An ingenious and entirely credible (at least dog lovers will agree with this) twist on the familiar tale.
A tardy corrective for previous versions of the legend of the Sword in the Stone—which leave out the dog.
Rescued stray Nosewise makes the thrilling discovery that the magic Asteria stone of Morgana, preteen apprentice to human packmate Merlin, allows him to talk and maybe even perform tricks well beyond “sit” and “shake.” It comes none too soon, as wizard and apprentice are kidnapped by Oberon, Fae prince of the Summer court, to steal Excalibur. Collecting a castle “poop boy” named Arthur along the way and with help from Guinevere, daughter of a tavern keeper named Leodegrance, Nosewise loyally sets out to rescue his beloved family. The quest leads from this world to the Otherworld and thence to frozen Avalon for a desperate battle with Oberon, human minions, and insatiable magic-eating worms. But Excalibur, it turns out, can only be extracted by “a worthy soul who loves man and would never do him harm.” There is, as you might guess, but one such who truly fits that description here. Along with his other canine virtues, though, Nosewise is generous in the aftermath: “Arthur is my carrier, and he can use it too, if he wants.” The often scary Fae come in a variety of sizes and shapes; humans, and the doggy narrator, are largely white in Phillips’ occasional vignettes, though Morgana appears to have somewhat darker skin.
An ingenious and entirely credible (at least dog lovers will agree with this) twist on the familiar tale. (Fantasy. 10-13)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-53736-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The fantasy storyline gets lost in the collision of too many cultures, with appropriation that is both meaningless and...
Following the events of The Spinner Prince (2018), leonine Prince Leo Kahn goes on a quest to find his mother, deep in enemy territory among the Maguar, and save the world.
Accompanied by three of his allies, Stick, Anjali, and Zoya, narrator Leo both seeks his mother and flees his usurping older cousin Tamir, the self-ordained supreme military commander of the Singa Royal Army. Prince Leo is the true heir to the throne, but his cousin wants him dead. On their journey, Leo learns the source of his powers as a Truth Teller—he can summon things from fiction into reality—as well as a startling revelation about his lineage. The prince and his friends attempt to win over the Maguar by warning them about Tamir’s intention to free the sea demon Hasatamura, imprisoned in the Great Mountain, by waging war—it is bloodshed that has the power to release Hasatamura. Everyone will suffer if the prides cannot band together, Leo argues. Laney’s worldbuilding is baroque, leading to a narrative festooned with capitalized jargon. It is also appropriative, with embedded folktales and characters’ names drawn from many different cultures and sources, including Cherokee, Buddhist, and Ghanaian, among others.
The fantasy storyline gets lost in the collision of too many cultures, with appropriation that is both meaningless and confusing. (character list, story sources, author’s note) (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-70738-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A storytelling tour de force culminating in a rousing series finale.
Warrior rabbit Podkin, his sister, Paz, and their younger brother, Pook, embark on a seemingly impossible quest to prevent Gorm soldiers from annihilating the Five Realms and its inhabitants in this sequel to The Gift of Dark Hallow (2018).
In a frame story, Pook, now an elderly bard and captured by assassins, must tell the true story of the legendary Battle of Sparrowfast to save his life. As Pook’s story unfolds, Podkin, his family, and a motley group of friends live at Dark Hallow Warren in Grimheart Forest. With the Gorm army threatening to devastate Grimheart, Podkin, Paz, and Pook depart for Sparrowfast Warren to appeal to their estranged uncle for his magical bow to destroy Gorm Lord Scramashank. (An illustrated list of all such magical weapons appears in the appendix.) Betrayed, they flee deep into Grimheart, where they are rescued by the Wardens of Grimwode, giant rabbits guarding the ancient forest who have been awaiting their arrival. After securing a magical horned crown to use in the impending Gorm battle, Podkin, Paz, and Pook return to Dark Hallow to find the Gorm army advancing and their uncle refusing to share his bow. Once again, everything depends on young Podkin. The gripping plot toggles between Pook’s precarious storytelling dilemma and his dynamic personal recollection of the climactic battle, enhanced by dramatic illustrations.
A storytelling tour de force culminating in a rousing series finale. (map, character list) (Animal fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-69602-1
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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