Happenstance Found

The Books of Umber #1

by P.W. Catanese

Twelve-year-old Happenstance awakens in a cave with no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. Soon a mysterious trio arrives to take him away: the explorer Umber, the shy archer Sophie, and Oates, whose strength and honesty are both brutal. Hap and his new acquaintances narrowly escape the cavernous underworld and make their way to Lord Umber's bustling jewel of a harbor city, Kurahaven.

Once there, Hap learns that Lord Umber is an extraordinary man -- he's a merchant, adventurer, inventor, royal adviser, and chronicler of all things monstrous and magical. But Umber's accomplishments can't answer the question closest to the boy's heart: Who is Happenstance?

Desperate to uncover clues in his new, baffling surroundings, Hap accompanies Umber on dangerous and unusual missions. But Hap soon learns that there are powerful enemies inside the kingdom, and a ruthless assassin is hot on his trail. Faced with many unknowns, Hap knows one thing is certain: There's a reason Umber has chosen him...if only he could determine it.

P. W. Catanese's richly spun fantasy chronicles one boy's quest for answers and hope in a world riddled by knowledge and power corrupted.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Magic, Fiction, Childrens

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2008

About the author

P.W. (Paul) Catanese is the author of fantasy-adventure novels (published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster). His next novel, DONNY'S INFERNO, a supernatural adventure, will be published in early 2016.

A crisp style, fast pacing, interesting characters and vivid descriptions have made Catanese a favorite with everyone from reluctant readers to teachers to adults seeking a thrilling escape. His books have been turned into acclaimed audiobooks, and translated into many foreign languages.

In its starred review, Publisher's Weekly said “Catanese dazzles in the first of the planned Books of Umber...Catanese packs a lot into the book: rich characterizations, well-choreographed action sequences and genuinely surprising twists at the end. An auspicious start to the series.”

VOYA called The Thief and the Beanstalk "a rollicking adventure meshed with complex characters and an intriguing spin on a familiar tale..."

Paul is always happy to hear from readers.

Reviews

[Aleshanee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich weiß nicht mehr, wo genau ich dieses Cover entdeckt habe, aber es hat mich SOFORT in den Bann gezogen! Und zum Glück hat die Geschichte dahinter mich auch sehr begeistert :)

Es beginnt damit, dass der Junge in einer Höhle auf einer Insel erwacht, ohne dass er weiß, wer er ist, ohne jegliche Erinnerung. Ein Glück für ihn - oder hat das Schicksal seine Hände im Spiel? - dass der Abenteurer und Erfinder Lord Umber ihn dort findet und mit sich in die Stadt Kurahaven nimmt. Umber will das Rätsel um den Jungen Happenstance (kurz Hap) entschlüsseln, doch auch er selbst hat Geheimnisse, die sich im Laufe der Handlung offenbaren.

Es liest sich sehr flüssig, dem Lesealter angemessen und doch auch anspruchsvoll mit schönen Metaphern und einer abwechslungsreichen Handlung. Die Spannung liegt an den Rätseln, die in dieser Welt in der Luft liegen, an Lord Umbers Vergangenheit, Haps Zukunft und dem mysteriösen Fremden, der sie verfolgt.

Die kurze Reise auf der "Walfischbarke", dem Wal Boroon, der ein Uboot auf dem Rücken trägt, war ein toller Einstieg und zeigt direkt, dass hier phantastische Elemente auf uns warten. Die Handlung selbst spielt sich dann zwar nur in der Stadt Kurahaven ab und dennoch gelingt es dem Autor viele Elemente einzubringen, die eine magische und abenteuerliche Kulisse entstehen lassen.
Zwischen den Kapiteln sieht man immer wieder Pergamentfetzen, auf denen in wenigen Sätzen bestimmte Kompontenen dieser Welt beschreiben und das Bild abrunden.

