Wyrmreweald: Returner's Wealth by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

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Doubleday, 2010 ISBN: 9780385617345
Highly recommended for ages 11 and above. When Micah, the young ploughboy, sets off for the high country in search of the wyrmes (the name given to dragons in medieval times) and the Returner's wealth, he cannot anticipate the events which will occur along the way. As he meets various characters, Micah discovers that some people are not as they appear at first sight and learns to question their motivations. He follows his conscience and thus acts honourably, no matter what the situation. With Eli Halfwinter as his mentor and guide, the young man discovers truths about himself and begins to re-evaluate the things in his life which truly hold the greatest importance.
This engrossing, entertaining adventure is written in a style easily accessible to even the younger readers of fantasy, particularly due to the double spaced print and black and white illustrations taking up either full pages or adding interest in the margins on the first page of each chapter. Due to the age of the main character, however, some of the content would possibly make it better suited to upper primary students and secondary students as it could fit the genre of the coming of age novel as well as simply being a quest novel. Themes of loyalty, trust, friendship, love, responsibility, acceptance and values are all explored to various degrees in this title and I eagerly await the next installment in the series.
Jo Schenkel

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