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    Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog
    Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog
    Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog
    Audiobook11 hours

    Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog

    Written by Ysabeau S. Wilce

    Narrated by Danielle Ferland

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In Ysabeau S. Wilce's exciting debut novel, Flora's mom is away, leaving Flora and her father home alone at Crackpot Hall with its 11,000 constantly shifting rooms. Late for school one day, Flora decides to take the elevator down to the first floor. But without her mother around, the elevator has ideas of its own and drops Flora in an unfamiliar room. Lost in her own house, Flora embarks on a harrowing quest to find her way back to where she started.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 15, 2008
    ISBN9781449803926

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    Reviews for Flora Segunda

    4/5

    270 ratings34 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Great audio book! Very well read, especially given the fanciful and delightful language play that creates Flora's vibrant and exotic world. I do not know if I would love this book in print, because affected spelling bothers me, but it's a marvelous original adventure nonetheless. Playful, fascinating, full of mysteries to the very end.
    • 5/5
      Haven't even finished this yet, but I'd put it up there with Pullman's His Dark Materials and the Harry Potter series. A smart heroine, FANTASTIC world-building (think pre-industrial California having dealings with Aztecs), and a lot of fun.
    • 5/5
      I can think of no higher praise off-the-top-of-my-head than to say "if Diana Wynne Jones had written this, it could have been no better." And Ysabeau S. Wilce deserves this praise. It's very Wynne Jones-ish, but without seeming like a pale, slavish imitation--this book is thrillingly alive, as is it's charismatic, willful heroine.

      I like everything about it--the distinctive setting, the authorial tone, the fleshing-out of all the minor characters (Udo is especially delightful), the plot's unfolding, the twists and turns (and no over-reliance on them)--it's all great.

      And I discovered it thanks to Goodreads (a groups suggestion that I might like it), so thanks, Goodreads, for all that you do!

      (Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
    • 3/5
      Oh my! This is a triology? So much for that.... This has been on my (physical) TBR bookshelf forever and I finally got around to reading it.Flora Segunda (the second Flora, first one died)... is the 3rd daughter in a military family, all who take their place in the Barracks to become warriors, but unlike others in her family, Flora carries Magic.Flora's mother is The General & very strict, no-nonsense & willful with very little if any time for her family, but is planning Flora's Catorcena (like a Quinceañera) and demands that Flora not only go to school, maker her dress, but take care of the house, dogs, stables, & Poppy as well.Flora's father, Poppy, whom Flora has inherited her magic from, has lost his will and has fits of madness, drunkenness, rage, a rare bit of sanity.All great houses have Butler's, but Valefor has been banished by The General and imprisoned in the Biblioteque (Library). When Flora accidentally comes across him, she pities him & allows him to draw her breathe from her in exchange for his performing his former housekeeping duties, which becomes her undoing.... As Flora assists Valefor, they both begin to fade into the Abyss and this is when Flora if forced to seek help from those adults whom society fear & her mother loathes.While making a mess of life, Flora's friend Udo is there watching her back every-step-of-the-way.The book had a very interesting premise & plot.... But as Flora is a child she tends to be whiny & creating problems she has no idea how to solve.I really did not warm to any of the characters, except Udo and the Boy Pirate, who was a minor character and for some reason a major threat to The General.I found a good part of the book at the beginning to be dully repetitive, while other parts of the book were difficult to understand.Needless to say, I will not be reading the other two in the triology.
    • 5/5
      Maybe only 4.5 stars, as I don't think I'd recommend it to you unless you had your own reasons to consider reading it. I think two things made it stand out for me - for one, Flora felt very real to me... Wilce's skill was for me to forget she's a fictional character and just enter her life. For two, I loved the scattered touches that defied cliches... she wears stays and kilts, and reads yellowbacks, and the dive down by the docks is an Ice Cream Bar, and yet there's a lot that Hispanic people can identify with so it's certainly not just British... it's a world a bit like many fantasy worlds but a little aslant any of them... original.
    • 5/5
      Originally posted at Paperback Wonderland.

