![]() ![]() Alexa is travelling by horse drawn vehicle with her father who is one of a triumvirate administering the towns of Lunenburg, Lathbury and Bridewell, which make up the "kingdom" of Elyon. Young readers, however, will probably not pick up on such words as clues to another level of meaning but will accept the story at face value.Ĭarman begins in medias res, spinning his tale through the heart and mind of Alexa Daley, a strong female protagonist, 12-years-old. ![]() ![]() "Lunenburg" made me wonder about a Nova Scotia setting for a while until I realized that I was mistaken. "Bridewell" echoes Thomas Hardy and Evelyn Waugh. Moveable type is available in this culture which has the wheel, but not the internal combustion engine. ![]() There are some new elements: jewels in cat collars provide clues, and convicts are the source of fear in the kingdom of Elyon.Ĭertain elements suggest to this adult reader that Elyon exists somewhere in the "New World," in the northern hemisphere, in the 1600s. A decoding stone found in a forest pool, hidden letters, and talking animals-all add to the magic. Carman presses all the time-tested buttons to create a suspenseful tale. So says Anders the grizzly bear, king of the forest, in Patrick Carman's fantasy novel. The monster is not the collection of criminals who live in the Dark Hills. New York, NY: Orchard Books (Distributed in Canada by Scholastic Canada), 2005. ![]()
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