Présentation de l'éditeur
The next great fantasy epic is here! For fans of Ranger's Apprentice and The Chronicles of Narnia.
Everyone in Moorvale believes the legend: The brave knight Tristan and the famed wizard Vithric, in an epic battle decades ago, had defeated the evil Nethergrim and his minions. To this day, songs are sung and festivals held in the heroes' honor. Yet now something dark has crept over the village. First animals disappear, their only remains a pile of bones licked clean. Then something worse: children disappear. The whispers begin quietly yet soon turn into a shout: The Nethergrim has returned!
Edmund’s brother is one of the missing, and Edmund knows he must do something to save his life. But what? Though a student of magic, he struggles to cast even the simplest spell. Still, he and his friends swallow their fear and set out to battle an ancient evil whose powers none of them can imagine. They will need to come together--and work apart--in ways that will test every ounce of resolve.
In a story reminiscent of the Ranger’s Apprentice epic and The Chronicles of Narnia, Matthew Jobin weaves reality, magic, and adventure into the next great fantasy phenomenon.
Praise for THE NETHERGRIM
“This series starter is reminiscent of epic fantasy series such as C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The characters are strongly drawn and . . . [t]here is a compelling blend of magic, romance, looming evil, and noble sacrifice.--VOYA
“The Nethergrim reminded me of a cross between The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. . . I would really like to see this one on the big screen.” –Brodart’s Library Services
"Entertainingly told with many unique features, The Nethergrim reads like a classic.” –Recommended by Richard C., Powells.com [Staff Pick at Powell’s Books]
“I’d go ahead and say everything about this book screams BLOCKBUSTER FILM.”—The Social Potato Reviews
"Riveting. Perfect for imaginative middle-grade readers craving a hearty magical adventure."--Booklist
"Fantasy fans will find much to enjoy in this elegant gem of a novel."--BCCB
"First in a planned trilogy, this is a solid debut for anthropologist Jobin, who steers clear of genre cliches while offering up a refreshingly metaphysical take on magic, a believably dark setting filled with unusual threats, and a seductive and manipulative villain."--Publishers Weekly
Extrait
PrologueThe best horse I ever knew was a bay stallion with a white star on his face. His name was Juniper—a strange name for a steed of war, but that’s what he was called when he was born, and his rider never changed it. The rider was the fourth son of the lord of a little place far away south. This boy had heard every tale of every grand old hero ever told, and when each of them was finished, he asked to hear it again, long after the other boys had started sneering at them. His father gave him Juniper on his sixteenth birthday because he had no land left to give, and so this boy—his name was Tristan—thanked his father for the horse and the armor and the sword he was given, and rode away from home. He had too many brothers for anyone to miss him much.Tristan and Juniper wandered the roads for many months, looking for good deeds that needed doing, and after a while they found some—lonely things, quiet things in little hamlets and manors at the edges of the land. Tristan’s shield was often dented and often mended. His sword grew notched, but he kept it carefully keen. Juniper grew as fearless as any horse ever born, and the rumor of their coming sent awful things scurrying into their holes.But the world is not a story, or if it is, the plot is very strange. The people Tristan helped were mostly poor, and though they were grateful when he killed a quiggan or caught an outlaw, it was hard to live on what they gave in thanks. He and Juniper grew both tough and wild, and in safer places where there were no such troubles, he found that people had no use