Vor allem auch die Charaktere mochte ich sehr.
Hap, der sich erstmal selbst finden muss und dabei vieles entdeckt, was ihm Angst, aber auch Mut macht.
Der gut gelaunte Entdecker Lord Umber, ein neugieriger Abenteuer und hoffnungsloser Optimist, der mit seinen Erfindungen den Fortschritt vorantreibt
Dessen rüder Beschützer Oates, ein mürrischer Muskelprotz, auf dem ein Fluch liegt
und die schüchterne Sophie, ein Mädchen mit einem Handicap und einem wunderbaren künstlerischen Talent, das im Laufe der Zeit immer mehr auftaut.

Ich mochte die Geschichte insgesamt sehr und hab mich bestens unterhalten gefühl. Vor allem das Geheimnis um Lord Umber gibt dem ganzen eine besondere Note, auf deren weitere Entwicklungen ich mega gespannt bin! Und natürlich auch, welche Rolle hier Hap noch spielen wird.

Weltenwanderer

[Abby Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise this book was! Action and intriguing characters make for quite a page-turner. The ending resolves nicely, while still pushing readers to seek out the sequels. Hand this one to fans of fantasy adventure like Fablehaven or Pendragon.

Review: http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2011/...

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5; 4 stars; B+

I came across this book in my quest for fantasy stories my 12 year old son might enjoy. I think it would be perfect for that age group but I also think most adults who enjoy fantasy would like this story. Right from the beginning there is danger and adventure and all sorts of unusual magical characters.

I found enough of a hook in the story about Lord Umber, to make me want to read more about this world and find out if he ever gets home.

[Collin · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read date: August 9th, 2009. Best day of my life.
Fourth read date: July 7th, 2012
Fifth read date: October 16th, 2013
Sixth read date: December 3rd, 2015
Seventh read date: July 29th, 2017

Sixth read:

I don't know what I find so enchanting and adoration-worthy about this book. I really don't. The prose is crisp and simple, perfectly suited to the story, but not exceptional. The characters are lovely, beautifully written, but no more so than other characters in other books that I love less. The plot is intriguing, original in many ways but more familiar in others.

But this is still honest to God my favorite trilogy, and this book, especially, holds one of the highest places of regard in my heart. I don't know why. I read it in about three hours straight, and when I finished it again yesterday, I really wanted to just start over from the beginning. I couldn't give any reason why it's so good to me. But it is, and it'll always be a favorite, because I love Hap and Umber and Sophie and Oates and this story and the tears I know it'll inevitably end with. I just love it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.


Most definitely a wonderful start to the series. I can feel, see, experience, this world so vividly, like I'm watching movie, that it's actually a little overwhelming. In a good way.

What a bliss of a story. I found Umber to be rather funny at times, just a dash of humour and right now, that is something I deeply appreciate.

Can't wait to read the next books in this series.

[Sandra Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 12 year old son loved this book. He either loves a book or doesn't read it, so I know this one has to be something special. He basically couldn't put it down for the last 50 pages, so today I felt like Mom of the Year as I walked the streets of the city with him at my side, the only tween for miles around who was endangering fellow pedestrians by walking and reading instead of walking and Pokemon Go-ing. He didn't put it down at lunch, in the doctor's office, or on the long drive home. When he finished he asked, "Is there a sequel? Get it right away, okay?" He also told me at various points that every page ended suspensefully, that I need to read this book, and that I have to read this book. So I will be reading this book...

[Lana Krumwiede]

A well-crafted story. Strong characters. Good solid world building. Some original ideas for a fantasy. Nothing really blew me away, but it was an excellent read that held my interest. Count me in for book #2.

[Austin H · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a kid named happenstance who start off not knowing anything about himself or anyone. He is found in an underground city with a thing called a worm in it and it is not just an average worm. He then gets taken by those people onto a boat were he learned he is afraid of water. the whole story is very good.

The theme of the book is you should expect the unexpected. when they were looking for happenstance they weren't expecting it to be him. they also weren't expecting his eyes to stick out so much. last they didn't know that the worm could see

One of my favorite parts is when they are getting chased by the worm. I also like when they figure out that the worm is able to see. I like it when they run out and they figure out the mountain(volcano is about to erupt. I like the overall story and i that it was very interested.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great YA novel. Mystery and action. Delightful characters with nuance and depth. And a charming world to explore. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to the second book in the trilogy.

[Jenalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it! A fresh new take on the "someone from our world who's taken to a fantasy world" trope. Umber is a fun character to read about. But he's also relatable, especially as he deals with depression. And he's not even the main character!

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt the book was very original in its storytelling and had a very fast pace to it. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series and finding out what happens to Umber and Happenstance.

[Eva Mitnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Happenstance awakens in a dark cave, not remembering who he is or where he came from. A voice tells him his name - and then a group of explorers discovers him and the sealed note in his pocket. It seems that the owner of the mysterious voice wants Happenstance to go with this group - the dapper and indefatigable Lord Umber, a teenager with a missing hand named Sophie, and a strong man named Oates - and so he does.

Lord Umber is a collector of mysteries, preferably magical ones, traveling all over the world to uncover them and to bring information back home to his home in Kurahaven. He is also an inventor, a merchant, a conqueror of an evil witch, and rather a mystery himself.

Most of all, Umber is one of those vivid and charismatic characters whose ebullience and complexity make him stand out from everyone around him. The story may take place from Hap's perspective, but he remains a bit of a cipher, even to himself, due to his amnesia. He's a nice enough lad, and certainly his strange powers and green eyes are intriguing, but this story belongs to Umber.

There are a couple of other interesting characters, but they are not nearly so well developed as Umber and in some cases seem woefully sketchy - the biggest example being Sophie, who is almost never mentioned after we first meet her. I very much want to learn how a young artist like her got a job illustrating Umber's manuscripts.

Although not all that much happens plot-wise (a Bad Creature comes hunting Happenstance; Happenstance starts uncovering his own puzzling powers; a tiny man wields a mighty sword during a kidnapping), I was quite happy with the quirky writing, the atmospheric setting, and most of all the strange mysteries of Hap and Umber. An imaginative new fantasy series is always cause for joy.

[El Templo]

"Lord Umber es un aventurero entusiasta que recorre el mundo de cabo a rabo en busca de monstruos, milagros y maravillas para describirlos en su obra magna, Los libros de Umber. Sin embargo, lo que acaba de encontrar en las ruinas de una ciudad perdida excede todas sus expectativas: un muchacho, llamado Casualidad, cuyos inhumanos ojos verdes pueden ver en la oscuridad, y que no recuerda absolutamente nada sobre su origen o su identidad. Lord Umber se lo lleva consigo a su Atalaya en Puerto Kura, y pronto descubrirá dos cosas acerca de Cas: la primera, que tiene muchas más habilidades ocultas y extraordinarias; la segunda, que una repulsiva criatura llamada Occo lo busca infatigablemente con oscuras y retorcidas intenciones. Los libros de Umber es una trilogía repleta de aventuras cuyo primer volumen, que acaba de publicarse en España de la mano de Montena, mantiene la intriga hasta el final. En él, cada capítulo nos reserva una nueva sorpresa. El mundo que explora Lord Umber está repleto de magia y misterios, y lo mismo podemos estar huyendo de un gusano gigante que surcar los mares a bordo de un monstruo marino. Mención aparte merecen los personajes: todos tienen una historia interesante que contar, más allá del enigma del origen de Cas, o del secreto pasado de Lord Umber. ¿Qué se oculta bajo la capucha de Occo? ¿Quién es realmente Nima, la capitana del leviatán Borún? ¿Logrará el grandullón Oates deshacerse de la maldición que lo obliga a decir siempre lo que piensa? ¿Por qué tiene Sophie una mano mecánica? Sigue leyendo en ---> http://www.eltemplodelasmilpuertas.com Novela finalista del II Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas en la categoría de Novela extranjera perteneciente a saga."

