The Dirt Eaters (The Longlight Legacy) [Paperback]

Dennis Foon (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Longlight Legacy | Publication Date: September 6, 2003

It's a struggle to survive on post-apocalyptic earth.

In this first book in the trilogy of The Longlight Legacy, the wars have transformed the world, and 16-year-old Roan is about to discover a terrible truth.

When Roan's parents and the people of Longlight perish in a raid, Roan is filled with rage. Torn between his desire for revenge and the legacy of peace he has inherited, he is taken in by a sect of warriors. With them he learns he has exceptional talent as a fighter. But Roan is haunted by visions he can't understand. When he commits his first act of violence, he flees in disgust into the most wasted lands of all, the Devastation.

He meets friends and allies in unexpected places, as his enemies hunt him down. But it is only when Roan meets Alandra that he begins to understand his life's purpose and why his village, Longlight, was destroyed.

Dennis Foon has created an immensely powerful and disturbing look at a wasted world. Through the character of Roan, hope and the promise of renewed life seem possible.

This is a stunning, evocative, page-turning novel in a popular teen genre: sci-fi/fantasy.

(200402)

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Starred review:] Outstanding... compelling... well-written adventure... All in all, an entertaining and promising start [to The Longlight Legacy trilogy]. (Laurie Mehren School Library Journal 200401)

Sprawling post-apocalypse fantasy. (Publishers Weekly 200402)

Begins what promises to be an interesting trilogy... familiar themes with interesting characters and an intricate plot. (Mary Ann Darby VOYA )

Readers with a taste for both fantasy and science fiction will relish this savory mélange. (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books )

Foon's writing is taut and powerful, and the fast paced, evocative and compelling tale is totally engaging. Highly Recommended. (Sylvia Pantaleo Canadian Materials )

About the Author

Dennis Foon is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, director, and author. He has written extensively for TV dramas, including Eerie, Indiana, Deepwater Black, and Cold Squad. His books for young people include Double or Nothing and Skud.

(20030903)

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Annick Press (September 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550378066
• ISBN-13: 978-1550378061
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,231,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dirt Eaters, April 15, 2006

By 

tyler - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dirt Eaters (The Longlight Legacy) (Hardcover)

The Dirt Eaters

"The Dirt Eaters" by Dennis Foon, takes place in post-apocalyptic earth, where most modern day things such as metal or solar panels are rare and hard to come by. There is only one place, "the City" where electricity is still abundant and it would appear that metal is worked to make things such as motorcycles, this "City", is apparently trying to dominate the world. The story follows a boy of about fifteen, named Roan; he was raised in the town of Longlight, which was destroyed, and Roan was the only survivor. The "Brothers" a religious cult doing who are sworn to protect others and better the world, took him in. While with the Brothers, Roan is trained to fight and concentrate to calm himself, but all the while Roan has the feeling something isn't quite right.
As the protagonist, Roan grew up in Longlight, a place where people never fought; they believed that fighting corrupted people. When Roan is trained to fight by the Brothers it goes against what his people taught him, however he is very good at it and he tells himself that if his people did fight then they would not have been killed.
The main theme behind "The Dirt Eaters" is about having power, but knowing when to use it. Roan struggles with this throughout the whole book, he can fight, very well, but he was brought up not to fight; however at times it is necessary to fight.
I would recommend this book for nearly all readers; the storyline is good, and it's not too predictable. It's not a really high level of writing, but it is well written, and contrary to most stories it's written in present tense; but once you adjust it's not really noticeable. The characters are all interesting, especially Roan with his inner conflict around violence.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, August 4, 2005

By 

Phoebe Grigg (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dirt Eaters (The Longlight Legacy) (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. Many books and movies have been created about After the [pick one: War/Bomb/Holocaust] that destroys civilzation as we know it. So many, in fact, that new ones of that genre can be boring or at least cliché. Not this one though! It is well written and has interesting ideas and characters, and pulls in thoughts from many cultural traditions. It asks questions about pacifism vs fighting back, and when to take action and when to wait. It also manages not to be cynical. I couldn't put it down! This is a book I'm glad I own because I will definitely re-read it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, December 16, 2004

By 

Mandy (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dirt Eaters (The Longlight Legacy) (Hardcover)

Anyone who loves fantacy type books will love this one. This book expands your imagination and curiosity to the limit. very interesting charaters and plot!