Westmark by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
This novel takes us into the beginning of a trilogy that follows the adventures of Theo, a young man
who was content to serve as a printer's devil until the tragic night when the soldiers of a corrupt Chief
Minister killed his master and set Theo on the run for his life. There is no one for Theo to turn to for
help but the duo of flim-flam artists whose playbill was the very printing job that started the
trouble. Along the way, they are joined by a mysterious street girl who is more than she seems.
The Arkadians by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Lloyd Alexander is a true storyteller. In this novel his venue is ancient
Greece, the home of another pretty decent storyteller, Homer. So if you
want the scoop on why the Trojans were offered a giant wooden horse, rather
than, say, a giant wooden lion, or if you have children you want to
introduce to Greek mythology The Arkadians is for you.
The Town Cats and Other Tales by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by A.L. Sirois
In this short volume, these fables introduce us to 8 cats that seem more human
than their human companions. This is a fairy-tale world, in which talking animals are the norm, and
the language is that of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.
Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
One picks up books by certain authors knowing they will be good.
Even the weakest work by a Bradbury or a Tolkien has a certain something that
places it above the rest of the field, and their best works are monoliths towering
over the literary landscape. The same is true of Lloyd Alexander.
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The Wizard in the Tree by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Jonathan Fesmire
Life for Mallory, a young servant, is about to take several strange turns.
Until now, the worst part of Mallory's life has been working as a maid for
the grumpy Mrs. Parcel. However, her peaceful town is undergoing changes
thanks to the selfish leadership of Squire Scrupnor.
Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
This was the author's first children's book way back in 1963, even before
his famed Prydain Chronicles, and it has aged remarkably well.
The premise is simple: Gareth the black cat has 9 lives, except that his occur each at a different time in history.
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Chris Donner
This is one of those rare novels that really transcends the barriers
between children's literature and adult literature -- a special talent
of Lloyd Alexander. The wealth of meaning and simplicity
of language is reminiscent of writers like Lewis Carroll
and J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Lucy Snyder
Lloyd Alexander's latest is an exotic fantasy set in the magical world of ancient India. Lucy
finds it to be everything you'd expect from the master of Young Adult fantasy.
The Arkadians by Lloyd Alexander
reviewed by Neil Walsh
The novel's setting is a fictionalized past with the tangible feel of ancient
Greece. The central character, Lucian, is a clerk at the palace of King Bromios.
Upon discovering some embezzling by influential royal courtier, he flees to avoid
some unpleasant "sacrificial procedures." Thus, the adventure begins.
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