Warriors of the Black Shroud

November 15, 2011
This fast-paced fantasy novel begins with a nerdy boy reading in his refrigerator-box hideout, only to be whisked off to a kingdom filled with beauty and magic. When 11-year-old Walker Watson meets red-headed, sword-bearing Prince Edward, he discovers that in the Kingdom of Nebula, "We live in light but we don't forget that the dark is always present just the other side of the walls, and it could take over at any moment." When the Warriors of the Black Shroud and their evil master strike Nebula, the reluctant Walker, his only friend Frances (a.k.a. Frankie) and Prince Edward take action. With the exception of the three young people, characters develop only enough to make sense within the plot and drive the action. This book falls into the traditional category of good-against-evil battles in which "elders have to be taught by children"; the explicit use of "Chosen One" to describe, well, the Chosen One further wedges it into its genre niche. Well-worn tropes aside, the climax and resolution have just enough surprise to satisfy readers. This attractive world (warriors ride unicorns!) and likable characters--boy heroes with a strong girl sidekick--will give fledgling readers of fantasy a treat. (Fantasy. 8-11)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-A boy with a scar on his face who has no idea of his magical potential or his identity as "the Chosen One"; a smart, talkative girl; a long-playing battle between good and evil. No, it's not that book. Not even close. Eleven-year-old Walker is typical bully bait-he reads, hangs out with his mom, and has that weird scar. He's not interested in accompanying a strange kid named Eddie to a place he's never heard of. But he does. Nebula is some kind of otherworld that is completely dark, except for the light of the Source, which provides energy for everyone there, except the evil bad guys, who have been plotting to take over for a very long time. Spies are uncovered, battles with unicorns and dragons are fought, and politics are played. When the king is killed, Walker is supposed to take over, but ultimately, it is Eddie who proves his bravery and gets his Chosen status returned. And the girl? Don't ask. There is some violence but it is remarkably bloodless (the king seems to be the only true victim). The writing is serviceable, the characters are pretty flat, and in a crowded marketplace of fantasy, this one does not stand out.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2012
Grades 4-7 Slapping together an assortment of well-worn devices and character types from the fantasist's toolkit, Howe transports a bookish 11-year-old lad from this world to save the glowing land of Nebula, which is surrounded and threatened by the evil Black Count and his Diabolonian army. Repeatedly accosted by Eddie, an insistent emissary sporting a fedora, a Red Sox jacket, and a magic sword, Walker reluctantly comes to accept that the star-shaped birthmark on his cheek means that he has been designated as a Chosen One destined to be king. Walker hardly has time for a quick tour of Nebula, though, before he and his aggressively extroverted new friend, Frankie, are swept into a desperate mission to search sunless, desolate Diabolonia for allies and then call on the local unicorns, dragons, and other animals to do battle with the blind but powerful invaders. Genre fans will be unsurprised to discover that all ends wellor at least well enough for an opening episode; the Black Count's escape paves the way for sequels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)