Merdyn is a fish out of water: a warlock from the Dark Ages who has been banished to the 21st Century. He cannot fathom the modern world and is desperate to return to his time, so he enlists the support of Rose, a young girl he bumps into by chance.
Rose is a typical teenage girl, struggling with the social aspects of high school and her dream to become famous and rich so that she can rescue her mother from the despair of her husband’s death. Rose’s brother Karl is self-absorbed, only interested in mobile phones, clothes, and his hairstyle. The other family member is Bubbles, Rose’s guinea pig who is enchanted by Merdyn so that Rose can hear him speak.
The whole family end up embroiled in Merdyn’s quest because Rose has made a deal with him: in exchange for her help, Merdyn will give her a potion so she can sing beautifully, fulfilling her desire to be a rich and famous singer which she believes is a solution to the issues in their family.
Merdyn is confused by many aspects of modern life, especially by our ability to live so disconnected from nature. His experience with “an inside lavvy” is hilarious. He is carsick every time he rides in a car. He pronounces “smart phone” as “startfoam” and is aggravated by the black magic that has shrunken people and trapped them inside the phone.
These misunderstandings and many others cause mayhem and mirth as Rose and Karl help Merdyn on a quest to find his staff and spell book, fending off the local constabulary and enlisting help along the way. The book concludes with a dramatic scene at Stonehenge.
The narrator of the story slips concise explanations of the relevant history into the story so that we understand more of Merdyn’s world. It’s just enough to be interesting and informative without slowing down the pace of the action.
Simon Farnaby has written and starred in popular TV programs such as Horrible Histories and Ghosts. This is his first children’s book, and it is a lot of fun. It stands out from its recent fantasy competitors because it brings the main character from another time into our world. We see our world with all its advantages and disadvantages through fresh eyes, making us reflect on what we have gained and what we have lost.
The book is illustrated by Claire Powell, adding extra fun, and helps us imagine the characters. I was a Catweazle fan as a child in the 70’s so this book brought back some wonderful memories of the TV show.
I would recommend this book for independent readers 10+.
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