people and vice versa. The analogy of Fortune's Wheel is especially appealing. The ending, however, left me drained and a little unsatisfied. I'm not sure how I would change it, but the first half of the book is by far my favorite part. Overall, one of the best books I've ever read.