Arthur and the Forbidden City

This sequel to Arthur and the Minimoys is still a Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets The Secret of Nimh with a smidge of Indiana Jones conglomeration, and I rather like that about it. In this book, we pick up right where the first one left off and we get answers to all the questions left unanswered before -- Will they make it to the Forbidden City? Will they be able to stop the evil M, the cursed? Will Arthur get the treasure back before the cruel Mr. Davido boots his grandma out of her house? We also find out just how vile Maltazard is, we get a look at the Necropolis and of course, the lair of the evil villain. The author is also still parrelling the plight of the Grandmother and Mr. Davido with that of Princess Selenia and her people show more against M. These are the stark good vs. evil kind of stories where you just KNOW the good guys are going to win in the end...but you still find yourself watching because you HAVE to know HOW they do it and how it all plays out in the end.

In the second half we find Arthur married to the princess...a bit surprising since he's ten...but ok. We also get to meet Arthur's parents who are, well, more interested in finding the rubies than the are in finding their son. In fact, other than voicing their concern they don't seem to care at all but that does seem to be the pattern in the child hero/adventure type stories...the parents are either absent (dead) or indifferent (caring more about stuff or work than about their children). This is a convenient plot device which frees the child to be bolder and more heroic than they might otherwise be allowed to, but with suspension of disbelief, readers can disconnect from what is illogical with regards to a ten year old saving the world (Indiana Jones style) and just enjoy the story for what it is!

Overall...this isn't great literature; it's just plain old fun reading. The story is easy to follow, the good guys are all good (and likeable even) the bad guys are all totally evil and the parallel story line between the "real" world (the M, the Cursed and Mr. Davido) and the world of the Minimoys adds a nice second layer to the story. This book would make nice light reading for a couple of nights for readers aged 8-12...nothing too taxing, but highly entertaining for a few hours! I give it four stars. show less

In this sequel to, or more properly continuation of, Arthur and the Minimoys, Arthur, whose grandfather Archibald had disappeared some four years earlier and whose grandmother is now in danger of losing their home to Mr. Davido because she can’t pay the mortgage, has been reduced in size so that he can journey underground to the land of the Minimoys in hopes of rescuing his grandfather and finding the jewels which Archibald had hidden in the garden so that the mortgage can be paid. The Minimoy king, Sifrat de Matradoy, has sent his daughter, Princes Selenia, and son, Prince Betameche, with Arthur to defeat the evil wizard Malthazard who appears to hold the key that will solve all these problems.
Meanwhile, Arthur’s parents, who have show more been away trying to find jobs, return home to see their son for his birthday and are dismayed to learn that he’s disappeared like his grandfather before him. But when they hear about the treasure, they immediately begin frantically digging in the garden. Arthur, Selenia, and Betameche continue their travels, meeting all sorts of creatures and beings along the way, and eventually reach the forbidden city of Necropolis. Unfortunately, all three are captured and thrown into a deep, dark dungeon where they find Arthur’s grandfather. Then all of a sudden Malthazard just lets them go. What kind of evil plan does the wizard have? Will the travelers actually be allowed to escape? And what will happen with Grandma and the house?
Middle-school aged readers will likely find the story of Arthur an enjoyable fantasy. There is very little objectionable. Some parents may question the advisability and age-appropriateness of the “love angle” between Arthur and Silenia with their “first kiss” and getting married, since Arthur is only ten years old. It is interesting that the Minimoy’s “second commandment was taken from a book that Archibald also often spoke of, but that had a title no one could remember” and is “love and respect your neighbor as yourself.” However, the first commandment is “Nothing justifies the death of an innocent.” The only reference to any kind of deity is in a “prayer” by the King, “May the gods hear you.” All in all, it seems to be a fairly likeable tale. There are two more sequels, Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard and Arthur and The War of the Two Worlds. The four novels were originally published in France by Intervista. Both of the last two have been made into English speaking films (Arthur 2 and Arthur 3), but the books are apparently available only in French. show less

In order to find his grandfather's lost treasure and save the Minimoy's, Arthur and his companions travel into the forbidden city.

Artur e a Cidade Proibida é o segundo volume das aventuras do jovem Artur, um rapazinho de dez anos que se vê envolvido numa fantástica caça ao tesouro num mundo estranho de dimensões liliputianas – o mundo dos Minimeus.

Da autoria de Luc Besson, o realizador francês mundialmente famoso por filmes como Nikita e O Quinto Elemento, a saga de Artur constitui a primeira incursão do autor na literatura juvenil e parece igualmente votada ao sucesso, tendo as vendas do 1.o volume atingido em França os 250 000 exemplares e as do 2.o, que agora se lança no mercado português, os 210 000 exemplares.

Traduzidas em praticamente toda a Europa com um êxito assinalável, as aventuras de Artur têm já estreia cinematográfica prevista para show more inícios de 2006 com, obviamente, realização do próprio Luc Besson e as participações confirmadas de Madonna e David Bowie, que darão voz a dois dos personagens principais.

Artur, Selénia e Betameche prosseguem corajosamente a sua viagem pelas Sete Terras com o objectivo de chegar à Cidade Proibida e aí encontrar o avô de Artur, desaparecido há quase quatro anos. Só ele sabe em que parte do jardim se encontra escondido o tesouro que poderá salvar a sua casa e o fabuloso mundo dos Minimeus.

No coração da Necrópole os nossos heróis vivem as mais extraordinárias aventuras, enfrentando corajosamente o maléfico Maltazard que tudo faz para os impedir de alcançar os seus objectivos.

Tanto o mundo de Artur como o de Selénia estão em perigo de desaparecer e só eles os poderão salvar. Mas, para Artur, que se apaixona perdidamente pela princesa, há muito mais em jogo: a conquista do coração de Selénia… show less

Arturo, Selenia y Betameche deben encontrar al abuelo, pues es el único que sabe dónde está el tesoro que permitirá a Arturo acabar con los planes de Davido. Los tres liliputienses tendrán que viajar a la ciudad prohibida de Necrópolis, donde les espera un sinfín de sorpresas. Sin embargo, Maltazard el Maldito hará todo lo posible por impedir que consigan su objetivo, amenazando como siempre al país de los minimoys

Arturo, Selenia y Betameche deben encontrar al abuelo, pues es el único que sabe dónde está el tesoro que permitirá a Arturo acabar con los planes de Davido. Los tres liliputienses tendrán que viajar a la ciudad prohibida de Necrópolis, donde les espera un sinfín de sorpresas. Sin embargo, Maltazard el Maldito hará todo lo posible por impedir que consigan su objetivo, amenazando como siempre al país de los minimoys. Lectura recomendada a partir de 12 años.