Reviewed by:
Michael Thal
Genre:
Coming of Age/Fantasy/Magic
Approximate
word count:
75-80,000
words
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Author:
Jake Kerr was a
music industry journalist before becoming a science fiction/fantasy
author. His first published story, The
Old Equations, was nominated for a
Nebula Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Currently,
Kerr lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three daughters.
Description:
Tommy Black lost
his parents in a car accident when he was a toddler. Now fourteen
year old, Tommy lives with his doting grandfather who keeps a
constant eye on his grandson.
Life isn’t very
exciting for Tommy until that fateful evening walk from New York
City’s Ziegfeld Theater to the Persian Garden Restaurant when
suddenly Tommy’s life changes forever. After watching Errol Flynn
in The Adventures of Robin Hood,
Tommy and Grandfather are attacked by dark magical creatures known
appropriately as Shadows.
Once safe inside
the Persian Garden, the battle between Grandfather and the Shadows
and other magical monsters, Marids, begin in earnest. Tommy soon
learns from his granddad’s friend, Mister Ali, that Grandfather was
really the Archmage and his cane that he always carries with him is
really a powerful magical artifact. When the Marids fly in with their
huge talons and threatening teeth, all seems lost. Grandfather is
willing to accept his fate and passes the cane to Tommy, effectively
making the teen the next Archmage.
Appraisal:
Tommy Black and
the Staff of Light is a coming of age
story that relates Tommy’s adventures, his relationship with the
magical staff, and his efforts to save his grandfather in the first
person narrative.
Jack Kerr tells
Tommy’s tale through an imaginative magical world with exciting
characters, interesting settings, and a fascinating plot that will
keep young readers turning pages to the dramatic conclusion.
Rating: ***** Five Stars
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