The Mousehunter

The Mousehunter Trilogy #1

by Alex Milway

In Emiline's world, there are thousands of species of mice, some rarer than others. Mousehunters travel the world collecting the rarest and most special breeds, from the wily and deadly Sharpclaw Mouse to the dog-sized Elephant Mouse and the quick-as-lightning Comet Mouse.

For Emiline, a mousekeeper in the employ of wealthy Isiah Lovelock, there is no greater dream than becoming a famous mousehunter. So when she is given the opportunity to join the hunt for the legendary pirate Mousebeard, she sets off on the most dangerous, most thrilling, most swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime.

The Mousehunter is an extremely accessible, dark and thrilling story, featuring original black & white illustrations, maps and character portraits.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Middle Grade, Pirates, Childrens, Fiction, Animals

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad book. I don't want to be one of those reviewers. It's just when I picked this up at the library I was convinced that I was really gonna get something great---I don't know if it's the cover, or the title, or what. But, I was really hyped.

And it's . . . OK.

Not great. Not bad. Not really even good.

The premise is its strongest point, but the world and the characters aren't developed to the level where that matters. Case in point, Emiline. She's our heroine. She's basically likeable, but we only get her basic motivations. You don't get to really feel for her in depth the way you do with a character like Harry Potter or the Beaudelaire orphans. She just doesn't become more than your basic children's fantasy heroine.

It's sad that such a good idea wasn't given the treatment it deserved.

Unfortunately I will probably not be reading the further books in this series.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story of adventure, unusual mice, and pirates! Great for kids in grades 3 + who crave action and adventure!

[Stingray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Milway’s „The Mousehunter“ is a well written, fast-paced, dark and intriguing fantasy novel for children to experience intrigues, pirate battles and lots of mice.

The first thing you notice about Milway’s book is, that it is not your usual soft spoken children’s fantasy but does become dark at times. The story begins with a corpse drifting in the harbor and throughout the book people die in storms, battles, get beaten or are hanged in the end. The book does not indulge in violence but the author trusts his young audience to understand, he is writing about real pirates and real battles here and people die in them.

Having said this the author sends his heroine Emiline on a fast-paced adventure with a sinister business man, heroic privateers, exotic mice, a brilliant inventor, mysterious pirates, a peaceful giant and a hidden intrigue to get filthy rich. The protagonist does not undergo much character development, but that would also not be necessary. Emiline is a sympathetic young girl truly braving the adventures she is hurled into with wide-eyed fascination and thus is a nice role model for young readers to identify with. Courageous, loyal and emphatic this character does not need any development but simply stays consistent over the course of several weeks the story arc lasts. The other characters also do not much develop but rather reveal more of themselves over time. As the book is the first in a trilogy this might also just be the setting of the stage for future developments.

The plot is fast-paced, sometimes filled with thrilling action but always interesting as the protagonist sees new places and makes new experiences. While some of the scenes described may appear boring to the adult reader, young readers will gasp in excitement: “She is standing watch on a sailing ship!”. Therefore the mix of action, intrigue and new experiences appears just right for a young audience. A point of critique is the setting of the world the story is set into. While some information on the general setting is provided here and there and blends nicely into the story as information the protagonist does not have to explain but just recalls, the reader is kept unsure for a long time of what to make of this world. While there is much talk about collecting mice from the start, it does take very long for the reader to realize how important mice are in everyday live with a host of different applications and what level of technology to expect.

In summary this is a nice book for young readers to get acquainted with long and more elaborate fantasy stories but it also has its share of action and dark moments readers need to endure.

[Taniplea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard to get through, at the beginning I didn't understand the concept of the world and it was really slow. I didn't like the words the author used but in the end at least the story got more interesting.

[Casertalaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun book filled with high-seas adventures, pirates, and mice!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting adventure to far off lands.

[Magsteriniv · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all the mice!

[MAYA QUARTZ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself was very creative conceptually, and I did appreciate such a large novel managed to still feel fast-paced.
Howver, although I know this is geared towards a younger audience, I would still have expected better technical skill. There was very little in the way of character-building or scene-setting, which made it difficult to really connect with the writing. Also, there were also a few times where I had to re-read a page because dialogue was klunky, awkward, or just hard to follow; for instance a character would speak, and that line would be immediately followed by that character being addressed as if they had not just spoken. Further, the author also seemed to be unsure of his audience- there were some very dark themes and mature suggestions, but the reading level teetered between grade school and middle school.

Finally, and most damningly, the book also falls into a particular trope that I hate- where the bad guys are COMPLETELY irredeemably bad, and the good guys are basically 100% good. Honestly this story would have been so much more interesting if the characters themselves were not so one-dimensional.

Overlal I think this book could have been a real gem if it had been aged up, or if a few more pages had been spared to describe settings and characters instead of long drawn-out explanations of how a grey mouse varies from a brown one.

[Emily Masters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just like.... not captivating. Cute concept but it didn’t really grab me.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milway Mills #5
Mousehunter Trilogy #1
Average yarn from Milway, doesn't have the spark of the Big Sky Mountain series, it is a fair read, but never really grabbed me in the same way.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emiline is the mousekeeper for renowned mouse collector and author of The Mousehunter's Almanac. Isiah Lovelock. When a mousebox washes up ashore with an apparent message for her employer from the notorious pirate Mousebeard, Emiline sees this as an opportunity for her to be involved in something exciting. Dreaming of hunting mice and adventure, Emiline finds a way to prove herself to Captain Drewshanks. The Captain was recently employed by Mr. Lovelock to capture Mousebeard himself. The Mousehunter includes danger, pirates, battles with forces in the great deeps of the ocean and there is certainly some treachery as well. For a middle-grade fantasy-adventure this story was a bit on the long side, topping 422 pages. The action seemed to heat up when Captain Drewshank set sail on the Flying Fox in pursuit of Mousebeard and didn't let up after that. Although the story is mostly about Emiline other characters play a pretty prominent role, Mousebeard, Algernon the mysterious Inn Keeper who makes mechanical machines and Lady Pettifogger who seems to wrap people around her little finger. There is mention of violence that would be typical for pirates (cannons being fired, sword battles and executions by hangings) and some instance of cursing. This is also a heavy mouse-oriented book with many of the characters owning mice, hunting for mice or using mice for day to day chores but in some ways that makes the story more interesting for me. The author has to come up with creative ways for the mice to interact in the story and some are quite amusing. There is a bonus between each chapter the author has provided a drawing and description of the various mice from Mr. Lovelocks Almanac. Overall, I enjoyed the story and although it was slow to get going and is a series of books it still made a very enjoyable read. I could end this book feeling satisfied but may search out the next book as well.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Natalie Tsang for TeensReadToo.com

Twelve-year-old Emiline Orelia is the best mousekeeper in Old Town, but wants more than anything to become a mousehunter.

While she's cleaning the cages of the Blinking Mouse of Bobo and the Rook-winged Mouse of Scarlet Island, she dreams of accomplishing greater things than maintaining mice. Even though she works for Isaiah Lovelock, the most famous mouse collector in the world, there aren't many opportunities to make a name for herself.

When Mousebeard, the fiercest pirate in all seventeen seas, meddles one too many times with Lovelock, her employer hires Devlin Drewshank, a buccaneer, to capture him. Emiline impresses Drewshank with her mousing abilities and wins a place upon his ship. However, instead of starting her own adventure, she gets roped into an exciting but dangerous conspiracy of illegal mouse trading, deadly curses, and lots of double-crossing.

Alex Milway's THE MOUSEHUNTER is a magical romp through pirate ships and brigand-ridden cities. In Old Town, the Dead Collector, Mr. Droob, has an assistant to help take care of all the bodies that wash ashore.

Though this book is filled with mice, there's nothing mousy about it! Milway creates a fantastic world where people live and die for rare breeds of mice. The novel is populated with an eccentric cast of human characters, from the beautiful and manipulative Lady Beatrice Pettifogger to the brilliant and slightly bonkers Algernon Mountjack.

