WEP: Ribbons and Candles

 

Time for the December WEP/IWSG 'writing together' competition.

 The challenge is Ribbons and Candles. 

Perfect for the festival/festive season. Perfect also for flashes not themed around festivities or holidays. All prompts here work year-round and are pan-global. Genre, themes, settings, mood, no bar. Only the word count counts. And you could ignore that too and come in with a photo-essay or art, minimal words required.

A party. A power-cut. Gift-giving. Hair braids. Ribbons of roads, rivers, paper, love, hope. Candles in the room. Candles in the church. Candles in the wind. And any combo thereof. It could go in a thousand different directions, choose yours and step outside the square!

The WEP admins are asking that we post as soon as we can, so there's more time to read the stories before the holidays hit. So I've managed to get mine up a few days early, anyway. And, since this is clearly the perfect time for a Christmas/winter theme story, I've written a fantasy set in no particular season, with no reference to holidays at all :D

998 words
Critique guidelines: FCA

In the Cave

“We have to go in!” Marcus turned away from his best friends to kick at a rock, so they wouldn’t see the desperation in his face.

“Why?” Jeremy asked. He was the tallest of the three, freckled and red-haired where the others were dark.

“Because that’s where his parents went, you dolt.” Beth liked Jeremy, but that didn’t earn him a pass for being stupid. “Come on.” She tossed her braids over her shoulders, settled her bow and quiver on her back, and prepared to lead the way into the cave.

“Wait, Beth.” Marcus held her back pulling three candles from his belt pouch. “Not much point in going in if we can’t see anything.” He managed a grin that might have convinced Beth he wasn’t worried—if she’d been blind and deaf.

Jeremy was easier to fool. “Oh, good. Say, this will be an adventure.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “The gods protect me from idiot boys.” Marcus and Jeremy made the sign, seconding her prayer before realizing what she’d said.

“Look, I know it’s dangerous. You don’t have to come,” Marcus began.

“Not you, idiot. We have to do this, I know that. But Jeremy—could you for one minute stop thinking about adventures? You know what an adventure is? It’s a plan that’s gone wrong.”

While Beth spoke, Marcus struck flint to steel and lit a candle. Handing it to Beth, he lit the other two from it. Then he stowed the flint and steel back in his pouch, along with three spare candles.

He had come prepared. Beth decided this wasn’t the time to tell him she could conjure a light far faster than he could light a candle, and brighter, though it tired her. She’d save that for an emergency.

“Let’s go, then.” Marcus picked up his spear. “Do you have your sling, Jeremy?”

The taller boy searched his clothes before pulling the sling from the back of his belt. “I’m good,” he announced, stowing it in his belt pouch. “Let’s go!”

Beth looked at Marcus. “Lead on. It’s your quest.” Naming it for a quest seemed to give Marcus courage. He took a deep breath and ducked his head to enter the cave. The entrance wasn’t low enough that he needed to duck, but doing so made him feel larger—and braver.

Last to enter, Beth unwrapped the ribbon on one of her braids, cut off a piece, and tied it tightly again. Then she hung the loose piece from a root at the top of the entrance.

“Just in case,” she said when she saw the boys watching. She didn’t say in case of what, or how it would help.

Marcus stood in the center of the cavern. They couldn’t see to the edges, but moving currents of air suggested several passages opened off the room. He tilted his head back and sniffed, turning and snuffing until his tension melted into triumph. “This way!”

Jeremy hesitated. “Did you just… smell your way?”

Marcus shrugged. “Sure. I can smell Mother and Father down that way.”

Jeremy’s regret was visible even by candle light. “I don’t have the magical gift, you know.”

Beth had to cheer him up. “You have a sling and the skill to use it. If the ogres who took Marcus’s parents know what’s good for them, they’ll turn them loose right now!”

Marcus almost smiled. “Right! Let’s go find them and let the ogres know what they’re up against!”

He led them down the passage, stumbling some in the flickering candle-light. Still Beth didn’t make a magical light. It was enough to have Marcus using his gift to follow the way. She had a feeling that too much magic was a bad idea. Ogres were said to be sensitive to it. She trailed behind the boys, slicing bits off her hair ribbons and sticking them up wherever she could.

Marcus stopped. “They’re close. I can smell them,” he whispered.

