by R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore
Wizards of the Coast, $17.95, 287 pages
Non-stop action keeps this fantasy tale humming along for young readers with page-turning excitement. The Stowaway: Stone of Tymora – Volume One by New York Times bestselling authors R. A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore delivers a cascade of exhilaration in this earliest of the Drizzt saga. The story begins with young, orphaned Maimun being captured by pirates. In order to delay his pending doom he tells his tale to the pirate captain with a flashback to his beginnings. The story ensues including demons, dwarfs, trolls, a magical horse and creatures with fantastical magical abilities. Just when you think there will be some downtime for character building or a much-needed back-story, off it goes on another enticing adventure. While the tale is one of definite fantasy and adventure, the lessons are there for young readers; study your homework, obey to your parent(s), listen to your instincts and even insight is given in dealing with death. The ultimate cliffhanger leaves this story begging for the next installment with the precision only an expert writer could pull off. Even if this yarn didn’t do much for you, you’ll still want to continue the saga to find out what happens next.