The Hunchback Assignments- Arthur Slade

Saskatoon author, Art Slade, once again shows his versatility in The Hunchback Assignments. Of the steampunk genre, unfamiliar to me, this story embraces the elements of fantastical, historical and intrigue. Modo, once a curiosity at a travelling show, is taken in by Mr. Socrates, aware of the child’s ability to transform his features. After 12 years of being trained and sheltered, he is abruptly abandoned on the streets of London. There, Modo must use every skill he possesses to survive, and yet to disguise his disfiguring appearance. Having set himself up as a private sleuth, he is one day approached and hired by the mysterious and lovely Octavia. With Mr. Socrates back in the picture, Modo attempts to unravel a chain of events which leads them to London’s underworld and to the revelation of a sinister plot by the mad scientist, Mr. Hyde.

At intervals, we are given glimpses into the world and cruelties of Mr. Hyde; providing us with just the right amount of suspense and horror. I would highly recommend this for readers from grade 6 right through high school. I trust there will be a sequel because we will want to know what happens to Modo next.

The Prince of Neither Here Nor There- Sean Cullen

Yes!! A new, excellent Canadian fantasy series. This first novel in the series, The Prince of Neither Here Nor There will take its place with the best of fantasy anywhere. Brendan is the typical high school misfit, with all the awkwardness and pimples of many adolescents. He is fortunate to have a few good friends, including Kim who seems to hang out with them even though she’s one of the cool ones. When some unusual episodes convince him he is not just geeky, but is also losing his mind, Brenden knows he needs to find out more about himself. Kim, and an odd substitute teacher, seem to be keeping an eye on him, which makes no sense. Eventually, he finds out that he is actually a faerie, who has been left in the human world for reasons he doesn’t understand. So the adventure begins! As per usual, there are those Faeries who want to turn him to their own vile purpose and those who want him to realize his full potential. Lots of action, chases, escapes, and original characters have you cheering for Bendan as he has to find for himself where he truly belongs. This will be great for your Grade 7 readers right through high school

Half World- Hiromi Goto

Half World is a most unique blend of fantasy and horror. I wonder what dreams may come of reading such a novel. It deals with the three realms of Flesh, Spirit and Half World. Normally, these worlds are in balance but something has gone amiss, and Half World is keeping people captive, to relive over and over again their greatest pain. It is ruled by a ghastly creature, Mr. Glueskin. Melanie is the daughter of a couple who miraculously conceived in Half World. Melanie’s mother is able to cross the chasm into the Realm of Flesh with her unborn child. The cost of that crossing is huge.

In the Realm of Flesh, Melanie’s mother is barely able to exist. Melanie herself is an outcast and lonely. One day, she comes home to find her mother has left for Half World at the call of Mr. Glueskin. Here is where it really becomes bizarre. Melanie is helped by an elderly woman to find the tunnel to follow her mother. She is given an amulet which changes to Jade Rat who is there to help Melanie. Melanie’s task is to rescue her mother, defeat Mr. Glueskin and bring the realms back into harmony again. Quite a task for an unskilled fourteen year old girl. The creatures she meets in this other world are beyond my description- you have to read the book to truly be able to appreciate them. This is not a book for the faint-hearted; I would expect that your readers would need to be quite mature and capable.

The Broken Thread- Linda Smith

Being a great fan of the Tales of Three Lands trilogy, I looked forward to reading this novel but was saddened to find that the author passed away in 2007. The Broken Thread encompasses all that good fantasy should embrace. It has excellent character development, an amazing and believable world, and a great problem to solve which demands much of the protagonist. When Alina finally is called to be a weaver on the Isle of Weaving, she knows she is fulfilling her destiny. Allowed for the first time in the weaving room, she sees a broken thread and uses a strand of her own hair to effect a repair, without any idea of the disastrous set of events it would set in motion. That simple change meant that the past would be changed and it was vital for Alina to go back to that time and set things right. When she actually came to understand what was needed in order to do that, she had to make some painful decisions. I wish so much there was a sequel to this book as Alina’s life would be so interesting to follow. The small body of work by this author deserves a place on shelves and hearts everywhere.