Beth strung her bow. Jeremy pulled out his sling and picked a few good stones out of the wall of the cave. Marcus looked sick.

“Dead quiet now,” Beth whispered, then wished she’d not said that. Marcus looked sicker.

Approaching a corner, they heard noises and saw a light. Peering around the edge of an opening, they saw Marcus’s mother and father, backs against the wall, throwing globs of light at a group of angry-looking ogres. As if there were any other kind, Beth thought before she heard the man shout, “More light, Lena!”

“I—I don’t think I can, Owen,” Lena gasped.

“Light or fire or be eaten for dinner,” he answered, voice ragged.

Marcus jabbed the end of his spear into his candle and held it aloft. “Burn, you rotten ogres!” His feeble flame distracted only a few of the monsters.

Jeremy’s stones and Beth’s arrows did more, but they had too few. The ogres kept coming.

Beth took a deep breath, held up the raveled ends of her ribbons, and willed the light into being.

The ribbon shone with an intense, white light. Marcus’s parents broke into a run as the ogres cowered away from the lights. Reaching the children, they swept Marcus and Jeremy along with them.

“Hurry, before they recover!” Lena cried, stumbling in her exhaustion. She and Owen leaned on Marcus as they staggered up the passage.

Beth’s bits of ribbon glowed and burned on the walls, lighting their way, and building a wall of light behind them.

Beth turned and followed the others, her knees wobbly. Jeremy looked back, saw her falter, and turned to grab her hand. “Don’t stop now!”

 “I don’t know how long I can—” she gasped.

Jeremy crouched. “On my back,” he ordered.

Moments later they burst from the cave into the afternoon sunlight.

Beth could feel the last of her magic draining from her as she set the light as firmly as she could into the ribbon at the entrance. That would hold them a good long time.

###

 

 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2018

 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated.

Check out all the stories--they usually make for some great reading!

Middle Grade Monday: Seed Savers #2: Lily

 

Title: Lily (Seed Savers #2)
Author: S. Smith
Publication Info: Published 2012, 184 pages.
Source: Either a purchase or a giveaway

Publisher's Blurb:
It’s definitely not what she had in mind for summer vacation.

When her friends disappear under mysterious circumstances, thirteen-year-old Lily sets out to discover more about the secret organization with which they had become involved. Her investigation unearths a disturbing secret from her own past, unsettling her world even more. In the meantime, Lily makes a new friend and falls for a mysterious young man, even as she remains unsure about whom she should trust. As her world crashes down around her, Lily struggles to decide what to do next.

Lily is volume two of the Seed Savers series but can easily be read out of order. It is is a suspenseful and reflective book with themes of self-empowerment, trust, acceptance of diversity, gardening, and politics.  


My Review: 
First: I shared space in the BookElves Anthology, Vol. 1 with S. Smith, so you could say we are connected. But that tenuous connection in no way influenced by review(s) (see my review of the first book, Treasure). Now, the review.

I'm going to start by disagreeing with the final statement of the blurb--these books should be read in order. Yes, this is a complete story on its own, but it will make more sense after the first, and offers some spoilers for the first book (inevitably).

I like the way the author has done this series (so far--I haven't read beyond this, though Book 3 is queued up on my Kindle) by focusing on different kids, friends and connected, but each with her own story. So this follows on Treasure, but doesn't actually continue Clare and Dante's story (I took a peek at the next book and I think that we may get back to them there). That does make each book stand alone, though as noted I think it's better to read in order.

What I'm less sure about is the strength of the story itself. There is an underlying tension because what Lily is doing with plants is illegal, but I admit I spent most of the book waiting for something to happen. The peril in this book is very gentle, suitable for young readers but probably a bit too gentle for the older elementary or middle-school kids who would better understand the message about food and government control. There is an interest in the revelations about Lily's family, but that isn't built up much--it just happens, and I wanted something more.

In fact, the most terrifying aspect of this dystopia is that 6 years have passed since it was published, and we are only moving closer to the author's vision of an authoritarian government, though the anti-corporate-food movement is still strong, at least in California. But the general lack of understanding of where food actually comes from rings all too true for far too many people.

