Malamander
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4.2 • 25 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
A quirky, creepy fantasy set in Eerie-on-Sea finds a colorful cast of characters in hot pursuit of a sea monster thought to convey a surprising gift. It’s winter in the town of Eerie-on-Sea, where the mist is thick and the salt spray is rattling the windows of the Grand Nautilus Hotel. Inside, young Herbert Lemon, Lost and Founder for the hotel, has an unexpected visitor. It seems that Violet Parma, a fearless girl around his age, lost her parents at the hotel when she was a baby, and she’s sure that the nervous Herbert is the only person who can help her find them. The trouble is, Violet is being pursued at that moment by a strange hook-handed man. And the town legend of the Malamander — a part-fish, part-human monster whose egg is said to make dreams come true — is rearing its scaly head. As various townspeople, some good-hearted, some nefarious, reveal themselves to be monster hunters on the sly, can Herbert and Violet elude them and discover what happened to Violet’s kin? This lighthearted, fantastical mystery, featuring black-and-white spot illustrations, kicks off a trilogy of fantasies set in the seaside town.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this endearingly strange middle grade adventure set against the backdrop of a seaside resort town during the off-season, two orphans are caught up in a local legend. In the appropriately named Eerie-on-Sea, Herbert Lemon, 12, works at the Grand Nautilus Hotel as a lost-and-founder, responsible for maintaining lost items. When Violet Parma, also 12, asks him to help find her parents, who went missing from the hotel when she was an infant, the resulting search quickly takes a turn for the weird. Violet's parents' disappearance connects to the local story of the malamander, a half-man, half-fish creature whose egg is believed to grant wishes. Everyone wants that egg, from local writer Sebastian Eels to the hook-handed "Boat Hook Man," to the Grand Nautilus's intimidating owner, Lady Kraken. Taylor (Haunters) combines atmospheric descriptions with tongue-in-cheek humor, off-kilter concepts (a mechanical mermonkey that "prescribes" books), and quirky characters to create an unusual series opener. Meanwhile, exaggerated, stylized illustrations from Booth (This Is Christmas) bring both cast and setting to life, capturing the feel of this fantastical, energetic mystery. Ages 8 12.
Customer Reviews
Great book!
It was a quick and comforting read, diverse and even mentions that “sometimes you can’t tell if someone is sick just by looking at them” which is something that hits home as i have people in my family that struggle with disabilities that affect their everyday lives and aren’t treated as such so its an important lesson. I will definitely be buying book two and keeping an eye on the authors works!