      I've re-read this book (and the others in this series) so many times my paperbacks are starting to look pitiful.

      Honestly, I don't understand how this book isn't topping all bestseller's lists, is it lack of promotion? I really don't know and it bothers me because the universe Ysabeau S. Wilce created is so amazing, so flawless, so addictive... Her characters are just perfect, her plots -- look I'm a picky bitch and I cannot find a fault!

      For the love of whatever you hold sacred, go read these books! It breaks my heart to see mediocrity topping charts while jewels like these are ignored.
    • 5/5
      4th Time Reading:This book doesn't really have the can't-put-down attribute that some of my other favorites do, so it took me a bit longer to get through it this time. But nevertheless, it -is- still one of my favorites. The world of Ysabeau S. Wilce is enthralling, but so casual. The story doesn't get bogged down with descriptions of the city or explanations of the Current or the levels of the military. It just continues on, describing the relevant things and letting you slowly form the complete image. Honestly, one of the main reasons I want to read more of the series is to find out more about Califa.Flora also is great because she's not the typical heroine, and she's not one of the stereotypical un-heroine heroines either. She's a pudgy, lazy, pacifistic 12-year-old. But she's still pretty cool. And of course, there's Udo. And Valefor has a certain likeability as well.And don't get me started on Hotspur. He is definitely my favorite character. I'm a sucker for tortorued souls living in dark depression. And can I just say that if there was ever a Flora Segunda movie, Gary Oldman would be the perfect Hotspur.And the plot itself is great. Flora somehow gets into so much trouble and the fact that it's all connected makes it that much more amazing. And then you add the Dainty Pirate and Paimon and Lord Axacaya into the mix, and it's brilliant.
    • 4/5
      Flora Nemain Fydraaca ov Fydraaca was the second Flora - Flora Segunda - born to her illustrious family, one of the most powerful in the city of Califa. The legacy of that other, earlier Flora - the one whose loss in the War had driven her father, Poppy, mad - hung over the great Fydraaca household, Crackpot Hall, with its eleven thousand rooms, all falling into disrepair in the absence of its magical Butler. As Flora (Segunda) reluctantly prepares for her upcoming Catorcena, or fourteenth birthday celebration, after which she will be considered an adult, and sent off to the Barracks, where all the Fydraacas - being a military family - are trained, she finds herself being drawn into the mystery of Valefor, the magical denizen of Crackpot and her family's banished Butler, as well as an adventure involving the Dainty Pirate - aka Boy Hansgen, the sidekick of Flora's own personal hero, Nini Mo, erstwhile leader of Califa's Rangers. Can Flora, together with her best friend Udo, triumph in her efforts to free both Valefor and Boy Hansgen, or will this new connection to Valefor drag her into Nothingness, and the Abyss...?Despite its undeniable virtues - its highly original (and convincing) world-building, its fascinating use of language - I was convinced for approximately 90% of my read that Flora Segunda was going to be no more than a solid, enjoyable three-star title for me. I did appreciate the aforementioned world-building, of course - the alternate Californian/Mexican setting, with Califa being dominated by the Aztec-like Huitzils - as well as the mixture of Spanish, Italian(?) and Icelandic language, in the vocabulary of Califa. As someone who's studied Icelandic, I was thrilled to see that the eð - the Icelandic letter ð, pronounced with a voiced "th" sound, as in the beginning of the English word them, and distinguished from the unvoiced "th" sound, as in the English word thorn, which is represented by the letter þ - kept appearing, in names like Landaðon and Haðraaða!I also appreciated the fact that this was a world of true gender equality, in which women held the same rank as men (Flora's mother is the Warlord's general), and was delighted to learn, through our discussion of the book, over in the Children's Fiction Club which I run on another site, that the idea of "Califa" is actually taken from the work of fifteenth-century Spanish author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, who wrote a series of adventure stories about the explorer Esplandián, and his encounters with Queen Califia, of the island of California (thanks, Bun!). I think I may have to track down some of these stories...But despite these undeniable virtues, and my interest in the city of Califa, its customs and history, I couldn't say that I was emotionally involved with the characters, to any great extent, until the final section of the book. It was only when Flora met the earlier incarnation of Poppy, while fleeing through Bilskinir House, that I suddenly found myself gripped with any sense of urgency, or concern for the fate of the heroine. Then, on the very last page of the book, when Flore reflects upon the fact that, despite the challenges still ahead, and the failures behind, she had escaped from the worst fate of all - that of Nothingness - it all snapped into place for me, and my appreciation for the book rose dramatically. It suddenly seemed to me that this was the story of a common teenage experience - feeling as if one were a "nothing," being afraid that one would never be anything but a "nothing" - clothed in an appealingly fantastic shell. I've no idea if that was the author's intention, but it lent the entire story an emotional significance, for me, that it hadn't previously had, and convinced me that I needed to read the next installment, Flora's Dare!I don't know that others will interpret the story as I did, but I think that all fantasy lovers - particularly those who relish intricate and entirely unfamiliar worlds - will enjoy it.
    • 3/5
      An entertaining romp - a bit long (too much running around aimlessly) but very good. Tiptree shortlist 2007
    • 4/5
      Flora Fyrdraaca is about to turn 14, and celebrate her Catorcena, or coming of age ceremony marking her as an adult, and she's stuck on her speech. It's supposed to celebrate the glory of her House and her family, but the problem is neither is that glorious. Sure, her mother is the head General for the Warlord, but her former POW is broken and no longer in his right mind, prone to fits of violence, her old sister is posted far away, and she's Flora Segunda, the daughter born to replace first Flora, who had been captured with her father, and killed. And she feels more like a slave than a daughter half the time, since she's stuck doing all the chores and housework that should be done by the house's Butler, a magical manifestation of each House, and each family's will. The Fyrdraaca's Butler was banished by Flora's mother before she was born...or was he? When Flora comes across the family's Butler, in an unused part of the house, he tells her she can restore him. Can she change her family's destiny?

