The Mistmantle Chronicles: Urchin of the Riding Stars - Book #1

Too often I've seen books, well-written and compelling, passed off as just another "children's" story, something that anyone above the suggested reading level shouldn't read. A book like this one could easily be thrown into that category. After all, talking animals on a fantasy island, seems pretty childish. There is no cursing, and it is relatively short, especially with the double-spaced printing of the book. However, that is the books biggest downfall; it is too short. Other than that, this book is nearly flawless. McAllister is has crafted a wonderful, exciting world. The descriptions are well done. The plot is gripping. McAllister's greatest achievement is, however, is in her character development. She has created a wonderful, lovable, and memorable cast of characters. From Crispin, to Urchin, to Husk, the characters have been masterfully created. It's amazing, in such a small amount of writing (relatively), McAllister could succeed so grandly. Within the first 20 pages, I was already idolizing Crispin as a hero. Of course, the story is not lacking, either. This is a story of plotting and betrayal, deception and loyalty, compassion and evil. It is filled with suspense and drama, and you will not want to put it down until the end. And it is not without its dark side. The island of Mistmantle is under a dictatorship, with a puppet king being played by a totalitarian, ruthless captain. Brutal work parties and "culling" have been instituted over the people. (culling is the act of killing new born babies with any physical defects present, which is branded as a type of "euthanasia" by the leaders). A word of warning to any over-sensitive parent, there is alcohol use, as in wine, and several murders from knife to poison. Personally, I don't believe that this should affect how the book is seen, as they are all completely needed to craft such a compelling story. Comparisons to the Redwall series are inevitable, but not justified. I'll admit, I'm a fan of the Redwall books, I've read about half of them, and that's the whole reason I picked this book up. The only similarity to the two, however, is the presence of anthropomorphic, talking animals such as squirrels, otters, and moles. Perhaps there is more action in Redwall, but other than that, the Mistmantle Chronicles is superior. It is plot-heavy, compelling, and leaves us with more than a simple "good vs evil" approach, but instead gives us moral ambiguity and social issues. Urchin of the Riding Stars is a fantastic book, appropriate for any age. An above average reader could easily finish this book in 2-3 days, even one day if you can set aside a few hours. Easily worth the time and effort. And, if you find the problem of the book being too short, there are sequels waiting. I can't wait until I get the next one in the mail.

It's been said that this book isn't really for older readers, but, being 19, I absolutely adored this book. In fact, I could hardly put it down. It was very well written, and very clearly written too. The characters were endearing, and I'll never forget them. I highly recommend this book for anyone, especially younger readers (and those who love fantasy stories), say, 10 and up. My sister (who is 15) also really enjoyed the book, and for a while, we even took turns reading aloud to each other. It was really a lot of fun. Adventure, mystery, intrigue, romance, loss, friendship, leadership... I can't quite describe how great this book was. You'll just have to read it for yourself!

My daughter really loves this book. I wouldn't recommend it for older readers as it is typical of fantasy and fairy tale stories, but for small children who like to be read to, it is a must. I would also think kids with pretty good reading skills will enjoy it as well.

Mistmantle chronicles book one Urchin of the Riding Stars is a book about a kingdom on an island far away on an island surounded by mist. An adventourous book about a young squirrel found nearly dead by a kind captian. This squirrel has a great deal of task to complete in this book. I highly recomend it.