Victor Kelleher

A young boy Quen is tasked by his mother to journey into the great forest Thual, to save the Ten Villages from the domination of the pitiless Mollag.

I re-read this book after decades. Kelleher's fantasy worlds stand up, because the protagonists make choices that aren't always the best ones, and deal with the consequences. This story particularly is about changing one's frame of mind. Although the Forest of Thual is vast and the merciless Mollag are always hunting Quen, through several trying show more episodes (I had forgotten some details such as the Alan Garner -like Tunnel of Black Water, a squirmy and uncomfortable underground section), his journey is as much an inner one. He learns the nature of the forest, atones for killing within it and eventually achieves his goal of meeting the Wise Ones. That meeting leads to further choices and a powerful -- too powerful -- acquisition of the Eye of Desire. show less

A fascinating post-post-apocolyptic YA book (before YA was even a thing) set in Sydney, Australia. "Taronga" follows the journey of Ben (a young man who has a psychic connections to animals) as he attempts to find his place in the new world. Ben eventually makes his way to the old Taronga Park Zoo, where his connection with Ellie, an aboriginal girl, and the animals, give him hope in his otherwise bleak existence.

I really enjoyed the book and loved the retro eighties feel - the cover of my show more book is a "Ken Done" illustration, and if you took the path taken by Ben from the Blue Mountains, through Windsor and into Sydney these days, there'd be very little bush and loads of outer suburban housing - ain't progress grand! show less

Jamie comes from a family of "channellers" ; people who are able to "live" the past lives of people in history just by touching an object that they held important. Jamie does not want to join the family trade as he has found the whole experience of re-living another person's life unnerving and upsetting. For his twin sister Gemma, however, the experience is more rewarding and so eventually, he is lured by her into a number of past experiences until he can find his spirit guide. All of show more Jamie's channelling revolves around a piece of ivory carved into the shape of an elephant - from being a young slave driver in Africa, to a plantation owner in India who fights a tiger, to the poor half brother of a landlord, to a runaway orphan in the bush in Australia - it is always the ivory statue that binds the past lives. Interesting novel that lacks a bit in the modern plot but is wonderful in the descriptions of the past. Students will particularly like the part where he is chased by a tiger through the Indian jungle after it attacks his elephant. p.125 "That was when the tiger struck..." to p.133 show less

This is a fast-paced fantasy, that despite being originally published in 1979, should appeal to today's young readers. It probably deserves 4 stars, but Quen, the main character, had a tendency to make some rather foolish mistakes that got on my nerves somewhat. However, this does add to the drama, and how Quen overcomes both his flaws and the terrible enemy his people are facing, makes an exciting story.