      It's been a long time since I read a book set not just in our world with magic, but in a completely different world with an original culture with original traditions,clothing, grammar patterns and slang, etc and I have to admit, it took me a while to get into it.

      Once I did though, I really enjoyed the book. The original world felt complete and familiar enough that it wasn't too jarring. By the end, I ended up falling in love with the characters, and enjoyed the book so much that I didn't realize until the end that it was a classic coming of age story.

      The book wrapped up in a way that was both completely satisfying, and left me excited for more. I can't wait to read the sequel.
    • 2/5
      What an impressively mediocre book.

      The description is a little misleading--it sounds as if Flora is somehow trapped in her mysterious house and needs to find her way out, which really isn't the case at all. It's hard to pin down what the main plot thread is, because it's almost like there are two or three episodes here that are tied together with "before we do X, what about Y?" and "I know I should be doing X, but Y is my priority right now." The bits where Flora performs magic seem like afterthoughts, bits thrown in to give the book some "magickal mishaps."

      And speaking of that really long subtitle: glass-gazing sidekick? because he's vain, which comes up only rarely and isn't a plot point? Sure, okay. Two Ominous Butlers (one blue)? Someone's got to help me out, because I don't have a clue who Butler No. 2 (Blue) is.

      Now I've read a fair number of books with misleading titles and episodic plots, and I'm fine with it. This one... the writing was fine, the plot oscillated nicely between build-up and climax, the characters were, for the most part, sympathetic and fully drawn. And yet this just didn't grab me. Maybe it's because the world-building was a little (okay, a lot) weak, so I never connected with it.

