Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton
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Synopsis
A timeless secret is unfolding. The mystery has only just begun… Who or what is Endymion Spring?
In the dead of night, a cloaked figure drags a heavy box through icy streets. The chest is magically sealed by a carved serpent’s head – and can only be opened when its fangs taste blood.
Centuries later, an ordinary boy touches a strange book and feels something sharp pierce his finger. The book is blank, but its paper seems to quiver… as if it is alive.
Review
Matthew Skelton, in the form of his debut novel Endymion Spring, has produced an enchanting tale that proves that books are indeed magical. Switching cleverly between contemporary Oxford and fifteenth century Mainz, this articulate homage to the legend of Faust makes for compelling reading.
The author’s time spent as a teaching assistant at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (where much of this story is set), coupled with detailed research, lends a great feeling of realism and a wonderful sense of place. The narrative, in being of a highly descriptive kind, is perfectly suited to the book’s themes and sentences such as “Finally, the thief of sleep overtook me and, like the snow falling outside, dreams began to settle” and “The cat curled like a comma round her feet” are just two examples of Skelton’s delightful use of the English language.
A special mention must also be made to the visual effects that are used to distinguish between the chapters set in England and the chapters set in Germany. The pages relating to Oxford use the standard typeface on white paper whereas the pages relating to Mainz are given an aged-manuscript/scroll effect that looks magnificent and creates a truly original look and feel to the book.
Endymion Spring is a very, very good book; the characters, particularly those in Mainz, are brought vividly to life and the skillfully described locations are a real highlight. There are, however, times when the feel is more that of a screenplay than a book (there is not doubt that this would, and possibly may, make a very good film) but this is a minor grievance that in no way detracts from what is a fascinating and highly rewarding story.
Matthew Skelton, when asked in an interview what is was about other authors that inspired him most, replied: “The best authors, I think, are those who manage to make writing look effortless and simple”. The author has certainly achieved this and Endymion Spring will charm many adults, both young and old.
Matthew Skelton was born in the UK but spent most of his childhood in Canada. He started writing while working as a teaching assistant at the University of Mainz and continued when he cam back to Oxford to work as a research assistant. In 2002 he won Richard and Judy’s short story competition.
Endymion Spring (Amazon.co.uk)
Author: Matthew Skelton
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 448
Publication date: 2007-02-01
Publisher: Puffin
RRP: £7.99
Lowest new price: £0.01
Lowest used price: £0.01
Attractively packaged in an all-important shiny cover, and clocking in at just shy of 450 pages, Matthew Skelton's debut novel is a substantial and impressive addition to the oeuvre of modern children's books that many commentators say is undergoing something of a 'Golden Age'.
Endymion Spring, feverishly sought after by many a publisher when it was completed and thrust forth upon the books community for acquisition, has catapulted its shy creator into a very large limelight. And it is attention richly deserved. It's a well-written book that impresses from the beginning.
The author expertly interweaves two narratives with aplomb. The first tells of the adventures of 12-year-old Blake Winters, who is visiting Oxford with his academic mother and his kid sister, Duck. While their mum immerses herself in dusty academia, Blake feels trapped in the rarefied air of the college library until one day, while running his finger along a shelf, something pierces his finger, drawing blood. The biting book responsible is a battered old volume, with a strange clasp like a serpent's head--with real fangs. Printed on its front are two words: Endymion Spring.
The second part of the story takes place in 1452, in medieval Mainz, the German city where Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press to use movable type. It's the tale of Gutenberg's young apprentice, and the sacrifices he makes to keep a precious, dangerous dragon book from falling into the wrong hands.
The publishing industry loves a rags-to-riches story, and it hit the jackpot when Matthew Skelton, a penniless academic from Oxford, wrote a first novel that sold for huge sums of money. But Skelton has justified the investment in him by writing an intriguing, dramatic and suspenseful novel that cannot to fail to entertain all those who dare to pick it up.
(Age 10 and over)--John McLay
Amazon.co.uk Review
Endymion Spring (Amazon.com)
Author: Matthew Skelton
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 448
Publication date: 2007-01-01
Publisher: Puffin
RRP:
Lowest new price:
Lowest used price: $0.09
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