Song of the Gargoyle

A great adventure for emerging middle grade readers and anybody as fans of this author's oeuvre. The story was well-paced and the main character (13 year-old Tymmon) relatable as a fugitive on the run by the end of the opening chapter, when his father is abducted.

While the escape and return is anticipated (at least by adult readers), suspense plus surprising twists and turns, keep the story intriguing. Happily, there was no sense of a tired old trope and yet, the plot is a familiar one with Snyder's expert touch to create a special touch of otherness.

As an adult reader, I enjoyed the small escapades the young adventurer thought up to defend himself, keep safe, and to find food. Troff, the creature who befriends Tymmon, was a marvellous show more addition to the story. For the younger readers, I wondered if there were prolonged descriptions they might not appreciate and instead want to zoom madly on to see "what happens next". Those descriptive interludes added to the visual sense of the plot which I hugely enjoyed. If you or your younger readers enjoyed any of the Stanley Family series which ZKS wrote, Song of the Gargoyle is sure not to disappoint. show less

Top right cover has damage on the edge. Bottom right is dog-eared.Right edge of cover is damaged.

We-written but disappointing. It felt like there should have been at least another 100 pages to the book. Like the author spent so much time in the beginning and middle (till nearly the lst 30 pages) talking about Tymmon's journey then said, Oops, the publisher said this should only be about 200 pages. It felt incomplete and tied up far too quickly, It jumped from Tymmon finally finding his father to after they are settled and living the life at the castle and honored by the king and all is right with the world. The lst bit was all telling and no showing.

Sigh.

I think this is probably Snyder's most successful book since her heyday of the late '60s and early '70s, which is unusual, because it's also one of her very rare forays into true fantasy (as opposed to her more common fantasy-tinged realistic stories). It's also unusual in that the book follows a pretty traditional adventure plot - a boy escaping his father's captors and trying to survive - without taking on any popular young adult "issues."

That doesn't stop Snyder from her trademark examinations of childhood fears and concerns, though, especially those surrounding a child's understanding of a seemingly "weak" parent. Add to that the fun and imagination of Snyder's faux medieval world, where gargoyles might just come to life, and you show more have a very solid and enjoyable novel perfect for any 10- or 11-year-old. show less

This is the most charming book I've read in quite some time. I loved Snyder's The Egypt Game and Libby On Wednesdays as a kid and enjoyed this book as an adult. Set in an anonymous (though rather European) medieval world, it features endearing characters, tense escape and action scenes, and a very adult portrayal of politics and social commentary for anyone willing to look for such. I'm not going to say anything else about it, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might one day read it.

I love Zilpha! And I love this book! A young boy goes out into the world with his "dog" and rescues his father from the dungeon without bloodshed -- what is not to love? Brings back happy memories of when the boys were little.

Fun enough little adventure, but without Snyder's magic touch. ?áI prefer Adam of the Road, which is more historical, less fantastical.