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.W.Catanese dazzles in the first of the planned Books of Umber series by wittily subverting genre tropes. Happenstance, a boy with strange green eyes, wakes up in a cave with no memories of who he is or anything about the fantastic world in which he lives. He soon encounters Lord Umber, an adventurer who seems familiar with our world as well as his own, and his two companions-a brute cursed to be forever truthful and a one-handed artist and archer. En route to Umber's home, they discover that Hap can see in the dark, leap many feet in the air, speak numerous languages and go without sleep. As the group attempts to learn about his origins, they're forced to confront a supernatural assassin and secrets from Umber's own mysterious past. Catanese packs a lot into the book: rich characterizations (Umber, who turns out to be from another dimension, suffers from depression and wishes he had his meds), well-choreographed action sequences and genuinely surprising twists at the end. As auspicious start to the series. ALL Ages !!! I just don't think I can wait another year for the next installment to come out. :o)

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happily surprised by this book, it was exciting, fresh, and over all fun. I bought it out a whim and then set it on my island where I began to wonder why the heck I got it. I'm not really into this genre (I hated Beyonders) and the cover is just awful. But despite the gaudy design and the annoying double-spaces, I really enjoyed this book.
The characters, who all seem painfully cliché at first, are relatively well-developed and interesting. The villain was one-dimensional, but he served his purposes well. Happenstance, the main character, wasn't your typical aw-crap-I-forgot-my-life character and the mystery surrounding his past and what he is was really interesting and creative. (gasp) I hear that there's two more books in this series, I hope that Catanese is able to keep up this good work. Perhaps I'll read them some day.

[Kino · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a world building book yes, but I think it is one that is done right. The last world building book I read was The Beyonders by Brandon Mull and though the ending made the flimsy story made sense, the journey was still a little too bland for me. But even if this book is similar with a lot of other books, the unknowing main character that provides exposition, the charismatic leader, the mindless muscle and the shy girl to win over among others, and though similar with other world (or series) building books. It was done right with characters that you can relate with that would do things with motivations you can understand and even uses the deus ex "magic" we all love sparingly and focuses on the characters based on characters written before but yet not quite the same :)

TLDR
I love this first book, short, but who can argue with the wonderful results?

[Teresa Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happenstance, Hap for short, is found by Lord Umber in a subterranean city buried beneath an active volcano and guarded by a gargantuan worm-type beast. He has no memory of any life prior to being found but little bits of knowledge flow through his mind allowing him to speak and read - in fact he can read and speak several languages. More than anything he wants to know about his past but is worried about his future since he is being hunted by a strange creature known as the "Creep". Lord Umber knows more than he is telling because Hap caught a glimpse of a letter outlining his future but wants Umber to tell him more. Lots of magical creatures and spells round out the story. I am sad that all the questions are not answered by the end leading into the next two books of the series.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not that far into the book, but I am already blown away by the beautiful and simplistic writing and the premise. I love the fantasy world as well, so fun!
Update: I finished the book! What I loved about this book was the mystery- who is Happenstance? That was utterly fascinating! I loved the distinct characters as well. Nothing turns me off more than undistinct characters who you can only tell apart by their names. So, I loved the colorful characters, Umber and Oates and so on. My only complaint was that the fluidity towards the end or crux of the book threw me off a little. But I understand why it was done that way. Loved it and couldn't wait to read the next.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy awakens in darkness, with no memory and no idea where he is. Almost at once he is found by a group of explorers, led by Umber, a man of great inventiveness and curiosity. He has been directed to this island of ruins by an anonymous note, and another note to Umber is found next to Hapenstance. Narrowly escaping the island, they return to the city where Umber dwells as an adviser to the king, but are pursued by a mysterious enemy.

This a creative fantasy and entertaining read. Its main weaknesses are heavy-handed writing and insufficient character development.

[Ronna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catanese has created some of the most lovable characters I have encountered in a fantasy! For me, Umber's appeal lies in his uncanny happiness despite his underlying psychological trials, his constant curiosity amid danger, and his amiable appeal to all those he encounters. My other favorites include Oats, with his absolute truth, and Malfor with his compassionate truth. Of course, Hap is a fantastic main character in his quest for identity. Overall, I really enjoyed the action, mystery and quest of this book. I look forward to the remaining books!

[ShaddaShk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book... There wasn't a whole lot of action in it except at the very end yet it somehow kept me reading. There was no over long descriptive pages, but it was detailed enough for me to get a clear picture of the area. I guess what kept me reading was I was very curious as to who Hap was and what was going on with him. The writer invoked a good sense of mystery with the character without making the reader frustrated about never finding anything solid.

[Bill Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful kick-off novel to the world of Umber. It all starts in the dark (blindfold). Happenstance wakes on his back on a stone floor, a.mysterious voice tells him to leave the blindfold on. Then three people enter his world, Lord Umber, Oates and Sophie and a mad dash insues, you they are on an island with a volcano starting to blow its top.
Travel the path of Hap (Happenstance) as he discovers who he is, where he is and why he is. Absolutely delightful mid-sized reading.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

2011-12 Bluebonnet Can't wait until book 2 is out!

[Elizabeth Mossey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal Read!

The characters and story are as rich as Weaveworld or The Deathgate Cycle. I read this in one sitting and still craved more. You won't be disappointed.

[Lizzie J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy named Hap wakes up in a dark room with no memory and absolutely no idea where or who he is. Three people find him in that dark room (which turns out to be an underground maze of some forgotten city) and realize that they had been sent to find him. Lord Umber, a mysterious inventor, brings Hap along with his group back to Kurahaven, the central city of this world. Hap quickly realizes that he is not normal. His eyes are an unusual color and give him night vision, and he can jump extremely high. Umber, intrigued, wants to know exactly who this young boy is and begins to search for information by every means he can. When a monster called Occo comes in hunt of Hap, only does Hap and Umber realize that Hap has more power weighing on his shoulder's than either of them thought.

Overall, I thought the book was good. There was a lot of mystery surrounding both Hap and Umber, and that kept me turning the page. The beginning/middle was a little bit slow, but that didn't bother me so much, and I just read over it more quickly. The characters each have a pretty interesting personality, and Lord Umber was probably my favorite. So saying, even though the story is told through Hap, the story really focuses the most on Umber. My natural inclination would be that Hap was the main character, but it really made me wonder....?

Well, on to the not as good stuff. While some of the dialogue was funny, a lot of it also seemed very forced and unnatural. There was not very much character development among the characters. I felt like there was a huge information slam sometimes. Especially in the first few chapters, I was just getting into the story, and Umber came along, a bit like a tour guide, and gave me the run-down of everything in this world. Finally, I thought Hap was a little too perfect. He was a nice kid, tried to do the right thing, and, oh yeah, he's got pretty much every power he could need (and many more to come.) Hopefully, he'll get into a little conflict later on in the series now that he's a "Meddler."

So, it was a good story, but it had some issues. It kept me wondering what was going to happen, though, and I liked some of the characters, which (for me) means it was a pretty successful read. And, yeah, I'd say that I'd keep reading the other books to see if they can save the world or not.


Swearing: None

Sexual Content: None

Violence: There's a sword fight in one scene, and I think a guy ended up getting stabbed in the leg. Nothing that was described in very much detail, though.

Religious/spiritual/magical content: It's a "magical" world with lots of mythical creatures. There are a couple of hints about magical objects and potions and stuff.

[Arin Hindman]

Why didn’t I read this series earlier? So good for middle grade level!

[Gülay Akbal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muhteşem bir fantastik seri. Kızımın kitaplığı için almıştım ama onun okumasına daha çık var, boşa durmasın ben okuyayım dedim. İyi ki okumuşum :)

[Hobbes]

fav childhood series EVER!

[Jeff Minerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised and delighted by this story and its telling. From the start I felt I was in the hands of a skillfull storyteller, and Catanese never dropped the ball. He created wonderful characters in action--Umber, Oates (whom I especially liked), Sophie, Hap of course--and a plot that always moved along at the right pace, never bunching or dragging. Catanese built a world I would very much like to visit, with so much wonderful detail. I want to live in the Eryie!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC! I'll be dashing down to the library tomorrow to pick up the second book! Lord Umber is one of my new favorite people.