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352 reviews for:
Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King
Laura Geringer, William Joyce
3.98 AVERAGE
352 reviews for:
Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King
Laura Geringer, William Joyce
3.98 AVERAGE
William Joyce has always been one of my favorite picture book author/illustrators. His books “Santa Calls,” “The Leaf Men,” and “The Man in the Moon,” are some of my favorites. His books are lavishly illustrated in a retro style with paintings that contain the type of details that make you want to look at them over and over. Now Joyce has embarked in a new direction with this first book in a new series of chapter books called “The Guardians” (technically, his picture book “The Man in the Moon,” is the first book in this series, but it actually acts more like a stand-alone prequel. Much of its plot is recapped in Nicholas St. North, so you really don't have to read it to enjoy this series). The guardians referred to in this series are those mythical figures of childhood lore that really don’t have much in the way of written back-stories: The Man in the Moon, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, etc. In this first volume we are introduced to Nicholas St. North, a bandit chief who turns hero when he joins forces with a young orphan named Katherine and a powerful wizard named Ombric, in their fight against Pitch, the Nightmare King and his army of fearlings. There is a lot of set-up in this first volume and not a lot of character development but it is still a magical adventure story. In this first volume, co-written with Laura Geringer, the two authors have created a fantastic world filled with marvelous locations like the isolated Siberian town of Santoff Claussen, a place that we are told was named for the Atlantean phrase “a place of dreams.” It is where the wizard Ombric has his home, which is inside a magical oak tree known as Big Root. This is an inventive tale filled with flying reindeer, yetis (abominable snowmen), magical moonbeams, a fairy-like sprite named Nightlight, a brotherhood of Lunar Lamas and an evil villain named Pitch who wants to steal the dreams of children and replace them with nightmares. There are just enough chills and scares to give young children goosebumps but there is certainly nothing as scary as what can be found in any of the Harry Potter books. I am currently reading the second book in this series, “E. Aster Bunnymond and the Battle of the Warrior Eggs at the Earth’s Core,” and it’s even better than this first one. I love children’s books but other than the Oz books and the Harry Potter books, I’ve never been one for reading series books, until now that is. Joyce has me hooked on this new series and I look forward to reading future volumes.
This is a beautiful book, in many ways. Joyce has given a nice twist to the traditional folklore and we are seeing the origin of how Santa Claus came to be (although it's never said in those words, actually). Far from being the traditional jolly fat man, he's a Russian ruffian whose heart transforms from that of a notorious outlaw to that of a protector. I really like the mythology Joyce has set up in this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
Joyce also provides the artwork, and it is fabulous. I picked up this book because I so loved the movie based on it - Rise of the Guardians - and I remembered seeing the three novels on a display when the movie came out. This book is just lovely, something I would be happy to hand to my child (around age 8 or 9, I would say). I think it encourages creativity and compassion and courage in both children and adults.
Two small side notes. One: this book needed a more through proofreader. Badly. Two: I don't think the word "Guardians" ever appears in the text, even though the series is called "The Guardians." Interesting.
On to book 2: E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!
(The title includes the exclamation point at the end. Doesn't it sound like a 1920s Edgar Rice Burroughs novel? I can't wait!)
Joyce also provides the artwork, and it is fabulous. I picked up this book because I so loved the movie based on it - Rise of the Guardians - and I remembered seeing the three novels on a display when the movie came out. This book is just lovely, something I would be happy to hand to my child (around age 8 or 9, I would say). I think it encourages creativity and compassion and courage in both children and adults.
Two small side notes. One: this book needed a more through proofreader. Badly. Two: I don't think the word "Guardians" ever appears in the text, even though the series is called "The Guardians." Interesting.
On to book 2: E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!
(The title includes the exclamation point at the end. Doesn't it sound like a 1920s Edgar Rice Burroughs novel? I can't wait!)
William Joyce, the imaginative creator of George Shrinks and Rolie Polie Olie, has decided to try his hand at chapter books. The result is a very appealing (to both genders) swashbuckling adventure with lovely illustrations. Yes, the Nicholas in the book is going to someday be Santa Clause, but that's really only hinted at. While there could have been a bit more character development in the 3 main characters, the plot is great, and Joyce never dumbs it down - he uses some huge vocabulary, but its approachable in context. My 8 year old cannot wait to get the sequel.
I have really enjoyed repeated viewings of The Rise of the Guardians. It's a great family movie with lots of interesting detail and many wonderful characters. So when I was looking for a great family audiobook and I saw that there were stories that were prequels, to me, for the film, well yes! Let's have a listen while driving to and from Nashville.
Nicholas St. North is a swashbuckling bandit who discovers he has a talent for magic and a heart for children. The Man in the Moon sees all, determined to protect wonder and magic and childhood from the vicious depredations of Pitch, The Nightmare King. The story is so adventurous and so broad. And adds greatly to the mental picture of Santa Claus, with his tremendous Russian accent, his gleaming swords, and his band of faithful, long suffering yetis.
A wonderful book for the whole family to enjoy.
Nicholas St. North is a swashbuckling bandit who discovers he has a talent for magic and a heart for children. The Man in the Moon sees all, determined to protect wonder and magic and childhood from the vicious depredations of Pitch, The Nightmare King. The story is so adventurous and so broad. And adds greatly to the mental picture of Santa Claus, with his tremendous Russian accent, his gleaming swords, and his band of faithful, long suffering yetis.
A wonderful book for the whole family to enjoy.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is really cool. At the start I didn't expect I'd enjoy it as much as I did. I'm glad to have been introduced to different characters that weren't there in the movie. I see that there wouldn't have been enough time to have all the backstories of all the Guardians. That would've been a long ass movie.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
⭐️ 10/10
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced