The Illyrian Adventure

I'm 21, and I must say I love the Vesper Holly books as much as I did when I first discovered them at age 10. I read them over and over again through my teen years. They're like a cross between Indiana Jones and the Adventures of Tintin, with an added bonus--an original female heroine! As a young girl I admired Vesper and all her intelligence and pluck; she's a great role model for smart, ambitious girls who want to make discoveries. These books are funny, intelligent, and genuinely exciting. They are honest, lighthearted, goodhearted fun. I was delighted to discover that Lloyd Alexander has recently written a series finale (Xanadu Adventure). They're at a young adult reading level (good for ages 9-16) but are also great books for reading out loud with kids from ages 7 to 107. Vesper, with a heart as big as her brain and her endearing knacks for mathematics, historical puzzles, and banjo music is a truly trailbrazing heroine in young adult literature. (Keeping track of her numerous and various admirers and enemies, and bumbling along with her humorous guardian, Brinnie, is fun, too!) Thank you, thank you, Lloyd Alexander!

I've been a Lloyd Alexander fan for a long time. His Westmark Trilogy and Prydain Chronicles are certainly some of my favorities for their high adventure, dry wit, and extraordinary depth. I've even exchanged letters with Alexander. Needless to say, I've been excited to begin the Vesper Holly books for a long times, and while this one is not quite up to the level of Westmark and Prydain, I am not disappointed.Vesper Holly is quite a girl. She has a knack for getting into finding trouble and adventure. In this novel, she drags her Uncle Brinnie to Illyria and into a civil war with its roots in ancient mythology. Together, Vesper and Brinnie have to try to unite the country by bringing together the king and the leader of the rebel forces. Of course, the plot contains a lot of murder attempts and quick escapes and mysterious plot twists. It's certainly a fun, fast ride.There is a lot that's great about this book. I'm always a stickler for good high adventure, and the humor, action, and characters of The Illyrian Adventure provide that. The only problem with the book is that it stops there. Where Prydain and Westmark have underlying messages about such things as political philosophy, the nature of heroism, and the ability of love to cut through the chaos of the world, this book did not have that depth. Certainly, read this book, but read Westmark and Prydain first.

The Illyrian Adventure is one of Lloyd Alexander's very best books. As an eighteen year old student applying to universities, I have written entrance essays on this book. I wish that I had read it when I was younger. It is an excellent book about a fearless heroine, and it has that truly inspiring flavour of all of Alexander's work. Not only is it fun to read (I've lost track of how many times I've read it this year), but it leaves you with a yearning to get up and go, to follow dreams. Vesper Holly is a wonderfull role model, if I ever have children, this will certainly be one of the first books I'd want them to hear. Go Vesper!

This is the first book (and the best) of the Vesper Holly series. Everyone will love Vesper and her sense of adventure. If you havn't read this book drop every thing, and head for the nearest bookstore or library.

Lloyd Alexander rules!! This book is exciting and adventurous. LOVE IT!! Who is Nilo, really? Why did he just happen to show up at exactly the right time the Vesper and Professor Brinton need him? And that doctor; what's with him? HAHA! Lloyd Alexander makes an excellent story for anyone who likes to read!