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Booktalking Colorado Full Record:
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Title: |
Alphabet of Thorn |
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Author: |
McKillip, Patricia A. |
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Date Published: |
2004 |
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Genre: |
Fantasy |
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Grade Level: |
6 - 12 |
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Booktalker: |
Sam Marsh |
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Booktalk:
Axis fought his first battle at the age of seven and killed his father. It was an accident. His father, the King, was teaching him about warfare, but Axis called to the Serpent to send him death to fight his battle. The river responded, leaving behind only a muddy hand relinquishing the crown. Kane was with him at the time and gave a detailed version that turned into myth. Kane, his right hand, who must pretend to be a misshapen wizard who was given to Axis on his wedding day as a gift.
It was Kane that devised and alphabet for the language in which she and Axis communicated secretly. A language and alphabet of thorns. In time they would become the rulers of the entire know world. Then they vanished into history.
When the king died, his wife had patience for nothing but her grief. Vevay, the High Mage, was the one who must salvage the situation and somehow keep the Twelve Crowns of Raine together with the King's inexperienced somewhat fey, fourteen year old daughter, Teresa, as the reigning monarch of the kingdom. But, Teresa would surprise the old mage.
Nepenthe was an orphan, adopted by the librarians and raised as one of their own. She had a knack for translation, and so the scholar left his manuscript in her hands to decipher. It was a manuscript of ovals that resembled fish. But, then Oriel asked Nepenthe to ride with her to the Floating School of wizards to bring back a manuscript that the mages couldn't translate. When the antics of the mages scared Oriel, it was Nepenthe who took the manuscript from the acolyte mage Bourne. But, the book spoke a word to her, and she hid the book in her tunic and told Oriel that the mages hadn't sent it after all.
She kept the mages' book secret while she tried to unravel its mystery. But, it continued to hold its secrets from her. It was a thorny problem, was this book with an alphabet of thorns. A book that told the secret of Axis and Kane.
Sam Marsh 3/2004
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