Title : Ravenwood
Release Date : 8 January 2011
Author : Andrew Peters
About This Book
Who holds the seeds to save a sky-high world? Arborium is at risk, the sharpened blades of rival Maw poised to saw off its bark and branches. What can a poor plumber's apprentice armed with little more than a monkey wrench do to stop the chopping? Carved into a massive, mile-high canopy, the forest kingdom of Arborium stands upon the tallest of trees. Within them, 14-year-old Ark holds the lowest of jobs: unclogging toilets. He's already up to his elbows in gunk when he really steps in it. He overhears a plot echoing through the pipes: Maw, a ruthless glass-and-steel superpower, is scheming to wield its axes of evil to strip Arborium of its wood - a natural resource now more precious than gold. The fate of a kingdom in the filthy hands of a plumber boy? Plunged into danger, Ark must make the treacherous climb down to the darkest roots of Ravenwood if there's any hope of rescuing his threatened tree home!
Book Review
In this otherworldly adventure, several teens struggle for survival while trying to preserve their home, a kingdom built amid the mile-high trees of Arborium. Peters (Do Not Wake the Devil) quickly establishes a sense of place and drops readers into the action by introducing Ark, a 14-year-old plumber's apprentice who accidentally overhears a treasonous plot and becomes a target to be silenced. Ark and his friend Mucum are on the run from their enemies while trying to warn the King of his imminent assassination. Their efforts take them from the very top of Arborium down into its roots, learning long-lost secrets along the way. As Ark comes into his destiny, facing off against monsters and traitors, he demonstrates what even a lowly plumber can accomplish through wits and determination. Although the heavy use of tree-related puns becomes tedious, and suggestions that Arborium might be a future Earth may leave readers with unanswered questions, the unique setting, memorable characters, and curious blend of fantasy and science fiction result in an action-filled epic with heart.