Now, having looked at my review of the first in the series, I'm taking a minute here to think about why my reaction to this one was more lukewarm. Yes, I took issue with some aspect of Treasure, but I thought the story was strong and exciting. In this case, it just doesn't measure up. It's good, but I think I have to stick by my "medium" rating (I don't use stars on this blog, but you get the picture).

My Recommendation:
I think this series is important, because it's a dystopia that's all too easy to imagine actually happening. But I suspect the book will have trouble competing with Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, though in fact it's aimed at younger readers than those (but we all know that the little ones are reading those books, and there's been a lot of escalation of story expectations in children's lit). It will make any reader want to learn more about gardening and cooking, though!

FTC Disclosure: I can no longer remember if I bought the Seed Savers Trilogy, or got it as a free book on a give-away, but either way I received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

Book Launch: Princelings of the North

It's here!

The Princelings of the North
Book 8 of the Princelings of the East series



by Jemima Pett

Genre: older middle grade mystery adventure – age 10 and upwards.
ebook: 47,000 words, ebook ASIN B0785RY891 / ISBN 9781370899159
paperback: 237 pages; ISBN 9781389104404

The Princelings of the North is the eighth in The Princelings of the East series.
Princelings Dylan and Dougall, who live in the far northwest of an island off the northwest coast of the Realms, rescue an exiled prince, and battle against the odds to restore him to his birthright.

Irrepressible Dylan and steady Dougall are inseparable denizens of the tiny castle of Haunn, so far away from the rest of civilisation that it’s almost off the map. And maps are one of the key elements of this intricate adventure. Dylan finds a treasure map inside a bottle washed up on the shore – and he reckons he knows where X is. Instead of treasure, he finds the exiled Prince Kevin of Castle Deeping, antagonist in the Talent Seekers, bit-player in Bravo Victor, and mystery prince in Willoughby the Narrator. Kevin has had time to realise what a fool he’s been, and now wants vengeance and his castle back, which is just the sort of adventurous challenge that Dylan craves.

Lovers of the series will devour this latest adventure, but newcomers may find it best to start with the box set of books 1-3 or book 5; book 7 links to Kevin’s disappearance. This is a mystery adventure in a world not quite like ours, suitable for age 10 and upwards. The series is set to conclude with book 10.

Excerpt

“It’s a map, look! A treasure map!”

Dougall looked at the scrap of paper his brother Dylan had smoothed out on their bed.

“How do you know it’s a map?”

Dylan sighed, and pointed out the lines. “There’s the outline of the island, and the rocky inlet where the boats go in, and the wiggly lines are where the creek goes into the marshes. And there’s an X for where the treasure is buried!” he finished, leaping off the bed. “Oh, why can’t we go now? It might rain tomorrow!”

“But where did you get it?” Dougall was not one to act without all the facts.

“It got washed into the tide pool down near the Ensay Burn. I fished it out. It was in a bottle. I saw it glinting green and bobbing about.  I thought it had a stick inside it, but it broke when I dropped it on the way back and I found the paper!”

“But why do you think it’s a treasure map?” Dougall had not yet caught his brother’s enthusiasm.

“It’s got an X on it, look!”

“It could mean anything, X.”

“Like what?”

Dougall thought for a bit. He wasn’t familiar with maps, except of the night sky, since he was one of the star-watching team at the castle.  He didn’t go out of the castle much, except onto the crags above to check the solar cells or the turbine flow. It was Dylan who went all over the island, running messages. He’d been most places.

“Have you been to this place?” he asked Dylan, wondering whether he really did know what he was talking about after all.

“Umm, not exactly.  It’s pretty much on the way to Tober Hold, but I usually go a bit further up the glen, and keep to the high ground.  This bit’s all wet.” He pointed to the network of lines he’d described as the creek.
 
“And there’s nothing there that could be marked as a cross?”

Dylan thought for a bit.  Then he looked at the map again and then at his feet. “There’s ruin on a rock. By the crossroads,” he mumbled.

Dougall looked closer at the map. “Well, nobody’s marked the roads going into and out of the cross. You might still be right. Is it the right place for the crossroads?”

It was Dylan’s turn to study the map closely. “Yes,” he concluded. He stared at it for a moment. “Why would anyone…”

“Mark a cross on a map and not the roads leading up to it?” finished Dougall, his eyes sparkling.  “How long will it take us to get there?”

