The Wizards of Once (Cressida Cowell)

The Wizards of Once
The Wizards of Once series, Book 1
Cressida Cowell
Little, Brown Books
Fiction, MG Fantasy/Humor
**** (Good)

DESCRIPTION: In ancient times, long before the British Isles knew they were even British, a vast, wild, and dark forest covered the land. Within this forest were all manner of magical beasts and beings, as well as a race of human Wizards... until the Warriors showed up from across the sea, bearing iron that was immune to their Magic. Battle lines were drawn as trees were felled and deaths mounted, and Wizards and Warriors both learned from the cradle to hate one another. But in fighting each other, they forgot another threat: the witches, a race of the worst sort of Bad Magic. It is said they were exterminated centuries ago... but many things are said that are not entirely true...
Xar may be the son of the King of the Wizards, but even at thirteen his magic has yet to grow in - as his bully older brother never lets him forget. Tired of the looks of disappointment from his father, the boy has concocted a desperate plan, one that involves finding and trapping a witch and then using stolen Warrior iron (a simple saucepan, in truth, but iron nonetheless) to steal its magic for himself. Of course, his older brother gets wind of the plot and utterly humiliates him for his foolishness - but Xar may not be wrong, and his trap ends up catching something very interesting, if very dangerous.
Wish is everything her mother, Queen of the Warriors, cannot stand. She has a limp and but one good eye, instead of a sturdy and whole warrior body. She's untidy and has a wandering, inquisitive mind, instead of being tidy and following the Rules of her people. And now she's slipped out into the forbidden woods after a pet she isn't even supposed to have: a spoon that somehow acquired magical life. Worse, she took with her an even more forbidden object: an enchanted iron sword she discovered on her way out of the keep. Magic is strictly forbidden by her mother, and her bodyguard is at his wit's end trying to keep her in line, but Wish keeps defying everyone... until something very strange and malevolent chases her straight into a trap.
Wish and Xan hate each other at first sight, as befitting their upbringing, but another, greater evil is afoot. It may take the combined might of Wizards and Warriors to stop a truly terrible fate from befalling the land of Once, and everyone in it.

REVIEW: Given the target age, this is a fun and adventurous romp through a fantastical Dark Ages, one populated with wizards and warriors and trickster fairies and gentle giants and great lynx-like "snow cats" big enough to ride and more wonders - as well as darkly dangerous witches, not to mention the all-too-human problems of prejudices, misunderstandings, and the secrets kept by those in power to keep themselves in power. As with Cowell's other series (the popular How to Train Your Dragon series, loose source material for one of my favorite animated trilogies of all time), it walks a line between exaggerated humor and dangerous stakes, with a little more to it than its outwardly silly trappings might suggest; I felt that line was stuck to better in this series, personally. Once in a while it pulled a punch slightly and waded a bit deep into tangents for the sake of silly tangents, but overall it moved decently and wasn't too predictable, and it kept me entertained for a while as an audiobook at work (even if the sound effects and voices seemed overdone - though, again, I'm a few decades over the target age, and I expect kids would find it enjoyable to have their listening interrupted with bangs and blasts to punctuate action bits). Being entertained is really all I asked of it, and it delivered.

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