Seven Sorcerers by Caro King
Quercus, 2009.
(Age 10+)
Nin had never liked Wednesdays, but this one was terrible. When
she woke
up she discovered that her brother Toby had disappeared. No one else
remembered
him and none of his belongings existed either. She remembered him being
afraid
of the Bogeyman that he thought was lurking in the corner of the
cellar. When
she found his Monkey toy discarded under
a tree in the garden she knew that he had been taken. Eyes seem to
follow her
and then the worse happened, Skerridge the Bogeyman, tried to take her
and
erased all the memories of Nin from her family and friends. Determined
to
rescue Toby and aided by Jonas a boy from the Drift, a strange land
where
everything seems to be dying, Nin set out on a dangerous quest out to
find him.
What child hasn't imagined monsters hiding in
closets and
dark corners, or thought of skeletons rising out of graves? King has
peopled
her world with a frightening array of fantastic and terrible creatures,
many
drawn from the stuff of these nightmares and childhood fears. Nin has
to face
the tombfolk, mudmen, Gabriel hounds, not to mention Mr Strood and the
Terrible
House where all the stolen children are given to Strood's Death to eat.
The
plot is action packed and the suspense is built up really well as Nin
and her
companions face one adversary after another on their perilous journey
to find
Toby and discover what had happened to the Seven Sorcerers who once
lived in
the land.
King has made her characters come alive. Nin is
always
steadfast and loyal. Almost single minded in her determination to find
her
brother, she still comes to the rescue of Jonas in an amazing feat
against the
Gabriel Hounds and ensures that the mudman, Jik, is kept alive.
Skerridge the
Bogeyman, is a terrific character and provides many touches of
humour that helps to relieve the tension of
the scary adventures that occur. The author also uses him to provide
much of
the background of the alternative world that Nin has found herself in.
Jik the mudman with his strange vocabulary is
a memorable invention. Black and white illustrations of Nin, Jonas, Jik
and
Skerridge give an extra dimension to the characters.
With its combination of fast paced plot and a
wonderfully
inventive, magical world, King has written a story that is clever,
scary and
memorable. It can be read as a stand alone as it comes to a satisfying
conclusion. Readers who enjoyed it will be happy to know that on the
spine, it
says Book one, and will look forward to further adventures of Nin and
her
little band.
Pat Pledger