The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars

The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza (Puffin) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781760893453

Because he was abandoned by his mother (and then adopted by a woodcutter, Mads): local Ulv villagers believe 12-year-old Bo is a Shadow Creature, a ravenous beast made of shadow and evil believed to come at night to scratch at their homes and kill them. All Bo wants, though, is to be reunited with his mum. His best (and only) friend is Nix, a fox which accompanies and defends him. As  Mads is killed by a giant wolf straight from the legends, the old man gives Bo a monumental task: he must free Ulv of its curse by returning the Stars to the sky. He must find three magical keys spread across the land – keys that will unlock the cage holding the wolf which are the Stars.

The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars is a fantastical adventure with numerous strange creatures (such as the bird-beasts Korahkus and pig-like Irins) in an enormous landscape that takes in many, many places (such as the Temple of the Silent Sisters, Qirachis, Lunaris Mountain, and The Sea of Widow’s Tears), all of which Bo must navigate on his quest. There is so much for Bo (and the reader) to navigate that at times the story feels overwhelming.

To help the reader navigate this complex story, the book includes a map of Ulv showing its various lands and seas. Interspersed with Bo’s adventures are extracts from The True Histories of Ulv which give the reader more information about things such as wish-catching, why you should never wish to meet a wolf, the Irin-Koahku War, and so on. Even more information is included when Bo is fostered for a short time by Tam, the Korahkus, who is part bird, part woman.

If you are a reader who enjoys a thick, broad-sweeping fantasy novel, this book might catch your fancy. For a reading age of 12+ years.

Frogkisser!

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix (Allen and Unwin) PB RRP $19.99

ISBN 9781760293512

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

True love’s kiss can break a spell, right? That’s what the fairytales say. But what if true love’s kiss isn’t available? What if, say, a fickle queen-to-be (whose suitor has been converted to a frog by her evil step-stepfather) is too disgusted at the thought of kissing an amphibian?

Enter Princess Anya … the younger, practical, responsible sister, who really just wants to put an end to her sister’s wailing and get back to her reading. Anya promises to find Prince Denholm and reconvert him. She is helped by the palace librarian, Gotfried, who offers two remedies: a spell for finding the frog, and a ‘Transmogrification Reversal Lip Balm’ that can be applied in the absence of true love. It should be simple, but of course it isn’t. First, the frog she catches and kisses isn’t Denholm. Second, she’s out of lip balm.

Award-winning fantasy author, Garth Nix, slowly builds on Anya’s basic quest to kiss a frog and turns it into a humorous fairytale adventure of epic proportions. As her step-stepfather, Duke Rikard, grows stronger in power and attempts to steal the throne, Anya realises she needs to save her sister. And the kingdom. Other kingdoms, too. Plus restore the ‘All-Encompassing Bill of Rights and Wrongs’. Find allies. Build an army. Source obscure ingredients for more lip balm. Kiss lots of frogs. Oh, and possibly reassess her entire life vision.

Garth Nix has once again created a brave, admirable heroine, with traits reminiscent of Lirael and Sabriel. His writing is fresh and playful, with a hint of the absurd, all the while remaining vivid in description and intensity. I was delightfully taken aback at the amusing moments sprinkled within moments of action.  (For example, an awestruck Anya quietly observes a tree spirit … and her royal canine sidekick, Ardent, explains why dogs like trees. Amidst the Duke’s list of serious crimes is a charge for ‘improper cackling’, and there’s a Shakespearean-like character – ‘Gerald-the-Herald’ – who randomly enters a scene and obnoxiously shouts out headlines.)

Frogkisser! targets readers aged 13–16 years and will be made into an animated musical film by FOX Animation and Blue Sky Studios (creators of Ice Age). It is a stand-a-lone novel, but Nix has cleverly left behind some unexplained mysteries that would allow him to expand the story if he chooses.