I liked this book. I've always enjoyed Lloyd Alexander, but I really like this series. Now I have to get the second book of the series, The Kestrel, before I can continue reading. SIGH ( )

A young man gets caught up in his country's political situation after soldiers destroy his livelihood.

Why had I never read this before? Why had I never even considered reading it? I've been a big fan of Lloyd Alexander's for almost fifteen years. I've loved everything of his I've read. And yet, I somehow missed out on most of his bibliography. Huh.

I wish I'd read this fifteen years ago, but I'm not sure I would have appreciated it then. Alexander does some fantastic things with this story. He packs in tons of commentary on right and wrong, justifiable and inexcusable. Each of these characters has differing views on what is and is not appropriate, both on a personal level and on a political level, and it's difficult to say who's really right. Everyone gets plenty of opportunities to defend their stance, and everyone has valid points. The book really challenges the reader to think about where these people are coming from and how s/he would act in their place.

And on top of that, it's just a good story. The plot is a bit unconventional, but I didn't find that this detracted from the story. Rather, it enhanced the issues Theo dealt with and helped make his choices clearer. The twists and turns were also set up very nicely; unfortunately, I had the final surprise spoiled for me by some ill-considered blurb reading, but I still found it interesting to see how Alexander laid out all the clues.

The book is teeny-tiny, (184 pages in the hardcover edition), but I found that it had the same impact as something much longer. I highly recommend it to those who like their children's literature with a bit more of a punch. ( )

The first book in a trilogy, this follows young Theo, a printers apprentice, and an assortment of misfits and rebels, as they conspire against the government.

This is an insightful and nuanced series about political rebellion, power, war and the fallible humanity of people caught in the middle. ( )

Lloyd Alexander is a beautiful, magical writer that produced a great body of work. This fantasy series does not feature magic, rather a civil uprising in the fictional country of Westmark. As in all Alexander books, preconceptions are formed and then challenged, and the characters are full of contradictions great depth. ( )

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