This has been nominated for the 2009 Snow Willow awards.

Urchin of the Riding Stars- M.I. McAllister

First in the Mistmantle Chronicles, Urchin of the Riding Stars is a delightful animal fantasy book which would appeal to competent readers from grade four right through to at least grade eight. Reminding me very much of a younger version of the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, this series focuses on life in Mismantle where events have pretty much moved along peacefully for some time. But times are changing, and Lord Husk and Lady Aspen are determined to find a way to depose the king and take over the rule of the kingdom. Framing Captain Crispin for the murder of the king’s young son, and banishing him from the kingdom, seems to be a good start. But they have not accounted for Urchin, an unusual squirrel with an uncertain background, who has arrived in Mistmantle by falling through the stars, fulfilling one of the prophecies. Urchin, loyal, fearless, and trustworthy, along with other of the animal races are able to thwart the evil Husk’s plans. All’s well but with a sequel , you know that only more adventure lies ahead for Urchin and his colleagues.

This was referred to me by a parent at my school, and is indeed, an excellent recommend for your fanatsy lovers. Hopefully, it will lead some of them to Watership Down in future years, one of the best animal fantasy books ever written.

The Magician- Michael Scott

The Magician, second of The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel, is every bit an intriguing read as the first. I frequently read only the first of a series for review and recommendation purposes, but some books draw me in and this is true of this series. In The Alchemyst, the twins become aware of their great powers and, indeed, Sophie’s powers are hastily awakened, while Josh’s lay dormant.

This sequel takes us from California to Paris, where Machiavelli becomes a dominant character along with Dr. Dee. Nicholas and Petrenelle (still imprisoned on Alcatraz) are ageing rapidly without the book of Abraham the Mage, and Josh becomes increasingly frustrated with Sophie’s burgeoning powers and his lack of them. Paris is home to Comte de Saint-Germain who is the one person who can teach Sophie Fire Magic, the second of the elemental magics. But will they be in time? And will Scatty recover from her encounter with the Nidhogg? And will Josh be satisfied with the awakened powers bestowed on him? And will Petrenelle be able to outwit the Sphinx, her gaoler, and regain her power? Well, obviously! This is fantasy! On the other hand, there are enough fantastical creatures in here from mythology, to have you quaking in your boots. The Sorceress, next in the series, will be on my ‘to read’ list as well.

The Time Thief- Linda Buckley-Archer

Second in The Gideon Trilogy, The Time Thief does not disappoint. Peter has been left behind in the 1700’s; Kate is home but desperate to find a way to go back for Peter. But she encounters some unexpected obstacles from her father and Dr. Pirretti, who are terrified of the ramifications of time travel. So Kate has to take matters into her own hands, and she does so, with the help of Peter’s father, Mr. Schock. Arriving back in the 1700’s, they are dismayed to find that someone has adjusted the setting on the anti-gravity machine, and the time they have arrived in is thirty years later. When Peter discovers them, he withholds from them the truth of who he really is, with the belief that they have come back to rescue 12 year-old Peter, not a contemporary of his own father. A very interesting look on what it might be like to be your own age and meet one of your children at the same age.

If that isn’t intriguing enough, we also continue to follow the exploits of the Tar Man in modern day London. Although we might not be too surprised by the findings of the 1700’s by Kate and Mr. Schock, it is truly an adventure to see the modern century through the eyes of someone who has been thrust from that time period into our own. Thankfully, this is just a trilogy. I am not usually a fan of series that go on and on. Don’t tell anyone, but I never did get further than the first three of the Harry Potter books. They did not draw me quite like these do. Ah well, someday! The statement on the cover of these novels suggest they might be good recommends for the Harry Potter fans. I believe they are masterful fantasy and will find many fans in our middle years readers right through high school. Adults. a fun choice for us as well.

