Somewhat rushed and lacking genuine tension, but still a jolly good ride.
Kooky high fantasy pastiche transforms farm boy into warrior.
Sam Hatcher has been sent off by his father—presently a farmer, but once a member of the Royal Guard—to become a soldier. Unfortunately, all is not well in the kingdom of Parmall. Good King Olive has been deposed by his brother, the disgusting (and ridiculously greasy) Boonder, and is secretly imprisoned abroad in the impenetrable dungeon of the Boneman. Luckily, Sam isn't accepted into the corrupt castle guard. Instead he is sent off to join crazed mercenary Rigby Skeet. When soldiers of the usurper serendipitously kill a messenger from King Olive on Rigby's doorstep, Sam and Rigby must flee Boonder’s assassins. After a short quest, an encounter with a charlatan sorcerer, and a journey through the River of Blood, Swamp of Anguish, and Pasture of Randolph, Rigby and Sam rescue King Olive. They return home to Parmall, destroy the villains who have taken over the country, and rescue Boonder's unwilling bride, Melinda. Rigby, Sam, and Melinda live happily ever after as a team of wacky mercenaries. In a winking tribute to The Princess Bride, Sam and Melinda teach Rigby to read, using an adventure tale by S. Morgenstern.
Somewhat rushed and lacking genuine tension, but still a jolly good ride. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: April 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-9724882-0-0
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Four fifth-graders are recruited by a scheming magician in this hefty bonbon from the author of the Fablehaven tales. At first, Nate, Summer, Trevor and Pigeon think they have it good. Having asked them to help her recover a hidden treasure that (she says) belongs to her, Belinda White, friendly proprietor of a sweets shop that has just opened in their small town, provides some uncommon candies—like Moon Rocks, that give them the ability to jump like grasshoppers, and literally electrifying Shock Bits. When she begins asking them to commit certain burglaries, though, their exhilaration turns to unease, and rightly so; Mrs. White is actually after a draft from the Fountain of Youth that will make her the world’s most powerful magician. And, as it turns out, she isn’t the only magician who’s come to town—not even the only one whose magic is tied to sweets. Filling out the supporting cast with the requisite trio of bullies, plus magical minions of various (and sometimes gross) abilities, Mull trots his twist-laden plot forward to a well set-up climax. Leaving the door open an inch for sequels, he dishes up a crowd-pleaser as delicious—if not so weird—as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . (Fantasy. 10-13)
Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59038-783-2
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2007
A sloppy first novel that shows glimmers of promise.
A boy wizard afflicted with a rare disease battles the forces of evil in this debut fantasy novel.
Feslen Raster, an adopted 14-year-old boy suffering from a rare blood disorder, is viewed as “abnormal”–by official edict, all abnormal citizens are to be kept out of sight. Only his adoptive family’s high social standing allows him to lead a somewhat normal life, though he is still the object of much public ridicule. Feslen does have a few supporters, however: his brother Duxan, his friend Ka-Wei and the aged martial-arts teacher Master Chai, who has taken the young man under his wing. Master Chai sees Feslen’s untapped potential as a powerful mage, and even suspects he may be “the One” prophesied by the ancients to save the world from impending doom, in the form of a group of evil wizards conspiring to take over the land. When Master Chai is murdered and his daughter Mei Xue kidnapped, Feslen vows to rescue her. First, though, he must corral the vast but untamed magical gifts with which he’s been blessed. Embarking on his mission with a motley crew consisting of his brother, Ka-Wei, a mysterious princess, a thief and another novice mage, Feslen encounters the usual array of monsters and spirits on a journey that becomes a coming-of-age experience–both emotionally and magically–for the young wizard. Kang’s debut certainly won’t win any points for style. But despite a derivative, predictable plot and countless mechanical issues, the author’s marriage of Eastern and Western elements in a fantasy setting is intriguingly rendered, and the empathy and love with which Fester is portrayed will keep readers interested.
A sloppy first novel that shows glimmers of promise.Pub Date: July 7, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-37563-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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