Friday, December 2, 2011

Book Review: Nicholas St. North And The Battle of the Nightmare King (The Guardians Book 1) by WIlliam Joyce & Laura Geringer


By: William Joyce & Laura Geringer
Published by: Simon & Schuster Kids
Released on: October 4th, 2011
Source: book from publisher to review
Ages: 8 & up
5 stars: This is a MUST HAVE MG!

Before SANTA was SANTA, he was North, Nicholas St. North—a daredevil swordsman whose prowess with double scimitars was legendary. Like any swashbuckling young warrior, North seeks treasure and adventure, leading him to the fiercely guarded village of Santoff Claussen, said to be home to the greatest treasure in all the East, and to an even greater wizard, Ombric Shalazar. But when North arrives, legends of riches have given way to terrors of epic proportions! North must decide whether to seek his fortune…or save the village.

When our rebellious hero gets sucked into the chaos (literally), the fight becomes very personal. The Nightmare King and his evil Fearlings are ruling the night, owning the shadows, and sending waves of fear through all of Santoff Clausen. For North, this is a battle worth fighting...and, he’s not alone. There are five other Guardians out there. He only has to find them in time. -quoted from Goodreads

I reviewed this book yesterday on Mundie Moms, but it's such a fabulous book for readers 8 and up, that I felt the need to share my review here on Mundie Kids. You can also enter to win a copy of the book on Mundie Moms, here.

Nicholas St. North and The Battle of the Nightmare King is an enchanting story with a rich mythology and is set in a world that's full of legend, adventure and action. This is a story that will appeal to adult readers and engage young readers as they meet mythological creatures, learn about ancient legends and experience the magic of Nicholas St. North's story. This fascinating world will allow young reader's imaginations to run wild as they are introduced to old world forklore that has a bit of Russian tradition mixed into it.

This is a book I think that will be most appealing to younger readers. It's an exciting read, with beautiful illustrations, and has a bit of a old fashion feel to it. William Joyce and Laura Geringer's writing is fabulous. It's easy to read and has a poetic feel to it. I didn't need to feel a connection to their characters to fall in love with this story. Their writing and world building are what made this book for me. To put it simply, I was captivated by the book. I swear I turned into a little kid again, as the excitement of this story came to life for me.

The only compliant I have, and this is the adult reader side of me saying this, I didn't like that it took so long to introduce the the heroine of the story. Had I been a preteen reading this, it wouldn't have bothered me at all. It's still a 5 star book for me, as this is one MG book I'd highly recommend picking up for Christmas/the holiday season. It's such a fun, action packed, quick read that even a reluctant reader will enjoy it. I'd be surprised if this book wasn't made into a movie. I'm definitely looking forward to more of William Joyce's MG/YA books.

Be sure to visit The Guardians of Childhood website to learn more this book and the next 5 books that will follow it. I'm looking forward to reading this series! You can read an excerpt here
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~