Severo’s Intent and Saxton’s Secret by Fiona McIntosh
Fantastica… just the name of the series is great. And the 3 books I have read from series 1 and 2 promise to be a wonderful introduction to adventure fantasy writing for upper primary readers.
In the Shapeshifter series (series 2) Saxten discovers that he is the heir to the throne of Drumminor. As a baby he was hidden in our world to keep him safe from the evil sorcerer trying to take over his father’s kingdom. Now the king has been poisoned and Saxten is drawn back to his homeland to take his place on the throne. Naturally all does not go well and as Saxten is moving through the land returning to his parents, he makes new friends, encounters adventures and difficulties, and learns how to become a good king.
I like the simple way the story is told. It is a straightforward tale but McIntosh still retains a subtlety of language that is uncommon in ‘easy reads’. Some may find it frustrating that the story progresses little in each book, and then the reader needs to wait until the next installment is published. However, I like the fact that the short books (well under 100 pages) are likely to encourage readers who would refuse to pick up a book of 350 pages which this tale will be when complete.
My one concern is the cover of the book. It is important that a series be recognizable, however the Fantastica books all look the same at first glance. And that even includes the first series by Kim Wilkins. Perhaps a colour change, even subtle like the Deltora Quest books for each series might make each series of books more distinct.
