ALBERT'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS

An inexperienced hero goes on a series-starting adventure full of appealing characters and unexpected turns.

Albert lives in a small, peaceful village with his three daughters, and he lives an ordinary life, aside from the fact that he’s the wizard’s apprentice. One night, his wizard master and teacher, Byron, visits his house with thrilling and frightening news: In a faraway land, a great beast is terrorizing the people of Queen Ira’s kingdom, and it’s up to Albert vanquish the monster. The apprentice soon sets off on his journey; his first job is to find a sword that he can use to defeat the great and terrible beast. When he locates the sword and a shield, it leads to his meeting the Grand Supreme Wizard Amulek, who advises him on next steps before once again leaving him on his own. He soon meets Boris, a small, bearded man, who guides him to Queen Ira; her kingdom’s lands have been wrecked by the beast, and it becomes clear that a legendary, evil group from old tales has returned to wreak havoc. Both foes are the work of Brak-Zorak, a powerful wizard who escaped his prison to cause strife. Albert must do everything he can to stop Brak-Zorak’s plans and defeat the beast before it can become invincible. Alvord presents a debut fantasy novel with engaging players and an entertaining plot that makes for an enjoyable read. Albert ably serves the necessary function of being a relatable everyman, but the work’s secondary characters are notably offbeat; Queen Ira, for example, wears no jewelry or other valuable finery, as she’s sold it all to buy food for her needy subjects. The story resolves with a fulfilling and thrilling action sequence, which leads to a cliffhanger that will leave readers eager for more stories from Alvord.

A whimsical and diverting fantasy tale that’s appropriate for all ages.