The Illyrian Adventure

Vesper Holly #1

by Lloyd Alexander

It's 1872, and adventurous Vesper Holly and her guardian set out for the tiny country of Illyria, on a quest for its legendary treasure. But once Vesper and Brinnie arrive, they are plunged into a fierce struggle between rebel forces— and someone is out to kill the two of them! If anyone can triumph over those kind of odds, it's Vesper — one of Lloyd Alexander's most intrepid (and best-selling) heroines.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Mystery

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Lloyd Chudley Alexander was an influential American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books. His most famous contribution to the field of children's literature is the fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain. The concluding book of the series, The High King , was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1969. Alexander's other books have also won the National Book Award and the American Book Award. He was also one of the creators of Cricket Magazine.

Reviews

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few weeks ago, a coworker and I were chatting about books that we had loved as kids, and during the conversation, I realized just how many gaps there are in my classic children's lit knowledge. Up until roughly age sixteen, it was my firm belief that there was no point in reading a new book when you could just re-read a favorite book again. For this reason, I read all of the books in the Chronicles of Prydain series multiple times but never picked up anything by Tamora Pierce or CS Lewis, and only briefly ventured into Philip Pullman's territory before running back to Prydain. I realize now that I should have been exploring these books while I was at the prime age to enjoy them, and so I've given myself a new reading project: I'm going to go back and read the books I should have read when I was in middle school, and try to present the dual perspectives of what 11-year-old Madeline would have thought versus what 25-year-old Madeline thinks.

Since Lloyd Alexander's books were what started the conversation, I thought it was only fair to start the project with him. As a kid, I was aware that he had written other series (I remember seeing the Vesper Holly books sitting on the library shelf when I checked out The Castle of Llyr for the fourth time), but I never branched out into them, because I was pretty sure that nothing could be as good as the Prydain books. Going into this, the Vesper Holly series seemed like the best jumping-off point.

A quick summary: the series centers around the adventures of Vesper Holly, a teenage orphan in the late 19th century (the first book starts in 1872) being raised by her father's friend and former partner in adventuring, Professor Brinton Garrett (called "Brinnie" by Vesper). More adventuring ensues, causing Vesper to be described on book jackets as a hybrid of Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones (I do love that the book cover goes full-out with the Indiana imagery, especially since my copy has a hand-drawn 1970's nightmare instead). To be honest, there's not much of Sherlock to Vesper Holly, and I was all prepared to write that she seems to have been influenced more by Lara Croft, but some quick Wikipedia work reveals that Vesper Holly actually predates Lara Croft by a decade - The Illyrian Adventure was published in 1986, and Lara Croft did not grace our screens until 1996. I think Lloyd Alexander's estate is owed some royalties.

Anyway, the book opens right after the death of Vesper's father, when Brinnie is meeting his new ward (Brinnie narrates all the books, and I suppose this is okay because it's a Conan Doyle homage, but it was still disappointing that our heroine doesn't get to tell her own story). It doesn't take too long before Vesper has convinced Brinnie that they need to travel to Illyria (not a real country, but it's basically a Greece/Turkey hybrid) to finish investigating some ruins that her father was researching. Illyria is in a state of unrest - there's a lot of backstory about how the country was invaded by the Zentans a long time ago and now the two ethnic groups are constantly clashing - and this means lots of swashbuckling adventuring and some vaguely-uncomfortable scenes of Vesper smashing her way into the local customs and sacred monuments with all the tact and self-assurance of the finest 19th-century white colonizer.

There are, it must be admitted, some unsavory elements to Vesper's characterization. To illustrate my point, here are Brinnie's opening lines about her:

"Miss Vesper Holly has the digestive talents of a goat and the mind of a chess master. She is familiar with half a dozen languages and can swear fluently in all of them. She understands the use of a slide rule but prefers doing calculations in her head. She does not hesitate to risk life and limb - mine as well as her own. No doubt she has other qualities as yet undiscovered. I hope not."

As college professors are fond of saying, let's unpack that. Vesper Holly is sixteen years old, and based on what we see of her in this book, can do anything. And I really mean anything. She becomes fluent in Illyrian in a matter of days, easily beats a rebel leader in chess, and is an expert archaeologist who solves centuries-old mysteries that stumped all other researchers. Here's the simple fact: it is impossible for Vesper to be as knowledgeable as she's presented in the books, for no other reason than she, as sixteen-year-old, has not had the time to devote to these numerous fields of study. It requires a very large leap of faith for the reader to believe that our heroine is as smart as the plot requires her to be, and in a novel for adults, this leap would not be possible.

