Anatopsis

by Chris Abouzeid

Overview

Princess Anatopsis Solomon wants to be a knight-errant. But hermother, chairwoman of Amalgamated Witchcraft Corporation, plans for her immortal daughter to take over the family business. The Queen has even hired a new tutor: a demigod named Mr. Pound. But Mr. Pound’s plans go far beyond completing Ana’s education. He is searching for the mysterious and powerful Os Divinitas. And if he finds it, nothing will survive. A shocking and powerful gift will catapult the Princess into an unlikely quest through the rich worlds of Anatopsis, inhabited by magic immortals, a rebel army, and the last dog in the Universe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101153291
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/02/2006
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	287 KB
Age Range:	10 Years

About the Author

Chris Abouzeid lives in Massachusetts with his wife and three children.

Editorial Reviews

Poet and literary short-story writer Abouzeid introduces middle-grade readers to a dystopian world in which mortals live to serve immortals and immortals live in deadly competition-all while the earth falls apart. Twelve-year-olds Princess Anatopsis and Prince Barnaby are coerced into learning the magic of curses to equip them for an ordeal when they turn 13. Little do they know that their unpleasant teacher, demigod Mr. Pound, has ulterior motives that will end the world as they know it. Initially, the plot progresses slowly, but things speed up in the second section, rushing headlong to a gratifying ending. Abouzeid's mixing of Greek myth, Latin term, medieval fable and modern magic tropes produces an inconsistent and sometimes confusing universe. Despite this, the characters-a quirky group of immortals, mortals and talking animals-detailed descriptions of daily life and the compelling plot will keep young people caught up in the story. Readers will enjoy meeting the acerbic talking dog Uno, visiting the mortals' ghetto and, at long last, discovering the importance of the Os Divinitas. (Fiction. 11-13)

Kirkus Reviews