Book Review: North! or Be Eaten

You may recall from a previous post (Here) that I am a reader of books, and occasionally read one that I wish to recommend to friends.

You may also know from personal conversations or from vibes emanating from the collective unconscious that I'm a big fan of the singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson (his Albums Love and Thunder and Behold the Lamb are some of the best I've ever listened to), and what follows is my review of his book North! or Be Eaten, book two in The Wingfeather Saga. Like all archetypal hero tales, North! follows its heroes, the Igiby Children (who in book one discovered their royal heritage), across vast and varied dangerous landscapes as they just keep out of reach of their pursuers, including the vicious Fangs of Dang.

If you're looking for a truly original plot-line, you might be disappointed -- it's the Archetypal Hero's journey to be sure; but just as the kids in front of me in line for LOTR said "That Gandalf is just a rip-off of Obi-Wan Kenobi" yet loved the movie, you will find that it's the retelling of the classic journey (through the Igibys, their devious and dangerous pursuers, and the vast land that AP has created) that will keep you reading.

In the interest of full disclosure, I think that almost everything of Andrew's I've ever read or heard was fantastic, and I volunteered to read this book with the express purpose of writing a review, but the book has its drawbacks.

1) I'm not a footnote guy -- in fact, I'm irritated at the frequent numerals that interrupt my reading -- and this account has more than its fair share. The footnotes are occasionally important, almost always clever, but decidedly in the way. Placed as footnotes rather than endnotes, the reader feels obligated to read them all, because sometimes the piece of information really helps, but it's irritating.

2) Blaise Pascal allegedly prefaced some correspondence by saying "Forgive the length of my letter; I hadn't the time to write you a short one." I'm afraid that North! suffers for the same reason. Yes, I went to a college where they named the library after James Michener, whose work is said to sell by the pound, but that doesn't mean I like it. You will find no shortage of description in this book, but at times it was more than I was looking for.

Despite these pet peeves of mine, this retelling of the story of the ignorant heirs, discovering their true heritage, pursued by those who would do them harm, traveling into exile to survive in order that they might restore the kingdom to rights is worthy of a place on your bookshelf.

Is it on par with the Chronicles of Narnia, the Lord of the Rings, or The Great and Terrible Quest? Nearly. Would it make a great gift for a fan of fantasy fiction? You bet. Would reading book one be helpful first? Probably.

I look forward to the third book and getting to finish the journey, and I hope not to get too sidetracked by the footnotes that will undoubtedly be a part of the third volume.