Cover: Fernando López Juárez
Pedigree
Over the years, a number of writers have made high fantasy accessible to younger readers by replacing human characters with anthropomorphised animals. One of the most notable examples is the late Brian Jacques whose Redwall novels are still well worth seeking out for fans of this genre. However the best by far is Kieran Larwood’s recent series The Five Realms (3 ‘Podkin One-Ear’ books, followed by 3 ‘Uki’ books). They create the richest, most involving world of animal legends, heroes and villains and constitute a very significant contribution to the canon of UK children’s speculative literature. The blurb on the cover of Kieran Larwood‘s latest book calls him ‘one of the greatest fantasy writers of our generation’ and, if you amend this just slightly to read ‘one of the greatest children’s fantasy writers’, then I think this is not too much of an overstatement. David Wyatt’s illustrations for these books represent a glorious triumph in their own right too. However, after six books, the decision to bring the series to an end was probably the right one. Such sequences can easily become over-extended and it is better to stop before they do.
Something old, something new
However, Kieran Larwood seems to be fully back on song with a completely new fantasy, The Treekeepers. This one is very different from his Five Realms books in that its principal characters are not animals, but shapeshifters (here called shapewalkers) who change from human form into that of ferocious hybrid mythological creatures (griffyxes, pantherines, cockatrices and the like). However, the fact that its protagonist, Liska, and her principal friends are child-aged keeps the narrative comfortably within a children’s perspective.
The tree-dominated fantasy world that the author builds in The Treekeepers is very elaborate and complex, with many different layers of society and multifarious peoples and creatures. It is, in fact, so multifaceted that it takes quite a lot of exposition in the early stages of the book and can be a little confusing initially. However, once into the story, it is well worth the effort and the reader becomes immersed in a richly imaginative and very compelling fantasy environment.
A tree ring world
The story is built around many conventional high fantasy tropes and characters and is in essence a classic fantasy quest. However, there is more than enough that is original and highly inventive in the world building to make the whole book feel creatively fresh as well as uber-exciting and involving. The author brings a wonderful richness of language to his storytelling that is accessible to young readers without in any way sacrificing power and potency. Liska grows and develops convincingly over the course of the narrative. She and her companions are completely engaging and both good and bad characters (as well as some intriguing ‘in-betweens’) are brilliantly imagined and vividly evoked.
There are a good number of gruesome battles, which may put off some (adults), but then such conflicts are, after all, the very stuff of high fantasy. As such, they are sufficiently distanced from reality as to avoid being too seriously disturbing and, in any chase, they will probably thrill and delight far more young readers than there will be concerned adults.
Although very decidedly fantasy, this new creation is based firmly around trees, with its levels of society radiating out from a heartwood centre like the rings of a great tree itself. Within this context, it strongly promotes the importance of keeping systems in natural balance and of harmony with nature in general. This links the book in timely fashion to real world issues and means it has much to say to young readers; its subliminal messages may well be more potent that heavy lecturing. Like the best fantasies, it is ultimately a good deal more than escapist entertainment, whilst still providing page-turning excitement.
Myth not to miss
Whereas The Five Realms draws very effectively indeed on the potency of legend, The Treekeepers feels more related to the world of myth. However, it is no less powerful and no less resonant for that.
Whether or not this book will remain a stand-alone, or become the first of a new sequence, is not yet clear. However, I am absolutely sure that it will be be a favourite on many children’s shelves and borrowed enthusiastically from class and school libraries, where it absolutely ought to be found. It is a book that wins my strong recommendation for young fans of Harry Potter and other fantasy.
Chris Wormell’s atmospheric and evocative chapter-head vignettes add very significantly to the quality of this fine book.
