Monday, May 09, 2011

Amos Daragon

Amos Daragon is a poor boy who never dreamed of doing anything but helping his family get the money they need to survive; however, Amos is compelled to leave home when he meets a mermaid princess, who gives him an ivory trident and a small white stone, and asks him to deliver a message to Gwenfradrille. When Amos reaches the city, he outwits a devilish innkeeper, and meets Beorf, a bear-man. Beorf was forced to hide from people, since the officials would burn anyone associated with magic, and humanimals like Beorf counted. Eventually, Amos reaches the Woods of Tarkasis and speaks to Gwenfadrille, who tells him the white stone is a stone of power. She places the stone in the mask of wind, which she then gives to Amos. Back in the city, Medusa, a foul gorgon, has turned Beorf to stone. Will Beorf be revived? How will Amos learn to control the powers of the mask?
The Mask Wearer is an original tale with elements from several other stories and myths. If you know the Greek myth about Medusa, you will understand why I can t believe Beorf thought Medusa had the most beautiful eyes in the world. It was surprising to learn that a snake-man, also called a naga, was Medusa s father. The fact that the mask made Amos a friend to birds and allowed him to speak to people far away was amazing. The author gave each of his characters individuality, like Junos, who gave the main character in all his stories his own name. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes gorgons, other fantastic creatures, or has at least basic knowledge of Greek myths.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA