Book 00072: Beyond the Deepwoods by Chris Riddell & Paul Stewart
Title:
- Beyond the Deepwoods
First Publication:
- 1 October 1998 by Doubleday
Trivia:
- It is the first volume of The Edge Chronicles and of the Twig Saga trilogy; within the stories' own chronology it is the fourth novel, following the Quint Saga trilogy that was published later.
Awards:
- Great Stone Face Book Award: 2005-2006 Picks
- 2007-2008 Indian Paintbrush Nominee
This is one of the books that I just bought and read recently. But I wanted to buy this book the first time I saw it -- in hardcover. It was years before that I first saw the series and I immediately wanted to buy and complete them. But then as if by magic, they just flew away from the shelves of the bookstores where I buy books and none was left for me to start the collection. It made me hysterical at first but I decided that I should wait for the next batch -- and lo it came years after... It was not in hardcover, though. Half-heartedly I bought the paperback and was glad that I bought them, hardcover or not.
From the Jacket
Young Twig lives in the Deepwoods, among the Woodtrolls, but he isn't one of them. In a brave attempt to find out where he belongs, Twig wanders into the mysterious, dangerous world beyond the Deepwoods. He meets a collection of odd companions, such as his wise guardian, the Caterbird; the Slaughterers, a peaceful race who butcher animals for their livelihood; and the vicious, bile-swilling Rotsucker. Always watching out for the horrible Gloamglozer, whose presence haunts the thoughts of all the inhabitants of The Edge, Twig steadfastly pursues his quest until he discovers his roots, not among the trees, but in the skies....
Alternate
The book tells the story of Twig Verginix, a forthling who has been raised by Woodtrolls. After he strays from the path and gets lost, he must journey through the perilous Deepwoods. He meets many dangerous creatures that live there, such as Halitoads, Rotsuckers and Hoverworms. He witnesses the hatching of a Caterbird, who promises to watch over him. He journeys to a slaughterer village and a gyle goblin colony, but never feels as if he fits in anywhere.
At long last, he meets some sky pirates who had been caught in a storm. He discovers that the captain is actually his father, and intends to stay with them, but they leave him behind. In the climax of the book, he stumbles across the Edgelands, a howling cliff that is inhabited by wraiths and ghosts. There he meets the Gloamglozer, a mythical creature that was accidentally released by his father years ago. The Gloamglozer tricks him into jumping off the cliff, but in a twist of fate the Caterbird carries him until he is above his father's sky ship, and he crashes into the deck. Once he has recovered, his father reveals his true identity and Twig joins his crew.
Grade: A-
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