Sword Quest by Nancy Yi Fan, Jo-Anne Rioux (Illustrator), Jo-Anne Rioux (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

This high-flying prequel to Swordbird unfolds the story of how Wind-voice found his magical sword. Sword Quest features numerous characters, both new and familiar.

From the Publisher

Wind-voice the half-dove, formerly enslaved, is now free, and Maldeor, the one-winged archaeopteryx, hungers for supreme power.

Can Wind-voice and his valiant companions—Ewingerale, the wood-pecker scribe; Stormac, the myna warrior; and Fleydur, the musician eagle—save the future of their world?

An exciting prequel to the New York Times bestseller Swordbird.

Children's Literature

Birds form the unusual topic of this quest novel, which begins with a prophecy that foretells the coming of a great hero. The archaeopteryxes' dark empire is growing, and they have turned even the strongest species of birds, such as the crows, into slaves. 013-Unidentified, a strange white bird, is held in their captivity at the start of the book. As he struggles to free a fellow prisoner, he suddenly recalls the name his mother gave him, Wind-Voice. He escapes and grows strong again, reclaiming his true identity as Wind-Voice. Throughout the novel, he journeys across the land to stop the evil Maldeor from reaching the Hero's Sword. This is a novel about recognizing the hero within and understanding what is truly important in life—such as family, friends, and peace, rather than power or treasure. Yi Fan's writing is outstanding given her young age. I also loved Rioux's exceptional pencil-drawn illustrations, which bring charming life to the characters. Together, they make this book an entertaining flight of the imagination. Reviewer: Laura Ruttig

VOYA

Long ago, the Great Spirit of the birds, saddened because of incessant war and strife, cried tears that transformed into gemstones when they fell from the heavens. In the land below, an avian blacksmith fashioned a sword with a sacred gemstone at its hilt. The communities that received the jewels guarded them as treasure until the power-hungry archaeopteryxes began to steal them. In a shadowy realm, an exiled bird forged a bond with a ghostly menace in exchange for a chance to regain his glory and ruin his opponents. Now prophecies abound that on Hero's Day, a messianic bird will appear to wield the sword and save them all. Wind-voice the slave bands together with his friends to find the remaining stones. In an epic struggle for the treasure, friends become enemies, enemies forge alliances, and every bird stands for himself. Sadly this sequel to Fan's avian saga Swordbird (HarperCollins, 2007/VOYA April 2007) will not ensnare new aficionados to the talking-animal genre. The book has similar elements that made its predecessor successful-a dictatorial overlord and a humble hero accompanied by wacky, intrepid friends. Yet the book combines the overabundance of winsome characters with an overwrought narrative and flimsy allegory. It verges on hagiography to the extent that Wind-voice is tiresomely good, noble, and boring. Dastardly opponent Maldeor, while not victorious, is at least interesting. Short chapters and copious illustrations make this one a speedy, although uncompelling, read. Save some money unless fans request this one. Reviewer: Angelica Delgado

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6- In this good-versus-evil story, a prequel to Swordbird (HarperCollins, 2007), readers see a legend taking shape as evil forces attempt to conquer the inhabitants of a bird world. Prophecy says a hero will emerge on Hero's Day, but no one knows who it will be. Scattered in unknown regions of the world lay strategically placed Leasorn gems that hold clues to where the hero's sword waits. It is up to the hero to discover where and to retrieve it. The archaeopteryxes, an army of birds intent on cruelty and destruction, support the desires of the villainous leaders. Maldeor, a leader with a batlike wing forged from evil magic, has cast his eye toward claiming the sword. But unlikely birds lay down their lives to uncover the clues so they might save the sword for its true master. Fleydur, eagle prince of the Skythunder tribe, Stormac the mynah, and Ewingerale the woodpecker all play pivotal roles as companions to 013-Unidentified, a dovelike bird trapped as a slave. Readers will find the characters credible and well suited for their roles in this fabled adventure. The tightly crafted story line is nicely executed, but the most important element, and one that truly touches the heart, is the underlying theme of love.-Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL

Customer Reviews

Number of Reviews: 4
Average Rating:
Write a Review

Product Details

• ISBN: 0061243353
  
• ISBN-13: 9780061243356
• Format: Hardcover, 288pp
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Pub. Date: January 2008
• Sales Rank: 650
• Age Range: 8 to 12
• Series: Swordbird

• Read an Excerpt

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

Loss

Hungrias II, the Ancient Wing, emperor of the archaeopteryxes, sprawled like a huge spider on his whalebone perch. He was staring out of a rounded window at the forests of Castlewood, but his eyes reflected the world. "Secrets. Delicious!" he declared, his bloated face squished into furrows. "No secrets can sneak past my mighty empire's eyes and ears. Yes, go on!" Down the great golden hall of the Sun Palace, the rows of plumes on the leather headgear of his knights all dipped forward as the subjects leaned in to listen. Across from them, his scholars swished their sleeves.

