One For Sorrow, Two For Joy
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
“An epic tale in the tradition of Watership Down and Lord of the Rings.”—Alan Yentob, BBC Director of Drama and Entertainment
Darkness has fallen over the realm of Birddom. The skies rain blood, no nest is safe, and the winds are thick with fear, pain, and death.
Driven by an unslakable desire to kill and conquer, the black-feathered magpies—aided by their brutish cousins, the crows—have hunted down and slaughtered countless species of smaller birds into extinction. Led by the malevolent, power-mad Slyekin and his sadistic assassin, Traska, their reign of terror has laid waste to the beauty and freedom that was once Birddom. Now Slyekin is preparing to launch his final assault against all that was once pure and proclaim his vile dominion.
To stop the gathering storm, Kirrick, a lone robin who witnessed the massacre of everything he loved, must undertake a journey beyond all reckoning. Through danger and deceit, Kirrick soars to all corners of the land, rallying those who would fight to save Birddom. From the proud might of the eagles, to the ancient wisdom of the owls, to the unlikeliest earthbound creatures, the allies of good must join together to oppose the shadowy menace that threatens them all—or fall from the sky forever.
In an epic conflict of bloodied beak and razor-sharp talon, of undaunted courage and unspeakable evil, of love, loyalty, and wings of honor, the battle for the very soul of Birddom is about to begin.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of "One for Sorrow," the opening half of British author Woodall's savage first novel, Birddom's very existence is threatened. Magpies, under the dictatorship of the treacherous Slyekin, have ruthlessly wiped out many bird species. A wise old owl, Tomar, asks plucky young Kirrick evidently the sole robin to survive the holocaust to undertake three dangerous journeys in order to enlist the aid of feathered allies. Kirrick proves that one brave little bird can make a big difference against "planned systematic genocide." The second section, "Two for Joy," allows Kirrick's mate, Portia, to prove her mettle. Contrary to the hype in the U.K. press, this avian fantasy lacks the depth of that modern animal classic, Watership Down. Nor, with its scenes of defecation, disembowelment and magpie rape, does it have much in common with The Lord of the Rings. Even the good birds execute summarily and employ mass murder. Still, given the compelling plot of "One for Sorrow" in particular, one can understand why Disney has optioned the novel "in a million-dollar deal." It should make a wonderful Disney feature-length cartoon, suitably sanitized.