Review Detail

Reader reviewed by JP

Got this for my son as he love's those Harry Potter books more than anything. He's been moping around cause book 5 isn't out. I thought this would be interesting, sure sounds like it from the description. The true test is in my son's reading. If he likes a book he'll keep at it until he finishes or he has to stop for whatever reason. He started the book Saturday morning, finished it Saturday evening. I could only get him to stop to eat once! Sunday he went back, read it again. Right then I decided to read it, find out for myself.

My opinion was it was good, perhaps great. A lot of books claim to be as good as Harry Potter, this one doesn't and it is. My son loves Ray's story. He's been running around the house, being Ray if that says enough and I don't mind at all. Ray's story is of a boy who journeys to the place lost and deep, and then to the land beyond the beyond. It is a story of growing up, leaving childhood behind.

Ray doesn't start out with any companions on his journey, laments leaving his friends behind. He discovers a whole world beyond his floating village and the floating island houses of the place that is his home. As he goes place to place he is followed by old bull who'll be his constant companion.

Now old bull is some sort of beast with terrible jaws and gnashing teeth that's waiting to eat Ray. Rays taunts and teases old bull along the way, runs into other troubles, like finding blood suckers on himself after falling in and an encounter with mother slither that had me gasping! The book is short, classic kids story, but Robert packs in barrels of fun, so much so that I found myself laughing, crying, cheering. Ray's visits with the village elder, the encounter with the outsider girl, Kerry, only add to the delight.

I can't tell you how refreshing it was to read this book. It's a fun, fast read that I think we delight anyone of any age. I have two regrets though. The book doesn't point to a sequel, I can find no mention of it, but there has to be one. The book is published as a part of story collection under Magic Lands & Other Stories, which seems to be a collection of stories for adults/teens. I wish I had seen that. I would have bought both versions! Since reading this my son has asked me to buy Robert's other books.

I must admit I didn't know he'd written any others. The book lists several, provides a good background on Robert. I couldn't believe it when I found it he's over a million books in print. I gulped because I thought I was up with all the popular children's authors, at least so I know what to allow and what to screen out. Long story short, we ordered the children's versions of the other books. There's 5 others, a few for adult too!

My opinion, if you haven't heard of Robert like me, he may be the best author you've never heard of. We're having barrels of fun reading his stories.