Kirkus Reviews

Avi's fable (as the subtitle and an author's note would have it) is an uneasy amalgam of medieval alchemy, Northumbrian magic and saint lore from the early northern Church that never quite achieves solidity. The aged alchemist Thorston's sole desire and lifelong quest has been to discover—using the magical tome of the title—how not to die, and he plans to use the lives of his talking crow Odo and servant girl Sybil to get what he wants. An old monk determined to see the magical book buried, a young orphan, a greedy apothecary's apprentice and a law-and-order reeve (named Bashcroft, one supposes, after a certain 21st-century counterpart) complete the circle around Thorston and his dark plans. Avi's rich evocation of a superstitious early 11th-century world of dank smells and dire poverty of body and soul is compact and powerfully rendered. Characters engage in poetic, nearly comedic plays on words and verbal contemplation of their place in a world seemingly run by fate and stronger forces. But the conclusion, including the apprentice's disturbing end and Thorston's cinematic comeuppance, seems thin and foregone—what seemed at first like gold is more like sand. (Fiction. 11-14)

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2005)

In early medieval England, Sybil, a young servant girl, tries to thwart the scheme of her master, a wicked alchemist, to achieve immortality. Aided by a talking raven, an orphan boy, and a monk, Sybil also must elude the greedy city reeve. Although the characters lack depth, the plot, with dead men rising from the grave, will chill and intrigue.

ALA Booklist (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

Avi's name on the cover of a new novel is enough to provoke shivers of anticipation in many readers, and in this Fable of Medieval Magic set in eleventh-century England, shivers are certainly warranted. Thirteen-year-old Sybil is the servant of Thorston, an alchemist who attempts to steal her life's breath but dies before the magic can take effect. Thorston's companion, a talking raven, convinces Sybil to help him seek the secret of alchemy, contained within an enchanted book--a task that's complicated by a flurry of visitors (A sniff of gold makes everyone sneeze) and by Thorston's stubborn refusal to stay quietly in his grave. Avi reigns supreme in building gothic atmosphere, and children will be thrilled by the ghastly scenes of fog-shrouded cemeteries and villains reduced to a foul lump of putrid muck. Less certain is how they'll respond to the unconventional structure; though unflappable, compassionate Sybil comes closest to a central protagonist, the narrative ricochets among numerous perspectives and is fractured into terse, dialogue-heavy episodes. Many fans of Avi's 2003 Newbery Award winner Crispin (2002) will miss the feeling of immersion in a narrative conferred by a single point of view even as they ponder the sweeping messages about the transience of life and the evils of avarice.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-At the dawning of the Middle Ages, Thorston, an old alchemist, works feverishly to create gold and to dose himself with a concoction that will enable him to live forever. The key to his success lies in a mysterious book with blank pages that can only be read by desperate, green-eyed people. Master Bashcroft, enforcer of law and order for the city, desires Thorston's secrets for himself. Brother Wilfrid, a priest with green eyes, knows the dangers of the book and seeks to retrieve it. To this mix add Odo, a talking raven, and Sybil, a poor orphan girl whom Thorston has taken in as his servant, and you have an intriguing tale in which goodness ultimately triumphs. Avi's compelling language creates a dreary foreboding, a grim backdrop against which the characters work out their fate. The old city always seems enshrouded in nasty fog and disgusting odors. Thorston keeps consuming part of his life-giving formula and repeatedly appears to die before resuscitating as a younger person. This, plus the fact that after each "death" Sybil and the others bury him, only to have him tromp up the basement steps covered in grime, will surely keep readers turning pages. Odo's cleverness and cynicism make him a likable character, while Sybil's innate goodness will endear her to readers. Clearly this is a story with a message, a true fable. Thoughtful readers will devour its absorbing plot and humorous elements, and learn a "useful truth" along the way.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

Newbery medalist Avi's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Crispin) nimble hand with scene-setting, characterization and dialogue will quickly draw youngsters into this tale set in 1046 England. And the author's multi-faceted plot will keep them intrigued—and guessing. On a foggy night in a dilapidated stone house, an aged, green-eyed gent named Thorston reads from a book whose pages are blank to most eyes. He follows the book's instructions as he stirs together an assortment of ingredients—including shredded gargoyle ears, two dozen white spider legs and "six white pearls of dried unicorn tears." He is concocting the "stones of life," which when ingested in four stages will allegedly renew his life. The final component is the "breath of life," which he plans to take from Sybil, his 13-year-old servant, whose life will end when Thorston regains his youth. On what appears to be his deathbed, the scheming man cryptically confesses to Sybil and his talking raven, Odo, that the book will reveal secrets of great value (alchemy? immortality?) if Sybil can "find someone with green eyes to read... the proper sequence," yet he directs her not to let a mysterious "him" get hold of the book. The greedy city reeve, the cocky apprentice to the local apothecary, a likable street urchin and a wise old monk also play roles in this enticing tale, which takes some chilling, unexpected turns before the history and the secret of "the book without words" become clear. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">This book is filled with engaging, craftily chosen words. Ages 8-12. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)