Sunday, September 18, 2005

Lord of the Libraries by Mel Odom

Dwellers are librarians. They don’t fight; they protect books. They are quick on their feet and their intelligent minds tell them to hide at the first sign of danger. Jug is a dweller. He is also a First-level Librarian at the Vault-of-all-Known-Knowledge. When the grandmagister is kidnapped while rescuing Jug after a trap is set off in the Vault-of-all-Known-Knowledge, Jug is heart-broken. He goes in pursuit on the ship One-eyed Peggie. However, when the goblinkin ship holding the grandmagister hostage continues past Imarish, the city of the docks, where the grandmagister told Jug to go to find something that was hidden there, Jug has no choice but to stay in Imarish and let One-Eyed Peggie pursue the goblinkin ship without him. Jug sets out on an adventure that is filled with danger, an adventure that no normal dweller would even consider undertaking. But Jug is determined to save the grandmagister, and this quest is the only way. Can Jug conquer his fears of the adventure, his distrust of Craugh, the wizard who revealed his horrible past to Jug, and above all, rescue the grandmagister?

Mel Odom’s Lord of the Libraries is a great read. You are never sure whom you can trust, which leaves readers in suspense throughout the entire book. There are twists and turns from beginning to end, and even when you’re sure you finally know the outcome of one thing or another, something happens that you never expected. Readers who love fantasy and adventure will enjoy this book immensely, as this sequel to Destruction of the Books is an outstanding novel.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA