Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 19))
Centuries have passed since the Printz Honor Award–winning The Ropemaker (2001): Mountain horsemen have attacked The Valley and two adults and a teenager set out, searching for a magician to renew life-saving enchantments on their home. Their quest leads them through the mountains to cities, villages and lands in the Empire south of The Valley. The complex and intricate plot illustrates just how artful a writer Dickinson is, as he builds tension through the difficulties the protagonists face—magical, political and personal. Characters, from the humans to the alien who lives halfway between two dimensions, have a depth formed by their actions and dialogue—even the animals have distinct personalities. This book stands on its own because the back story is carefully integrated into the narrative flow. However, it's enthusiasts of the first installment who will most appreciate acquiring additional information about this world and will have a sense of threads being tied up in a thoroughly satisfactory resolution. Dickinson's return to that world will delight and satisfy his fans and introduce others to an enchanting reading experience. 2007, Wendy Lamb/Random, 512p, $17.99. Category: Fantasy. Ages 13 up. Starred Review. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, September 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 5))
The epilogue to The Ropemaker is the prologue to Angel Isle, and having read that award-winning fantasy is the best preparation for what awaits the reader in Angel Isle. As Peter Dickinson says in his note to the reader, “I found myself forced to wrestle not only with the usual difficulty of sequels, their unalterable past, but also with the need to extend and deepen my magical structure to accommodate fresh marvels and provide a magical equivalent of the laws of physics, a framework within which otherwise absurdly powerful magical forces could contend.” He says at the end of this note, “I suppose it’s a bit much to hope to win a Nobel Prize with a fantasy novel. For physics.” What he has created is a complex, thrilling fantasy that should challenge readers’ imaginations and intellects as they contemplate the implications of alternate universes. A small band of characters sets off to locate the Ropemaker, in hopes of saving their universe. The feathers of the roc that can do the magic to put wings on a horse serve as the catalyst, joining together the young girl, the older man, the woman, and the boy and his dog. Their universe has four dimensions; an alternate one has seven dimensions; Angel Isle is a place where the two universes are able to coexist; and Jex is a being who exists in both universes, who can be a guide. There are dragons, Watchers, dreams, fierce storms, trances, a winged horse--all manner of magical creatures and events. Magic can shield the travelers if they use it correctly, but magic can destroy them as well. This demanding fantasy is for the best and the brightest YA readers. (Sequel to The Ropemaker) Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JSA--Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2006, Random House, Wendy Lamb, 501p. illus., $17.99. Ages 12 to adult.

Rita Fontinha (Library Media Connection, January 2008)
It has been 20 generations since Tilja and Tehl sealed the Valley to protect it from the Empire, but now the magic has faded and the Valley is in danger once again. Saranja Urlasdaughter crosses the desert and comes home to Woodburne only to find it burned to the ground. She realizes that she is one of the chosen ones who are destined to find the Ropemaker and renew the magic. Thus begins the tale of a dangerous journey that culminates in a fight to the finish to save the Valley and its essential magic. This fantasy contains all the classic elements of a fairy tale: the quest, a young hero, danger, and companions with unusual powers. But there is also a love story intertwined. Readers who have not read The Ropemaker (Delacorte Press (Random House), 2001) may find the tale confusing at first, since this world of magic is more fully explained in the first book. An appendix of "Fodaro's equations" is an attempt to explain the physics of the magic of time and the multi-dimensional world of the Valley. This is a complex story for advanced readers. Recommended. 2007, Wendy Lamb Books (Random House), 512pp., $17.99 hc. Ages 12 up.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
In a land dominated by soulless Watchers, Maja searches for a magician with the power to disband them. Her only clues come from a story (told in The Ropemaker). Dickinson keeps readers engaged with his original variation on how magic works, political complications, and Maja's developing romance. The author's command of language treats readers to robust descriptions and rolling narration. Category: Older Fiction. 2007, Random/Lamb, 500pp, 17.99, 20.99. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Hilary Crew (VOYA, February 2008 (Vol. 30, No. 6))
In this sequel to The Ropemaker (Delacorte, 2001/VOYA December 2001), the Valley has been invaded again after twenty generations of peace, and it is Maja Urlsdaughter, her half-sister Saranja, and Ribek Ortahlson's turn to seek the Ropemaker for help. Accompanied by a powerful young magician, Benayu, and the lizard-like, Jex, who is from another universe, they set off on their quest but are caught up in the war that breaks out between the Pirates (Sheep-heads) and the Empire. Threatened by dragons, demons, and the all-powerful Watchers, but strengthened by the addition of a canny spy named Striclan, they discover that the Ropemaker has been stranded by time in Jex's universe. Only by reaching the "touching point" of the two universes on Angel Isle and by benefiting from the help of powerful female magicians, Zara and Chanda, will Maja and the others be able to rescue the Ropemaker and destroy the Watchers. The characters, especially Maja, from whose perspective the story is told, are interesting and well-developed. Maja's relationship with Ribek adds a romantic touch. Dickinson painstakingly weaves together several subplots, but the momentum often slackens. Magic is experienced frequently by characters as a powerful, physical force. There is a heavy reliance on cataclysmic magical events to achieve momentous happenings. Dickinson's fantasy will potentially appeal to teens who enjoyed the first book and to those who relish a fully developed fantasy world. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2007, Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 500p., $17.99 and PLB $20.99. Ages 15 to 18.