The Strange Twins of Ben More
by Anthony Spaeth
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Mar 12 2024 | Archive Date Jul 15 2024
Talking about this book? Use #lambergoon #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
The Stange Twins of Ben More is the story of Mank the Potter and his strange twins, Hoon and Bahnee. Told in rhyming verse and accompanied by more than 250 hand-painted illustrations, the book is intended for avid fantasy readers with a literary bent. Think Beowulf. Think Farmer Giles of Ham. Think Goblin Market and Tam O'Shanter.
Advance Praise
Spaeth’s offbeat yarns are dense with resonant motifs that suggest a mash-up of Beowulf, Icelandic sagas, and Arthurian romance, with a dash of Sir Walter Scott and a twist of Harry Potter. The stories are full of quests, puzzles, inventive twists, ominous threats, and terrifying villains who turn out to be not so terrifying when approached with a little empathy and common sense. The text’s poetry is in a lilting ballad form, its droll horrors and marvels bringing to mind Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” and the whimsy of Edward Lear. The author’s vivid imagery summons a wide range of emotions and moods, from the haunting fate of Callix’s jilted groom, who wastes his life mooning over what he thinks is her watery grave (“But the witch did not return, / Nor did the groom dive in; / Leaves changed and fell and turned to dust, / And so, at last, with him”) to Bahnee’s comically icky but pragmatic method of cultivating her avian familiars (“The lass brushed back her bonnet, / Stuffing haddock in her cheeks. / The birds began to gape and squawk / Till she spat into their beaks”). Throughout, Spaeth conveys a classic fairy-tale mix of nightmarish spookiness and uncanny moralizing that will keep kids enchanted. The color illustrations, by several artists—especially Stawksa’s rich, chiaroscuro images of Gad’s Lambergoon adventure—make a captivating accompaniment to the text.
A richly imaginative set of poetic children’s fables that beg to be read aloud at bedtime.
--Kirkus Reviews
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9798988400004 |
PRICE | $12.00 (USD) |
PAGES | 296 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
"The Strange Twins of Ben More" is a captivating tale that combines rich rhyming verse with over 250 stunning hand-painted illustrations, immersing readers in a fantastical world unlike any other. I like how the story draws inspiration from classic literary works like "Beowulf" and "Goblin Market," adding depth and complexity to its narrative. Mank the Potter and his peculiar twins, Hoon and Bahnee, lead readers on an unforgettable journey filled with mystery, adventure, and whimsy. The intricate illustrations beautifully complement the lyrical prose, enhancing the overall reading experience. Fantasy enthusiasts with a penchant for poetic storytelling will undoubtedly find this book a delightful and enchanting read.