Book: Taash and the Jesters by Ellen Kindt McKenzie
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure
Status: Old family favorite -> first printed in 1968
Length: 245 pages
Genera Set-up: Taash is an orphan who knows nothing of his origins. He inadvertently stumbles upon an attempt to overthrow the Kingdom using the young Prince. After rescuing him, Taash must keep the prince's identity safe and discover his own!
Characters: Even through Taash is only 12 or so, I feel like he is still a relatable character to an almost-adult like me. Part of this might be that he is mature for his age, but I think also that the author did a good job writing him. I also enjoyed the contrast to the two jesters Piff and Kashka.
Plot: The pacing of the plot is well done. It is quick and varied enough to keep the reader interested. the only thing I have to complain about is sometimes the author requires the reader to infer certain things in order to fully comprehend some developments. These inferences are a little vague, so younger readers might have difficulty understanding these passages. -> I certainly did!
Ending: The ending is resolved while not cutting off the possibility of future additions to the story (though, at this point that may be doubtful). As a kind I was oblivious to the book's foreshadowing, so the ending was a complete surprise when I first read it. However, looking back I realize how much the ending was hinted at. So maybe I was just a tad bit boneheaded as a child.
Things to Watch For: There is witchcraft in the book--one of the main villains is a witch. This goes along with on of the book's themes of good vs. evil. However, I am not going to delve into the debate of how Christians should view magic and witchcraft right now (that is another topic for another time), so just know that it is there.
Other Media: Ellen Kindt McKenzie has written several other books, including a prequel to this book, titled Kashka.
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