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linneamo 's review for:
The Goblin's Puzzle: The Adventures of a Boy With No Name and Two Girls Called Alice
by Andrew S. Chilton
genre: fantasy
summary: A boy with no-name, a slave starts out on a journey with his Master's son. Another slave kills him leave the boy "free" and alone. The boy eventually comes upon an imprisoned goblin. When he saves the goblin the goblin gives him 3 boons (1- he saves for his master, 2-the goblin must always tell him the truth, 3-the goblin must answer one yes or no questions a day). Meanwhile Plain Alice is kidnapped by good-natured dragon, Ludwig who is being commanded by an evil sorcerer to steal Princess Alice. After the dragon learns of the mix-up he steals Princess Alice as well. Along the way the boy and both Alices cross paths. Can they save the kingdom, each other, and find out about the boys mysterious past by out-thinking a goblin?
for kids who like: Sarafina and the Black Cloak, Tale of Despearaux
age group: 8-10
my review: in the beginning of this book i was completely uninterested. i was expecting a rehash of the same fairy tale tropes and reused characters but i was pleasantly surprised. i loved the use of logical thinking in the story and i thought that both Just (aka Plain) Alice & Princess Alice were interesting and independents characters (not girl stereotypes). I also liked that the main protagonist, the boy, wasn't a traditional hero. Surprisingly enjoyable and I would recommending it although I do think strong readers and fantasy lovers may not find it as compelling.
summary: A boy with no-name, a slave starts out on a journey with his Master's son. Another slave kills him leave the boy "free" and alone. The boy eventually comes upon an imprisoned goblin. When he saves the goblin the goblin gives him 3 boons (1- he saves for his master, 2-the goblin must always tell him the truth, 3-the goblin must answer one yes or no questions a day). Meanwhile Plain Alice is kidnapped by good-natured dragon, Ludwig who is being commanded by an evil sorcerer to steal Princess Alice. After the dragon learns of the mix-up he steals Princess Alice as well. Along the way the boy and both Alices cross paths. Can they save the kingdom, each other, and find out about the boys mysterious past by out-thinking a goblin?
for kids who like: Sarafina and the Black Cloak, Tale of Despearaux
age group: 8-10
my review: in the beginning of this book i was completely uninterested. i was expecting a rehash of the same fairy tale tropes and reused characters but i was pleasantly surprised. i loved the use of logical thinking in the story and i thought that both Just (aka Plain) Alice & Princess Alice were interesting and independents characters (not girl stereotypes). I also liked that the main protagonist, the boy, wasn't a traditional hero. Surprisingly enjoyable and I would recommending it although I do think strong readers and fantasy lovers may not find it as compelling.