The Merchant of Death: Pendragon Graphic Novel (Pendragon (Graphic Novels)) by MacHale, D.J. Format: PaperbackPublished by Aladdin, 2008 Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby.He is going to save the world.And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning.... School Library Journal Gr 5-8-TV writer D.J. MacHale's adventure novel (Aladdin, 2002) about teen jock Bobby Pendragon turned world savior morphs into a fairly respectable audio production, thanks to actor William Dufris's charmingly boyish reading. In the first book of a projected quartet, Bobby loves his life as a typical suburban 14 year old, except for his annoying ability to move between worlds and travel through a flume hidden deep in the bowels of a South Bronx subway to the alternate universe of Denduron, land of three suns. Bobby's frantic letters from Denduron back to his two friends reveal a reluctant hero struggling with a mission thrust upon him by unseen forces. The predictable plot and two-dimensional characters are rescued from mediocrity by Dufris (the original voice of TV's Bob the Builder) who does a good job with the snappy dialogue. Although predictable, the action-packed adventure would be perfect for reluctant readers or those who need their fantasy based partly on Earth.-Celeste Steward, Alameda County Library, Fremont, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
