| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Childrens Books |
| Author: | Matt Forbeck |
"Secret of the Spirit Keeper" is the first Dungeons and Dragons series written for children ages 8 to twelve years old. The book is available at National Bookstore and Powerbooks. I found this copy a few weeks ago in the "50% off" sales bin during the store's sale. Being a fan of the Dungeons and Dragons game, I bought the book and finished it the following day.
Basically, the series revolves around three young heroes as they discover the secrets of their town, Curston. We have Kellach (a teen-age wizard's apprentice), Driskoll (Kellach's younger brother), and Moyra (a street-smart girl and daughter of the town's most notorious rogue). The three of them meet some of Curston's more interesting residents and uncover their town's unique history.
In the first book, the three heroes figure out the mysterious death of Kellach's teacher, the Wizard Zendric. Kellach vows to find the people responsible for his master's death. He and his friends travel all over Curston, looking for clues. When they realized that Zendric could still be saved, they even ventured out into the nearby ruins, hoping to find something that would help them revive the old wizard.
This book is obviously the first in a series, since it establishes the characters and the town, leaving a lot of open-ended questions. The town of Curston is located near a ruined dungeon that has a mysterious past. The wizard Zendric and the Knights of the Silver Dragon were tasked to protect the town from the monsters that lurked in the ruins, and make sure that the "evil" inside the dungeons were kept locked up. The story of Moyra and her father is also another element that was left hanging, what crime did Moyra's father commit? Why is he in prison? What does he know about the ruins and Zendric?
What made me enjoy reading the book was the nostalgic feeling it evoked on me. I remembered the early days when I started playing Dungeons and Dragons. The story of these three kids reminded me of my early games with my friends. The book captured the feel of other old games, adventuring in a town, fighting monsters, and exploring an underground dungeon.
Matt Forbeck did a good work in balancing the action and mystery in the story. The three protagonists are interesting -- with realistic motivations and fears that normal kids of their age would experience. I like the way the three of them would talk, much like normal kids would argue and fight over certain issues. The front and interior illustrations (by Emily Fiegenshuh) also add an "manga insipired" imagery and wonder to the story.
Overall, I would recommend this book for kids who love to real fantasy. The chapters are equally divided into several pages, with minimal graphic violence. So far the local bookstores are selling up to book six of the series, but as far as I know, there are already twelve books out in the market. I think this series would make an interesting collection for fantasy readers and collectors of young adult literature.
Basically, the series revolves around three young heroes as they discover the secrets of their town, Curston. We have Kellach (a teen-age wizard's apprentice), Driskoll (Kellach's younger brother), and Moyra (a street-smart girl and daughter of the town's most notorious rogue). The three of them meet some of Curston's more interesting residents and uncover their town's unique history.
In the first book, the three heroes figure out the mysterious death of Kellach's teacher, the Wizard Zendric. Kellach vows to find the people responsible for his master's death. He and his friends travel all over Curston, looking for clues. When they realized that Zendric could still be saved, they even ventured out into the nearby ruins, hoping to find something that would help them revive the old wizard.
This book is obviously the first in a series, since it establishes the characters and the town, leaving a lot of open-ended questions. The town of Curston is located near a ruined dungeon that has a mysterious past. The wizard Zendric and the Knights of the Silver Dragon were tasked to protect the town from the monsters that lurked in the ruins, and make sure that the "evil" inside the dungeons were kept locked up. The story of Moyra and her father is also another element that was left hanging, what crime did Moyra's father commit? Why is he in prison? What does he know about the ruins and Zendric?
What made me enjoy reading the book was the nostalgic feeling it evoked on me. I remembered the early days when I started playing Dungeons and Dragons. The story of these three kids reminded me of my early games with my friends. The book captured the feel of other old games, adventuring in a town, fighting monsters, and exploring an underground dungeon.
Matt Forbeck did a good work in balancing the action and mystery in the story. The three protagonists are interesting -- with realistic motivations and fears that normal kids of their age would experience. I like the way the three of them would talk, much like normal kids would argue and fight over certain issues. The front and interior illustrations (by Emily Fiegenshuh) also add an "manga insipired" imagery and wonder to the story.
Overall, I would recommend this book for kids who love to real fantasy. The chapters are equally divided into several pages, with minimal graphic violence. So far the local bookstores are selling up to book six of the series, but as far as I know, there are already twelve books out in the market. I think this series would make an interesting collection for fantasy readers and collectors of young adult literature.
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