The Grave Robber's Apprentice

February 6, 2012
Stratton (Borderline) invokes Shakes-pearean themes and influences to offer a fast-paced, entertaining historical fantasy. Found adrift in a wooden chest as a baby, Hans was adopted by the notorious grave robber Knobbe the Bent; at 13, he is chafing at the gruesome business of stealing from the dead. Angela is a teenage countess with a passion for puppetry and plays, who is unwillingly promised to the evil archduke Arnulf. Her plan to escape his clutches causes her to join forces with Hans, as they flee from the archduke and the wicked Necromancer. What they find are a band of reclusive monks with a secret, a family of traveling performers and their trained bears, and a group of unusually talented outlaws. As identities are revealed and prophecies fulfilled, it all comes down to some clever stage work to confront the archduke once and for all. While the target audience is likely to anticipate some of the twists, this clever tale hits all the right notes. It has the feel of a classic adventure story without rehashing overly familiar elements. Ages 10–up.

January 15, 2012
Stratton shows impressive versatility in a shift away from his intense teen fare--Chanda's Secrets (2004), Borderline (2010)--to a playfully dramatic adventure with swashbuckling kids, mountain hermits, avalanche sledding and circus bears. Infant Hans washes ashore in a wooden chest and is adopted by "a stumpy man of lumps and bumps"--a grave robber. Knobbe raises Hans to follow in his footsteps, though Hans can't see the honor in it as much as the immorality and ickiness. Nearby, countess Angela (almost 13, like Hans) lives in a castle, developing high-level skill at dramatic play and marionettes. Skirting a forced marriage to corrupt Archduke Arnulf, Angela procures a potion from the sinister local Necromancer to make herself seem dead; she'll be buried until Arnulf departs, then her parents will unbury her. But the Necromancer informs Arnulf, who kidnaps the parents, leaving Angela stuck in the coffin--until Hans unknowingly breaks in. Together they dodge peril and discover colorful comrades from forest to dungeon across the archduchy. Stratton's prose is artistic, clever and funny as it shows that even the oldest tropes can feel fresh and cheeky and that wisdom fits fine next to grossouts like poop buckets. The only blot is the Necromancer's blindness as a symbol of creepy evil. It's fun all the way as wit, daring and theatrical skills restore the archduchy. (Fantasy. 10-13)

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March 1, 2012

Gr 5-8-Hans is a grave robber in training. He's been in training his whole life, ever since his adopted father found him floating in a chest at the seaside. The problem is that Hans doesn't like his work. He'd much rather sit and stare at the young countess in the nearby castle. Angela Gabriela von Schwanenberg would much rather perform her puppet plays around the world than be a "young lady" and married off as soon as she turns 13. Then the archduke sends for her and informs her that they will marry or he'll kill her family. She comes up with a plan to avoid this fate, which results in Angela and Hans both on the run. It also starts a domino effect that leads to a confrontation with the evil archduke that will either save the kingdom or cost them their lives. The story is a tad predictable but a fun read nonetheless. Savvy readers will quickly figure out Hans's parentage, but fans of fantasy and suspense will still enjoy watching as the details unfold.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2012
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* A lad who is unaware of his royal heritage. A young countess, arrogant yet remarkably brave. A deadly and despicable ruler. An evil underworldly characterwell, let's make that really, really evilwho might show up in readers' dreams. This cast of characters is not very out of the ordinary in fantasy novels. But in Stratton's capable hands, they leap from the pages (not literally, of course, but almost) and appear fascinatingly fresh. Hans is washed up on shore as a babe in a royal-crested box. Taken in by a grave robber, he learns the trade, though he looks longingly at Angela, Countess von Schwanenberg, whose passion is puppet theater. Then, suddenly, Angela is pulled from her royal world when Archduke Arnulf comes to claim her for his latest bride. And you can guess what happens to his brides. To save herself, Angela finds the Necromancer, an eyeless, hairless, rotting wraith, who is not her best hope, as it turns out. And so the adventure begins. Hans and Angela begin their quest and along the way find hermits, dancing bears, dastardly children, treachery, and friendship. Stratton tells it all in language as rollicking as a song, with almost as many amusing moments as there are heart-stopping ones. He also slips in some important messages: the power of imagination; the redeeming quality of kindness; and no matter how dire the straits, the need to believe in happy endings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)