A World without Heroes

Gr 4—7—One day, while volunteering at the local zoo, 13-year-old Jason Walker is swallowed by a hippo and transported to Lyrian, a world threatened by Maldor, an evil emperor. After wandering to the Repository of Learning, Jason meets the Loremaster, a keeper of knowledge who informs him that he is a Beyonder, a person from another world who will be killed by the emperor if found. While exploring the repository, he discovers a syllable inside a magic book which, when combined with five other well-hidden syllables, will form a word that can destroy Maldor. Determined to find the word and a way home, Jason sets out on a quest where he meets Galloran, a blind king who was the last man to face Maldor, and Rachel, another Beyonder from Earth. With giant crabs, monstrous beasts, unseen spies, and Maldor's henchmen out to get them, they will need cunning, bravery, and luck to discover the rest of the clues and succeed. Although parts of the narration don't seem to quite match the intensity of the action in Brandon Mull's novel (Aladdin, 2011), Jeremy Bobb's pacing is fairly well done. His speech and intonations are crisp and clear. Bobb keeps true to the characters' personalities and brings to life the witty sarcasm, comradeship, and exchanges between the main characters. Fans of action-filled fantasy and adventure will enjoy this first book in a new series.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT