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Summary
Summary
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.
Author Notes
Lloyd Alexander, January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007 Born Lloyd Chudley Alexander on January 30, 1924, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Allan Audley and Edna Chudley Alexander, Lloyd knew from a young age that he wanted to write. He was reading by the time he was 3, and though he did poorly in school, at the age of fifteen, he announced that he wanted to become a writer. At the age of 19 in 1942, Alexander dropped out of the West Chester State Teachers College in Pennsylvania after only one term. In 1943, he attended Lafayette College in Easton, PA, before dropping out again and joining the United States Army during World War II. Alexander served in the Intelligence Department, stationed in Wales, and then went on to Counter-Intelligence in Paris, where he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. When the war ended in '45, Alexander applied to the Sorbonne, but returned to the States in '46, now married.
Alexander worked as an unpublished writer for seven years, accepting positions such as cartoonist, advertising copywriter, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. Directly after the war, he had translated works for such artists as Jean Paul Sartre. In 1955, "And Let the Credit Go" was published, Alexander's first book which led to 10 years of writing for an adult audience. He wrote his first children's book in 1963, entitled "Time Cat," which led to a long career of writing for children and young adults.
Alexander is best known for his "Prydain Chronicles" which consist of "The Book of Three" in 1964, "The Black Cauldron" in 1965 which was a Newbery Honor Book, as well as an animated motion picture by Disney which appeared in 1985, "The Castle of Llyr" in 1966, "Taran Wanderer" in 1967, a School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year and "The High King" which won the Newberry Award. Many of his other books have also received awards, such as "The Fortune Tellers," which was a Boston Globe Horn Book Award winner. In 1986, Alexander won the Regina Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Catholic Library Association. His titles have been translated into many languages including, Dutch, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Serbo-Croation and Swedish.
He died on May 17, 2007.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-9 Vesper Holly at 16 is an intrepid heroine too candid for 19th-Century comfort and more than a match for the villains she meets in this charming fantasy adventure. Whisking her staid guardian Brinnie off to Illyriaa tiny kingdom on the Adriaticto investigate one of her late father's theories, she involves them both in a search for treasure, an attempted revolution and a conspiracy to murder Illyria's King Osman. With the help of the rebel leader Vartan and in spite of Brinnie's habit of trusting the villains, Vesper solves an ancient puzzle and shows rebels and proud King how to make peace. A touch of romance adds the finishing touch. Narrated by loyal, rather naive Brinnie, the story moves briskly from one crisis to another until the final, quite satisfying resolution. The language holds hints of 19th-Century expression without being overdone, and the contrast between Brinnie's formal habits of speech and Vesper's directness adds humor. Each character is sketched briefly but clearly, and the relationship between guardian and ward is developed nicely throughout their adventures, each showing a growing regard for the other. Young readers may find it hard to relate to middle-aged Brinnie's voice, but none will complain of lack of action. Sara Miller, White Plains Public Library, N.Y. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
With this new novel, Alexander adds another delightful adventure to his many popular and award-winning books. (His Prydain Cycle was adapted for the recent Disney movie, The Black Cauldron.) This time, the intrepid protagonist is 16-year-old Vesper Holly. She's a precocious orphan from Philadelphia who sets out to prove her scholarly father's theories about the national legend of Illyria, a small Adriatic nation. It is 1872 and Illyria's ethnic conflict is brewing into a revolution. Vesper is caught up in the intrigue, and proves a shrewd and valiant ally. She reconciles the king and the rebel leader, thereby preventing a war, and in the bargain finds the historical evidence she seeks. The appealing characters and the nice blend of challengesintellectual and moral as well as physical are matched by lively storytelling. (1014) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Award-winning Alexander's stories have often taken inspiration from Welsh mythology. This time, an imaginary epic is the pivot for an adventure set in a not-quite-possible kingdom on the Adriatic 100 years ago. Vesper Holly, 16, orphaned by the death of her scholar father, welcomes his lifelong friends, Professor Brinton Garrett (Brinnie) and his wife, who come to Philadelphia to provide for her future life. But Vesper is determined to go with him to Illyria to fulfil her father's dream of proving that the Illyriad, an epic poem presenting the country's mythology, is rooted in history. Brinnie soon is provisioning an expedition to Illyria. Nothing is an obstacle to Vesper, a brilliant, fearless and determined young woman. It quickly becomes apparent that the wars between the Illyrians and the Zentans, both indigenous ethnic groups, are as alive in 1872 as they were in mythological times. It is also clear that the two warring kings of long ago had intended to make peace and that a treasure was involved. When Vesper and Brinnie explore the ruins of King Vartan's castle, they find the treasure that would have been the token of peace. Vesper makes peace by showing the two leaders in her own time that their ancestors would have settled their wars had it not been for deception and unwillingness on both sides to be the first to forgive and give up the quarrel. A truly exciting story, it carries the reader along to a triumphant conclusion and the hope that Vesper may have another adventure before she settles down--perhaps in Illyria, where she seems to have left her heart. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6-9. A spirited escapade in which intrepid heroine Vesper Holly becomes enmeshed in political intrigue when she travels to the mythical kingdom of Illyria to continue an archaeological investigation begun by her late father. (Ap 1 86)