© J M Pett 2018 The Princelings of the North ch 1

My Review:
Note: I may not be wholly objective, as Jemima Pett is a friend and a key member of my "writer's group" (which exists only in the ether). Nonetheless, I have tried to keep an open mind and give an accurate review.

I had the privilege of an advance reading of the manuscript of The Princelings of the North, as a beta reader/editor, and I'm delighted to report that this is a great addition to the series. I had already grown fond of Dylan and Dougall from the short stories in which they feature ("Dylan's Yuletide Journey" and "Dougall's Reindeer Adventure," appearing in the Bookelves Anthology vols. 1 and 2 respectively, as well as the story mentioned below), and they did not disappoint here.

Dylan and Dougall share billing with Kevin, and all three are perfect for a kids' story: a bit naive, but with a clear sense of justice and the courage to take big chances for it. Their adventures are exciting, but never gory; violence lurks around the corner but doesn't break out beyond the reasonable bounds of a children's book.

The story is definitely part of a series, and I recommend starting at the beginning, though the book will not be incomprehensible without doing so. Even though the northern princelings are unaware of much of what has been happening in the south, it helps if the reader knows, not to mention being more fun to feel like you know something the characters don't. And, while the adventure is completed at the end (no cliff-hangers!), it is clear that the world needs those last two books to get everything in order, and Dylan, Dougall, and Kevin may well have further roles to play. Part of me did want a tidier tie-up at the end, but I don't think the story suffers.

The writing is strong and clean, as I have come to expect from the author, and the chapter illustrations are charming:

Kevin's exile

Castle Haunn

Recommendation:
I have recommended the series before, and that hasn't changed. It's a great read for anyone from 10 up (like my own books, Jemima Pett's stories are in some ways children's books in name only, and have as great an appeal to adult lovers of fantasy and science fiction). The Princelings of the North is a worthy addition to the series.

Buying Links

iTunes ** B&N ** Kobo
Smashwords
Amazon.com ** Amazon.co.uk ** Amazon.ca ** Amazon.com.au ** Amazon.in
Paperback: Amazon.com ***  Book Depository

Raising money for the Ulva Buyout Appeal #UlvaBuyout

The little island of Ulva is just to the south of the area where Jemima has placed Castle Haunn, Dylan and Dougall’s home on the Isle of Mull.  The community of North West Mull have the opportunity to buy the island from the current landowner, and use it as a sustainable resource, securing their own futures. Jemima invites everyone to join in her part of the fundraising effort on her JustGiving page, where you can get more details.

Anyone donating on her page will get a copy of a new novella written especially for the appeal, Dylan and the Lights of Ulva, with Jemima’s thanks.
Please help to promote this massive appeal for the small number (in the tens rather than the hundreds) of islanders.

About the Author

Jemima wrote her first book when she was eight years old. She was heavily into world-building, drawing maps, building railway timetables, and dreaming of being a champion show-jumper, until schoolwork got in the way. Then she went down the science path, writing research papers, manuals and reports, as well as editing the newsletters for her sports clubs. Forty years on she started writing stories about her guinea pigs and their adventures in a fantasy world where everything ran on strawberry juice. Eventually the Princelings of the East took shape, originally intended as a trilogy, but the characters just wouldn’t lie down.  The planned ending will now be with book ten.

Meanwhile, Jemima continues to enjoy the company of new guinea pigs in her home in Norfolk, UK. You can enjoy their blog George’s Guinea Pig World.

Connect with Jemima Pett:  Blog ** Amazon ** Goodreads ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Pinterest ** Smashwords

Giveaway Rafflecopter!

