An old-fashioned Arthurian-esque adventure for those who enjoy that genre’s satisfying storytelling pleasures.
Young Sir Tiuri, recently knighted following the events in The Letter for the King (2015), finds the adventure he seeks deep in the mysterious Wild Wood.
Restless after a winter spent at home following his knighting, Tiuri longs to become a traveling knight-errant. He and his squire, Piak, travel to meet knight-errant Sir Ristridin and his friends at Ristridin’s castle at the former’s invitation. However, once the party arrives there, they learn that Ristridin has not yet returned from his scouting mission into the Wild Wood, a forest shrouded in strange stories of “robbers and dangerous bands of men…woodland spirits and Men in Green.” Tiuri and Piak resolve to venture into the Wild Wood itself, following clues to Ristridin’s whereabouts. No sooner do they uncover their first hint as to what really happened to Ristridin and his men, than Tiuri is captured and taken prisoner by men of questionable loyalties. From there, this episodic adventure tale bounces between Tiuri’s narrow escapes from various forces inhabiting the Wild Wood and Piak’s attempts to alert the kingdom to the dangers that lie within and rescue his friend. The meandering pace of this lengthy adventure may prove frustrating for some, though the translation flows smoothly and may well appeal to young fans of knightly adventure tales. The book assumes a white default.
An old-fashioned Arthurian-esque adventure for those who enjoy that genre’s satisfying storytelling pleasures. (Historical adventure. 10-15)Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78269-195-2
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Well-educated American boys from privileged families have abundant options for college and career. For Chiko, their Burmese counterpart, there are no good choices. There is never enough to eat, and his family lives in constant fear of the military regime that has imprisoned Chiko’s physician father. Soon Chiko is commandeered by the army, trained to hunt down members of the Karenni ethnic minority. Tai, another “recruit,” uses his streetwise survival skills to help them both survive. Meanwhile, Tu Reh, a Karenni youth whose village was torched by the Burmese Army, has been chosen for his first military mission in his people’s resistance movement. How the boys meet and what comes of it is the crux of this multi-voiced novel. While Perkins doesn’t sugarcoat her subject—coming of age in a brutal, fascistic society—this is a gentle story with a lot of heart, suitable for younger readers than the subject matter might suggest. It answers the question, “What is it like to be a child soldier?” clearly, but with hope. (author’s note, historical note) (Fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58089-328-2
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes
A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles.
Fifteen-year-olds June and Day live completely different lives in the glorious Republic. June is rich and brilliant, the only candidate ever to get a perfect score in the Trials, and is destined for a glowing career in the military. She looks forward to the day when she can join up and fight the Republic’s treacherous enemies east of the Dakotas. Day, on the other hand, is an anonymous street rat, a slum child who failed his own Trial. He's also the Republic's most wanted criminal, prone to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When tragedies strike both their families, the two brilliant teens are thrown into direct opposition. In alternating first-person narratives, Day and June experience coming-of-age adventures in the midst of spying, theft and daredevil combat. Their voices are distinct and richly drawn, from Day’s self-deprecating affection for others to June's Holmesian attention to detail. All the flavor of a post-apocalyptic setting—plagues, class warfare, maniacal soldiers—escalates to greater complexity while leaving space for further worldbuilding in the sequel.
This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes . (Science fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25675-2
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: April 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011
BOOK TO SCREEN
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