The Merchant of Death (Pendragon) by D J MacHale

D. J. MacHale is better known for his TV shows, especially the After School TV specials and his work on bringing Encyclopedia Brown from the printed page to before the camera. Admittedly, this takes a very creative mind, but not necessarily one that is suited to writing books instead of say, scripts for the more visual arts. Luckily this is not true for MacHale, and what we have here is a first novel that is full of promise, and while not perfect, a jolly good read in every sense of the word.

Part Sliders and owing a lot to 1970's children's sci fi fare such as A Wrinkle In Time, this tale of a time and space travelling kid out to stop the destruction of all the worlds by tackling a great evil is nothing really new. MacHale's take on it, however, is quite novel. Using first person journals and real time third person narration, we are taken along on the jaunt between Territories as Bobby struggles to figure out just what is going on and his role in the whole thing. He is a typical clean cut fourteen year old boy, with typical, totally average worries until the day his Uncle Press arrives. It's the day of the big game, and as star of the team, he is being counted on to beat the competition and seal the championship win for his school. He's riding high, and his day just seems to be getting better when Courtney Chetwynde, his dream girl, arrives at his house to confess a long time crush and plants a kiss. He is really thrilled until they are interrupted at the still open door by Uncle Press, who summarily dismisses Courtney, and asks for Bobby's help.

It all seems pretty normal, but normal ends when Bobby finds himself at an abandoned subway station in New York City and comes face to face with a character who can change appearance at will, morphing from a transit cop to a seven foot scary dude with evilly bright blue eyes. Things get weirder as he is taken via a portal, called a flume, to another Territory, which seems to be a completely different world. Just what is going on, where and when is this Denduron place, and what the heck does all this have to do with Bobby anyway? Bobby finds out along the way, and so do his friends Courtney and Mark, as he sends back journals via mini portals, detailing his adventures. It's a non stop romp that I found as hard to put down as did the fictional Mark and Courtney, despite the initial awkward start.

Though not awkward, the very beginning of the book felt very much like the author was finding his bearings, but find it he did quickly, and once he hit stride, the roller coaster ride really began. His descriptive talents were very well used with believable worlds completely different to ours, and as a parent of a 14 year old boy myself, I can tell you he has hit just the right notes on how they speak and think. While it was aimed at the teen market, as a nearly 40 something, I still found myself entertained, and wanting to plough into the sequel, which luckily was to hand. While quite the page turner, it's also ideal reading for shorter reading times, as each chapter ends cleanly and the begins without picking up mid thought from the previous chapter's end paragraph. I can't recommend this enough.

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

If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Merchant of Death (Pendragon) by D J MacHale at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Merchant of Death (Pendragon) by D J MacHale at Amazon.com.

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