The Spellgrinder’s Apprentice- N.M. Browne

Sometimes I wait a little too long with a review and some of the books begin to blur a little. So I had to re-visit this briefly to jog my ageing memory. The Spellgrinder’s Apprentice is a very unique fantasy offering. Orpahned Tommo has been apprenticed to grind spellstones, which can offer great magical powers. Unfortunately, the apprentices themselves have a thankless task; the work is hard, the food is poor, and the health risks enormous. When Tommo has an opportunity, he makes his escape. The chance of his success is almost non-existent, until he meets Akenna, who grudgingly provides him with some help. It becomes clear that Akenna is also more than she seems; although she is totally unaware of her potential. When Tommo claims sanctuary, which allows him a brief and unlikely time frame to escape, it draws the interest of Fallon, despotic ruler of the land. His keen interest in capturing Tommo also gives rise to the belief that there is more afoot than readily meets the eye. With lots of unusual characters, not least of which are the flock of birds with human faces, this is quite engaging. I believe this might be suitable for your fairly strong fantasy readers and that it might need a little tenacity to begin; but once embroiled in the story, it becomes a saga of mystery and intrigue.

Victory- Susan Cooper

Finally, I figured out how to insert a picture again- thanks, Jennifer. I think it’s so much nicer to have a visual for the book you’re reading about.

Victory is another outstanding novel by Susan Cooper, well-known author of The Dark is Rising sequence. True to form, there is always a fantastical twist to her stories and this is no exception. The story follows the lives of two eleven-year old children, but that is where the similarity ends. Sam Robbins is an 1800’s farm boy who has been pressed to serve in the navy, along with his uncle. Treated like a slave with little hope of escape, Sam gradually discovers in himself a love for the sea and becomes part of the great Battle of Trafalgar, where Lord Nelson meets his demise. The story is first person and past tense. We are also a part of Molly’s world, two hundred years later. This is told in present tense and third person narrative. This will enable readers to transition between the parallel plot lines most readily. Although there seems to be no likely connection between these two characters, Cooper gradually brings their lives closer together through Molly’s unusual interest in HMS Victory and an old book, The Life of Nelson, discovered in a quaint bookstore! I wonder just how much that bookstore owner really knew! The connection she feels becomes even stronger when she finds a piece of the flag left in a secret hiding place in the book. Molly is facing her own trials; her life having been uprooted from her home in England to America. Sam, of course, is focused on survival. Cooper seamlessly weaves the stories together and effortlessly leads you to the meshing of stories. This novel combines the genres of fantasy with a solid foundation in historical fiction- one of my favourite blends! This would suit adventure loving boys, history lovers and girls who are struggling with their own life’s circumstances. An excellent and highly recommended read! I am quite tempted to go back and read The Dark is Rising series all over again!

The Time Travelers- Linda Buckley-Archer

The Time Travelers is the first of a series called The Gideon Trilogy. The cover suggests that it is for “kids who love Harry Potter.” Although it certainly falls into the fantasy category, there is not really a lot to compare. Nonetheless, this is once again a well-written, interesting fantasy. Pete and Kate, recent acquaintances, are propelled back in time to England of 1763 through an antigravity machine that Kate’s father has been working on. There they are befriended and cared for by Gideon, sometime cutpurse turned honest. Even more terrifying than being swept back into a world which is barely recognizable, is the fact that the notorious Tar Man has their gravity machine and wants to make a deal with them for it. As Pete and Kate travel across England with Gideon and some other very interesting characters, they meet up with adventures you might expect in an England of lawless times. I believe this author has done her research well; the language. the clothing, the characterization has a ring of authenticity. It becomes more intriguing as Pete and Kate discover they can “fade” back to their own world where they appear ghost-like in outlandish costume. Although Kate’s father begins to recognize what has happened, he and his colleagues deem it wise not to release what they believe is happening, much to the annoyance of the inspector in charge of the case.

Again, this is a novel that I found most engaging and would likely appeal to readers from about grade 5 and up. High school fantasy readers might also find themselves engrossed in this tale. Indeed, once again, I will be interested in continuing this series for my own reading pleasure.