Giveaway prizes include copies of the new paperback and the ebook of the Box Set internationally, with an extra prize for a UK winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
FTC Disclosure: I was given a pre-publication draft to proof-read, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for that work or for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Middle Grade Monday: The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill

Title: The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. 388 pages.
Source: Library

Publisher's Summary:
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster named Glerk and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, Fyrian. Xan rescues the abandoned children and deliver them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. To keep young Luna safe from her own unwieldy power, Xan locks her magic deep inside her. When Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, her magic begins to emerge on schedule--but Xan is far away. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her--even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

My Review: 
This book wasn't what I expected from the blurb, and that's a good thing. I looked at it, and sort of thought it would be a typical children's fantasy, fun maybe but nothing special. In fact, the book is  truly original, and maybe not a children's book at all. I'll have to think about that. But I know that once I started, it was hard to put down

The writing style is understated, at times almost reportorial, but at the same time there is an undercurrent of feeling so strong that you almost are the characters. Nor is young Luna the only main character. That young man from the Protectorate (who is really an adult, not a child at all, even in the beginning), plays a central role and we spend time with him, with a madwoman, with the ancient witch Xan, and even with Glerk and Fyrian. (We even get to see a bit into the heads of the bad guys). All of that might sound like it gets confusing, but it doesn't. It just makes the story full and rich.

So much of this story is about people just doing the best they can with the limited skills and knowledge they have--and that, to me, is what makes it a good children's book, even while I think it could quite well pass in the adult section of the library, too. For the latter, seeing how the evil and sorrow of the Protectorate is created (and later destroyed), provides a level of story interest beyond what a child might understand.

My Recommendation:
Read it.

FTC Disclosure: I checked The Girl Who Drank the Moon out of my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

M is for Melly of Halitor the Hero #AtoZChallenge

 

#M is for Melly

But first, a bonus M character.

Mariusz:

In a nutshell: bullishly confident ruler of Castle Hattan, and head of the Wozna cola 'global' enterprise, explorer of time tunnels and places he shouldn't put his nose into.  Strong sense of right and wrong, as long as right is in his favour.

Biggest secret: he's really very kind and considerate, especially with his employees, as long as they don't notice.

Mariusz is from the Princelings of the East series. 

 

Now for the featured character!

In a nutshell: Melly is a kitchen-wench in a village in Duria, where Halitor meets her under difficult circumstances. She has a mission to accomplish and she’ll do whatever she must to do it.

Biggest secret: her real name. (What? You think I'm giving that away?)

Favorite line:  Halitor is worried that Melly might be a princess, since she's just needed rescuing from an ogre. She responds, "Princesses don't peel potatoes. I'm a kitchen wench. Besides, princesses have long blonde hair."

Melly joins forces with Halitor for the adventures in Halitor the Hero.

Excerpt
From the opening of Halitor the Hero:

Halitor’s career as an apprentice Hero ended with a girl’s scream.

The cry echoed through the woods of Loria where the young Hero and his apprentice-master rode, looking for trouble and hoping not to find it. The two riders turned toward the sound, drawn by duty to somebody’s doom.

As they neared the source of the disturbance, Bovrell the Bold waved Halitor forward, and the boy spurred his horse toward the screams. His sweating hands could scarcely hold the reins as his Master shouted instructions. Halitor burst into a clearing and reined to a halt so abrupt that he nearly flew out of the saddle.

A girl with dark hair and a torn gown struggled in the grip of an ogre, and it was Halitor’s job to set matters right. Under his breath Halitor muttered, “I am a Hero. I am a Hero,” over and over in hopes of convincing himself it was true. He thought of the Hero’s Guide in his saddlebag. He’d memorized the section on fighting ogres, but it didn’t seem helpful now.

As Halitor prepared to dismount, the monster turned its attention to him. When it did, it loosed its grip on the Fair Maiden, who pulled herself from the ogre’s grasp. Instead of running, she stood watching her rescuers. Fair Maidens, Halitor knew, were so often too frozen with fear to escape when they might.

“That’s right,” Bovrell the Bold called from where he sat on his horse, well away from the fight and ready to fly back down the mountain if necessary. “Fight monsters afoot, lest your horse spook and spill you.”

Halitor, distracted by his apprentice-master in the act of dismounting, landed with his legs tangled. He wobbled, nearly fell, and dropped his sword, clutching at his saddle to save himself. The ogre stepped toward him with an evil grin. Before Halitor could right himself, the Fair Maiden caught up the fallen sword, turned, and stabbed the monster between the plates of its armor. Green blood poured out and the ogre fell, twitching and thrashing as it died. The girl jumped back, looking rather green herself. She turned her back on the corpse and let the sword fall, swaying. Behind her, the ogre gave a final twitch, and the clanking of armor died away as the monster stopped breathing. Bovrell rode up and jabbed the ogre once with his lance.

