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
Set in a future from which humanity has vanished, leaving only legends behind, this text-and-graphic-novel hybrid takes a chatty young chipmunk from the supposed safety of his hollow-tree home to a derelict city ruled by a komodo dragon with “ratmink” minions, and then on to an idyllic animal community perched atop a plateau ringed by poisonous fog. Along the way he gathers a trio of friends—most notably Olive, a mechanically minded bear whose flying machine provides a hair’s breadth escape from the Dragon Queen. The illustrations, done in pen with light blue highlights, depict Thelonious and associates walking erect, wearing looted human—or in Thelonious’s case—doll clothing and puzzling out the purposes of the human artifacts around them. In every other chapter, the text and pictures blend into full graphic-novel format, providing needed boosts to the tale’s generally slow pacing. That, along with occasional quirky incidents such as the appearance of a mute (at first) homunculus may be enough to draw in a few readers, but those hoping for sustained drama, suspense or humor will be disappointed. An abrupt end signals future episodes on the way; perhaps they’ll be better. (Fantasy. 10-12)
Pub Date: June 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-689-87684-X
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2006
The history and nature of the Ashton curse at least begins to move out of the shadows at last. Still, much else remains to...
Amid much mention of cake and iambic pentameter, the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females survives a challenge thanks to its star graduate, nanny Penelope Lumley, and her three wolfish wards.
Invited on her 16th birthday to deliver an address to her school’s residents and sundry others at a Celebrate Alumnae Knowledge Exposition, Miss Lumley travels to her alma mater with young Alexander, Beowulf and Cassiopeia Incorrigible. There, she discovers that malign “Judge Quinzy,” disguised and purportedly dead father of her employer, Lord Frederick Ashton, has taken over the board of trustees and instituted a repressive regime that includes changing the school’s very name to the Quinzy School for Miserable Girls. Why? It seems he’s after a certain old diary that holds clues as to why the Ashton men have been howling at the full moon for generations. As in previous episodes, Wood threads a boisterous gaslamp melodrama with instructional references (here to poetic meters) and broad but inscrutable clues. These seem to link the Ashtons, the Incorrigibles and Miss Lumley herself in some still-mysterious way. As always, details thrill: The school vet, Dr. Westminster, is first met successfully teaching chickens to dance the hokeypokey.
The history and nature of the Ashton curse at least begins to move out of the shadows at last. Still, much else remains to be illuminated in future sequels, which fans will be howling for. (finished illustrations not seen) (Comic melodrama. 10-12)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-179122-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2013
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