But here's the thing: this is not a book for adults. This is book aimed at the eight-to-twelve age group, and there is a big difference between what adults need their heroes to be and what children need their heroes to be. Adults demand heroes who are flawed and fallible, who make mistakes, and who probably have some kind of dark past that they hide with excessive sarcasm or alcohol or a bat costume. Kids don't want heroes who can't do certain things, because that's what being a kid means - there are things you don't know and can't do, and adults don't take you seriously, all because you're a kid, and it's not fair. In this way, Vesper Holly is the ideal heroine for children: she knows everything, more than most of the adults around her; she has no parents to prevent her from going on any adventure she wants (it should also be pointed out that, like her predecessor Nancy Drew, Vesper is rich and apparently does not attend school, leaving her free to jet off wherever she wants whenever she wants); she is brave, to the point where being stabbed by a stranger during a riot prompts her to observe calmly that the knife "felt like something stung me"; and most importantly, everyone around her treats her with respect. Vesper Holly is a classic children's hero - a girl who is treated like an adult without having to actually be an adult, therefore occupying the best of two worlds.

The book is not without its issues, of course, and I'll have to wait to discuss them in more detail when I review the second book in the series, which suffered from many of the same problems. The point I want to bring across in this review is this: Vesper Holly is a fascinating character, one who deserves much more recognition than she's received so far, and the flaws in her stories shouldn't diminish this. I just wish I hadn't waited so long to seek out her books.

[Elevetha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vesper Holly, a headstrong, witty heroine, sets out with her guardian for Illyria, a tiny country in the middle of no one knows quite where, on a quest to prove her late father's theories about the country. Rebel forces, assassins, treasure, conspiracy, a quest, and villainous villiany.

2019 edit -

Not quite as good as I remember from my youth :(

[Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Call me hard to please, but for a book that's touted as inspiring for young girls, I found a lot to be desired in "The Illyrian Adventure."

It's narrated by Vesper's guardian- why not write the book from her perspective? That would have been a lot more interesting. Throughout the book, I felt like I never really got to know the girl who was supposed to be the heroine. The removal from her subjectivity says, to me, that the author couldn't really get inside her head and maybe didn't really even understand her. If she was the narrator maybe Vesper would have acquired some depth.

As such, she was very two dimensional. Sure, she was daring and spunky, but it was written in such a way that everything she did seemed to scream, "Look at me and how fiesty and rambunctious I am!" without much insight into her motivations or personality.

For the time period in which the story was supposed to take place, the other characters' reactions were hard to believe. No one batted an eye when Vesper did daring feats (except for Brinnie, and his reactions were to be taken as comical). Of course, not every book with a strong female heroine has to be a lesson in how such a woman is totally swimming against the current and how society does everything possible to discourage this, but c'mon. That's just reality. Maybe the author was portraying an idealized world where a strong young woman actually wasn't something that people would object to or think unusual- it was somewhat of a fantasy book after all.

Feminist critiques aside, when I tried to read this as a kid, I found the political struggles boring and hard to follow.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story of a swashbuckling Victorian teenager who parachutes into a fictional Adriatic nation on a mission to restore her father’s good name.

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it talks about this girl named Vesper Holl people are coming after her to kill her for discovering the place there in and they all turn against her and go after her but thy turn into zombies and thy look like thy got controlled by someone i recommend this to teenagers and adults.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good fantasy\adventure book. Remembers of Narnia sort of....and like adventures. Hard to explain!

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

After finally reading the first of Lloyd Alexander's Vesper Holly books, I find myself a bit conflicted about it. But since I did enjoy it overall, I will end my thoughts on a positive note by listing the "cons" of the story before the "pros", as follows...

Cons:
1) the plotline is nowhere near as rich and complex as most of Alexander's stories are.
2) Vesper has so few weaknesses that she's not as believable a heroine as most of Alexander's others, such as Mickle, Eilonwy, and Rizka.

Pros:
1) Lloyd Alexander still deserves a great deal of credit for creating yet another strong-minded and capable heroine. Vesper may not be completely relatable, but she still has a lot of charm and is generally a fun character to follow.
2) I just love Brinnie! His wry humor and long-suffering demeanor make for a very entertaining narrative voice.
3)The relationship dynamic between Brinnie and Vesper is very well-written, and I ended up feeling quite invested in both characters.
4)There are a couple of good twists in the story too!

The storyline of The Illyrian Adventure may not measure up to Lloyd Alexander's usual standards, but the solid writing and likable characters saved the day! When I came to the end of this book, I was a bit surprised to find myself wanting more of Vesper, Brinnie, and their adventures. So on that note, it's on to The El Dorado Adventure!

[SaraKat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was mentioned in my children's literature textbook as a good example of how the author "shows" instead of "tells" when describing his character in the very first paragraph of the book.

Miss Vesper Holly has the digestive talents of a goat and the mind of a chess master. She is familiar with half a dozen languages and can swear fluently in all of them. She understands the use of a slide rule but prefers doing calculations in her head. She does not hesitate to risk life and limb--mine as well as her own. No doubt she has other qualities as yet undiscovered. I hope not.

It is a promising opening, but unfortunately, Vesper ends up being a little too perfect and more than a little bratty. I think this would appeal to the middle age kids reading the book, but it irritated me. She doesn't seem to be grieving her dead parents, she orders around her guardians over and over again thinking she knows best. Her guardian is a wimp and a dullard who allows the 16 year-old to determine his fate. Of course, Vesper knows everything so she is always right anyway. The guardian bemoans his role as a parent and ponders how little he knows about it.

My knowledge of parental duties was slight-- something to do with graham crackers and proper underclothing.

Vesper ends up solving an ancient mystery and single-handedly saves an entire country from war. This is not a book you read for realism. The people of the country were all apparently suffering from too much testosterone and kept up the fighting simply because their honor wouldn't allow them to negotiate. Sigh.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did I miss Lloyd Alexander all these years? I mean, I saw Lloyd Alexander's books all the time, but I wasn't into fantasy -- well, not all kinds of fantasy; I think I would have liked The Wizard in the Tree a lot. But knights and castles weren't really what I was looking for, so I never read his Newbery-winning book.

The Vesper Holly series starts with this adventure; it is narrated by Professor Brinton Garrett, who has newly become Vesper's guardian, since her father died and she's only 16.

The adventure is very satisfying; Vesper is brilliant, extremely brave and adventurous, and quite headstrong. Her guardian, "Brinnie," is not so much so, although he may be as brilliant as Vesper, although quite muted in comparison to her bright and plucky personality.

The tone is delightful; Brinnie is always trying (unsuccessfully) to talk some sense into Vesper, and she always prevails (and is almost always correct in her assessments). As Vesper and Brinnie head for Illyria, a (fictional) country near Turkey, Brinnie reflects: "I confess to a measure of enjoyment at being, as it were, back in harness. Even so, not a moment passed without misgivings. My knowledge of parental duties was slight--something to do with graham crackers and proper underclothing. But those duties certainly did not include dashing off to a country of furious Illyrians and, probably, bad drinking water" (10).

I look forward, with pleasurable anticipation, to reading the next four volumes, as well as other Alexander books. And I like fantasy much better than I used to, if it's well written, and so I'm looking forward to his Prydain series, the last of which won the Newbery.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vesper Holly is pretty much a mixture of Sherlock Holmes (though she plays a banjo instead of a violin) and Indiana Jones. She also made me think very much of Sybil Vimes, nee Ramkin, from Discworld. I had the silliest grin on my face pretty much the entire time that I read. Since they're narrated by her guardian that adds to the Sherlock Holmes feel.

This particular plot was a great one as well. Vesper's father has just died after writing to her that one of his bizarre pet history theories might be true. So she and Uncle Brinnie go off to Illyria to investigate (him kicking and screaming). The monarch has an evil grand vizier (duh) and a rebellion on his hands. He is good but too proud and won't capitulate (ditto the rebels). Someone is getting in the way of Vesper's investigations and the key to the story is a bit unexpected even as an adult. There were a few lines which rubbed me the wrong way (in terms of judging other cultures/peoples and stereotypes) but far fewer than I expect

There are five books in this series, all out of print now, but easy to get used. I recommend them SO highly. I think they're suitable for grade school age and up. This is the first in the series.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical adventure, set in 1872, features 16-year-old Vesper Holly, a sort of Sherlock Holmes/Indiana Jones character. Recently orphaned, she lives with her guardians, Professor Brinton "Brinnie" Garrett and his wife Mary. Brinnie acts as amanuensis for this adventure, sort of in the vein of Holmes's Dr. John Watson. And like Dr. Watson, Brinnie is always a couple of steps behind Vesper in both intellect and adventurous spirit. This fast-paced story follows their adventures in the fictional land of Illyria (which seems similar to Greece), which had been invaded several centuries earlier by the Zartans (similar to Turks). Vesper and Brinnie get mixed up in the middle of a revolution, as the Illyrians seek to gain equality with their overlords. While the main characters are interesting, the secondary characters are mostly stock characters. The focus of the story is on the plot, which is very well worked out, with a couple of twists and turns. Much of the understated humor in the book comes from Brinnie's complete misunderstanding of what is happening. This is a great book for middle graders who love adventure stories.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short diversion! This reminds me of a number of adventure stories I read when I was young and no longer remember individually. They take place in the early 1900's, involve expeditions to wondrous places, and the writing is often an older style. This one includes a dry wit by the narrator, who is also a terrible judge of character. This is youth oriented, so the fact that the plot twists can be seen a mile away is less egregious. It's one of those where you just have to enjoy seeing them coming.

Although by the same author, this is quite different from The Book of Three but just as good.

[Joseph Rizzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the Prydain Chronicles and it dawned on me that I have never given enough attention to Lloyd Alexader's other writings. The only book I had read outside of them before now was the Iron Ring. I'm embarking on a quest to read the rest, or at least the majority of them over time.

The heroine of this series is Vesper Holly, who along with her Uncle, Professor Garret, set out on a Journey to Illyria to take up her father's research.

This is a good start to a series, a grand adventure in another country. I wholeheartedly enjoyed it and look forward to the rest of the series.

As one who has lived his whole life in the township that Lloyd resided for much of his life, I found it quite interesting to hear Professor Garrett speak about my surrounding geography.

[Tricia Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in the early '90s as a young teenager, and I loved it! Vesper Holly was one of my favorite characters growing up. She's a young, teenage, female version of Indiana Jones going off on swashbuckling adventures. I recently came across this book in my collection and the urge to re-read it was too great to ignore. Re-reading it as an adult certainly gives me a different perspective of the characters, but it is no less enjoyable. I still love it! Lloyd Alexander remains one of my favorite authors!

[Emily Clifford · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you had to create a list of traits that would describe the ultimate strong teen female character, you'd be describing Holly Vesper. Is there anything she can't do?

Pros: Story takes place in exotic fictional North African country with interesting ethnic factions, cool legends/myths collide with real life

Cons: Even though narrator is a bumbling old dude, at least he's human--unlike the Goddess of Spunky Tenacity, Holly Vesper. I don't buy the romance (not with the narrator).

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was totally on board with the idea of a super-smart, super-capable teen girl adventurer in the 19th century (and she has red hair of course, because this is Lloyd Alexander). This was just okay, not great. Still love the Indiana Jones-style cover art.

[Vendela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tons of fun!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this after finding out that our granddaughter’s name was in part based on the character in this book: Vesper. The first sentence cracked me up: “Miss Vesper Holly has the digestive talents of a goat and the mind of a chess master.”

The story takes place in 1872 and is told by Vesper Holly’s legal guardian, a man named Brinton Garrett who knew Vesper’s recently deceased father. Vesper is 16 years old and lives in Philadelphia. She insists on calling her guardian “Brinnie,” since that’s what her dad called him, and she also insists on the two of them going to the small country of Illyria where she believes they will find the mysterious magical army of Illyrians from their mythical history that her father was investigating before he died. The country is occupied by Zentans who view the Illyrians as disruptors and rebels. The King of Illyria is King Osman, a Zentan. Vesper bulldozes her way into the country and a personal audience with the King, who grants her permission to travel in the country on her quest. Unfortunately, someone seems determined to stop the two of them. It’s a fast-paced, action-filled book with some unexpected twists and turns.

The story is narrated in the first person by Brinnie, which was somewhat of a negative for me. He was dull of mind and slow to catch on to what was really going on. Vesper is the clear leader: she’s bold, decisive, strategic and a brilliant thinker. Somehow it would have been nice to see that her guardian, a man her father’s age, was more than just the simpleton he appeared to be.

[Marc Jentzsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved Alexander since my mom bought several books and asked me to choose one. I chose the Book of Three. I've probably read that entire series a dozen times over in my life and they were and are a big impact on how I process fantasy stories, moreso even than Lord of the Rings, which was and often still is the banner fantasy property in the west.

When I found out he had done a series about a young, globe-trotting redhead, I knew I had to track it down. I wasn't able to find them new, so I had to source them from...Thriftbooks? I can't remember. Anyway, I found them and ordered the entire thing, site-unseen, as the saying goes.

So the book...

It has possibly the best opening line of any book, starting off, "Vesper Holly has the digestive talents of a goat..."

Alexander has elided Indiana Jones into a teenage girl, given her a mentor of sorts, and an insatiable curiosity. It surprised me that it was written in the first person, the perspective of her new guardian, Vesper having been recently orphaned. It takes no time finding its voice, confident but surprisingly tame for all its rapid pacing and flashing swords and thundering dynamite and investigative archaeology.

Good clean fun, I am looking forward to discovering more of this little gem I missed the first time around.

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Lloyd Alexander since my childhood, but it's only been later in life that I've begun to discover some of his books which had never come to my attention before. I've known about the Vesper Holly "Adventure" series for some time, but I have to confess, the whole "teenage heroine saves the world" shtick has been so overdone-to-death in recent decades, that I was a bit put off and prejudiced against this series, despite its esteemed author. Thankfully, I've finally begun to read these books, and the first one was no disappointment but a pleasant surprise. It's written with Lloyd Alexander's usual consummate skill. It's brisk and breezy and moves along at a clip, but doesn't feel underdeveloped, simplistic, or shallow. On the contrary, the details are crisp, the characters distinct and developed, the setting and plot both engaging and interesting. The main character (Vesper Holly) is a spunky and gumptious protagonist, with the intellect, knowledge, and savvy to accompany her adventurous spirit. Her guardian and companion, "Brinnie," who also functions as the narrator of the story and books, is also a likable character with a distinct personality of his own. He's something of a Mr. Belvedere, and I enjoy his wry perspective on the escapades that Vesper manages to drag him into. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5
Easy to read, hard to get into. Better for kids.

I think this would actually fare better as a TV series. That being said, this is a book aimed towards a much younger audience and I definitely think it would appeal to them. Think Indiana Jones - meets Adventures of Tintin! Vesper Holly is a fun character, but underdeveloped. I like Lloyd Alexander but I didn't personally get into this one nearly as much as, say, The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian. Like I said, though, the idea behind it is good. Rated up because we need more adventure books like it!

Anyone want to petition for a Netflix Original of this?

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark for fifth to eighth grade readers. Ms. Vesper Holly is brash, courageous, beautiful, hotheaded, and charming - a dangerous combination for a teenage girl living in the 1870s. At the very beginning of this book, Vesper has been orphaned and we are introduced to her new guardians - Professor Brinton "Brinnie" Garrett and his wife Mary. The two quickly find themselves being voluntold to do any number of things, including uprooting their own lives to move into her family home (which is a mansion, so is that really a hardship...?). It ends up being a running gag that Vesper calls the shots.

Picture Vesper as Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark (but as a teenager) and Brinnie as a mixture of Marcus Brody and Sallah and you have our two lead characters. The story is very entertaining and a quick read - a great book to read a chapter a day with your kids.

My favorite quote from the book is "They're pulling at opposite ends of the same rope. What they'll end up with is a knot." This is a great concept to understand at an early age and easy to grasp the way the book is written.

[Silver Petticoat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this entire review here: VINTAGE YA BOOK REVIEW: THE ILLYRIAN ADVENTURE, STARRING VESPER HOLLY, GIRL ADVENTURER

Review by Bailey Cavender

Overall Rating = 4.5

It’s a short book and one that is a very quick read. More so than The Prydain Chronicles, The Illyrian Adventure seems to be written to be read quickly. Plus, the action is suspenseful, which makes The Illyrian Adventure a hard book to put down. If you didn’t get a chance to read The Illyrian Adventure in the ’80’s or ’90’s or are just looking for a fun and quick read, I’d recommend giving it a look. Not only is this a book about a strong and intelligent young woman who goes on a fabulous adventure, but Lloyd Alexander’s gift for prose is clearly visible; the man can tell a story.

Read this entire review and others (especially if you love old-fashioned chivalrous romance) at: THE SILVER PETTICOAT REVIEW

[Julianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fell into my hands completely by accident and I took a YA lit class as an opportunity to remove it from my "To Read" pile. It was... okay? Definitely a product of it's time and dripping with vaguely racist tropes, this book probably could have been great if it was tripled in length and heavily edited. I would recommend it to fans of wild adventure stories that just want some brain popcorn.
It could be used in a creative writing class as a great example of overused and antiquated tropes. (The story begins with 16-year old Vesper Holly newly orphaned. She doesn't seem to mind, quickly deciding that she and her new guardian are traveling thousands of miles to find a mythological army. Because she is perfect in every way, they succeed. She only sheds a tear when she leaves the love interest she's known for a couple of weeks at most.)
Warnings:
Sex: none
Drugs: none
Language: none
Violence: multiple fights, a couple of murder attempts. You get it.

[Kay Iscah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent a long time collecting this whole series, so I could read all of it. I am probably "too old" for this one. It's not a bad little adventure, and I probably will be passing it along to a little girl I know. But I'm not the biggest fan of first person, and it does very much feel like "Indian Jones... but for girls!" It is the first book though, so we'll see.

There is that low level, white savior/white archeologist very comfortable collecting another culture's treasures, but I do like that Vesper actively tried to embrace and help that culture not just plunder it, so there's more positive than negative. She got permission for her expedition, etc., though you get the impression she feels that was a courtesy more than necessity. But just something to keep in mind if you want to use this series as a springboard for deeper conversations.

[Jenelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite excited to discover that there were more Lloyd Alexander books I had never read, and even more excited to find that my library actually has them!

This was a fun romp and I quite enjoyed it. However, I wouldn't say it's as good as his Westmark trilogy and definitely not on par with the fantastical adventures of Taran in The Prydain Chronicles, which are some of my all-time favorite books. I was hoping for a more fantastical adventure, and this was more of a realistic one.

However, the story was fun and I think if I had read it as a kid I would have loved it a lot more. There was quite a bit of laugh-out-loud funny humor, and I will definitely be hunting down the second book to read it, as well.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vesper is tern adventurer in the style of young Indiana Jones. Accomplished in many skills, including charm, she sets out for a journey to Illyria with her guardian Brinnie. Warring factions, treachery, daring escapes and chases ensue.

Well-written with imaginative historical detail, Alexander provides a nearly perfect action protagonist. It is somewhat distracting that the story is told from a middle-aged man’s point of view when third person or omniscient would have worked. Brinnie comes off as a bumbling Watson to Vesper Sherlock role. The first book in the series.

[Daniel Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars-

This was a fun little read! My mom found some Lloyd Alexander books from her childhood while we were cleaning out the storage room, and I thought I’d give it a try!

Seems like these weren’t his most popular series, but the little dynamic between Brinnie and Vesper was very cute, and it was a charming little adventure. The writing was funny and it read very quickly.

Sad that I had never heard of this author before! Great middle grade-younger YA books. Not particularly memorable, but it provided a good time.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Vesper Holly, though it’s been years since I read her adventures. That wisdom beyond her years, keen knowledge of human nature, and that unflagging determination to do what is right is as wonderful as ever. But there’s also this sense of hope and wonder about the world, an unshakable faith that there’s more to learn and discover about this wonderful planet of ours, that I haven’t felt from many books, aside from the Dinotopia series, that I’m utterly addicted to, and this series delivers just that.

[Emily M · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the midst of pre-reading middle-grade adventure-type stories for my voracious reader, I recalled this series, which I had loved in middle school but haven't read since. The Illyrian Adventure stands up well, 20 years later. It has a good amount of adventure and intrigue, scenes of peril that aren't nightmare-inducing, and good versus evil, with a fun, fearless heroine.

I'm reserving the rest of the series at the library right now.