Kindle
Paperback at Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes and  Noble--Paper and Nook
iBooks
Kobo Store
Paperbacks also in the Createspace Store

Following the suggestion of fellow blogger and amazing author Jemima Pett, I'm doing a very simple A to Z with characters from my writing and the books of my author friends! I'm just posting a brief profile, sometimes a quote, and the book cover with links. Though you may also see some of my typical reviews (when I feature other peoples’ books) and the usual Friday Flash Fiction.

Middle Grade Monday: Withering-by-Sea, by Judith Rossell

Title: Withering-by-Sea
Author: Judith Rossell
Publisher: ABC Books, 2014. US edition by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016. 261 pages.
Source: Library

Publisher's Blurb:
High on a cliff above the gloomy coastal town of Withering-by-Sea stands the Hotel Majestic. Inside the walls of the damp, dull hotel, eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery leads a miserable life with her three dreadful Aunts. But one night, Stella sees something she shouldn't have... Something that will set in motion and adventure more terrifying and more wonderful than she could ever have hoped for... 

My Review:
I believe I picked up this one on a recommendation from the Goodreads Great Middle Grade Reads group. I'm glad I did. The book is a sort of semi-humorous gothic mystery for kids. Which might not sound super appealing, but the book is both funny and scary (mostly in the "oh no! She's in trouble again" way), and certainly grabbed me and pulled me right along.

Stella is a Victorian child, being raised by delightfully awful Aunts, who are clearly trying to mold her into something she is not (a mindless little 'perfect child'). But she has an imagination, curiosity, and a nose for trouble, as well as maybe a little something else that she doesn't know about yet. She follows her nose into a fair bit of trouble, with close escapes, two kidnappings, a couple of disguises, and the acquisition of a few friends who help her triumph in the end.

There is nothing terribly deep about the book; this isn't an "issues" book. It's just a delightful romp through a not-quite-real world with a sea-side resort and a carnival on a pier. It is also almost certainly the start of something glorious, as a few questions are left unresolved at the end. I did like that the author didn't feel the need to follow Stella all the way back to her aunts; it is enough to know that she is brave enough to go back and face them after being out all night, and that she is determined to learn more about who she really is--a great mystery that the reader can guess at, but will have to wait for another book to have fully resolved.

My Recommendation:
If you or your child are too easily frightened by somewhat spooky magical things, stay away. But if you like a touch of the horrible with a larger touch of humor and loyal friends, dive right in. It's a fast and easy read, but a lot of fun for anyone over the age of maybe 9 (because of the scary bits).

FTC Disclosure: I checked Withering-by-Sea out of my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Audio Review: Dragons at Crumbling Castle

Title: Dragons at Crumbling Castle and Other Tales
Author: Terry Pratchett, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt
Publisher: Listening Library 2015. Hardcover by Clarion, 2014 (337 pages).
Source: Library digital resources

Publisher's Blurb:
Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur's knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It's a disaster!
 
Luckily, there's a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who's willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers.
 
But there's a teeny weeny surprise in store...
 
Fourteen fantastically funny stories from master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, full of time travel and tortoises, monsters and mayhem! 

My Review:
I wasn't quite sure if I was going to be disappointed, because these were among Pratchett's earliest published stories, and you know how that can go. I needn't have worried: they were great. Witty, insightful, well-written and also well-read, they were everything I love about Terry Pratchett. The title story is a delightful bit of nonsense...and so are the rest. The Carpet People make their first appearance in these stories, and I'll have to see what he did with them later, because they are wonderful, and their world is beautifully realized.

The stories, especially "The Speck" and some others show an early tendency to the political satire that became Pratchett's hallmark. In these stories it's mild, in part because they were written for a juvenile audience and in part (no doubt) because the writer was himself about 19 at the time. Adults will be entertained by the multiple levels of satire, but children will love the goofiness of many of the stories, so it's good for the family.

Julian Rhind-Tutt does a fantastic job of reading the stories, and his timing as well as his lovely British accent add a lot. I am tempted to say that everyone should listen to the audio version, but then I saw that the print version is illustrated, and if the illustrations are anything like the cover picture, I want to see them, too. So I guess one has to get both. 

