John Christopher: The Sword of the Spirits, Sword of the Spirits Trilogy (Childrens Books Apocalyptic)

The Sword of the Spirits trilogy by John Christopher is one of the more intriguing young adult literature series, in part because it holds nothing back. The young hero is allowed to be angry, resentful, make mistakes, cause problems, and suffer the pangs of responsibility that come from growing into a role in society. It is also important because, unlike most early youth literature, it does not hold off from dire consequences. What happened to the days of the Brothers Grimm? Here they show up in some degree, unsanitized by hoardes of modern corporate marketing teams designing whats good for the kids. You know, for children! What, Harry Potter dies? Hey, what about an entire civilization, war and bloodshed, doom and anger, emotions and technology?

- seer [Aug 18 2007 10:22 AM]