The highly acclaimed first book of a fantasy adventure series set in a mysterious forest, starring a daring new hero.
"Readers will thrill to journey with Jinx" (SLJ, starred review), a wizard's apprentice, as he sets off on a quest through the dangerous Urwald, a magical forest full of wizards and were-creatures, and discovers that it is more complex than he could imagine, and that it needs him more than he could ever guess.
This humorous and smart tween fantasy adventure is perfect for fans of Septimus Heap, The Sisters Grimm, and Fablehaven.
Supports the Common Core State Standards
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful.
My review of Jinx
By A Customer
This is my review about Jinx. I think it's good for you or your children if you have any. I like that there's a lot of magic in it, and it's not that scary. I like when he goes through the wall with the secret of Knowledge Is Power and when he escapes from Bonesocket. His deep Urwald magic is cool.(Ben, age 8 ... the first book big book he read by himself!)
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful.Best new fantasy series in ages!
By Rene Duguay
This looks like the beginning of the best new series to come along since Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan. It offers likable, human characters (even the ones who may not be altogether human), a sense of humor, and enough moral and intellectual complexity to keep adults as well as kids involved and entertained.Jinx lives in what looks at first to be a terrible world; he loses both of his parents (dead or missing) in early childhood, and some step-parents as well; by the time we meet him he's living with a new set of step-parents, to whom he's barely connected, and who are so desperately poor that they plan to leave him in the forest to die in order to be able to feed their new baby. Needless to say, things don't turn out that way (or this would be a very short book). He meets up with Simon the maybe-not-evil wizard... and revealing anything more would involve spoilers.Jinx, Simon, and the other characters - especially Sophie, Reven, Elfwyn, and Dame Glammer, all think and act - unlike too many characters in children's fantasy novels - just as real people in the same situation might think and act. The story's main villain, the Bonemaster, is clearly Evil with a capital E (as Jinx points out to Reven, he has a bridge made of human bones) - but what's less clear is what it means to be Good. The characters are united in their opposition to the Bonemaster (most of the time), but when left to their own devices their goals and beliefs are often at odds. But there's nothing didactic or preachy about the presentation of these quandaries; this is a very witty book, inspiring frequent smiles. (I'd love to give examples here, but, well, spoilers.)
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.captivating and fun
By bored99
My 8-year-old snagged this book when it arrived, and was engrossed in it until the end, before I even had a chance to look at it. Once I started reading, I could see why--from the first line "in the Urwald you grow up fast or not at all," the storytelling is captivating, the plot unique, the characters multi-dimensional, and the world believable. Although the ending is satisfying and complete, the author leaves room for another story set in the same world, and I look forward to seeing the next one--this book is bound to become a classic.
