The Whispered Secret, 2

Obert Skye (if that's his real name....) is indeed showing to the world what a talented author he is. He really hits home with the second installment of the Leven Thumps series. Poor Leven never seems to get much of a rest, this book is no exception it starts out fast and furious and keeps going all the way up to the cliff hanging end. The writing is clean ( parents should have no problems with their kids reading this book) the action is intense and non stop and the characters are fun and full of life. How could you not like a main character that is a tooth pick? This book is very imaginative and very cleaver. I wish it didn't end and I really wish I didn't have to wait another year or two for the next one.

Leven Thumps returns! Obert Skye's second book, "Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret," is a much-anticipated sequel to "Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo." In the first book readers learn about the existence of Foo and meet Leven, Winter, Clover and Geth among other delightful characters. In this second book, readers are able to explore Foo itself and hope that it will still be there at the end of the book. Sabine, the darkest and most selfish being in Foo seems to have been splattered in Reality in the previous book, but his evil reach has a presence in Foo, one that Leven and his companions will have to deal with. From the very beginning of this book to the very last page, chaos is all around them as they try to restore Geth as the rightful king. Winter encounters grave dangers on her own as Leven must cross the dreaded Swollen Forest. At every turn there is an obstacle to overcome as Foo is still in turmoil from Sabine's reign of terror. Fate dislikes a plan and leads things in various directions while the four travelers hope for the best. Will Leven learn to trust in fate? He doesn't have much choice! Foo is a fantastic place to visit and readers will experience things they've never imagined through the glowing eyes of Leven. Obert Skye has a true talent for creating the mystical and drawing readers in to his world. His seemingly laid-back style captivates and then the fast paced plot holds attention until the last page is turned. Foo exists to remind us to hope, imagine and dream; the Leven Thumps books seem to be reminding us how to do these things. Review by Heather Froeschl.

Leven is back in an adventure that only an Offing can have. Now in Foo, the land of Dreams, Leven, Winter, Geth, and the irrepressible Sycophant Clover have several purposes to accomplish. Leven has destroyed the gateway and Sabine but now he must contend with Sabine's crafty Rant henchman, Jamoon. (A rant, as we all recall, is a creature whose left half lives in a flux of incoming dreams being invented by humans)... and of course there is Sabine's Rings of Plague roaming around that love to stir up trouble for the residents of Foo. Meanwhile, in reality, a janitor named Dennis has encounter the darker side of Geth, a toothpick named Ezra who intends to use Dennis to get him back to Foo. The major task at hand though is that Geth has to be restored from his toothpick status to that of the crown Prince of Foo, and must be restored before his body permanently hardens and his soul is lost forever. But fate has something to say about their course of actions...and fate can be a cruel mistress at times. Immediately Winter and Leven are separated. Leven must contend with all sorts of trials and tribulations to get back with her and in tandem Winter has to fend for her life against Jamoon. Geth must find a way to get to the turrets when he volunteers to leave Winter in an attempt to locate Leven and Clover... and the worst thing comes to pass when Leven unknowingly discovers a key and releases the worst of all secrets that Foo has to hide... something that could irrevocably change the face of Foo as we know it. "Leven took off running just as the liberated secret pulled itself erect, tilted back its head, and screamed." "Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret" continues in the vain of it's predecessor with skill and agility. The hi-jinks of Clover and Leven's relationship are still full of priceless quips, the understanding between Leven and Winter is still endearing, and what's better is the dynamics between everyone and Geth....that people can feel such utter empathy for a small sliver of wood is priceless. The introduction of Dennis and Ezra adds a nice future element of doom as well. With Skye's quick wit, the evolution of Leven's confidence, and all sorts of unorthodox twists and turns, this addition to the world of Foo proves once again to be one of the most original and unique feats of storytelling to date. And I personally can't wait for the next book... the final pages of this had me gasping... the secret is truly one that will rock the foundations of Foo, and I intend to be in on it when Skye continues his fabulous narrative.

This book is fun to read, so much so that it has laugh out loud moments. Obert Skye has a gift for writing. His story is concise, unpredictable, coherent, and a joy to read. The characters are worth reading about and do a nice job drawing you into their story. Fun for all ages. I highly recommend this book and the series.

Having read the first book in this series multiple times--twice by myself, and once out loud to my wife--I was very excited about reading this--and I was not disappointed, either. The story of Leven Thumps is the story of a young boy who discovers the existence of a mysterious land known as Foo--the place where dreams are literally made--and learns that that land is about be merged with reality (with disastrous consequences) unless he stops it. Leven is aided and instructed in his quest by a young girl named Winter (who can freeze things), a furry little creature named Clover (who can hold entire universes it seems in the pocket of his cloak), and a character named Geth (who is the ruler of the land of Foo but has been imprisoned inside a toothpick). The first book in the series dealt with these characters journeying to Foo and destroying the gateway between Foo and our world. The second book, this book, finally deals with Foo itself, and the wait, evidently, has been very worth it. Unlike the Harry Potter books in which every volume starts off as expected with "Another Year at Hogwarts...," this volume kicks off only hours after the ending of the previous volume, and probably only covers a few days at most, as the characters race across the bizarre world of Foo to get to the Turretts of Foo, so that Geth can be restored to his real form before the toothpick he's trapped in hardens forever and ends his life. The story is expertly intercut with stories of other characters still back in reality--including Winter's soulless adopted mother, Leven's vengeful legal guardians, a janitor who discovers ANOTHER very different living toothpick, and a concerned trashman in search of his missing neighbor, Winter. There's a lot going on in this book--it's a hard book to summarize--but it all unfolds in a clear, understandable, fast-paced way, and leads up to one of the most triumphant resolutions ever...and then some. The first book in the series may have been guilty of occasionally telling instead of showing, but in this volume Obert Skye seems to have taken all (relevant) previous criticism to heart, and crafted a book that almost always shows and never tells, in which not a page or a paragraph or a word is ever wasted. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good book with a unique plot, unique characters, and good laughs. It was well worth the wait, and I expect the third one (which I for one certainly buy) will be as well. Buy it, buy it, buy it. "Leven Thumps" is a series that will be read by kids (and young at heart adults) for centuries to come. It's classic.