THE ARKADIANS
by Lloyd Alexander
When Lucian, a young bean counter in the palace of King Bromios of Arkadia, discovers that the royal soothsayers are fleecing the treasury, he is forced to run for his life. Out in the countryside, he discovers that Bromios, at the advice of the wicked soothsayers, has ordered the destruction of the temples and oracles of the Woman-Who-Talks-to-Snakes, and the hunting down of all the wise women and priestesses. He soon encounters Fronto, a poet turned into a donkey; Joy-in-the-Dance, a mysterious girl with strange powers; and many other strange and wonderful characters, and embarks on a quest to restore Fronto to his human state. Based on a variety of Greek myths and legends, this wild and woolly adventure covers territory both geographical and literary. Master storyteller Alexander (The Fortune-Tellers, 1992, etc.), known for rollicking fantasy and mystery adventures, keeps the action brisk, packs the text with a riveting collection of weird characters, fantastic settings, plot twists, derring-do, heroes, villains, magic, prophesies, humor, shipwrecks, fires—what more could readers ask for? (Fiction/fantasy. 10+)