The 9 Tasks of Mistry: An Adventure in the World of Illusion

by Chris McEwan

In this book full of eye-tricking puzzles and mind-bending riddles, readers are invited to join a young magician on his quest to acquire the Cloak of Illusion--the most coveted source of magical power in the land. As the story unfolds, the Grand Master of Illusion sets before the young magician nine tasks that he must solve to attain his goal. Full color.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1995

Reviews

[Lucas Lambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's interesting that one reader noted that it was his or her lifetime long favorite book. I had been looking for this book forever. I encountered it at the big public library that we would occasionally go to when I was younger and have been looking for it ever since. Mentioning it one time randomly at a Bible study provoked a good friend to go on a search for it. I can't believe she found it after all these years. It has the most marvelous illustrations. Particularly, the box cage, shown several times throughout the box (but especially on page 27) stuck with me, as did the criss-crossing staircases on pages 24-25. The same held true with the frowning magician on page 26. Reading through the book now, I am not surprised the book stuck with me through all these years. Though the plot is rather thin-gruel, the illustrations and the threat of being locked in a box for 20 years (which becomes real at the end) somehow made it all something more for me when I was a kid.

[Capn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine M.C. Escher wrote puzzle books for children in the 1990s..

An easy 5 star rating. I'm not sure the cover does it justice, though you get a good sense of the colour - it reminds me of handknitted 90s intarsia sweaters on the catalogue cover for Red Heart Yarn when The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was still filming. In a word: LOUD.

It's weird, wonderful, hopelessly engaging. Even my toddler was looking and spotting things that I had overlooked.

Whispar and his black cat Blink are taking up the challenge of Mistry, the Grand Master of Illusion, who is looking to hang up his Cloak of Illusion on a worthy successor:

FAR, far away, beyond the misty, murky mountains, where the rainbow ends, lies the Wold of Illusion. Here the impossible is possible, the unreal is real, and upside down and inside out are downside in and outside up.
This place of enchantment was once ruled by Mistry, Grand Master of Illusion, the most brilliant magician ever known. But even magicians grow old, and in time, Mistry's powers began to face. He needed someone to take his place, or else all his magic would disappear forever. How could he find a magician who was clever enough to inherit his Cloak of Illusion, the source of all his powers?

Well, by way of devious testing, of course, in the World of Illusion. Whispar begins his challenge at the Crossroads of Parallel Lines...

This puzzle book is among the best I have ever read, simply for the depth of the illustrations and originality of the characters and plot. You could spend hours here, voluntarily, and not because you'd need to to solve the tasks within - these are pleasantly straight-forward. Though the hidden cat one I didn't actually complete (would take ages, but time very pleasantly spent. I'm working against an overseas shipping deadline for birthdays...!).

The only thing dated about this (apart from all the magicians being male, as far as I could see) is the 90s art style and colour scheme. I'm not sure I enjoyed it myself when that was contemporary, but now it has a decidedly retro feel and is super trendy as result. ;) Seriously - you could be the cool aunt/uncle and give this retro puzzle book, out-of-print (naturally) and secondhand (eco-friendly!), at Christmas this year along with some cash (that never misses with kids). No one else is going to have it. ;)

Super cool - looks like it was the author's one big hit. Worth tracking down. Affordable and available on Abebooks and the like. ;)

[Rachel Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just remembered this guy.