My Recommendation:
It occurs to me that this book would be a great family read-aloud, or use the audio book for the long drive to Grandma's for Christmas. You won't be sorry.

FTC Disclosure: I checked Dragons at Crumbling Castle and Other Tales out of my (digital) library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

And if goofiness is something you enjoy, be sure to check out our Ninja Librarian series, including the latest, now available from Amazon and Smashwords, as well as other on-line bookstores. Or order signed copies direct from the author!

 

Middle Grade Monday: The Shadow of Atlantis by Wendy Leighton-Porter

Full disclosure #1: Ms. Leighton-Porter is a fellow BookElf author. That certainly inspired me to read her book, and may have influenced the following review. I believe the review to be fair and honest in any case.

 Title: The Shadow of Atlantis (Shadows from the Past #1)
Author: Wendy Leighton-Porter
Publisher: Mauve Square Publishing, 2012. 232 pages in paperback (I bought the Kindle version).

Summary:
Ten-year-old twins Joe and Jemima Lancelot have lost their parents. They aren't dead, just missing. The twins stumble into a clue in the form of a very old book, and find themselves...in Atlantis. Now they not only need to find clues as to where their parents have gone, but save the people of Atlantis from the coming disaster that will make their city vanish forever. With the help of Max, their Tonkinese cat (though really Max is his own cat, and they are probably his people), and Charlie, the neighbor boy, they tackle all the challenges the book throws at them.


Review:
I have to start by getting one thing out of the way: yes, the premise of the book is a bit reminiscent of the Magic Treehouse books. I mean, a magic book that takes the children off to places far distant in time and space has been done before. But it hasn't been done like this. Maybe it's Max that makes the story so much more interesting for me (well, and the fact that this book is middle grade fiction, not an easy reader). I'm not a big fan of talking animals (actually, given my fondness for Redwall, the Princelings, and Narnia, I guess I am. Just not mixed up with humans). But Max is a real personality, and adds a lot to the story. He provides a bit of something almost adult, but not quite, allowing the children to continue to get into situations that parents wouldn't allow.


The action is quick, the writing solid, and the characters well developed. The children might have had a little more luck talking to adults in Atlantis than is realistic, but that is compensated by the standard density of the adults back home in England. And the book uses a great method for creating the kids-without-parents trope that is definitely useful in children's adventure books: the children are out to rescue the parents, who have made a very bad (and foolish) blunder. I like that table-turning, and wish the children luck in tracking down their wayward parents (because, after all, this is only the beginning of a series...).

It is also fairly clear that the series is going to make good use of history, without the story ever getting bogged down in travel-guide style narration. I'm all in favor of that!

Recommendation:
Best age range is probably 8-10. The children face peril, but there is no violence, and nothing truly scary. The writing is pretty accessible for younger readers, I think, and the story line a little simpler than books aimed at the 10-12 set. Older children may enjoy it however, especially if they have an interest in places like Atlantis, and younger children might find it a great next step after the Magic Treehouse. And anyone who likes to contemplate time travel will enjoy that aspect of the story.

Full Disclosure #2: I bought The Shadow of Atlantis with my own money and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Cover Reveal: Halitor the Hero!

A Fair Maiden who breaks all the rules.

A would-be Hero who fails by the book.

It'll be a fantasy adventure like you never saw...

If they can survive past breakfast!

Halitor has failed at every apprenticeship under the Ice Castle. He figures it’s his last chance when his parents foist him on Bovrell the Bold as an apprentice Hero, and he pores eagerly over the Hero’s Guide to Battles, Rescues and the Slaying of Monsters. But Halitor infuriates his master when he drops his sword, and he gets hopelessly rattled around Fair Maidens. When his master abandons him at an inn in Loria, Halitor is ready to give up and just be a kitchen boy. But Melly, the young kitchen wench, has other ideas. She wants to go find her father, and soon the two are battling monsters and worse on a wild journey to her home. Before they are done, Halitor has learned more than just how to be a Hero.

Available now for pre-order from Amazon Kindle! 

Unfortunately, I am unable to use Amazon for pre-orders of paperback copies. If you would like to pre-order your real, live, concrete copy, please use the "contact me" link above or email Rebecca(dot)Douglass(at)ninjalibrarian(dot)com

Many thanks to Danielle English for the beautiful cover art, as always!