Received from the Goodreads Firstreads Program.

‘And someday, perhaps a story will be written about our adventures, and students will pay two great silver pieces to purchase a copy to learn to read.’ (p. 263)

A young man arrives in a medieval city seeking for crew to hire for his ship. Ilika from Satamia in the region of Nebador as captain of the ship finally found ten young boys and girls suitable for his purposes.
‘I have been training to be a ship’s captain … Now I have my own small ship, and for my final test, I have to find and train my own crew.’ (p. 82)

The narrative proceeds slowly as the growth of a tree, but Colby keeps high the mysterious plot and the reader never puts down the book until the end.

Nebador falls under the genre of young adult books, maybe the old fashioned word Bildungsroman (Formation Novel) could explain what this books are about: usually they tell of psychological growth from youth to adulthood, and teenager are their target.
I recommend Nebador for young adult readers, but I’d like to advise a complementary reading: The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse.

P.S. A brief guide:
Girls: Kibi (16 years old), Buna (14), Mati (13), Neti (15), Sata (11);
Boys: Rini (13), Kodi (12), Toli (19), Miko (16), Boro (14).



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Nebador The Test was an entertaining read full of great characters and a storyline that kept me intrigued. The setting of this story brought to mind the video games Fable and Oblivion added with a group that made me think of The Goonies. This title also had scenes in it that not only put the characters to a test but the readers as well, giving them things to think about within their own lives. With all these great messages to younger readers, I highly recommend this title and I look forward to reading more of the titles in this series myself. ( )

This is one of my favourite books in the Nebador series. Now I have read all five, which have been printed so far. This book is set in the medieval times when slaves were brought and sold at street corners. In walks Ilika from a land far away, Nebador to be precise. He is a captain of a ship which needs a worthy crew, a crew which is smart, ethical and trustworthy - not necessarily strong in the physical sense. Do the noblemen qualify to be his crew? Or the high priests? The answer his no.
Ilika's search leads him to the slaves and after having subjected a group of them to various tests he selects nine. Oh yes, the inn-keepers daughter is the tenth member - after having qualified in the same tests. Of these ten, five will qualify for his crew, the rest will be richly rewarded so that they can start their lives comfortably.
I loved this book.Even as it is set in an entirely different setting and not a business setting, it brought across the basic concepts of ethics, leadership – more importunately situational leadership and the importance of trust within a team.
It is also a book where the value of freedom echoes strongly. The nine slaves selected by Ilika are no longer slaves. There are many poignant moments in this book, such as when their bonds are first cut to their getting their “freedom document”.
The quaint description of the streets in this era, which brought out the stark difference in lifestyle between the rich and the poor, the power of the church made of interesting reading. It also made me think: Has that much really changed?
Aren’t we slaves to our lifestyle today? Or to our jobs? Are holy men above foul deeds? Isn’t politics influenced by religion? You only have to look up newspapers, including Indian newspapers to realize, not much has changed.
Coming back to the book, it is a lovely, interesting read and one of my favourite books. ( )

Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com

Science fiction fans of all ages will enjoy THE TEST, the first in a six-book series, NEBADOR, by J.Z. Colby.

In this book, readers are introduced to Ilika, a young man who has trained for almost half of his life to take a test that will allow him to advance in his chosen career. The first part of his test requires him to choose five companions, and he must seek them in a place unlike anywhere he has been before.

He encounters prejudice, fear, poverty, and friendship in his quest and must learn to accept, overcome, and learn through his experiences. He will teach his companions to challenge the world they know and open themselves to new worlds beyond their imaginations.

Ilika's test challenges the ways that both the characters and readers consider moral, social, and psychological issues. Colby skillfully combines story with critical thinking puzzles and deeper questions about not only Ilika's fictional world but the real world that surrounds his readers.

In a supplement to the novels, Colby has also created a volume of "Deep Learning Notes" to go along with the books. The set would be a useful addition to any advanced middle school or high school classroom's science fiction unit. ( )

Nebador The Test Book one is a Science Fiction Adventure which begins with Ilika who goes to a medival kingdom seeking five persons as a crew for his mysterious ship. Going into an unfamiliar country he is able to bargain effectively with the slavetraders to select the persons that he wants. Having in mind the specific characteristics of the crew he so desires, he implements a number of rigorous test which leaves him with ten persons from which he must choose five for the journey he has in mind. In order to select the five persons he now has to educate these ten persons.
The language of the book because of its simplicity is easy and encouraging to read.The imagery allows you to feel and to picture not just the persons being described but the relationships that are portrayed. The initial formation of a relationship built on trust between Ilika and his crew is seen during the first test.Ilika is portrayed as a very compassionate person who values persons not because of who they are or what they look like but what is found deep within them. Their ability to be who they are inspite of their circumstances.Therefore he is not daunted by the fact that his crew has to selected from among slaves.
flag Apr 14, 2011 | edit | | ( )