Review: A whimsical alternative to The Last Airbender
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 19, 2012
Disclosure:  I know the author, but this is an unsolicited review.I enjoyed Toonopolis very much (see my review of that book) and so I had high expectations for Jeremy's follow-up to Toonopolis, which is this novella. The title was mysterious to me, but fortunately, it is explained immediately after you start reading.Jeremy writes with a light tough in a style that is mostly whimsical. Toonopolis is laugh-out-loud funny, but this book is more gentle in its humor. I found the complexity level to be slightly above the Rankin-Bass holiday TV shows that I (and perhaps the author) grew up watching. It's definitely suited for younger children so long as they are able to handle some cartoon violence. Although there are significant thematic similarities to Avatar:  The Last Airbender, I'd describe this work as a whimsical alternative with a more casual feel.The strengths of Anchihiiroo are likeable characters (especially the Phoenix) and a consistently interesting plot. The weaknesses, very minor ones, are the unorthodox imitation of Japanese names, which I don't like, and some problems in paragraph formatting, which Jeremy may have fixed already since I bought this book last year. If not, then, as a person who does his own ebook formatting, I can relate, brother.Anchihiiroo is fun and relaxing to read, suitable for kids, and I recommend it for a general audience, except for people who don't like cartoons.