Mimus [Hardcover]

Lilli Thal (Author), John Brownjohn (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2005

Mimus is as luminous and entertaining as Cornelia Funke's Thief Lord or Inkheart, yet Lilli Thal has created a dramatic and spellbinding universe all her own. The dark Middle Ages jump to life in blazing color in this world of adventure and imagination.

Two mighty kingdoms are engaged in endless, merciless war, but change appears imminent. King Philip is meeting his archenemy, King Theodo, to sign a peace treaty. But King Philip and his men are tricked and consigned to the squalid dungeons of King Theodo's castle. Soon, his son, 12-year-old Prince Florin, is lured to the castle, where the same horror awaits him.

On a whim, King Theodo decides to make the captive crown prince his second Fool, trained by Mimus, an enigmatic, occasionally spiteful, and unpredictable court jester. To add to Florin's misery, he and Mimus are fed a daily portion of gruel, forced to live in a dark, damp tower, and required to entertain the court on demand. But events ultimately turn for Florin and the other captives. They escape and it is Mimus's intervention that helps make it possible.

Mimus is a stunning novel that will take readers in its grip and hold them until the last page is turned. Through the brilliant rhymes, jokes, and wordplay of Mimus, the unceasing action and compelling events are sprinkled with lightness and humor.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up–As this complex novel opens, Prince Florin is awaiting word of his father's negotiations to end the protracted war between Moltovia and Vinland. When the boy is summoned to Vinland for the celebration of the war's end, he finds treason and trickery, as King Philip and other Moltovian leaders are now prisoners, and he is apprenticed to Mimus, King Theodo's jester. Florin's former life of luxury is over as he lives in the same tower as the king's menagerie, faces near-starvation, and is not permitted to leave the castle. His harsh training as a jester gives him new skills, but he also has to learn self-control to survive. Plots against King Theodo and help from the enigmatic Mimus give Florin hope and lead to a dramatic conclusion. Thal has created a realistic world, both through her descriptions of its scenery and the varied characters she places within it. Florin's suffering never becomes pathetic, and he matures realistically as a result of his experiences. Mimus, King Theodo, and dozens of minor characters have roles to play and are given convincing motivations and behaviors. This is an unusually well-realized adventure, set in an alternate Middle Ages. It will have strong appeal for fantasy fans.–Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 8-11. The medieval kingdoms of Moltovia and Vinland have been engaged in a bitter and destructive war for years, but an end may finally be in sight. Twelve-year-old Prince Florin of Moltovia is called from his childhood games to his father's side for a peace celebration hosted by King Theodo in Vinland. Upon his arrival, Florin finds it has all been a terrible ruse; the King of Moltovia and his guards are chained in the castle's dungeon, and Florin is forced to apprentice to Mimus, Theodo's seemingly cruel and certainly repellent court jester. If Florin, in a motley suit, bells, and donkey ears, fails to learn his new role and amuse King Theodo, his father will be killed. This outstanding translation from the German brings an author with rich, complex, and very clever storytelling skills to American teens. They will be both fascinated and horrified by the barbarity and grit of the times, and by young Florin's humiliating decline from powerful kingdom's rightful heir to soulless beast of entertainment housed in the castle's bestiary. Although the story wraps up a bit too neatly in the end, this is a sophisticated and engrossing historical tale by a writer who brings exceptional attention to detail, character development, and theme. Holly Koelling
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 398 pages
• Publisher: Annick Press (September 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550379259
• ISBN-13: 978-1550379259
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,628,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unusual and good, September 3, 2005

By 

Diana C. Cook - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mimus (Paperback)

This is a good read--similar to many novels of heroic fantasy. The hero is a 12 year old prince who is betrayed by his enemies and must survive to win back his kingdom. But a number of things make this novel unique. First of all, the book is quite good at showing the character of the young prince. He has to endure and survive.
In most heroic fantasies, the protagonist triumphs by power or success in evading the enemy and winning allies. We experience the forces and struggles of good vs. evil. The hero's success is always underscored by failure to submit and fighting back.
But in this book, the hero must survive imprisonment and learn to handle defeat. That is quite a challenge for a young prince who was trained to be number one and never to show weakness.
The title, "Mimus," is the name of the king's fool--a court jester who is universally despised. The book is quite good at showing the role of the jester in medieval court life. Jesters entertain by a variety of skills as well as "gross-outs" similar to those of the crudest vaudeville shows. If they fail to please, they may be whipped or starved or even killed. The young prince is apprenticed to such a jester and must learn to survive with all of his intelligence, courage, and physical fitness. But it is Florin's social skills and flexibility that enable him to prevail in his new position.
Throughout this novel we find that things are not always black and white. That is what I enjoyed most about this book. The ending is so much more complex than a simple restoration of the prince to his role as head of the kingdom and humiliation of his former captors. Florin has been transformed by his experiences which become part of his character as he matures--not just a bad misfortune to be forever left behind.
I enjoyed this novel and recommend it.
Diana Cook
Woodside, New York

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2005 'Gold' Medal Winner!, July 2, 2006

By 

Chrissy K. McVay "Writer" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mimus (Paperback)

Congratulations to Lilli Thal on her first place 'Gold' win in the 2005 ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards! Translated from Thal's native German by John Brownjohn, 'Mimus' is a prodigious tale of a young prince who is forced to become a Fool when tricked by his father's old enemy, King Theodo. The experience is humbling for the sheltered Prince Florin, who doesn't understand why King Theodo loathes his family so deeply. Revenge is taken upon the entire kingdom of Moltovia and Florin's father, King Phillip.
The story has a subtle message regarding the double-edged sword of revenge and the need for forgiveness, even if the crimes committed are horrid. There's also humor weaved skillfully on the pages. The banter between Mimus (King Theodo's Jester) and Prince Florin, who becomes the Jester's pupil, is very witty. The jokes and riddles lighten the horrors of torture and war. I'm hoping to find a sequel to Mimus, for I already miss the 'poetic jousting' between the Jester and Prince Florin.

Chrissy K. McVay
author of 'Souls of the North Wind', Silver winner in 2005 ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprising and happy find, January 25, 2007

By 

Kaila Searl "a girl who likes military history" (Eugene, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mimus (Paperback)

I am victim to what many other reviewers have said about this book, I picked it up on a whim and didn't cherish high hopes for it. Within the first chapter though, I could tell I would enjoy reading it. Lilli Thal's writing style borders on romantic, entwining fantasy and poem seemlessly into her prose. Normally I hate books that do that, and I usually skip over the songs the authors put in as I can't be bothered to read them, but every tale and every silly song that she wrote enhances the story. Each line has a second meaning, and it's up to you, dear reader, and our young hero to decipher it. I personally can't wait until someone else I know reads it so I can discuss the book at length!