Being a librarian’s understudy is a pretty boring occupation, especially when the library holds only one book of worth. Written in gibberish by the fabled seer Nostra Ogmus, its prophecies are damn near impossible to understand, but when Cronan manages to decipher a section that foretells of a saviour come to rid the world of the dreaded black dragons, life takes a more adventurous twist for Tobias. More so when the book of prophecies is stolen and the black dragons are forewarned of the impending arrival.
Thrust from the sanctuary of Hope, Cronan and Tobias must brave the outside world to find the saviour before the blacks, and then escort him safely back home. But when your travelling companions consist of a senile old woman, a second-hand goods salesman, a comely young lass and a tribe of miniature Robin Hoods, the odds do not look overly good in your favour.
Excerpt
There is one thing that can be guaranteed to bite faster than a striking snake, gather pace more quickly than a falling rock, spread more rapidly than an outbreak of strep throat in an old folks home - bad news. The worse the news, the quicker it spreads, infecting everyone that hears it with impending dread. And this news was the worst possible. It infiltrated the labyrinthine tunnels, caverns and vaults of the mountain stronghold of Hope like a plague, carried from person to person in hushed tones. The last bastion of the Ogmus was awash with the ill tidings.
The book had been stolen! Not just any book, but the book. The book that held the future of the Ogmus within its carefully bound pages. The Book of Prophesies. It had been taken from the safety of the library grotto while Cronan the librarian took forty winks.
Nostra, the famed seer of the Ogmus, had devoted his short, opiate-dependant life to writing the book. Its cryptic contents provided clues for future generations of what was to transpire, if one could understand his inane musings.
Sadly, as is often the case with drugs, the abuse to Nostra’s body eventually killed him. At the tender age of twenty-six, while walking a mountain ledge when totally out of it on concentrated poppy juice, he failed to foresee the savage, body-rending attack from the black dragon that claimed his life. His untimely death had shocked the small community of Ogmus, and led to the inception of the oft-quoted saying: ‘Me? Take drugs? Are you out of your nostra? I’d sooner chase the dragon, mate.’
And now his book was missing, presumed stolen. It was a disaster. It was a nightmare. It would prove to be a real headache for the poor sod who had taken it when he tried to make sense of the gibberish that Nostra had written. Most of the verse made sense after the events foretold had actually happened. But trying to interpret and link them to the future? Tricky.
Professional Reviews
Rebeccas Reads
Cronan, the Ogmus Librarian, is starting the most important journey of his life. Once, the Ogmus people lived in the world and flourished. That ended when their allies, the good dragons, were tricked into moving to another world where they were trapped. That led to the Ogmus population being forced underground, living inside a mountain, as they were persecuted by the BlackAbbot masters who now ruled the world, and their evil black dragons. Now Cronan and his apprentice, Tobias, are charged with going forth and discovering if the predictions in the cryptic Book of Prophesies are true. Those prophesies reveal the return of the good dragons, led by the famous dwarf magician Snor'kel and the defeat of the BlackAbbots and their black dragons.
On the journey, Cronan and Tobias meet an amazing cast of characters. There's BlackBishop, the leader of the BlackAbbots, and his son, Jophrey, along with their unflappable manservant, Wooster. Wild Bill Halfcock, a wild mountain man, joins the travelers. They travel through the Great Forest where they meet the Beastie Boys, a band of little people. The expedition is drawn to a village, where they pick up Nina, a beautiful young girl and her grandmother, Nanna Pussy. How all these characters interact leads the reader on a puzzle-solving maze, where each character provides a clue to make the entire story mesh and become whole.
Those readers who enjoyed the Harry Potter series will enjoy this book. The characters are vividly drawn, and are enticing. The reader is absorbed into their world, wanting to find out what happens next. The plotting is tight, and the initial dilemma is satisfactorily solved. The book appears to be the beginning of a series, with the ending leading to another adventure. “Cronan the Librarian” is highly recommended for young adults and fantasy lovers.
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