Antar & the Eagles

by William Mayne

Abducted and raised by eagles, a young boy is sent on a mission to rescue a lost egg and, in the process, save the race of eagles.

Genres: Fantasy

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

William Mayne was a British writer of children's fiction. Born in Hull, he was educated at the choir school attached to Canterbury Cathedral and his memories of that time contributed to his early books. He lived most of his life in North Yorkshire.

He was described as one of the outstanding children's authors of the 20th Century by the Oxford Companion to Children's Literature, and won the Carnegie Medal in 1957 for A Grass Rope and the Guardian Award in 1993 for Low Tide. He has written more than a hundred books, and is best known for his Choir School quartet comprising A Swarm in May, Choristers' Cake, Cathedral Wednesday and Words and Music, and his Earthfasts trilogy comprising Earthfasts, Cradlefasts and Candlefasts, an unusual evocation of the King Arthur legend.

A Swarm in May was filmed by the Children's Film Unit in 1983 and a five-part television series of Earthfasts was broadcast by the BBC in 1994.

William Mayne was imprisoned for two and a half years in 2004 after admitting to charges of child sexual abuse and was placed on the British sex offenders' register. His books were largely removed from shelves, and he died in disgrace in 2010.

Reviews

[Sharon Ouderkirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Antar and the Eagles was not to my taste, however, it was very well-written by one of the masters of children's literature. William Mayne's reputation as an imaginative and gifted writer is undisputed; I look forward to reading his other work.
Antar is a six year old boy on the eve of going to school for the first time. He doesn't want to go, and is diverted from that fate by the eagles who take him away to make him one of them. The first part of the book details Antar's education in the way of the eagles - he lives with them, and eats like them and learns to fly. At the end of his apprenticeship, he is given his mission: He is to retrieve the missing Golden Egg that contains the eagle chick who was meant to be the leader.
The novel follows the structure of the hero's journey - call to adventure, learning from a mentor, trials and mishaps, conclusion of quest, and return to home as changed forever. Although I was only marginally interested in the story, I still think it's worthwhile for the right reader. I think maybe a young boy with an adventurous spirit is likely to enjoy this novel. However, the realistic eating habits of the eagles might turn off sensitive young people.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriuging story about a boy who is taken by an eagle and is forced to live with them. He ends up adapting to their lives and does a huge favor for them. He learns to speak their language and fly. Eventually he returns home to his family. Obviously fiction, but an interesting concept and reminiscent of books about children raised with wolves and other animals and how they adapt.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

2005 reading log notes: "Boy taken for eagle's nest. ONE STAR." I wish I knew what bored/angered me so much!