The Book of Names: A Novel (Legends of Karac Tor)
by D. Barkley Briggs
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Book Summary Information
Author: D. Barkley BriggsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-20
ISBN: 160006227X
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: NavPress
Book Reviews of The Book of Names: A Novel (Legends of Karac Tor)
Book Review: A New Classic!
Summary: 5 Stars
Fifteen year old Hadyn Barlow has recently moved to a new town after his mother died. He doesn't like the new house, the new school where he has no friends, and he especially misses Mom. His father gives him the chore of clearing a huge bramble patch.
One afternoon, while Hadyn and his thirteen year old brother, Ewan, are working, four large black birds swoop down from the sky. They fly into one of the briar patch tunnels and disappear, but only after dropping four scrolls at the entrance. Each scroll contains the same message: "You have been chosen for a life of great purpose. Adventure awaits you in the Hidden Lands."
The boys are bewildered by the scrolls and baffled even more by the disappearance of the birds. Where did they go? Further investigation reveals a stone arch with mysterious inscriptions. Unable to decipher the inscriptions, they finally ask their father, a history professor, for help.
That night Ewan has a dream that leads him out to the stone arch. He plays a tune on his flute, one he learned in his dream, and the archway becomes a portal. He passes through and only later finds out that Hadyn follows him.
Hadyn and Ewan come out in the land of Karac Tor. There they meet the monks of the Gray Abbey and learn about Karac Tor's need for a Champion to defend the kingdom against the Devourer. Someone is stealing the names, and souls, of Karac Tor's teens, turning them into zombies. The monks believe the brothers have been summoned to fight the rising tide of evil. The boys simply want to go home.
Together with three companions from the Abbey, the boys set out for the capital city, hoping the governor can send them home. And so begins the adventure.
What I liked about this book is that it weaves current social issues together with historical facts and myth in a thoroughly entertaining manner. Names and legends in Karac Tor are connected with our own world, many of them Celtic in origin, making Karac Tor feel familiar and real.
I was sucked into this story immediately. Briggs makes the reader sympathize with Hadyn's misery of losing his mother and moving away from his friends. But he doesn't dwell on it, jumping quickly into the mystery of the runestone and from there catapulting the reader along with the Barlow brothers into the Hidden Lands.
NavPress says this book is for readers of all ages. While I think readers ages 8-12 will simply enjoy this story, I would recommend this book for ages 12-16. And also for fans of such fantasy fiction as Lord of the Rings and Narnia. The themes of despair, grief, hope, loyalty and betrayal are slightly more grown up than many younger readers may be able to understand, but the overall adventure will enthrall readers of all ages.
Summary of The Book of Names: A Novel (Legends of Karac Tor)
Teen brothers Hadyn and Ewan Barlow are forced to adjust to a depressing new life when tragedy strikes their home. Then a secret Viking runestone opens the door to a world in peril, and they discover a crisis larger than their own pain.
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