Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Moo Press
Release Date:
October 15, 2004
ISBN: 0-9724853-5-X
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Hardcover
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Genre: Children’s – Fiction [Ages 7-12]
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Kristin Johnson
Reviewer Notes: Reviewer Kristin Johnson’s books are Christmas Cookies are for Giving, co-written with Mimi Cummins and Ordinary Miracles: My Incredible Spiritual, Artistic and Scientific Journey, co-written with Sir Rupert A.L. Perrin, M.D.
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Aidan of Oren: The Journey Begins
By Alan St. Jean

Illustrator Judith Friedman

      Imagine Harry Potter or King Arthur in the medieval-style magical town of Lionsgate. Imagine a fabulous quest and a prophecy about dragons, elves, and three orphans.

      But no matter what time you live in, you still get teased for hanging around with girls.

      Aidan of Oren, his best friends, Lilly (means “wisdom and purity”) and Mckenzie (means “warrior”), and his pet falcon, Charles (a royal bird of the family of Wingdom), love the stories Aidan’s gentle grandmother tells. But Aidan never dreams he will be living a legend far beyond any of his favorite legends.

      A terrible war engulfs the land and the country of Lionsgate alone stands untouched, except for orphaned children like Aidan, son of a powerful wizard and a mother created from the earth. Aidan, Lilly and Mckenzie embark on a perilous quest, encouraged by the love of Aidan’s grandmother. Charles, the comic relief, acts as guide, scout and spy against the dangers.

     There’s plenty of danger. The mysterious Voldemort-like Lord of Dunjon sends a Beauty and the Beast-like prince, the Hooded Man, to stop Aidan, but the majestic guardians who can stop the war watch Aidan’s steps. Lilly and Mckenzie, far from being weak damsels in need of rescue (though Aidan worries about them constantly), have wisdom, courage and abilities hinting at their own special destinies. The bond between the three children is the most moving aspect of the story.

     Encounters with dragons and elves also give Aidan of Oren, the first in a series, a Lord of the Rings feel. As Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) tells Frodo (Elijah Wood) in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, “The smallest person can make a difference.” Aidan, Mckenzie and Lilly (beautifully rendered by Judith Friedman) are small and meek (like Dorothy), but like Kirk, Spock and McCoy, together they can do anything: talk to fishes, escape spiders, befriend baby dragons and even free the Hooded Man from his terrible curse. And always, as in the best of these sagas, there is a hint of urgency as Aidan searches for his parents and his destiny. An enchanting, captivating beginning.