      I'm leading the middle school book discussion on this tomorrow; I'll see how its intended audience feels about it.
    • 5/5
      Sometimes a book is just a perfect fit for a particular mood, personality, or time. All of which is to say that others may not love this book quite as much as I did, because some of this is serendipity of fit. Its August, the hot weather has finally arrived, I've been working on some really boring reports where I have to be focused and practical and pay attention to mind numbing levels of detail. I sort of hate mind numbing levels of detail, it makes me aggressively flippant. So Flora Segunda and a cold drink were precisely what I needed at this juncture.

      Its funny, its intricate, its just a little bit silly. It takes me to a completely different place but it doesn't insult my intelligence in so doing. Plus there are magical butlers!!

      None the less, even if you aren't in my particular place I think its still a book well worth reading. As others have said its a nice change that the fantasy elements in this story are drawn from Californian, spanish and precolumbian elements. Flora is a delightful heroine, funny and flawed and brave. I really enjoyed and look forward to reading more about the way magic works in this world.
    • 5/5
      A great read while recuperating (and I'm sure a great read for anyone who is not recuperating). I loved the inclusion of different languages into the writing of the book, the fresh bits of fantasy that are involved (as well as the careful reuse of some oldie-but-goodie bits), and the wit and wonder that is Flora. Her tone reminded me of the sarcasm in Bartimaeus trilogy and the feistiness of some of Tamora Pierce's heroines. All in all, a great new author and character to get into.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book, but it turned out to be an awesome read. The world is new and original, and I love how it has those quirky Hispanic fantasy elements to it. I love the character of Flora because she is very diverse. She is very tough and stubborn, but at the same time she is vulnerable and makes mistakes. Just such a great change to the sometimes cookie cutter plots of most other YA books.
    • 4/5
      Wow. This first book about Flora Fyrdraaca Segunda is amazing. I just hate-read a whole bunch of pretty awful, terrible books with very poor world-building, so it was completely refreshing to start Flora Segunda and be delighted by the fun, quirky elements of the setting. And then the book proved to be truly good and enjoyable, even without the reading it as a bad-book-chaser!What I love most about Flora Segunda is the world-building. It's really fabulous with a lot of little details that many authors don't bother with, but which really made the book a joy to read — even when I got to the scary parts in the middle. I loved that not only do we get a well-fleshed world for the characters (though we don't see much of it in this book), but it extends to the type of language the characters use, how they dress, the things they value, and so on. It's all just very wonderful, and I don't think I've ever seen a setting quite like this one. It's very interesting in that it reminds me of Baja California, perhaps, because of Spanish-language influence, and the enemies of Flora and her family being inspired by the Aztecs (apparently?), but there are also a lot of elements that made me think of inspiration from the British Isles or Latin and Rome.The Aztec-inspired enemes are the Huitzels, and they were at war with Flora's home country, until a generation or two ago, when they captured Califa, the city where she lives. These Huitzels are terrifying, because of their use of birds as totems and even their resemblance to the creatures (thus the derogatory nickname "Birdies"). And throughout the book, I did find them to be quite scary! I was never entirely sure what to expect from them when they appeared, and I found myself investing a lot in Flora, because she's such a strong character.But though Flora is a strong character, she's not necessarily a strong person. I should say that she's very realistic for a thirteen year old - a little bit rebellious against her family, a little bit grumpy and lazy when it comes to doing homework or tidying the house, and with huge dreams. Unfortunately for her, the Fyrdraaca family traditionally enters the military at age 14, so older sister Idden is away with her unit, and Mamma is the general in charge of the army, so is away from home often. Flora is left to take care of the huge-enormous house all by herself - including watching after her father, who has taken a bit of a bad turn after being captured by the Huitzels when Flora was very young. (Besides which, Flora is Segunda because there was another Flora who died in childhood, and our Flora Segunda is acutely aware of being "the second".)The story is about the days leading up to the Catorcena celebration - a huge party for Flora's fourteenth birthday, which is especially big and important because the Fyrdraaca family is so old and her Mamma is the general (maybe the second most important person in all of Califa!). Left to her own devices, Flora hasn't got on very well at sewing her dress, sending the invitations, or writing her speech. If only the Fyrdraaca house, called Crackpot, still had its magical denizen to help with the upkeep, so that Flora wouldn't have to spend so much time cleaning up after Poppy or maybe the denizen could even help with the preparations...Naturally, one thing happens and then another and Flora is caught in a magical problem (and her stern, commanding mother has specifically banned all magic when it comes to the family!), the house denizen Valefor is in trouble, and Poppy does keep making a mess of the kitchen! Plus, Flora and her best friend Udo's hero the Dainty Pirate has been captured and sentenced to death, and they have to save him.As I mentioned earlier, some sections of the book were really scary! It was hard to watch as Flora took certain actions or failed to take actions for various reasons, but which I knew were going to be more trouble - and then just as it seemed that wouldn't be the case, and everything would be all right, I was proven correct in my suspicions, and it was all worse. This was very exciting to read, nail-biting even, but fun.A lot of the suspense in the book is broken up by absolutely lush and gorgeous descriptions, fun slang that develops the setting further, and also Udo. I loved Udo. He wants to be just like the Dainty Pirate, and so he is obsessed with flamboyant fashion and manners - he loves nothing more than a big hat with an even bigger feather, if I understand correctly, and best of all when it's a garish color. He often bickers with Flora or gives her a bit of help, as a good best friend / sidekick does. I was also impressed that his mother married an entire set of identical triplets. I'm not at all sure how they managed it, but it was another of the great quirky little characteristics and stage-setting elements that make Flora Segunda so wonderful.This book is a must read, and I'm so very grateful that the author of another of my favorite books of this type ("Kat, Incorrible") mentioned that Flora Segunda was a Kindle Daily Deal so that I finally, finally acquired it after years of it being on my TBR list!
    • 4/5
      I accidentally read the second book in this series first, which meant that Flora Segunda wasn't as good as if I'd read it first. That being said, I totally enjoyed it. I love the character of Flora and I liked learning about the all the characters I met in Flora's Dare. Flora is a great main character, she's strong and smart and the story itself is hilarious. I like her friends and I like that she has battles of wits, magic and violence (but only slightly) and she would rather talk herself out of trouble. I like the way Wilce has created Flora's world and I like, in the second book, how this is expanded. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series.
    • 5/5
      Fantasy, allegedly YA; funny, clever, literate, and very, very different from the run-of-the-mill of children's literature. It's set in an alternate California, living in an uneasy truce with a latter-day Aztec empire. Lifestyles are … unusual – I can envision it being banned from any number of school libraries on the grounds of the character who was courted by identical triplets and, being unable to choose among them, married all three … (Grammatical nitpick: repeated use of 'lay' for 'laid'.)
    • 4/5
      Cute and whimsical- I picked this up after reading a review saying that THIS is what girls should be reading after Harry Potter, instead of the Twilight series, so I picked it up, and was glad I did.
    • 4/5
      Your childhood hero is ripped to pieces before your very eyes. Not only is he ripped to pieces, but his heart is ripped out of his chest and there is not a thing you can do about it. If your hero can not stop these dreaded bird creatures, how can you possibly have any hope of defeating them? The next step should be running like mad to escape their talons, correct? For Flora Segunda, her next step always seems to lead her into the very places she wishes to flee. We meet Flora as a child who is kept at home to help look after her father who has completely lost his mind. Thirteen year old Flora must do this because her mother, also known as Buck, is often away as the Commanding General of the Army of Califa. Flora's family is the Fyrdraaca family, one of the major houses in the city, but you would never guess it if you entered the home. Not only is little Flora left behind to tend to her crazed father, but she is also responsible for cleaning the home and the animals that inhabit it as well. By the way, did I mention yet that this house has eleven thousand rooms? If not, maybe this would be a good time to mention it. One day as Flora rushes through her morning to retrieve a library book she has to return to school, Flora decides to use the elevator her mother has forbidden