It’s the future; humankind is extinct, prey to the “Slow Plague,” an amalgam of all the ills flesh is heir to, “manifested in myriad diseases, lethal allergies, and physiological disorders.”
Kudos to Candlewick for doing a sick-kid book. There can’t be too many out there, and what sick child wouldn’t want to go to an alien world to forget about how badly he or she feels?
“like Hans Christian Andersen’s tales, these stories seem more than fairy tales, the twist of their endings staying with the reader long after the book is closed.”
“rises above the usual primary series entry in its depiction not only of the authenticity of its characters but also in the scientific basis of its plot . . .”
“Ragnvald danced on the oars, leaping from one to the next as the crew rowed. Some kept their oars steady to make it easier for him; some tried to jostle Ragnvald off when he landed on them.
A good translation can make or break a book. It’s entirely possible for an exquisite novel to be perceived as lacking, inaccesible, or plain not good enough when translated into another language.
“a fast, funny, and rip-roaring adventure of a few days in the life of an orc who’d like to forget his former association with a certain elf, and the elf who’s fighting against awakening ol
