Harmonicas

by David Mitchell

Lightning and thunder lay siege to the magical kingdom of Harmonicas, sending droves of forest animals, big and small fleeing for their lives. Town folk and country residents, not immune to the electrifying danger huddle anxiously in their homes and peer out at the darkening clouds, wondering how the storm had managed to form without warning. To the east, nestled against the slopes of the kingdom's snow clad mountain range, the silhouetted spires of the royal castle loom against its backdrop. Inside, King Rockland and Queen Alisica, aware of the danger that is hidden in the storm, burst into action. With the help of the kingdom's eldest wizard, they hurry their daughter, Princess Alanna and her pet owl Twig through a secret passageway. And with no time to spare, the two escape the clutches of Zerolan, an infuriated sorceress who descends through the clouds, armed and ready to unleash her vengeance on the royal family. With the aid of a pit globe that is capable of galactic time travel, given to Alanna by her father just prior to their escape, Twig is propelled across the universe and brings back three boys from Earth, brothers Bo and Bat Bones, along with their closest friend, Tim Wong. Realizing they must help the princess regain control of Harmonicas before they can return home, the boys set out on a quest with Alanna to take back the kingdom and save its residents from a mind numbing spell that has been inflicted upon them by the evil sorceress, Queen Zerolan, who attacked from an ice-bound territory to the north. On the journey's path, the band of adventurers confronts and gain a few unique, entertaining characters that try to thwart or aid in their quest. A couple of the more helpful include a wee lovable brofair, once thought to be a mythical character, along with two sisters found hiding in the magical forest. Together, the band picks up steam as it partners up in destroying evil. Along the way, a pirate named Spyglass, fueled by his endless search for treasure, gets in the way of the group's success. Alanna and her gathering of friends hatch a dangerous plan to handle the pirate and his mates. Having achieved some progress to that end, the group befriends the rogue pirate, using a little of Alanna's magic to help. Spyglass's transformation is complete when he engages in a battle on the high seas against a motley crew of zombies and the kingdom's dastardly traitor, a trusted confidant who has broken Alanna's heart. From hatching plans to battling beasts, the group of would-be heroes struggle to overcome the odds. The question of who is foe and who is friend must continuously be re-evaluated. Complicated maneuvers and daring feats mark the progress of the story. The tale ends with a rather surprising and hopeful twist that will keep you wishing for more adventures.

333 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 28, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile might contain books by multiple authors with this name.