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MYTHBOUND
13 year-old Eddie Sparks is in trouble at school…
Constantly.
So when his History teacher gives him a choice: complete a school assignment on myths and legends in only 48 hours or get a month’s detention, for Eddie there really isn’t any choice at all.
Heading to his local library, all Eddie cares about is finding a book that will solve all of his problems, but when the caretaker entrusts him with ‘The Argonaut’s Almanac’, he realizes that his problems have only just begun - for the caretaker is far more than just a caretaker, and the book is far more than just a book, and now it’s Eddie’s job to protect it, for if anything should ever happen to the almanac, it would have an instant (and catastrophic) affect on the world of Mythopolis, home to all manner of mythological marvels.
With the aid of the most unlikely of guides, Eddie embarks upon an adventure that pushes his imagination to its limits, along the way making friends with a chocolate-loving ogre, a constipated Minotaur, and a rebellious princess with a chip on her shoulder.
Eddie learns that decades before, Mythopolis was plunged into despair under the rule of the Dread Witch, Morgana le Fay, and her son Mordred the Morgue-Filler. It was the darkest moment in history; a time of such devastation that everyone thought they would never see its like again.
Everyone was wrong…
Constantly.
So when his History teacher gives him a choice: complete a school assignment on myths and legends in only 48 hours or get a month’s detention, for Eddie there really isn’t any choice at all.
Heading to his local library, all Eddie cares about is finding a book that will solve all of his problems, but when the caretaker entrusts him with ‘The Argonaut’s Almanac’, he realizes that his problems have only just begun - for the caretaker is far more than just a caretaker, and the book is far more than just a book, and now it’s Eddie’s job to protect it, for if anything should ever happen to the almanac, it would have an instant (and catastrophic) affect on the world of Mythopolis, home to all manner of mythological marvels.
With the aid of the most unlikely of guides, Eddie embarks upon an adventure that pushes his imagination to its limits, along the way making friends with a chocolate-loving ogre, a constipated Minotaur, and a rebellious princess with a chip on her shoulder.
Eddie learns that decades before, Mythopolis was plunged into despair under the rule of the Dread Witch, Morgana le Fay, and her son Mordred the Morgue-Filler. It was the darkest moment in history; a time of such devastation that everyone thought they would never see its like again.
Everyone was wrong…
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2013
4 people want to read
About the author
Darren Craske
26 books11 followersIllustrator & Author - THE QUAINT CHRONICLES, THE LANTERN MENACE, ABOVE HIS STATION, LEXI DRAKE, THE ARGONAUT'S ALMANAC and more.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 13, 2014
Myths have been around for as long as time-but who knows where they really came from? People have always been telling stories, spinning tales since time began. But what if they were all real?
Eddie Sparks does not have it easy. After his father loses his job, he moves from London to Cornwall, transplanting him from the only life he knows. Not that it was any good. Eddie wants a do over.
When he get into trouble with some of the other students, his grades begin to suffer. One of his teachers, Mr. King, sees that Eddie is suffering. He gives Eddie the chance to make up some of his grades: he had the weekend to write a short paper on mythology and can illustrate the paper any way he pleases.
It’s this that inspires Eddie to run to the bookstore. If there is anything that brings Eddie solace, it is the sound of his pencil scratching on the paper that to him. He’s always drawn. In fact, it’s one of the reason’s he had gotten into trouble with Mr. King. It’s pretty bad when your passion in life brings you trouble. Eddie just doesn’t know how much trouble.
For when he gets to the bookstore, he finds that the caretaker is a man he’d seen before, a strange one eyed man. The caretaker claims that myths have a basis in fact. In fact, he offers Eddie a book called The Argonaut’s Almanac to help with his project. It holds all the myths in written form between its pages and, to Eddie’s delight, tons of illustrations.
When he goes to bed that night, his sleep is filled with myths and visions of a one eyed man. When he wakes, however, his world changes yet again: A man is sitting on his bed who calls himself Will Scarlet. Merlin has sent him to retrieve The Argonaut’s Almanac. Will requires Eddie’s help to take the book back to Merlin.
This is just the start of Eddie’s adventures. And things go from weird to bizarre pretty quickly. Eddie must act fast, with the balance of all the myths hanging in the balance…
Mythbound: The Argonaut’s Almanac Volume One by Darren Craske in one word? Awesome. More than one word? One of the best young adult novels I have ever read, period. Craske has always had a handle on plot and characters but this time around the story just shines.
Personally I think that has a lot to do with Eddie as a main character. You can’t help but like him and root for him as he works his way into the world of myth. Part of that has to do with the way that Eddie grows up and matures in the book. He is at once resourceful, endearing and someone to cheer for. Though he gets in trouble, he always finds his way out of it and into even bigger trouble (which makes for one heck of a book).
What surprised me most about Mythbound was the sheer size of its story. My meagre plot summary doesn’t even come close to covering the plot of the novel and nor should it. It’s a novel that should be experienced without a plot summary. So much happens in it and at breakneck speed that it goes beyond the realm of amazing and reaches for the incredible. This book is absolute magic from start to finish. A thrilling story told at a breakneck pace, fabulous characters that you really grow to care for and a fantastic plot that you will never see coming. What more could you ask for in one of the best young adult novels that I have ever read.
