Review: The Sheer Joy of Adventure
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 30, 2014
I lost myself in The Griffin’s Boy by Julia Hughes. It is a fascinating story for readers of all ages where there are adventures and strange wonders on every page. The author transports us once again to Ella-Earth, a parallel universe where evolution has taken a different course and Britain remains an island clothed in mist. The date is unspecified, a time of yellow fields and thatched roofs, of griffins and griffin masters where evil villains lurk in unusual places.The Griffin’s Boy is a coming of age story, a tale of defiance and adventure and derring-do as Neb, the “ No One” boy disobeys orders, ignoring his place in life. He steals the unruly griffin, Balkind. Together they soar and attempt to rescue the weak and innocent. Along the way, Neb discovers girls.The plotting, characterization and the writing are all superb, the scenes of rescue and flight some of the finest I’ve read in any fantasy, including the Harry Potter series, and I was swept up in the whimsy of the story, in the exalted view of field and farm in an alien and beautiful world.I loved the characters, especially Neb and Balkind and Chantress Anderra and loved to hate the villains, of which there are many. I especially liked the scenes with Neb riding Balkind. The author’s prose is fine indeed when describing their flight, some passages reminding me of de Saint-Exupery’s Wind, Sand and Stars. I read them over several times and each time felt the sheer joy of flying as if for the first time. My favorite, of course is the hero, Ned, who never ever gives up. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. And now I want to ride a griffin.