Endymion Spring

Starred review from July 17, 2006
An enchanted blank book—one that reveals its secrets, but "only for those with eyes to see them"—lies at the center of Skelton's ambitious first novel, which unfolds through two alternating narratives. The first, set in the present, follows young Blake, whose mother is a visiting academic at Oxford. One day he runs his finger across the spines of some books in the Bodleian Library, and one volume " him back." The book's title, "Endymion Spring," begins to appear before his eyes, and he opens the cover only to find the contents blank—save for a riddle-like poem. The second thread of the tale, set in 15th-century Germany, is narrated by Endymion Spring, a boy serving as apprentice to the great Gutenberg, who is hard at work on his printing press. Gutenberg, eager for money to fund his Bible-printing project, strikes a deal with the "ruthless" Fust, who travels with a locked chest, adorned with gruesome imagery. Its hidden treasure represents a mystery with ties to both Blake's blank book and to Eden. With it, Fust seeks to create a book that will contain "all the secrets of the universe." Skelton's fiction breathes excitement into real history, as he exploits the fact that Johann Fust, Gutenberg's real-life patron, has been identified with Faust (as explained to Blake by a professor and to readers in an endnote). Riddles galore, a great cliffhanger and a film deal with Warner Bros. should generate plenty of excitement for this literary thriller; book lovers in particular will savor its palpable whiff of musty shelves and dusty volumes. Ages 12-up.

September 1, 2006
Gr 4-7 -In 1452, a young printer -s devil toils for his master, Herr Gutenberg, who is in the process of printing a Bible. On a suitably dark and cold night, sinister Johann Fust arrives at Gutenberg -s shop with a mysterious wooden chest decorated with dragons and serpents - heads. In a parallel story set at Saint James College in Oxford in the present day, Blake, a professor -s son, discovers a wordless book with the title Endymion Spring, which was the printer -s devil -s name. The present-day narrative and the story of Endymion Spring cleverly intertwine as Blake discovers that the book is the key to all of the world -s knowledge. As Endymion lies hidden in Gutenberg -s shop one night, Fust opens the wooden chest and, because of what Endymion learns, he is forced to flee. In an incredibly effective action scene, he eludes capture. Back in the present, Blake and his sister, Duck, find themselves pursued by a mysterious -Person in Shadow - and discover, as it leads them into the depths of the Bodleian Library, that Endymion Spring -s book has a mind of its own. Even if the promise of the clearly intriguing premise is not quite fulfilled, this book is certain to reach an audience looking for a page-turner, and it just might motivate readers to explore the true facts behind the fiction." -Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2006
Gr. 6-9. This debut novel, when offered to publishers at the manuscript stage, spurred an impressive bidding war. Why the fuss? For one thing, it's partly set at Oxford University, the same backdrop Philip Pullman used in " The Golden Compass " (1996). For another, its focus on a coveted artifact evokes Dan Brown's adult blockbuster " The Da Vinci Code" (2003). Blake, an American adolescent visiting modern-day Oxford, stumbles upon " Endymion Spring--" one portion of "the most legendary, sought-after book in the world." As Blake attempts to complete the fragment while evading cutthroat members of an antiquarian book society, flashbacks reveal the book's fifteenth-century connections to the original printing press, recounted by an apprentice of Gutenberg himself. Though the pulse-racing descent into Oxford's subterranean library stacks is thrilling, not every reader will respond to the novel's scholarly atmosphere, and subplots intended to flesh out Blake's character (mainly his angst over his parents' separation) seem stiff and forced. Once the buzz surrounding this heavily promoted fantasy subsides, look for it primarily in the hands of bibliophiles who enjoyed Cornelia Funke's " Inkheart " (2003) and " Inkspell " (2005)" . (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2007
A mute printer's apprentice steals a magical book and flees from a sinister scholar. Centuries later, Blake finds a blank book in an Oxford library and is drawn into a dangerous mystery, relentlessly pursued by a secret society intent on seizing his discovery. Pacing problems and only intermittent emotional engagement with the characters weaken an intriguing premise that bibliophiles will enjoy.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)