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Isobelle
Carmody
The Quentaris Chronicles: Angel Fever
Lothian, $14.95pb, 152pp, 0 7344 0689
4
Kathy
Hoopmann
TREMADA
Puffin, $16.95pb, 185pp, 0 14 330085 7
Margo
Lanagan
The Quentaris Chronicles: Treasure Hunters
of Quentaris
Lothian, $14.95pb, 150pp, 0 7344 0690
8
Garth
Nix
DROWNED WEDNESDAY
Allen & Unwin, $14.95pb, 366pp, 1
74114 441 8
THE
AUTHORS OF THESE four books use a narrative
device common to much fantasy fiction:
the notion of quest. Sometimes that quest
requires a physical journey, and sometimes
it involves searching for something closer
to home, but the very process is almost
invariably life-changing for the characters
involved.
In
Kathy Hoopmann’s Tremada, Shianna
travels into the world of Tremada in order
to help a tiny injured dragon she has
discovered in the forest near her home.
Once in Tremada, Shianna learns that the
dragon can only be healed by the mysterious
Song of Life, which must be sung by the
gnomes in the Healing Grove. There is
something amiss with the Song however,
and this reflects the deeper problems
within Tremada. Shianna is drawn into
a quest to help solve these problems,
but she cannot do it alone.
Tremada
is a delight to read. The story is exciting
and dramatic; the resolution of the plot
works well; and the descriptive passages
are powerful and atmospheric, especially
those involving the Song. Tremada also
raises issues such as tolerance, acceptance
and responsibility without ever becoming
didactic. But although the story gets
going quickly, there are a few isolated
instances early on where the dialogue
seems unnatural, as if the reader needs
to be told things, with this information
being uttered by characters rather than
included as part of the third-person narration.
Nonetheless, this problem is only fleeting
and disappears as the reader is swept
into the story. It was disappointing to
see proofreading errors (albeit only a
handful). But, taken as a whole, Tremada
is an impressive and absorbing novel that
will be enjoyed most by readers between
the ages of nine and twelve.
The
quest involving Garth Nix’s young
hero Arthur Penhaligon also entails travelling
away from our world. Drowned Wednesday
is the third book in Nix’s ‘The
Keys to the Kingdom’ series, and
is just as inventive and captivating as
its predecessors, Mister Monday (2003)
and Grim Tuesday (2004).
Drowned
Wednesday opens with a tale of the Border
Sea and the House. Once again, Nix skilfully
gives enough details of the world of the
House to entice readers new to the series,
without providing redundant information
for readers familiar with the earlier
texts. Recovering in hospital after breaking
his leg, Arthur is swept out of our world
(along with his friend Leaf) by a giant
wave and soon finds himself adrift on
the Border Sea. Arthur and Leaf have become
separated, and Arthur tries to find his
friend, realising that he must also search
for Drowned Wednesday and for the Third
Part of the Will. Not only is the process
of seeking Drowned Wednesday dangerous,
but there is also a risk of being eaten
by Wednesday herself, since she generally
appears as a giant whale. Arthur’s
quest brings him into contact with intriguing
characters such as the sorcerer Doctor
Scamandros, the Raised Rats and the terrifying
pirate Feverfew. Several characters from
the previous books in the series appear
in Drowned Wednesday, but the novel easily
stands alone. Full of energy and originality,
with humour and sadness, Drowned Wednesday
combines an ingenious plot — be prepared
for a twist at the end — with meticulous
detail and expert characterisation. It
will appeal most to readers aged twelve
and upwards.
Isobelle
Carmody’s Angel Fever belongs to
the ‘Quentaris Chronicles’.
The main connection between the books
in the series is the city of Quentaris,
but each book stands by itself. Carmody’s
novel initially focuses on Eely, who is
considered by those around her to be simple-minded,
but whose life begins to change when she
saves a magnificent winged man who has
arrived from another world into the rift
caves near Quentaris.
The
winged man turns out to be Prince Nonaerom,
heir to Cloudlands, who was violently
attacked while visiting Landfall City.
Cloudlands and Landfall City are nurtured
by power from the mysterious wingstone,
but the stone has been behaving strangely
and tension is rising between the inhabitants
of Cloudlands and those of Landfall City.
Prince Nonaerom has responsibility for
the wingstone, which thrives on beauty,
and he is horrified when it appears to
be lost.
Finding
the wingstone is the main quest in Angel
Fever, and it is told from the perspectives
of several characters, whose lives are
irrevocably changed through their search
for the stone. Angel Fever is a profound
and beautiful book with an aura of myth
and a touch of romance, superbly blended
with a healthy dose of earthy practicality.
Margo
Lanagan’s Treasure Hunters of Quentaris
is another in the ‘Quentaris Chronicles’,
and is equally well written. Treasure
Hunters of Quentaris is different in mood
from Angel Fever and will appeal particularly
to readers who like fast-moving and dangerous
adventures stories.
The
Doro family is renowned for its courage,
its sense of adventure, and its yearning
for glory. Like many of their family before
them, Lord Eustachio Doro and his sister
Lady Attranta have embarked on a quest
for treasure, but they already know they
are far too different to travel together.
Attranta seeks prestige, power and admiration,
whereas Eustachio’s priorities lie
elsewhere. With the inexperienced guide
Tikko and the elderly donkey Violet, it
seems that Eustachio’s search for
treasure will be very different from that
of his sister, who has set off on her
journey with pomp and grandeur. However,
Attranta and Eustachio meet up in an exotic
world reached through the rift caves near
Quentaris — a world that contains
both promise and danger.
Treasure
Hunters of Quentaris is engrossing, thought-provoking
and satisfying, with wonderful characters,
lively drama and moments of humour. Despite
their relative brevity in comparison to
many other works in the fantasy genre,
Treasure Hunters of Quentaris and Angel
Fever are immensely rewarding and should
provide great enjoyment for new and established
fantasy fans alike, especially those aged
between ten and sixteen.
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