Product Description

Sebastian Darke has the world on his narrow shoulders. The son of a human father and an elvish mother, he is deperately trying to become the family breadwinner and has taken on his late father's job - celebrated jester, Prince of Fools. Trouble is, Sebastian can't tell a joke to save his life. Dressed in his father's clothes and accompanied by his talking (and endlessly complaining) buffalope, Max, he sets off for the fabled city of Keladon, where he hopes to be appointed court jester to King Septimus. On the way he encounters a tiny but powerful warrior called Cornelius; the beautfiul Princess Kerin; blood-thirsty Brigands and enough perils to make him wonder why he ever decided to leave home. This book is a hilarious and swashbuckling adventure!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #197102 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

From the Back Cover
Sebastian Darke has the world on his narrow shoulders. The son of a human father and an elvish mother, he is desperately trying to become the family breadwinner as a jester and self - styled 'Prince of fools'. Trouble is, Sebastian can't tell a joke to save his life.
Accompanied by his talking (and endlessly complaining) buffalope, Max, he sets off for the fabled city of Keladon, where he hopes to be appointed court jester to the incredibly powerful King Septimus. On the way he encounters a tiny but powerful warrior called Cornelius; the beautiful and captivating Princess Kerin; blood thirsty Brigands and enough perils to make him wonder why he ever decided to leave home.
A swashbuckling adventure in the great tradition of THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

About the Author
Philip Caveney is a copywriter from Manchester. He has had several adult thrillers published in the past but has now turned his hand successfully to children's books. He lives with is wife and 11 year old daughter.

Customer Reviews

Fast-paced fun adventure
If you're looking for a fast-paced fun adventure that's an easy read, here's the book you need. The chapters are short, the narrative is concise, the dialogue is slick, and the plot has all the elements of a traditional children's fable. Children will quickly warm to the book's central characters -- Sebastian Darke (a court jester) and Max (his animal companion). I'd recommend it for children aged 9-12.

A terrific read for kids of 7+
The last reviewer seems to have mistakenly commented on the wrong book! My whole family (age 7 upwards) loved this book and are now eagerly ploughing our way through the sequel, Prince of Pirates. In Sebastian Darke, Philip Caveney has created a brilliant central character that kids can really identify with: without the usual hero privileges of high birth, superhuman courage or even dashing good looks, Sebastian gets by like the rest of us do: with the odd bit of inspiration, a whole lot of good luck, and most of all, choosing the right friends.

Sebastian and his two companions - Max, a talking buffalope, and Cornelius Drummel, a mighty but pint-sized warrior - form a fabulously unlikely trio and Caveney knows how to play this for maximum effect. Anyone not delighted by Max's ingenious scheme for rigging the city gates, or Cornelius's unflappable performance in the arm-wrestling arena, needs to make an urgent appointment with their GP to have their pulse checked.

Which isn't to say this is merely a character piece. It's got a plot that rattles along like a runaway wagon, full of ambushes, sinister plots, damsels in distress and bovine flatulence. This really is a great adventure, with the makings of a fine series: I just can't wait until the rest of the family let me get my hands on Book Two...

Recommended
I loved the book.... oh and my son loved the book too! A great adventure aimed at 8+ year olds.