Blurb: Taking from a Barrow? Not a good idea.
Ethan's family has fallen from owning a manor to scraping by on a small farm. As he approaches manhood, his prospects don't look very promising. And Arabella, the girl he's set his sights on, is the daughter of the Squire. Goaded by his younger brother, Ethan enters the Barrow, fights for his life with the tomb guardian, and escapes with a silver gorget.
Ethan hatches a plan to impress Arabella with the gorget. At the same time, the Sniggard, who guards the Barrow, makes plans to retrieve the stolen item. Ethan's plans go horribly awry. The Squire stands in his way. The Sniggard kidnaps Arabella. And Ethan stumbles into Faerie.
It's up to Ethan to fix the mess he's created and rescue Arabella from a life of captivity with the Sniggard. But how's a farm boy supposed to accomplish any of those monumental tasks?
My review: On a dare, Ethan enters the Sniggard's forbidden barrow to prove not only to his little brother and the other boys he's brave, but to the pretty girl Arabella who makes him turn to goo whenever she's around. Ethan barely escapes with a silver gorget that he tries to present to Arabella, but her cruel father the Squire and her stern governess won't have any of it. He's run off and finds himself in Faerie. And that is just the beginning of his journey.
This was a fantastic fantasy read with all the goodies. Poor boy wanting to win the heart of a girl by doing a foolish quest, a horrid monster in an ancient tomb, rambling fae, marvelous magic, and exciting adventure. I loved the tale of the Sniggard and getting a little into its head. I also wanted to see more of Faerie, and I do hope there are more books coming in this world for that. Ethan struggled, but he also had a good heart which granted him strength. There were some wonderful twists and turns. I had no idea how it would turn out, and I'm eager to find out more about other characters like Calvin, Chuck, and Tuxelo.
Jeff Chapman has a great imagination, and I'm sure he loves cats almost as much as I do! Check out The Sniggard's Revenge and look for Jeff on his website.
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