ANYONE to use unless Buck accompanies them. This elevator does not always go where it is supposed to, but on this day Flora was in a hurry and had no time for the many steps that led back to her bedroom. She steps on the elevator and eventually comes face to face with Valefor. Valefor is the Fyrdraaca's magical butler. He is the one who should be in charge of taking care of this giant house and making sure meals are prepared and taking care of the grounds of this once fabulous house. But Buck has banished Valefor because she believes that using magic is the easy way out. Flora decides to help her poor forgotten butler to regain some of his strength and with this possibly gain back some of her freedom from the chores and some glamor back to her home. Her initial adventure gets tangled up in quite a few more adventures. I can't tell you too much more, because that would be cheating for you. I can tell you that while she seeks to help out her butler, she and her best friend Udo tramp across Califa on horseback in disguise to rescue prisoners, fool a War Lord, get held up at gun point by a child, meet people from their past, and have to face Califa's worst enemy, Lord Axacaya. All this while Flora is trying to keep from fading into nothing. I don't know about you, but thinking of all of that wore me out! Flora Segunda is definitely different from many books that I have read recently. The story line had wonderful elements of fantasy in it, but took twists on many other parts of the fantasy world which gave it a fresh new twist. Flora is a brave young lady with a role model her mother certainly would not approve of, but her tricks seem to save Flora in all the right ways. There are many failures Flora has to endure in the book, but the important thing is that Flora and Udo never gave up. Even when all seemed lost, and nothing could be salvaged from the mess (usually a mess they made), they kept going. Not only did Flora show bravery when it came to facing her enemies, Flora also showed bravery when it came to standing up to the people that she loved, which sometimes is the most difficult kind of courage to have. The imagery in this book reminded me of Lemony Snicket in several ways. Some of the clothing in this book was way over the top (which I love) and the way the people interact with each other had the exaggerated quality about it. I enjoyed this immensely because it gave me the feeling of truly being in a world all its own. The people were familiar enough that I understood what they were doing, but their mannerisms, traditions, speech, dress and relationships had an original feeling to them. I really was transported to a new world. Flora Segunda is a keeper!!!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book and it's sequel. Great fun, smart, and I loved the main character, Flora.
    • 3/5
      A good read. Even though it took some time for me to jump right into the book as it seemed to drag by somewhat, I did enjoy it once the story line started to pick up some. I recommend this book to Harry Potter fans =]
    • 4/5
      Great book! I enjoyed it immensley, and am looking forward to the next. I love the vocabulary choies, the world building, and the characters.
    • 5/5
      When your house has 11,000 rooms it seems utterly unfair that you are sleeping in a broom closet. Even a very nice, cozy broom closet. However, with the butler banished Flora's house is not in the best of shape. The potty disappears sometimes, the front door won't open, and the elevator once kidnapped her father for a week. Nevertheless, when she is running late to return a library book she dares the elevator. The elevator kidnapps her too and takes her to the library where she meets the banished butler. Before she knows it she is forging signatures, planning daring rescues, and sneaking into abandoned houses to steal words of power. She has a limited amount of time to rescue herself and her butler all before her mother gets home. And in the middle of all of this she has to get a dress made and invitations sent out for her birtday party!
    • 5/5
      Oh my god, this is an amazing book. Hilarious, scary, filled with the most inventive, evocative kinds of magic and place. Great characters. Flora - short, red-headed, hot-headed - and Udo - handsome, charming, a clothes-horse - are basically a match made in heaven. This is a city in which i want to live and party and go on dates with people.
    • 3/5
      It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. I loved the idea of the house denizens and the way the magic works in this world.
    • 3/5
