Arthur and the Forbidden City [Hardcover]

Luc Besson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Arthur's quest takes him into the heart of the forbidden city ...

Arthur's backyard looks like a peaceful, ordinary garden -- if you are human-sized, that is. But if you're half an inch tall, like the Minimoys, this backyard is a vast world where fierce battles are fought, ferocious monsters are faced, and one evil wizard, Maltazard the Cursed, rules with cruel power from his terrifying stronghold: Necropolis, the forbidden city.

Now ten-year-old Arthur -- magically transformed into a Minimoy -- and his Minimoy companions, brave Princess Selenia and mischievous Prince Betameche, must somehow find a way into this forbidden city. Their mission: to rescue Arthur's grandfather, recover a stolen treasure, and save the land of the Minimoys once and for all, before it's too late.

But once you're inside the forbidden city .... can you ever get out again?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–This sequel to Besson's Arthur and the Minimoys (HarperCollins, 2005) continues the story of a boy who, in search of his missing grandfather lost while exploring in Africa, found himself shrunken to a half-inch tall. Arthur was caught up in an adventure with the Minimoys, a tiny race of people inhabiting his grandmother's garden. Here, Arthur journeys with the Minimoy Princess Selenia and her brother Betameche in search of the forbidden city of Necropolis, home of the villainous wizard Maltazard. They must make their way past sticky spider webs and Maltazard's threatening henchmen, and Arthur falls in love with Selenia. The author, a well-known film director, has not succeeded so well as a children's book author. The plot is weak and muddled. The prose–admittedly a translation–is filled with pronouncements laden with exclamation points and attempts at humor that weigh down the story. Readers also meet Arthur's parents, who act in buffoonish and inappropriate ways as they search for him. Arthur, in love, behaves as if he has at least passed puberty, although he's only supposed to be 10. He even marries Princess Selenia–who is alternately charming and annoying–fairly early in the story. Besson, however, plans to turn this weak tale into an animated adventure in 2006 that will feature Madonna as the voice of Princess Selenia. So beware, all those who decide to skip Forbidden City.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. The thing to know about Besson's mediocre fantasy series, so far comprising Arthur and the Minimoys (2005) and this sequel, is that their author (who directed the film The Fifth Element, among others)is currently producing an animated version of his Arthur novels narrated by celebrities such as Madonna and Snoop Dogg. The first volume brought Arthur to the underground world of the tiny Minimoys. Book two continues as Arthur helps prissy Princess Selenia reach evil Matazard's lair. In a development that jibes poorly with Arthur's age, the 10-year-old finds himself joined to the princess in holy matrimony after a ceremonial kiss. Story threads involving Arthur's missing grandfather and a cache of rubies are brought to brisk, if predictable, conclusions. The trouble here is not so much the derivative plot as it is stock characterizations and awkward writing, perhaps a result of the translation from the French. But considering the probable high profile of the film version, tentatively planned for 2006, there will likely be requests for this. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060596260
• ISBN-13: 978-0060596262
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Fast Read!, December 24, 2006

By 

Amy Graham (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arthur and the Forbidden City (Hardcover)

This sequel to Arthur and the Minimoys is still a Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets The Secret of Nimh with a smidge of Indiana Jones conglomeration, and I rather like that about it. In this book, we pick up right where the first one left off and we get answers to all the questions left unanswered before -- Will they make it to the Forbidden City? Will they be able to stop the evil M, the cursed? Will Arthur get the treasure back before the cruel Mr. Davido boots his grandma out of her house? We also find out just how vile Maltazard is, we get a look at the Necropolis and of course, the lair of the evil villain. The author is also still parrelling the plight of the Grandmother and Mr. Davido with that of Princess Selenia and her people against M. These are the stark good vs. evil kind of stories where you just KNOW the good guys are going to win in the end...but you still find yourself watching because you HAVE to know HOW they do it and how it all plays out in the end.

In the second half we find Arthur married to the princess...a bit surprising since he's ten...but ok. We also get to meet Arthur's parents who are, well, more interested in finding the rubies than the are in finding their son. In fact, other than voicing their concern they don't seem to care at all but that does seem to be the pattern in the child hero/adventure type stories...the parents are either absent (dead) or indifferent (caring more about stuff or work than about their children). This is a convenient plot device which frees the child to be bolder and more heroic than they might otherwise be allowed to, but with suspension of disbelief, readers can disconnect from what is illogical with regards to a ten year old saving the world (Indiana Jones style) and just enjoy the story for what it is!

Overall...this isn't great literature; it's just plain old fun reading. The story is easy to follow, the good guys are all good (and likeable even) the bad guys are all totally evil and the parallel story line between the "real" world (the M, the Cursed and Mr. Davido) and the world of the Minimoys adds a nice second layer to the story. This book would make nice light reading for a couple of nights for readers aged 8-12...nothing too taxing, but highly entertaining for a few hours! I give it four stars.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent, but Lukewarm Follow-Up, September 16, 2006

By 

Wantz Upon A Time Reviews (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arthur and the Forbidden City (Paperback)

In the sequel to Arthur and the Minimoys, Arthur, Princess Selenia and Prince Beta brave Necropolis, The Forbidden City. Arthur is searching for a lost treasure that will save his family's home, and Selenia and Beta seek the evildoer who threatens their entire people.

In Necropolis, a seedy market leads to a seedier palace, in which danger and fear are the norm. Imprisoned by Maltazard the Cursed, the three adventurers see little hope for escape. What they find in the prison and deeper in the palace will change everything. Hope MUST be found, or all the Minimoys will be doomed.

Although this installment carries the spirit and creativity of the first, it seems to lose some of the promised gusto. Things seem to come together a little too easy at times (a toy race car shows up right when and where it is needed), and a little too stretched at others (why did Arthur's grandmother and parents not to more to search for him while he was missing?).

The story is well crafted, but it is missing that intangible something that a truly great story possesses. It's one of those qualities that is hard to describe, yet easy to recognize. Perhaps it is spirit, or cultural differences, or perhaps it is something else altogether.

This is a decent follow-up to the first book, but in the end, some readers might leave with a lukewarm feeling.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
9/15/2006

3½-BALLOONS for WUAT Kids!; 4-STARS for Amazon.com

3.0 out of 5 stars Silly, November 28, 2011

By 

CDlistener - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arthur and the Forbidden City (Hardcover)

I enjoyed the first book, but I found the second book used multiple mixed metaphors and superfluous silly similes which took away from the story.