From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8-- Murphy joins forces with a young fan to create an adventure loosely based on Welsh legend and mythology. David's father bequeaths him the family heirloom, a golden medallion set with the figure of a black hound who comes to life to protect his owner. A prelude explains how the medallion was cast by an ancient Celtic king, and how two more exist, one lost and one evil. Soon David is swept from the soccer field to another world in which the culture is medieval, the natives speak and read English, and the wicked Degra plan to enslave everyone. Empowered by his medallion, David teams up with a native girl, a band of jolly warrior bards, and a flying panther. To save the planet and its good king, David must battle the power of another medallion, worn by a psychopath from his own world, as well as an assortment of vicious monsters. The action moves quickly; the bad guys are easy to recognize. Seasoned readers will find bits of the Hardy Boys, very early LeGuin, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian stories, while longing for the depth of characterization and mythic resonance that Lloyd Alexander gives to similar material in his five-volume "Prydain Chronicles" (Holt). Like its women, this fantasy makes few demands. --Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown, MA
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.