The Dark Portal (Book One of the Deptford Mice Trilogy) [Paperback]

Robin Jarvis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000

In the British tradition of Redwall comes this first novel of a trilogy that is sure to capture fans both young and old. In the sewers of Deptford, there lurks a dark presence that fills the tunnels with fear. The rats worship it in the blackness and name it "Jupiter, Lord of All." Into this twilight realm wanders a small and frightened mouse-the unwitting trigger of a chain of events that hurtles the Deptford mice into a world of heroic adventure and terror.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW called this first title in the Deptford Mice Trilogy "a spooky and enthralling animal fantasy just right for Redwall fans." Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-This animal adventure tale pits a varied cast of mice against sewer-dwelling rats. Commanded by an evil creature named Jupiter, the rat hordes labor on a huge tunnel that will somehow bring their leader great power. Several mice are drawn into the sewer and eventually work together to thwart the project. With multiple protagonists, the action gets disjointed at times. Brave young Audrey gets captured early on, and doesn't reappear until several chapters later, detracting from the tension of her plight. Some characters, like Audrey's brother Arthur, are not developed beyond some basic traits. The action alternates between various mice trying to rescue Audrey and the terrible rats who are caught up in Jupiter's scheme and their own wicked designs. Jupiter himself is a compelling villain, never seen by even his closest henchman, whose magical powers increase as his evil plan unfolds. The best scenes in the novel involve danger and action, often with gruesome details. The rats not only kill mice, they skin and eat them, so the narrow escapes and close calls are exciting, especially the final scene in which the mice finally battle Jupiter. Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series (Philomel) is more tightly plotted and Kenneth Oppel's "Silverwing" books (S & S) are more suspenseful, but The Dark Portal will appeal to fans of both.
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 243 pages
• Publisher: SeaStar (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587171120
• ISBN-13: 978-1587171123
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,515,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Like Redwall! (But Spookier!), August 9, 2002

By 

"christianrockfreak" (Billyville) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Portal (Book One of the Deptford Mice Trilogy) (Paperback)

Obviously not as lengthy as Redwall at 240 pages but is just as good of a story! Unlike Redwall, the story takes place in a human world, and only three different creatures (mice, rats, and two bats are main characters). The rats living in the sewers under Jupiter, thier never-seen-before god, are described very .......well. The rats, always working in the mine, with, obviously, no place to clean any part of their body, stay stinky and smelly the whole story. The story is somewhat spooky because the plot keeps on practically forcing the mice to go back into the dark sewers over and over (including kid mice). Also, the evil powers of Jupiter far surpass the often violence found in Redwall. Lovers of David Clement-Davies, Brian Jacques, Avi, and J.K. Rowling, (or any other fantasy author) if you haven't discovered this series yet, you won't be dissappointed.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dark Portal, March 24, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Dark Portal (Book One of the Deptford Mice Trilogy) (Paperback)

The Dark Portal

Envision a book that will take you beyond the eyes of humans to the world of mice, who discover many secrets and mystifying adventures.
The Browns are just one family in an old house in Deptford, England. This house contains many dangers and secrets, such as the wise bats in the old attic. But the most worrisome thing in the house is the Grill, the entrance to the sewers. This is a Deptford mouse's worst nightmare. There are many dirty things there, such as the water, the air, but most of all, the rats. These are the foulest creatures in Deptford. Rude, fierce, and blood thirsty, these rats necessitate mice and murder and are so fierce they kill each other for food.
Audrey Brown seeks vigorously for her father but he cannot be found. Audrey hasn't seen him in days. There is but one place she hasn't looked: the sewer!
Robin Jarvis exceeds expectation astonishingly in this book, and his writing compelled me to read more and more until my eyes became bloodshot. Robin Jarvis's area of expertise in this book in particular is how he takes me into the eyes of a mouse and how they see the world. For example, "It was an old stone wall close to the riverbank. It was very thick and parts of it were hollow, making wonderful shelters inside. It was near the ground and partially hidden by grass."
Robin Jarvis has an excellent talent for creating monsters and rats that are so gruesome and terrifying, they wanted to make me scream. With that talent I think Robin Jarvis made the Deptford Mice Trilogy even more exhilarating than just a trilogy that usually keeps you on a slow pace through each book.
Robin Jarvis is particularly known for his first-rate skill in use of vocabulary, taking ordinary words and transforming them with other words to fill them with awareness and thrill. For example, "The rat leaped up and grabbed the owl's other leg bringing him sprawling to the ground with an astonishing screech." The characters speak in an English accent, and it is regularly that you get a little lost in the words.
Robin Jarvis has written many books including the other two of the Deptford Mice trilogy, The Crystal Prison and The Final Reckoning. He has written an award-winning book called the Whitby Witches. One thing that is very important to know about this author is that he mostly writes fantasy and science-fiction.
I mostly recommend this book to fantasy readers and that love suspense and action-packed books. I myself wish I had discovered Robin Jarvis's books earlier because I've always been looking for an author who writes high-quality adventures, first-class story, and a slight amount of romance to give the book a little spunk. This is a kind of book that you will read over and over and enjoy it every single time.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Epic Children's Classic!, January 12, 2001

By 

Jane D. Hettich "Jane in San Diego" (Vista, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dark Portal (The Deptford Mice, Book 1) (Hardcover)

A friend of mine in Scotland got me hooked on these books and shipped them over to me two years back as a Christmas gift.

Here is a story full of suspense and thrills so intense that I could not put down the book.

You will meet brave Audrey and follow her on her journey to find her missing father against terrible odds and horrible evil. You will be reminded of the Redwall books, but at a more mature and intense level.

At the time I read this I was amazed that it had not found its way to the United States yet and I am so glad someone finally threw it over the pond for the young adults here. This will definitely be a classic in children's fantasy and fiction!