Countryside

The Book of the Wise

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Pub Date 11 Mar 2014 | Archive Date 31 Aug 2014
Tiner Publishers | The Editorial Department

Description

“You have a power within you, one that is within everyone…It’s the same power that fills that building, that keeps that tree alive…and the same power that has attracted your attention…I know it’s all a bit strange to you, but I assure you it is quite real…”

Eleven-year-old Luke Rayburn has never seen a skyline without skyscrapers or fallen asleep to anything but the sound of traffic. But his life is about to change in ways he never imagined.

When his father leaves for a year of military service, Luke and the rest of his family move into their grandparents’ home in the remote town of Countryside, a place like no other. Reachable only by a mysterious traveling tunnel and horse-drawn carriage, centaurs roam the landscape and shadowy wraiths slip among the trees.

There, Luke will be drawn into a centuries-old quest for an almost-forgotten book whose secrets will determine the fate of the world. He will have to reach deep to discover the power within him as he battles the forces of darkness and an alliance of sinister men who seek to destroy any who get in their way.

Luke’s only hope is to find the book before they do, but to do so he’ll need help from someone he never expected as the forces of evil come to bear on the magical world of Countryside.

“You have a power within you, one that is within everyone…It’s the same power that fills that building, that keeps that tree alive…and the same power that has attracted your attention…I know it’s all...


Advance Praise

Publisher’s Weekly calls Cope’s debut “a fanciful adventure set in a magical community..." and author Amber Forbes says “Rife with magic and danger, Countryside will appeal to the kids at heart and to the kids themselves.”

Publisher’s Weekly calls Cope’s debut “a fanciful adventure set in a magical community..." and author Amber Forbes says “Rife with magic and danger, Countryside will appeal to the kids at heart and...


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Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780985814151
PRICE $24.95 (USD)

Average rating from 11 members


Featured Reviews

Countryside is a wonderful book and Luke is a fun character. He makes mistakes,he is a bit too curious which gets him into trouble more than a few times.Between bullies, and evil magical men trying to get to him, he's a very busy boy. There are twists and turns, and tons of mystery to keep you reading until the very end of the book. I really hope that there is a book number 2.

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I put this book on my Kindle because my son didn't have anything to read for his nightly reading homework. He is 10 years old and was not happy that I picked a book for him. He has read this over the last couple weeks and told me that is was so much fun, and that I picked a good one. He really liked it and "it wasn't boring."

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A Really Real Magical Reality, Really March 22, 2014 By Pop Bop "Pause and Reflect" (Denver, Colorado, United States)
(TOP 500 Reviewer)

It seems to me that there are lots of very good middle grade fantasy adventure books that have clever plots, interesting characters, and fanciful alternate worlds. In that we are fortunate. There are very few books, though, that are truly effective in describing and bringing to life the depth of such worlds, or the romance and excitement and shear otherness of such worlds. J.T. Cope's singular achievement in this book is to make us feel, in a very practical and tangible way, what it would be like to be drawn from one's "normal" life into a fantastical adventure in a world like but different from our own.

In this case Luke and his Mom and siblings must flee their normal life to seek asylum of a sort in Countryside, which is described as a "holding", a magical place set aside for the safety of those, (human or otherwise), who are fortunate enough to be able to sense and see the magical beings and forces that surround us in normal life. There are undisclosed threats to Luke and to everyone in Countryside and Luke, whose grandparents have always lived in Countryside, clearly has some larger role to play in confronting those dangers. From there the plot moves in slowly widening circles, and more characters are introduced and more layers of menace are encountered as the book progresses.

But underlying all of that plotting is a complete commitment by the author to creating a world and characters who are worthy of all that effort and action. There is great attention to detail. And I don't mean the kind of tedious detail that involves describing every piece of furniture in a room, or every item of clothing being worn by some minor character. I mean attention to detail in using little bits of information and simple items of interest and passing observations and conversations to build up, layer by layer, a place that feels convincing, that has atmosphere, that has real presence.

One other aspect of the book that struck me favorably is its slightly old fashioned feel. Luke, who is twelve, is a typical twelve year old, but he is well spoken and respectful when dealing with adults. He watches out for his siblings and is affectionate toward and protective of his Mom. There is no heavy-handed moralizing or instruction or anything like that, but just a general feeling reminiscent of the old "Boys Own" adventures that emphasized honor, and duty, and resourcefulness, and similar virtues. All of the characters have style and class and weight, and that is no small feat to pull off in a middle grade fantasy book.

So, a very nice choice with many appealing aspects. The worst I can say is that the book has a bit too much of that "I'd tell you more, but I don't have time right now" padding, but since I wasn't in a big hurry to race through this particular book anyway I was willing to not be impatient about that.

Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

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