I can’t wait for book two! So what are you waiting for? Read this book and experience the magic and the myth.
Eddie Sparks does not have it easy. After his father loses his job, he moves from London to Cornwall, transplanting him from the only life he knows. Not that it was any good. Eddie wants a do over.
When he get into trouble with some of the other students, his grades begin to suffer. One of his teachers, Mr. King, sees that Eddie is suffering. He gives Eddie the chance to make up some of his grades: he had the weekend to write a short paper on mythology and can illustrate the paper any way he pleases.
It’s this that inspires Eddie to run to the bookstore. If there is anything that brings Eddie solace, it is the sound of his pencil scratching on the paper that to him. He’s always drawn. In fact, it’s one of the reason’s he had gotten into trouble with Mr. King. It’s pretty bad when your passion in life brings you trouble. Eddie just doesn’t know how much trouble.
For when he gets to the bookstore, he finds that the caretaker is a man he’d seen before, a strange one eyed man. The caretaker claims that myths have a basis in fact. In fact, he offers Eddie a book called The Argonaut’s Almanac to help with his project. It holds all the myths in written form between its pages and, to Eddie’s delight, tons of illustrations.
When he goes to bed that night, his sleep is filled with myths and visions of a one eyed man. When he wakes, however, his world changes yet again: A man is sitting on his bed who calls himself Will Scarlet. Merlin has sent him to retrieve The Argonaut’s Almanac. Will requires Eddie’s help to take the book back to Merlin.
This is just the start of Eddie’s adventures. And things go from weird to bizarre pretty quickly. Eddie must act fast, with the balance of all the myths hanging in the balance…
Mythbound: The Argonaut’s Almanac Volume One by Darren Craske in one word? Awesome. More than one word? One of the best young adult novels I have ever read, period. Craske has always had a handle on plot and characters but this time around the story just shines.
Personally I think that has a lot to do with Eddie as a main character. You can’t help but like him and root for him as he works his way into the world of myth. Part of that has to do with the way that Eddie grows up and matures in the book. He is at once resourceful, endearing and someone to cheer for. Though he gets in trouble, he always finds his way out of it and into even bigger trouble (which makes for one heck of a book).
What surprised me most about Mythbound was the sheer size of its story. My meagre plot summary doesn’t even come close to covering the plot of the novel and nor should it. It’s a novel that should be experienced without a plot summary. So much happens in it and at breakneck speed that it goes beyond the realm of amazing and reaches for the incredible. This book is absolute magic from start to finish. A thrilling story told at a breakneck pace, fabulous characters that you really grow to care for and a fantastic plot that you will never see coming. What more could you ask for in one of the best young adult novels that I have ever read.
I can’t wait for book two! So what are you waiting for? Read this book and experience the magic and the myth.
January 5, 2014
Note that I'm actually an adult and have no kids, so I can only guess what youths actually want to read, but in my opinion, this book is absolutely awesome. It is exactly what I would want my kids to be reading if I had any.
I picked up this one to read a night I was really sick and needed something light and something that wouldn't send me running for a red pen. I've read works by Darren Craske before, including another YA, _The Lantern Menace_, so I knew he was likely to deliver. And he did... it it better than I hoped!!
I've read a good bit of YA lately, not always realizing that the fantasy I pick up is actually supposed to be YA, and few of them come anywhere near Mythbound in quality or entertainment value. I even recently read another YA about myths... yuck. Mythbound is a league above the majority of them.
I couldn't help but care about the main character right from the start. He was this nice kid trying to play tough but dreadfully misunderstood by his family and bullied at school. I wanted someone to come along and give him a chance and these mysterious characters did.
His adventures were exciting and I could picture the places he visited and people he met. I can't wait for more!
The only negative I can say is that it ended with a bit too much hook for the next book, but I bet a lot of parents wanting their kids to spend more time reading and less playing computer games would appreciate that as well.
I picked up this one to read a night I was really sick and needed something light and something that wouldn't send me running for a red pen. I've read works by Darren Craske before, including another YA, _The Lantern Menace_, so I knew he was likely to deliver. And he did... it it better than I hoped!!
I've read a good bit of YA lately, not always realizing that the fantasy I pick up is actually supposed to be YA, and few of them come anywhere near Mythbound in quality or entertainment value. I even recently read another YA about myths... yuck. Mythbound is a league above the majority of them.
I couldn't help but care about the main character right from the start. He was this nice kid trying to play tough but dreadfully misunderstood by his family and bullied at school. I wanted someone to come along and give him a chance and these mysterious characters did.
His adventures were exciting and I could picture the places he visited and people he met. I can't wait for more!
The only negative I can say is that it ended with a bit too much hook for the next book, but I bet a lot of parents wanting their kids to spend more time reading and less playing computer games would appreciate that as well.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews