THE ROVER

Odom’s first hardcover is a charming fantasy about a bookish, pint-sized librarian whose small size and vast knowledge earn him self-confidence, the admiration of various rough characters, and a dragon’s treasure. Edgewick Lamplighter labors in the huge Vault of All Known Knowledge. According to the history that he knows so well, Wick and his fellow “dwellers” (half-height human beings) were created by a long-lost race to store and preserve the wisdom of the world. When Wick is sent to deliver a letter to the local customs house, he is set upon by ghoulish Boneblights. Having read about swordplay and derring-do, he fights off the flying zombies devised by the evil, long-vanquished goblin king Lord Kharrion, who seems to be responsible for much of the evil in this gloomy fantasy world. Then Wick is knocked on the head and shanghaied onto a dwarf pirate ship, where he wins the crew’s respect by saving them from a fiery Embyr (he tells the creature the story of its creation). When the ship is threatened by pirate goblins, Wick voluntarily surrenders himself, only to be sold into slavery. Purchased by a band of thieves, he identifies a stolen bag of jewels as part of an elfish puzzle, which leads to more cliffhangers and the aforementioned dragon. Odom throws numerous challenges at his plucky hero, forcing Wick to adapt his store of knowledge in a harsh, tragic, but ultimately rewarding adventure.

A cute, smartly told pastiche of Tolkien and Terry Brooks aimed at the Harry Potter crowd and librarians at every level.