Reviewed by Kerry Gittins
Ben has lived
with his aunt Samantha ever since he suffered a brain injury six years ago. His
injury caused memory problems which means he can't remember anything about his
past or his parents, or why his aunt seems to resent him so much. There are no
photographs or keepsakes in the house to give him clues about his parents,
except for a postcard, sent from Barcelona, that he salvaged from the bin when
Samantha wasn’t looking. And lately, he seems to be forgetting things a lot
more. He's so worried he could lose his memory forever, that he's taken to
drawing his ideas on paper and keeping them hidden.
But today when he woke up, things felt
different. The dream he frequently had about a dark cave with no way out had
changed. He had seen a shaft of light ahead in the blackness and hurried
towards it but, when he was almost there, his bedside alarm went off. As he
rushed downstairs to help his aunt get ready for school, the sound of the
clocks in the house intensified and then suddenly, stopped. His aunt didn’t
seem to notice. Ben hadn't realised it was his twelfth birthday until he had
began organising Samantha's notebooks and saw the date on the first page.
September 15th. That’s when it started again. All the clocks in the house began
ticking and clanging at once, the radio screeched, and the drips from the
kitchen taps sounded like hail. The hands on the clocks started winding
backwards, a storm began to brew outside, and he felt an intense tingling
sensation run through his body as he fell to the floor. Then there was silence.
When he opened his eyes, he was not in the kitchen anymore.
And so Jayben’s journey begins into the Elf
world. He discovers that he is the Ninth Dreamer, the one prophesised to
reignite the torch and bring peace to the land, and help the elves regain their
memories instead of having to hang them in jars on trees so they don’t forget.
With the help of his new-found friends Phee, Peggro, Maggie, Raynor and Yespa,
they must get to the last rock, find Jayben’s memory chord, avoid getting
caught by the agents, defeat the evil Snaggis, and destroy Null – the false
Ninth Dreamer. But things are not as easy as they seem, and treachery hides in
places where they least expect.
This is a fast paced, exciting, thrill a minute
adventure into a new fantasy realm created by Thomas Leeds. A whole world of
creatures and magic opens from the very beginning. Evil witches, fantastic
beasts, strange lands, and powerful magic entice the reader deeper into the
story with every page turn. A powerful new series from an author who has
experienced the trauma of brain injury and memory loss himself, this has the
potential to become the next sought-after fantasy classic for upper
primary/middle grade readers. The cover art is both gorgeous and intriguing and
captures the essence of the story beautifully. There is so much more of
this adventure waiting to be told!
Highly recommended for ages 9 +
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