Young readers will love the resourceful and hardworking Emiline, her trusty grey mouse, Portly, and her best friend and fellow mouser, Scratcher. In addition, each chapter is introduced with an entry of Isaiah Lovelock's The Mousehunter's Almanac and features many of Alex Milway's own illustrations.

Five Stars!

[Emily Randall]

this has been an interesting read, i have especially enjoyed reading about the imaginative ways mice have evolved for various purposes...!!! I did get slightly overwhelmed at a certain point and paused reading it for a while but when I returned to it I read it quite quickly. After discussing the book with some people and reflecting it came to me that the reason i am not enjoying it as much as i would have liked to is because of a lack of humour...the characters within the book are all very serious and as the book is testing its boundaries within fantasy realms a little humour would have been a fantastic way of digesting this! (the conversation involved mentioning Terry Pratchett books which i used to read all the time and absolutely love, leading me onto the realisation that humour is the missing element here).

I think this book will be far more suited to children than adult readers and wouldn't dismiss putting this in the classroom should it be applicable to the children i end up teaching...it is a rather thick book however which could be off putting to some children. I felt the ending was a little abrupt but understand that this book is part of a set.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

08/11: JB: The book was fun at first. I leIn Emiline's world, there are thousands of species of mice, some rarer than others. Mousehunters travel the world collecting the rarest and most special breeds, from the wily and deadly Sharpclaw Mouse to the dog-sized Elephant Mouse and the quick-as-lightning Comet Mouse.

For Emiline, a mousekeeper in the employ of wealthy Isiah Lovelock, there is no greater dream than becoming a famous mousehunter. So when she is given the opportunity to join the hunt for the legendary pirate Mousebeard, she sets off on the most dangerous, most thrilling, most swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime.

The Mousehunter is an extremely accessible, dark and thrilling story, featuring original black & white illustrations, maps and character portraits.arned all these different breeds of mice, some which were definitely fiction. But I have been having a hard time sleeping at night, so instead of reading these books at night, I switched to another series.

Amazon Book Description:

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a world where there are thousands of species of mice (some useful, some scary, some very rare and precious), Emiline dreams of being a mousehunter and traveling the globe to find new and interesting mice. When she's given the chance to join a privateer ship hunting for the dreaded pirate Mousebeard, she jumps at the chance and so begins her tale of adventure.

An action-packed story with an interesting premise, I only wish the character development and world-building had matched the imaginative mouse development. I'd hand this one to middle-grade fantasy-adventure fans and it'll be a hit with anyone who likes small, furry creatures. A sequel's out in England and I suspect we can eventually expect it here in the states.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

This started off with a strange premise, a bunch of magical mouse breeds and pirates who steal and collect them. Then it got weirder. Then it was just ridiculous.
This was one of the few books I have given up on, in this case around the time they started talking about the ultra-rare mouse that is illegal to own because its FUR IS PURE GOLD. This makes no sense. I would have let it go but then, in the world with traditional sailing ships and no electricity, in which, for heat, they burn dried mouse dung, the main characters friend showed up IN A MINISUB. A HIGH-TECH MINISUB. No. Just, no. I gave up when this mess started, and I decided that I didn't care if they all died. A large explosion that killed everyone would have been welcome in this story.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic premise of the book was very original, but Milway allowed that premise to carry too much of the book. EVERY character was in some way wrapped up with hunting mice. EVERY single person in the world was in some way a part of the mouse trade. EVERYTHING was wrapped up with the mice. As a result, characters often seemed to be a reflection of each other, and the storyline became a bit predictable.

The writing is fairly nicely done, though, and as this book clearly sets up another volume, or perhaps a full series, I would have little reservation about picking up the next book to see how it, and Milway, develop.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual and adventurous with curses, pirates, twists-and-turns plotting, and spunky kid protagonist. This is set in a world where mice are highly prized, trained, and traded. Each chapter starts out with a page from a guidebook about the different kinds of mice--sharpclaws, powder mice, elephant mice, dung mice, etc. Neat idea. This apprears to the first in a series although it could easily be read as a stand-alone. I had to get it by interlibrary loan so I'm debating pursuing the series via ILL as well.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emiline is a mousekeeper for Isiah Locklove, the author of the famous Mousehunter's Almanac. Though he is generally seen as an eccentric, but good citizen, Locklove has a sinister side that is unknown to all but a very few. His latest scheme, to breed the rare Golden Mice, will take Emiline far from home and change everything she thought she knew about her employer and others.
Written with a sequel firmly in mind, this is a fun tale with some plot twists and some interesting mice species not known in our world. This should be a 3.5 stars but I enjoyed it enough to give it 4.

[Cliomouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't not read a mouse book with a lead character named Emiline. Unfortunately. Half the book or more does not even focus on this title character of a much sought-after genre, but instead revolves around a somewhat basic story involving middle-aged men in very typical roles. The author did make the effort to develop the characters a small amount and the world in which they live a little more, but certainly not enough to make me bother finding the rest of the trilogy. I suppose it IS a youth book, so I've cut it some slack and given it 3 stars instead of 2.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emeline is a mousekeeper, she must keep track of the many varieties of rare and distinct mouse breeds kept by her master. When she hears of a possible adventure, she jumps at the chance to see the world. Pirates, plots, really cool mice. This book is action packed and with all the mouse 'facts' seems somehow informative at the same time (but it's not boring like that last sentence made it sound, really).

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although rather long perhaps to keep most young readers attention; this book will keep the reader coming back for more. The idea of a variety of very strange and some not so strange mice, a young girl, and boy,makes for a great adventure complete with pirates, dangers and friendships. A great read for adults and young people alike. I cannot wait to see what happens hopefully in the next adventure.

[Allen Garvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, whimsical story about Emiline, a mousekeeper for the wealthy mouse hunter Lovelock, who joins an expedition of privateers to seek the dreaded Mousebeard. The illustrations are darling... the assorted mice are charming... unfortunately, there's really not much to the story other than the mice. The story is predictable, and while overall it's a fun read, it doesn't leave much of an impression after it's set down. I certainly don't feel compelled to read any further books in the series.

[KimStitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic tale of pirates, mousehunting, giants, sea monsters, golden mice, hangings, stabbings, dung mice, elephant mice, nosferatu mice, messenger mice, moon howl mice, mice mice mice! Despite my bias in favour of rodents, this was an excellent book. It is suitably dark and spooky but silly at the same time. It has steampunk elements, pirate elements, fantasy elements… The whole package has a nice end, if a bit cliffhangery. The second book, The Curse of Mousebeard, looks even more fun.

[Yeng]

The book is call The Mousehunter and the author is Alex Milway. Emiline was trying catcher the sharpclaw mouse but the sharpclaw mouse went to the mousedry and started cutting the cage where other mice were Keep.I like the book because in the book there was adventure in it and also some action.There are also lots to different mice in the story.If you like adventure and action book this is what you should read.I think is a very good book to read.

[Jason Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. As it started out as a world where mice have various talents, I was initially very skeptical that this book would last beyond a few chapters. However, the book is very well written and I found myself drawn into this interesting world and wanting to see how it turned out. I think that kids will like the inventive qualities of the different types of mice, and parents will enjoy the plot and the way it advances.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute ideas in the book. But like other reviews I feel the whole mouse thing was a little overboard. I wasn't expecting this to be a series so when it ended with a possible next book I was a little sad.

The writing is great for the age group it's intended for, and I think it makes for a great read even if you aren't a kid.

Just wish the book was a little shorter.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would have been a 5-star if it hadn't been for a handful of awkwardly-worded sentences. I loved this book! Man's best friend is a mouse instead of a dog and the variety of breeds of mice and their uses was quite inventive. There are also pirates, an adventure, and evil plot and heroes who try to save the day. It was good fun from beginning to end!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little book. Written for kids but good for adults too.

I liked all the characters which were well written, and the pirating action was very good too. I'd recommend this book to fans of the "Pirates! In an adventure with........" books.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series could go either way -- it could improve and I would like it, or it could completely fall apart under the weight of its multitudinous mice. It all depends on whether the author focuses more on the human characters or the mouse characters.