      I was really into this when I first started reading. It was interesting and endearing, cute little made-up words and a mezcla of Spanish words thrown in. But as it went on, it became more tedious. Not as interesting or endearing and it started to feel like a chore to read. It felt at least 100 pages too long and I found myself not caring whether Flora got sucked into the abyss or not. Won't be reading the second one.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! It reminds of a well created cartoon, with extra large characters, extra large problems, a very bright and strange place. This book is not a typical fantasy book. The setting seems to take place in California, only now its called Calif, and its culturally part Indian, part Spanish, and part Aztec. Magic exists, but Flora's Mom doesn't like it very much, and banished the family's magical butler. As a result, Flora ends up doing all the chores. Her Mom (Buck) spends a lot of time away, and Flora's Dad is crazy and hopeless. The writing is from first person, and its written in a way an educated 14 year old would speak. There are no one dimensional characters in this book, except for the very minor one line characters. For example, Buck is portrayed as this very cold woman who only cares for work when Flora talks about her, but when we actually meet Buck, we find out she works a lot, has high expectations about her daughter, but really loves Flora. We see the world through Flora's 14 year old eyes and as she learns a few lessons (Things aren't what they seem, but sometimes they are). This book is a lot fun, and I highly suggest reading it. Not your typical teenage fantasy.
    • 5/5
      Thirteen-year-old Flora Segunda lives in the Republic of Califa in one of the great houses. Except Crackpot Hall is no longer so great and Flora is charged with its upkeep while her parents are otherwise incapacitated. One day Flora comes across the banished Butler of the house. At first it seems like a godsend: restore the butler and have him make the house glorious again. But magical beings and houses, Flora discovers, have a mind of their own.I picked Flora Segunda up with vague interest and finished it with avid attention. The book is clever, funny, and rolls along at breakneck speed. I love the details Wilce puts into Califa, all the ominous names and tongue-in-cheek descriptions. Flora as the protagonist is snappish and long-suffering but her narrative voice is wickedly amusing, and you can’t help but feel sorry for her because of her home life.Which brings me to another point. As much as I enjoyed Flora Segunda as a magical adventure, I liked it better for being a story about the Fyrdraaca family. Although Flora feels like an orphan, I appreciate that she isn’t. That would be too easy a route. Wilce presents her family in all their complicated glory. Her mother is never home and her father is too busy stuck in his own despair to notice he has a daughter. Yet they’re not bad people; there is no easy black and white answer. Flora’s home life injects a shot of real sadness into what is otherwise a light-hearted romp. But it makes the book all the richer for it.
    • 5/5
      In an alternate California, a Victorian heroine of spirit has to contend with her mother the General, her father (an ex-POW fallen on hard emotional times), the imminent approach of her fourteenth birthday, a whining house-spirit, and villains galore. Ysabeau Wilce writes like a dream, and this very funny and fast-moving book combines adventure, a terrifically realized world, and some sad and serious themes. I liked it so much that I've bought a second copy just to loan to friends.
    • 5/5
      This is an amazing first novel, and I hope the first of many set in this world. One often hears of young adult fantasy novels touted as the "Next Harry Potter", this is the first novel I've read in a long time that truly could be. The world of the Republic of Califa is so positively dense with a fully realized society with political structure and intrigue, wars and religion, different cultures, races and magical creatures with complicated alliances to humans. All this and wonderfully quirky characters who come to life and interact with each other in believable fashion.It would easily take me pages and pages to describe everything that's going on in this book, but take my word for it; it doesn't overwhelm you at first, but slowly draws you in and when you've finished you just go ......Wow. There's also a tone to the book that's quite catchy, I found myself naming all the nooks andcrannies of my own home. (I often walk down the Inevitable Short Hallway of Doom and think, I need to vacuum this ISHoD.) Did I mention it's also sneaky funny? The kind of funny that you don't see coming and then all of a sudden there you are, chuckling madly at the book while your family eyes you warily.There are so many other books that could be written about this world, and characters that haven't even been addressed yet. I found myself wondering about Flora's two sisters (one disappeared, one in the military) who were barely mentioned in the book. I'll be standing in line to buy (or waiting on Amazon to ship)any more books by Ms. Wilce set in this world. There is mild violence in the book, but the vocabulary and length (431 pages) would make it difficult for any reader under 12. If you love fantasy, you owe yourself the pleasure of this book. You can join me in waiting for the next one!