Seven Sorcerers by Caro King

Seven Sorcerers by Caro King
Buy Seven Sorcerers by Caro King at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Confident Readers
Reviewer: Hannah Crookes
Summary: A fun adventure through a magical land. Nin is fighting to save her brother, escape from a determined bogeyman and find a way to make everyone she has ever known remember her again. Seven Sorcerers is an action-packed story that I would recommend to almost all children.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 352	Date: April 2009
Publisher: Quercus Publishing plc
ISBN: 978-1847248381
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Nin hates Wednesdays, so when something strange occurs, it's inevitable that it will happen on a Wednesday morning. She has woken up to find that her younger brother has ceased to exist. No-one seems to remember him – he's disappeared along with all of his possessions, and his room is full of old junk. Recently, Toby had been convinced that something was following him. Nin draws the grudging conclusion that maybe he was telling the truth. And the reason that she can remember Toby when no-one else can? Because whoever took her brother is coming back for her.

She soon follows Toby into the Drift, a magical place where normal rules don't apply, with the help of Jonas, a boy who was kidnapped just like Toby many years ago but managed to escape. It is Skerridge the BM (bogeyman) who has stolen her brother and his destination is The House of Terror. Nin has to rescue Toby and find her memory pearl. Without it, absolutely no-one from our world will remember her, not even her own family. Of course, the Terrible House of Strood is right on the other side of the Drift and the journey will be very dangerous. Searching for them is Skerridge, who is not going to let Nin escape so easily.

I was expecting just another 'children on a quest in a magical land' book, so Seven Sorcerers really surprised me. It's very well written, the plot is clever, tying in the history of the dying land to the action of Nin and Jonas on their quest. The characters are complex; the evil sorcerer has a legitimate grievance with the world that enables the readers to understand him better, even if they can't support his actions.

The 'Drift' has been a dying land since a plague came and wiped out most of the 'Fabulous' (magical creatures like vampires and giants). The only way to prolong their lives is through living in peoples' memories and most of the remaining Fabulous achieve this by causing people to fear them. This adds extra danger to the quest, but also makes for an interesting history, especially in regards to the bogeymen.

By far my favourite character was Skerridge, who is determined to catch Nin and deliver her to the house. As the chief bogeyman child catcher, he hasn't ever lost a child and he's not going to let Nin be the first. But he's also likeable and Caro King has written the character with real humour. For example, he never bothers to learn the names of the children he kidnaps, so he gives them his own names based on how he feels about them. Nin is Right Madam, Jonas her friend is Obstacle, and the third in their group is Unknown Quantity.

Seven Sorcerers was a delightful surprise. It takes a potentially overused setting and gives it such a refreshingly original plot and cast of characters that I would highly recommend it to most children, girls and boys. Full of adventure, suspense, action and a little bit of mystery thrown in, this book is a real treasure. My copy also says that there will be another book, to which I say hooray!

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If this book appeals then you might also enjoy The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar or The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis.

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