"The lowly birds in your territories are starting to whisper about rare gemstones. Leasorn gems, they're called," the head of the scholars said. "They have strange markings on them. It is said they come from the sky and have something to do with a hero. One in particular, our sources reveal, seems to hint at when the hero will come—sometime in three years." The members of the court gasped. The scholar spread the claws of one foot wide in wonderment, then closed them abruptly. He pointed at a ragamuffin twitching beside him. "I have found a witness, Your Majesty!"

"Speak."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the young archaeopteryx said. "I chanced to see that particular stone during my morning foraging. ‘Thank the Great Spirit the gem is here,' one of the birds around it was saying, so I knew something was peculiar. I hid and watched . . ."

Magical stones from the sky! thought the emperor, his gaze sweeping across the sunset painted on the arched ceiling.

"Color! Location! Tribe!" Hungrias's eyesglittered as if two gemstones were already in his pupils. "Speak up!"

"Beautifully orange it was, Your Majesty. It's about a couple dozen miles south of your Plains territory, with a band of doves living near a river."

Sounds like something for me. Hero, the wise bird said? Well, I'll show how archaeopteryxes can crush all heroes! "I must have this treasure." Drumming his sausagelike talons, Hungrias straightened on his jeweled perch and barked, "Sir Maldeor!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The head of the knights stepped forward on the carpet and bowed.

"Take some elite soldiers and find this gem for me."

Before the knight could reply, the curtains behind Hungrias's throne trembled and a fat feathered ball waddled up to the emperor. "Me too!" Prince Phaëthon cried, his beak full. In his claws he held a blueberry muffin. "I shall go along. I must!"

"You're young. Battles are not for you."

"I must! I want to learn how to fight. Please, Father!" the prince begged, crumbs on his beak.

Hungrias's tiny eyes flitted shut. Then he huffed and said, "Sir Maldeor, I entrust my son to you."

Phaëthon grinned with green-tinged teeth.

Good grief, thought the knight. "Yes, Your Majesty," he managed to say.

The next day, Sir Maldeor, Prince Phaëthon, and thirty soldiers journeyed to the dove tribe.

Easy picking, Maldeor thought when they arrived. The squat, knobbly olive trees where the tribe lived did not seem to present a threat, but because of the prince, precautions had to be taken. "Stay behind the first line," Maldeor whispered.

"Why? I hate that!" shouted the prince, surprising a dove named Irene coming back from a morning flight. She rushed toward her tribe, shouting, "Archaeopteryxes! They're coming, they're coming!"

Surprise plan foiled! Maldeor spat in disgust and flipped his long tail to signal the charge. As if that weren't enough, as the soft fluttering wings of the defending doves obscured the olive trees beyond, Phaëthon whined in the knight's ear, "Can I find the gem?"

"No, Prince. Not now."

Why did the prince want to come in the first place? I can't be a nursemaid and a knight at the same time, Maldeor thought as he muttered plans to a group of his soldiers. With a nod, they formed into a tight ball prickling with spears and flew directly at the biggest olive tree. An old dove was frantically burying the gemstone in a hollow of the tree. Beside him stood Irene, the bird who had forewarned their tribe.

The knight aimed for the Leasorn gem, but the old dove jumped and kicked Maldeor's face with his pink claws. Maldeor bit one toe and hung on. The old dove tried to beat Maldeor off, but he was too small to have much chance. One of Maldeor's soldiers swung a club.

"Flee, my daughter!" the old dove gasped, and died.

"No!" Irene shrieked. Sobbing, she tensed her neck and, with a mighty flap of her wings, dived at Maldeor's claws, which now held the gemstone. Maldeor whooped in pain. The stone sailed out of his grip, out of the olive tree, and landed a way off, in a sandy ditch. With grunts and Yahh!s, the birds propelled themselves madly toward it. Maldeor forgot the dove and scrambled to see. He sighed in relief when he saw that an archaeopteryx reached the gem first. "Yes!"

But it was none other than the prince. Turning in the direction of Maldeor, he lifted the gem up in the air. "I have found the gem!" Phaëthon pronounced, gloating.

You little bother! Maldeor grumbled angrily to himself and gripped his sword tighter. He gave a curt order to his soldiers to kill all the doves they could find. The foolish birds would have to pay for their defiance of the emperor—and Maldeor would have to go and get the prince. If only he hadn't agreed to bring the brat here. As if in answer to his hidden wishes, a dark shadow suddenly loomed from the grove of birches behind the prince.

Now, this was no dove or archaeopteryx. It was the last of the long-lived flying creatures who had four wings. This intelligent creature, neither reptile nor bird, had blundered along in the darkness of the bracken for years and years and years, revealing himself to his contemporary cousins only when necessity called. Lizard eyes staring, he scanned the battleground he had just come across and focused on a young, tender specimen. A bigger bite than the doves, he thought. The evil cogwheels in his ancient brain whirled as he calculated.