![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() No one knows his parentage, and the theory is that ravens pecked out his eyes as a baby. Auxier, give us more! In this fantasy novel, we meet Peter Nimble as a thief working on behalf of his harsh master. There’s another striking Narnia reference at the end, but I don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun.Īll in all, this is just what a great children’s fantasy novel should be–or, the very, very good start. It calls to mind Pinocchio (dogfish anyone? the notion of a “real boy” finally at the end), great battles in which the underdogs miraculously triumph (Helms Deep comes to mind), Peter Pan (not the least of which reminders include a prominent fishhook in action and the title character’s name), Oliver Twist (poor chap taken in by master thief), anthropomorphic animals with noble or ignoble hearts (too many to name here, but the feel of Narnia comes to mind),…. That being said, there is a lot to love in this quirky fantasy novel. I think it’s a touch long–especially the first half, and I also had trouble buying into blind Peter’s prowess at being able to navigate a strange castle in the midst of a battle–skilled though he was at sensing events and landscapes around him. Auxier must have grown up reading the greats–there is much in this book that reminds me of wonderfully told tales, great authors, and wildly inventive persons/places/things. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |